Category: Deacon Tony reflects

(Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:20b-25; John 10 1-10)

More than 30 years ago, while I was working in Glasgow as a plumber, I was tasked to repair a burst pipe in a Crematorium. It was not a domestic size pipe, and the job was compounded by the fact that we had to work in between services. It seemed like every time we heard ‘The Lord’s my Shepherd’ we could start sawing and hammering again. As the job lasted a couple of days, we must have heard it at least 8 times, as well as other music of course. “The Lord’s my Shepherd” comes from Psalm 23, often called the Shepherd Psalm—the most beloved of all the Psalms.  People love it for good reason.  It speaks of green pastures and still waters and restored souls.  But more than that, it speaks of an all-knowing, all-powerful shepherd who devotes full attention to our care and feeding.  It assures us of God’s loving presence in our lives, both now and forevermore.[1] It is also the psalm used today; a day when we hear Jesus tell us in the Gospel that He is the gate by which, we, his flock need to enter.

The image of sheep and shepherds is one which the Jews of Jesus’ time would be familiar.  The prophets used the image of sheep and shepherds to describe the relationship between the people and their leaders in ancient times (see Jeremiah 23:1-4; Ezekiel 34:1-31; Zechariah 10:2-3 and 11:4-17)[2].  Israel/Palestine at that time was a rough and stony pastureland and shepherds moving their sheep would have been a common sight.  Sheep were kept mainly for wool rather than for their meat and the shepherd would herd them for many years.  The sheepfold was a yard or an enclosure where sheep were kept, especially overnight, only the sheep and the shepherds entered by the gate of the sheepfold; the sheepfold was a place of safety. The sheep knew their shepherd’s voice because he had protected them for several years, so when they were in the sheepfold with other flocks, they would respond to their shepherd and remain with their own flock.[3]

The Gospel used today is the turning point of John’s Gospel; we are moving away from the signs Jesus gave, and we start to move towards the Passion of Jesus.  This passage follows immediately after the passage where Jesus has cured the blind man.  The blind man who became a follower of Jesus and who testified for Jesus under interrogation by the Pharisees.  The blind man listened to Jesus’ voice; he obeyed Jesus and then followed him to find better pastures.  Within today’s Gospel we hear a phrase from Jesus twice “truly, truly, I say to you,” this phrase indicates Jesus’ formal teaching’ and in this case it is aimed against the Pharisees who had rejected and expelled the cured blind man from the temple.[4] The blind man was cured of physical and spiritual blindness because he heard the voice of the Good Shepherd and he obeyed.  In this teaching Jesus is pointing towards the Pharisees, highlighting their spiritual blindness and calling them thieves and brigands, telling the people that if you follow these men who refuse to believe in Jesus despite all of the signs Jesus has already given in the previous 9 chapters of John’s Gospel, then you will be lost.

Some time ago, I watched an episode of Countryfile on BBC.  It was a lambing special and one of the first things the shepherd did when the lamb was born was to separate the ewe and her lambs from the other members of the flock to help them get to know the sound and the smell of each other.  It was explained that when they are back in the flock it would be very easy for the lamb and the ewe to become separated and if that was to happen out in the fields then the lamb would soon go hungry as it was unlikely that any other ewe would allow a strange lamb to feed from her.

In a similar way, when we are growing in faith we need to learn which voices to listen to; will we listen to those who lead us astray or will we find the correct voices which will nourish our faith? Helping us to grow to maturity in faith so that we are able to listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd when he calls us towards the gates of His Heavenly sheepfold?

Good Shepherd Sunday is held every year on the 4^th Sunday of Easter.  It is a reminder to us that God calls each one of us to serve in different ways to build up His Kingdom.  Some of us are called to marriage, some to the single life, others are called to the Priesthood or the Religious life. I happen to have been called to two vocations, my first is my marriage to Pam and my second vocation is to the Permanent Diaconate. Everything I do in my vocation as a deacon has to come from the fruits of my Marriage vocation.

If you feel God is calling you to the Priesthood or the Diaconate, have a chat with one of the priests or deacons in the Pastoral Area. If you are thinking of getting married have a chat to a couple you know who have been married for a while and make sure you get onto a Marriage Preparation Course; there are loads out there. If you want to live a Sacramental Marriage, make sure your preparation is based on strong Christian principles.

