We 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
Continue readingWhilst our church is closed the Coronavirus is affecting us materially as well as spiritually. Bills keep coming. A good many parishioners already give via standing order or electronically. This is a real lifeline for the church. If you can pay online, it not only assists with the admin but
Continue readingToday, St Patrick’s day, is one of the few days here when we can lift our Lenten austerity for a day. His witness for evangelisation, and the ways in which he bridged the gaps between these islands, are an important example for us. Please pray particularly for the people of
Continue readingThis is the traditional site in Jerusalem of the pool of Siloam, where the miracle described in today’s gospel from John chapter 5 took place. Even though the practical workings of RCIA programmes are disrupted because of the pandemic, baptism remains one of the big themes of Lent, and this
Continue readingThis Sunday is what we call ‘Laetare Sunday’ (‘Rejoice’) – rather like the corresponding Sunday in the middle of Advent (‘Gaudete’ Sunday) – when we reach the middle of Lent and slightly relieve Lenten austerity. So you will notice some rose pink vestments in place of purple, we’re allowed to
Continue readingThank you for your patience and understanding during the closure of St Edmund’s. We hope to open our doors for the vigil Mass on Palm Sunday, so that once again the empty space can be filled with people. We are guided by the Bishops of England and Wales Conference in
Continue readingThis exorcism miracle is recounted in today’s gospel from Luke 11. The Lord makes it clear that his victory over evil rests on the kingdom of evil being divided against itself; this makes sense in lots of ways. When we give way to sin so often we’re obsessed with independence
Continue readingIn the third of our Lenten talks, Fr Ashley looked at the third and fourth chapters of the letter. The slides which accompany this evening’s talk are available here. You can watch a recording of the talk (and previous week’s) on our webcam. Click on the ‘Recordings’ Tab and select the
Continue reading