Reflections & Homilies

More than 5,000 pilgrims gathered for the Easter Vigil in St Peter's Basilica and outside in the Square last night. Pope Francis made a brief visit to the Basilica a couple of hours before the service began. He stopped to pray and greeted the faithful briefly. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re presided over the Vigil, because the Holy Father is still recuperatiing from his recent illness. the Cardinal... Read More

The Resurrection of the Lord April 20th 2025 Readings from the Mass of Easter Day Lectionary: 42 Reading through the first reading of today's Mass of Easter day, these words of Peter's testament written for us in the Book of The Acts of the Apostles, struck me with a force that I need, he said: "We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and (in) Jerusalem. They put him t... Read More

The Passionist Provincial, Fr Jim O'Shea writes: Dear Brothers, Associates and Colleagues, This past Sunday, the New York Times featured an article by Andrew Thayer that described the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem as a protest, not a procession. Jesus entered the city not on a warhorse but on a donkey, not with battalions but with beggars. His followers were peasants, fishermen, women and child... Read More

In his meditations, written for the Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum, presided over this evening, 18 April, by Cardinal Baldo Reina on behalf of Pope Francis, the Holy Father explains that, faced with inhuman economies built on calculation and algorithms, cold logic and implacable interests, the only change of course is to turn to the Saviour. This is a path offered to every human be... Read More

As the Paschal Triduum began and we continue to spend Holy Week with our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Bishops' Conference, offers three key teaching moments about humility and service. Preaching his homily for Maundy Thursday in Westminster Cathedral, Cardinal Nichols explains that every person has great dignity and is worthy of our service, "In God's eyes... Read More

A special Holy Week episode of the All Kinds of Catholic podcast will be released on Wednesday. The guest, Jim, has wide-ranging interests and expertise. Podcast host Theresa Alessandro explained, 'The Holy Week and Easter liturgies are so full of emotion that I thought it would be an interesting contrast to talk to a scientist about how they experience this time in the church's year.' When aske... Read More

Cardinal Vincent Nichols delivered this homily today for the Chrism Mass at Westminster Cathedral. In this solemn Mass of Chrism, our eyes are firmly fixed on the person of Jesus, the anointed one, the Christ. It is he, the anointed High Priest, who gives us, the Church, our fundamental character and mission. Today we seek renewal in our priesthood, both that which arises from our baptism and that... Read More

Parish Priest Fr Dominic Robinson delivered this homily at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, Mayfair on Palm Sunday: Hosanna… the Messiah has arrived to save us, but come Wednesday the fear, doubt, betrayal… condemnation… death on a cross… we turn on our saviour and crucify him. Where are we in this crowd? Maybe take that away with us this weekend - what is my reaction ... Read More

Palm Sunday April 13th 2025 A place of many contradictions. As we enter into Holy Week, helped on our spiritual journey by the celebration of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, we find ourselves in a place of many contradictions. In the Roman rite the Palm Sunday Liturgy begins with a commemoration of Jesus on his way to Jerusalem, halting near the Mount of Olives, and asking two of his ... Read More

Tomorrow, Palm Sunday, the Christian community in Ireland, and around the world, will celebrate Holy Week which culminates on Easter Sunday. Archbishop Eamon Martin, Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop John McDowell, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland shared the following message today: In his gospel account of the resurrection, th... Read More

In Pope Francis' prepared catechesis for the weekly General Audience, which was not held due to his ongoing convalescence at Casa Santa Marta, he urges the faithful to give up all burdens weighing down their hearts, in order to experience the peace and joy that comes from the Lord's unconditional love. In his catechesis, focusing on encounters in Jesus' life, the Pope reflected on the biblical epi... Read More

Fifth Sunday of Lent Lectionary Year C Holy craftiness! We move soon to the commemoration of those last days in the life of Jesus, John's gospel story of the adulterous woman brought before Jesus, might at first glance seem slightly incongruous within this framework of dramatic events, but that is not a good viewpoint, for in its setting, context and activity, this story reveals a number of key e... Read More

As Pope Francis convalesces in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta, after being discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Sunday, 23 March, he has called on the faithful to never lose hope, even when we feel incapable of change. While his medical team have recommended two months of rest to recover from the serious bout of double pneumonia, the Pope has prepared a catecheses for the Wednesday ... Read More

In a video message with his prayer intention for April, the Pope urges putting technology at the service of everyone, especially those most in need. "How I would like for us to look less at screens and look each other in the eyes more!" This is the Holy Father's desire that he shares in his April video, produced by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network in collaboration with Coronation Media, with th... Read More