Jesus is asking us all to learn His voice and to follow it. What is our Good Shepherd calling you to do? Listen to Him and follow.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Fourth Sunday of Easter

CCC 754, 764, 2665: Christ the Shepherd and Gate
CCC 553, 857, 861, 881, 896, 1558, 1561, 1568, 1574: Pope and bishops as shepherds
CCC 874, 1120, 1465, 1536, 1548-1551, 1564, 2179, 2686: priests as shepherds
CCC 14, 189, 1064, 1226, 1236, 1253-1255, 1427-1429: conversion, faith, and baptism
CCC 618, 2447: Christ an example in bearing wrongs^[5]

The Lord’s My Shepherd – Sermon Writer

Please accompany in your prayers

• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• Those who have completed and those who continue with the RCIA programme; especially those who received the Sacraments of Initiation this Easter.
• The young people preparing for Confirmation in our Pastoral Area.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• Riccardo, who will be Baptised this weekend at St Bede’s.
• The success of the current Called & Gifted programme.
• All those in formation for the Priesthood, Diaconate or Consecrated Life.
• Those engaged to be married.

Deacon Tony

24^th April 2026

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[1] The Lord’s My Shepherd – Sermon Writer

[2] Francis J Maloney, S.D.B., Sacra Pagina- The Gospel of John, (The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1998)301.

[3] Richard A Burridge, John, The People’s Bible Commentary, (The Bible Reading Fellowship, Oxford, 1998)132-3.

[4] Robert Draper, Breaking the Word Sundays, (The Pastoral Review Vol 16 Issue 2, Twickenham, 2020)80.

[5] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

(Acts 2:14,22-33; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35)

As I sat down to write this reflection this morning, the doorbell rang. It was Jehovah’s Witnesses pointing out to me all of the horrible things which are happening in the world today and asking if I knew the answer. I said, ‘Prayer’, they seemed a little taken aback and asked if I was a believer. I shared with them that I am a deacon in the Catholic Church. They then asked if I thought the news events was signalling the end of the world, I said that only God the Father knows that time as Jesus pointed out to us. They left me a card, and I wished them well in their ministry.

While I believe they are misguided in how they worship God, I can’t help but admire their courage in knocking on people’s doors proclaiming their Gospel message. I’m not sure that I could do that. Then again, how sure was St Peter before Pentecost that he could stand and share the real Good News in public, even in Jerusalem. After all, in last week’s Gospel the disciples were all in a locked room for fear of the Jews. This week, we hear an emboldened Peter; accompanied by the Eleven; filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking eloquently and with confidence about the Risen Christ.

There is also contrast in the Gospel we hear today. First of all, I wonder why the disciples were walking towards Emmaus. Is it on the road to Galilee? Were they obeying the instructions given to assemble in Galilee? In their discussions with their ‘new friend’ they seemed to focus on the Crucifixion and not on the Resurrection, it takes Jesus, their new friend, to walk alongside them and explain how since the Fall, God has been planning and preparing mankind for this moment. That Jesus is the One they have been waiting for. However, He did the will of his Father and became the Christ we had been promised instead of the Christ they had hoped for. Their hope was for a mighty warrior who would overthrow the Romans and make Israel a mighty nation again. But God said, those days are gone. God doesn’t need mighty warriors, God needs people who exude love and mercy, just like Jesus. People who recognise Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

In the Missal I use, there is a short commentary from Pope Benedict XVI on this Gospel, which he says “is the famous account of the disciples of Emmaus. The location of Emmaus has not been identified with certainty. There are hypotheses and this one is not without evocativeness of its own for it allows us to think that Emmaus actually represents every place; the road that leads there is the road every Christian, every person, takes. The Risen Jesus makes himself our travelling companion as we go on our way, to rekindle the warmth of faith and hope in our hearts and to break the bread of eternal life.” These words from the late Pope are encouraging for us all. From his explanation we are all travelling to Emmaus, wherever our physical journey may be; and if we make our journey in faith then we are accompanied by Jesus.

Accompaniment is really important. Especially for those new to faith or those struggling with their faith. We are all called to be like Jesus and to walk alongside fellow disciples; these could be people in our own family or from our Church family; and give them the gentle encouragement they need by our words and our actions. Every Christian has a mission to bring other people to Christ; this is part of our calling from the moment we are baptised. This is what God expects, He doesn’t want us to keep our faith to ourselves, he wants no-one to walk alone.

