Today’s gospel is one of the most loved Easter stories – the account in Luke 24 of the risen Christ appearing to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus; it’s also roots our encounter with Jesus in the Mass (‘ they recognised him in the breaking of bread’) in
Continue readingTitian’s great painting, Noli Me Tangere, captures well today’s gospel reading for Easter Tuesday, John 20: 11-18. You can see the risen Christ holding a hoe, as we’re told Mary Magdalen thinks he’s the gardener (in some paintings he’s wearing a hat). God bless and take care Fr Ashley
Continue readingA very Happy Easter to all of you. Christ is risen, alleluia! All our Easter Masses can be accessed through live-stream. Many thanks to those who worked hard to enable our shortened Easter Vigil Mass to take place last night – stewards, administrators, altar servers, readers and the chorale. God
Continue readingAs you will be aware, Catholic priests do not take a salary so they rely on your generosity at Christmas & Easter as a thank you for all they do for their parish. Easter gifts MUST be shown to be for the priests, so that if you give online you
Continue readingTraditionally on the morning of Holy Saturday (and Easter Saturday, by the way, is in a week’s time) the Church waits at the tomb of the Lord Jesus following the death and destruction of Good Friday – there is no Mass until the Easter Vigil this evening. The ancient tradition
Continue readingGood Friday – for me the Isenheim triptych is one of the most powerful and harrowing depictions of the Lord’s death (a powerful paper was written some years ago by Professor Tina Beattie). All our services are detailed on the parish website and all the services from church are live-streamed.
Continue readingMany thanks to those who played an active part in our truncated Maundy Thursday Mass this evening. Not to have the procession at the beginning with the oils, the foot washing and the procession to the Altar of Repose in the hall was a great loss liturgically, spiritually and emotionally
Continue readingOn Maundy Thursday we only have one Mass – in the evening at 8pm (pre-booked places only). In the morning we have Morning Prayer at 10, live-streamed only and preceded by rosary at 930. The Mass this evening will be simpler than usual – no procession of the oils, no
Continue readingToday is Spy Wednesday – the gospel reading from Matthew 19 describes the treachery of Judas. As I said in my homily at Mass yesterday, when we looked at this through the lens of John’s gospel, part of the message is the chance we have to reflect on the ways
Continue readingOn 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 reading