THERE have been many events to mark the centenary of the First World War – its outbreak, back in 2014, and grim land-marks such as the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme last year. These are important as they enable us to reflect on the horror of the war
Continue readingTHIS WEEKEND is the 150th anniversary of the setting up of the Confederation of Canada in 1867 by the British North America Act of Parliament. The picture here shows a statue of the best known of the martyrs of Canada (1649), St Jean de Brébeuf, whose feast day we keep
Continue readingTHIS SUNDAY’S GOSPEL READING opens with the words of Jesus: ‘Do not be afraid. For everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.’ This might be a good reading for whoever
Continue readingThe word altar comes from the Hebrew word, ‘izbeah’ meaning ‘to slaughter’; and Greek ‘Thusaiasterion’ meaning ‘a place of sacrifice’. The altar in the church is a place where the highest sacrifice is made to the Lord. It is a sacred place of divine encounter and interaction. The altar represents
Continue readingTRINITY SUNDAY gives us an opportunity to reflect about the nature of the God whom we worship Sunday by Sunday. For Christianity is bold enough to claim that God has revealed to humanity very deep and intimate aspects of himself: what he is like. This in itself is a big
Continue reading‘If there was ever a time when the feast of the Holy Spirit takes on urgency, I think it is now when we see so much confusion, so many false values of redemption, so much militarism and selfishness, so much hatred and violence. This is a precious moment when we
Continue readingTODAY THE CHURCH celebrates Ascension day (transferred from last Thursday) marking not only Jesus’ return in his physical post-resurrection body to heaven, but also his triumph, a point of culmination in the season of Easter and its celebration of Jesus’ victory over death, sin and evil. The idea of triumph
Continue readingMAY IS THE MONTH OF MARY, we sing in one of the traditional hymns for this time of year. Last week we had a May Procession in Bishop Challoner school and next Friday we have one in St Mary’s; traditionally here at St Edmund’s we say the Salve Regina at
Continue readingLAST TUESDAY was Europe Day. This observance marks the anniversary of what is known as the ‘Schuman declaration’ in 1950 which led to the setting up of the European Coal and Steel Community, the prelude to the Common Market and the present European Union. It is an important observance for
Continue readingSometimes you still hear France referred to as ‘the eldest daughter of the Church.’ I am not sure how old the phrase is but it is thought to refer to the fact that Clovis, King of the Franks, accepted Christianity with his followers as early as the 6th century; as the precursor
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