Many of us will have had new church family members join us this Easter. Do you know who they are? If yes, brilliant, be sure to share words of encouragement with them. If you don’t know who they are, or haven’t yet introduced yourselves to them, why not resolve to do that this weekend or in the coming week?

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Third Sunday of Easter

CCC 1346-1347: the Eucharist and the experience of the disciples at Emmaus
CCC 642-644, 857, 995-996: the apostles and disciples as witnesses of the Resurrection
CCC 102, 601, 426-429, 2763: Christ the key to interpreting all Scripture
CCC 519, 662, 1137: Christ, our Advocate in heaven^[1]

Please accompany in your prayers

• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• Those who have completed and those who continue with the RCIA programme; especially those who received the Sacraments of Initiation this Easter.
• The young people preparing for Confirmation in our Pastoral Area.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The families who start their Baptism Preparation sessions this week.
• Chukwuebuka, Maya & Samuel who will be Baptised this weekend at St Bede’s.
• The success of the current Called & Gifted programme.

Deacon Tony

18^th April 2026

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[1] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

(Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 118; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31)

One of the striking things for me, from the first reading is how unified the Church was in the earliest of days, and how through that unity the Church was growing on a daily basis. The first reading tells us that they all attended temple together, those who had possessions sold them for the benefit of those who had need, and they all broke bread together. This unity is a unity which Christ envisaged when He set up the Church.

The psalm used emphasises mercy, which is highly appropriate on the day when we celebrate the Mercy of God, Divine Mercy Sunday. In the Gospel, we hear Jesus bestow one of the functions of priesthood upon the disciples. Through the Holy Spirit, the disciples are given permission to forgive sins, and also to withhold forgiveness, should that be appropriate. Jesus goes on to show how gently He dispenses mercy, when Thomas failed to believe initially based upon the word of his fellow disciples. There was no condemnation from Jesus of Thomas, instead Jesus offered to let Thomas do what he said it would take for him to believe. Jesus was prepared to meet Thomas where he was at. The result was that Thomas didn’t need to touch the wounds of Christ, instead, when Jesus offered to allow him to touch the wounds, Thomas simply declared ‘My Lord and my God.’

Are there times when we like Thomas, refuse to believe?

Do we insist on assurances or proof, before we fully engage?

Jesus tells us that we are blessed if we believe without needing any proof.

While we celebrate Christ’s mercy today, we are reminded that those of us who receive Christ’s mercy are expected to pass it on. Remember the apostles gained more followers for Jesus through their merciful actions than they did by what they said. As Christians, we need to take our mercy out into the world.  We are called not to just wait on those who need mercy coming across our path, we are called to go out and look for them and share with them the mercy of Christ.  It is not our mercy to keep for ourselves; this is a gift from God which has to be used. In his book ’15 Days of Prayer with Saint Faustina Kowalska’, John J Cleary wrote, ‘With God as our model, we are capable of forgiveness. He has forgiven us, and we can forgive those who do us wrong. This begins with the practice of mercy. Each day we should practice at least one act of mercy so that love and forgiveness can grow inside us, and so that hardheartedness does not settle within us, keeping us from a deeper love of God and each other. The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy serve as an excellent list of practices for fostering mercy in our lives.’[1]

The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy encourage us to support a wider circle of people in our community; it allows us to show those in need that someone actually cares. It is also an area; especially in the Corporal works; where the various parts of the Church work extremely well together. The local Foodbank functions predominantly through volunteers from most of the Christian Churches in the area. Likewise, the Winter Night shelter, Hospital Chaplaincy, Street Pastors, Town Chaplains etc. These are all examples of Christians being united in our love of God’s people, taking God’s mercy out to where it is most needed.

Today, as we continue to celebrate Easter and focus on how our Resurrected Christ bestows mercy upon us, we can ask ourselves.

How can I practice at least one act of mercy every day?

What difference can it make to my life and to the lives of others?

Acts of mercy are meant to change not just the person we are focussed on, but they change us too. Jesus does not want us to just tick along like a well-oiled machine. We are meant to grow in faith, and we do that by sharing God’s love and mercy with others. The more merciful we can be, then the more like Jesus we become, the more like Jesus we become the closer we get to The Father, the closer we get to The Father then the more fulfilled our lives will be in this world and the next.

