On Tuesday in Holy Week, sometimes called Holy Tuesday, our gospel reading is always from John 13, where Jesus predicts both Judas’ betrayal of him and Peter’s denial. Amidst rather shallow optimism which seems to be around, traditionally Christians see Holy Week as a time of penitence: just as we
Continue readingToday is traditionally known in England as ‘Fig Monday’, but the gospel reading is the account in John chapter 12 of Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointing Jesus. A very good reflection about this event (and similar accounts in the other gospels) is in the latest edition of The Tablet
Continue readingThe church is open this morning for Confessions from 1040 until 1230 and again for the Vigil Mass for Palm Sunday at 6pm. Places at Masses must be pre-booked. Please make sure you wear a mask at all times in the church and you will be asked for your name
Continue readingIn today’s gospel reading (John 10:31-42) the confrontation between Jesus and his opponents leads for the second time to an attempt to kill him – ‘they fetched stones to stone him…’ – this has happened a short time earlier as well (you would have heard that gospel yesterday [John 8:
Continue readingToday the Church honours St Oscar Romero, martyred on this day in 1980 – forgive shameless plug. We have already circulated details of a special Mass being celebrated by the archbishop in our cathedral on Saturday, where there is a shrine to St Oscar. God bless and take care, Fr
Continue readingThis is a depiction of our first reading today from Numbers chapter 21. Jesus applies this image to himself in John and in today’s gospel (John 8) talks of himself as being lifted up. At this stage in Lent we see the Lord crucified as a source of healing, like
Continue readingTuesday 21 March, the anniversary of the first lockdown in England, has been designated a national day of reflection. Alongside this the Bishops Conference has asked for it to be a day of prayer; we have Exposition live-streamed from the church for most of every day but you might want
Continue readingWe always begin the fifth week of Lent, as we enter its most intense period, with the story of Susannah and the elders from Daniel chapter 13. This is part of the Old Testament which you won’t find in Protestant Bibles as it’s only in the Greek text of Daniel
Continue readingToday’s gospel from John chapter 12 recounts how, after Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem before his Passion and the raising of Lazarus from the dead, a turning point in the gospel narrative is reached when some Greeks come to the disciple Philip – who has a Greek name and comes from
Continue readingIn December Pope Francis wrote a letter, ‘Patris Corde’, marking the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pius IX proclaiming St Joseph to be Patron of the Universal Church (http://www.vatican.va/…/papa-francesco-lettera-ap…). This declaration, in December 1870, was made a couple of months after most of the city of Rome had been seized by
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