Corporal Works Feed the hungry Give drink to the thirsty Clothe the naked Shelter the homeless Visit the prisoners Comfort the sick Bury the dead

Spiritual Works Teach the ignorant Pray for the living & dead Correct sinners Counsel those in doubt Console the sorrowful Bear wrongs patiently Forgive wrongs willingly

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Second Sunday of Easter

CCC 448, 641-646: appearances of the risen Christ
CCC 1084-1089: sanctifying presence of the risen Christ in the liturgy
CCC 2177-2178, 1342: the Sunday Eucharist
CCC 654-655, 1988: our new birth in the Resurrection of Christ
CCC 976-983, 1441-1442: “I believe in the forgiveness of sins”
CCC 949-953, 1329, 1342, 2624, 2790: communion in spiritual goods^[2]

Please remember in your prayers

• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• Those who completed and those who continue with the RCIA programme; especially those who received the Sacraments of Initiation this Easter.
• The young people preparing for Confirmation in our Pastoral Area.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The families who start their Baptism Preparation sessions this week.

Deacon Tony

11^th April 2026

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[1] John J Cleary, 15 Days of Prayer With Saint Faustina Kowalska, [Liguori Publications, Liguori, Missouri, 2002]25.

[2] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

(Matthew 21:1-11)

(Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14- 27:66)

Today’s Scripture readings bring great contrast. Even the triumphant entry into Jerusalem has contrast within it. This triumphant entry is not on the back of a large stallion or in a golden chariot, but it is on the back of a humble donkey, the same way his Mother carried him to be born in Bethlehem.

All through the Gospel readings we have heard Jesus from time to time remind us that God’s way and man’s ways are different. So, we shouldn’t really be surprised when the entry to Jerusalem is ‘different’ too.

The most striking contrast is however the contrast between the Gospel declaring the triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the Passion of Christ during the Liturgy of the Word where the Jewish leaders thought they had put an end to Jesus.  The same crowd who welcomed Jesus with Hosannah’s now cry ‘crucify him!’ The Jewish leaders appear to have won the day, but the reality is those leaders were doomed for eternity. For them the blood of the sacrificial lambs they would smear on their door posts would no longer allow the angel of death to pass over their household; now they had the Blood of the Lamb on their hands.

Jesus, chose to go to His death to save us. We have no need to sacrifice innocent animals for our penance, because the innocent Son of God has died for us. We have no need to smear the blood of a lamb on our door posts, because we can have the Blood of Christ on our lips. Jesus gave the perfect example of self-sacrifice to demonstrate His love for us. It is hard for us to imagine loving anyone this much, but we do see examples in our lives of people who make tremendous sacrifices out of love.[1]

There are many people I have encountered throughout my life, who have looked after their sick spouse to the detriment of their own health, their dedication to their wedding vows is complete and inspiring. Others who have had to give up looking after a spouse, a parent or a child because they are no longer able to provide the care safely, and who visit every day or when circumstances allow. This is a sacrificial love; it is the type of love Jesus has for us. His sacrifice is timeless, as the events of the Passion take place in a non-bleeding renewal in all Holy Masses every hour of the day, somewhere in the world.

During the week I attended Stations of the Cross led by Year 6 pupils from St Anne’s school and another set of Stations led by the Year 6 pupils of St Bede’s school. Both of these events were acted out by the pupils to great effect. During both events there were times when you could hear a pin drop as all of the other pupils watched and prayed alongside the young actors. Both of these events displayed powerful witness to the Passion of Our Lord, and while the parents were asked to leave in silence, the reality was that most would not have needed the instruction.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

CCC 557-560: Christ’s entry into Jerusalem
CCC 602-618: the Passion of Christ
CCC 2816: Christ’s kingship gained through his death and Resurrection
CCC 654, 1067-1068, 1085, 1362: the Paschal Mystery and the liturgy^[2]

Please remember in your prayers

• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• Those who completed and those who continue with the RCIA programme; especially those preparing for Sacraments this Easter.
• The young people preparing for Confirmation in our Pastoral Area.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The continued success of the Pastoral Area Lent course on Prayer.
• The children who complete their Baptism Preparation sessions this week.

Deacon Tony

28^th March 2026

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[1]Mark & Liz Dutton, I Am With You, [Two in One Flesh, Caterham, 2013]48.

[2] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

(Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45)

In the first reading we hear the prophet Ezekiel tell the people that God says He will open our graves. He also says that we as a people will recognise that the LORD is at work when the graves are opened. Then in the Gospel, we hear that Jesus ordered the grave of Lazarus to be opened and He called Lazarus out from the grave he had occupied for four days. In the first reading from the Sacred Scriptures, which the Scribes and Pharisees insisted everyone had to live to; is the declaration of a sign to look out for; and in the Gospel the sign happening in front of their eyes. We hear that because of this miracle, many of the Jews believed in Jesus. But why not all of them?

I think the reason many of the Scribes and Pharisees refused to accept Jesus, was because they had head knowledge of God, but that knowledge failed to travel the enormous distance to their hearts. These men, no doubt very wise men, concerned themselves with following the rules, so much so, that the rules became more important to them than the Scriptures. They also had political and personal interests to look after. Time after time, Jesus called them out, He called them hypocrites, highlighting that they delighted in pointing the finger at other people, becoming accusers and judging people to different standards than they perhaps applied to themselves.

Are there areas of life where we are like this?

Are we quick to point out the faults of those we live with, ignoring that we probably do the exact same thing ourselves?

In this Gospel reading we hear how Jesus wept for his friend, in his life Jesus experienced most of the emotions we also experience. When Jesus was deeply moved, He was not only showing us how He felt, but He was moved by how upset Martha and Mary were at the loss of their brother. Jesus knew He was going to bring Lazarus back from the dead. He deliberately delayed his journey to demonstrate to us that we have to be patient. Things will happen in God’s time, not always when we want them to happen. In this passage of the Gospel, we see Jesus demonstrate human love and divine power. His compassion is striking, as He enhances the faith of those He encounters and reveals himself as the Lord of Life. The positioning of this Gospel in the 5^th week of Lent acts as a compelling prologue to the Gospel we will hear in the next two weeks as the Church enters the Paschal Mystery which reveals Jesus as the conqueror of sin and death.[1]

This Gospel also has one of the most striking professions of faith which was ever spoken. When Martha uttered the words ‘Yes Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’ When Martha said these words, this was prior to her brother being raised from the dead. What faith and trust she demonstrated on that day.

There are times in our life when we feel distant from God, maybe even that He has abandoned us. This is not the case. We must keep faith in God, using the example of Martha. At what must have been one of the lowest times in her life, she still was able to say that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Her faith did not waver.

As we get closer to Holy Week and Easter, we still have time to reinforce our Lenten observances.

• Can we devote more time or improve the quality of our prayers?
• Can we fast from sin or from something which we really enjoy and dedicate that time to God?
• Are we able to share the gifts we have received from God with those in need?

Over the past three weeks we have been reminded of our Baptism: firstly the encounter of the Samaritan woman at the well, who was promised living water; which we know to be the Holy Spirit. Last week we heard of the man born blind; his eyes were opened by Jesus, the Light of Life; symbolising our faith which should never be hidden. This week we have Lazarus being raised from the dead; a reminder of the reward available to us if we are faithful to the promises made at our Baptism. While we have a three-year cycle, these readings are always used when the Scrutinies for adults who will be Baptised at easter take place. They are an examination for the Candidates prior to their Baptism and a preparation for all of us who are already Baptised and will renew our Baptismal promises at Easter.

I’ve mentioned before that our faith is not a passive faith, it is meant to be shared, we are called to live out our faith. Neither is it a private faith something just between me and God. As Christians we are called to accept the cross we have been allocated; we can’t pick or choose. We are called to still be faithful. This week we are reminded how faithful Martha was, she trusted in Jesus and was rewarded by an extraordinary event – her brother restored to life.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Fifth Sunday of Lent

CCC 992-996: the progressive revelation of resurrection
CCC 549, 640, 646: raisings a messianic sign prefiguring Christ’s Resurrection
CCC 2603-2604: the prayer of Jesus before the raising of Lazarus
CCC 1002-1004: our present experience of resurrection
CCC 1402-1405, 1524: the Eucharist and the Resurrection
CCC 989-990: the resurrection of the body^[2]

Please remember in your prayers

• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• Those attending the RCIA programmes especially those preparing for Sacraments this Easter.
• The young people preparing for Confirmation in our Pastoral Area.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The continued success of the Pastoral Area Lent course on Prayer.
• The children who continue their Baptism Preparation sessions this week.

Deacon Tony

21^st March 2026

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[1] Robert Draper, Volume 19 Issue 1, The Tablet Publishing Company, London 2023]83.

[2] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

Laetare Sunday

(1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41)

During a baptism service the baptismal candle is lit from the Pascal or Easter candle, this has significant symbolism. Firstly, we are recalling the events of the first Easter, which are commemorated at the Easter Vigil each year. The world was in darkness following the events of Good Friday. The first sign of light (the first signs of life come from the Easter fire) where the Light of Christ starts to bathe the world in light again. This is a new beginning, just like when the world was created and God said, ‘let there be light’. The world will never be the same again, because now Jesus has risen from the dead. In our baptism we go down into the grave with Jesus and are lifted up, cleansed by water; which gives life; and sealed with the Holy Spirit.

The second symbol is the flame of faith. When the light is brought close to the newly baptised, the words spoken by the celebrant are ‘receive the light of Christ’. If it is a child being baptised, the parents are instructed to ‘keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts’. This has to be done by words and deeds. The parents and godparents are asked to be good role models, as would the sponsor of an adult being baptised.

In the Gospel we hear today, we have these symbols being lived out. The man born blind had lived in darkness, his world had no light. But when Jesus opened his eyes, his faith was born; just as we are reborn in baptism. He is transformed by his encounter with Jesus. He goes from being a beggar who people ‘passed by’ to a man who told the temple officials the Good News, even though they did not want to hear it. The flame of faith was very much burning in this man’s heart.

The temple officials, tried as best they could to discredit his testimony, but the more they probed, the more the man who was born blind, shared the Good News. Their motives were to protect their own lifestyles, they could not countenance Jesus being the Messiah, because He did not fit the Messiah they had in their minds -someone who would be a great warrior and destroy all of their enemies. This is very much linked with our first reading from the first book of Samuel. Here we have Samuel sent to Bethlehem to show the people who God was going to choose as the next King of Israel. Samuel’s first thought was that Eliab would be the chosen one as he was the eldest and looked to be the most powerful. But God said to Samuel that ‘the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.’

What does God see in our hearts today?

For the people we encounter in the Bible, God was pivotal in their lives. Every action, every decision, every outcome was affected by the relationship the individual had with God.

Could the same be said about us today?

One of the most common challenges I hear from my wife when I am discouraged, or down beat is ‘did you pray about it?’  It frustrates the life out of me that time and time again, I try to do things under my own power and fail to involve God by praying before I act. It frustrates me even more that she is right. Is it any wonder that I get discouraged because I am trying to do my will, without considering if it is also God’s will.

We are now half way through Lent, it is a good time to review how our Lent is going. I often start off Lent full of good intentions and try to make too many changes. I have probably done the same again this year. My hopes were to find more time to pray, which for the most part has worked, although I do find myself struggling occasionally. I have also tried to avoid eating between meals, this has been mostly successful. We are also called to look at our life and, today especially, shine the light into the darkest corners of our life.

What areas of my life do I need to change? What areas of my life do I not want to shine the light on, because it is uncomfortable for me?

When we do this and expose these elements of our life to ourselves, then we need to seek God’s forgiveness and His help to prevent us from sinning again. There are opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation at all of our churches. Please look at your local newsletter. In addition, the Pastoral Area Reconciliation Service is on Friday 27^th March at 7:30 pm in St Bede’s Church. That way we can live out the words of the opening prayer [Collect] today – ‘O God, who through your Word reconcile the human race to yourself in a wonderful way, grant we pray, that with prompt devotion and eager faith the Christian people may hasten toward the solemn celebrations to come.’  Amen.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Fourth Sunday of Lent

CCC 280, 529, 748, 1165, 2466, 2715: Christ the light of the nations
CCC 439, 496, 559, 2616: Jesus is the Son of David
CCC 1216: baptism is illumination
CCC 782, 1243, 2105: Christians are to be light of the world^[1]

Please remember in your prayers

• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• Those attending the RCIA programmes especially those preparing for Sacraments this Easter.
• The young people preparing for Confirmation in our Pastoral Area.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The continued success of the Pastoral Area Lent course on Prayer.
• The children who began their Baptism Preparation last week.

Deacon Tony

13^th March 2026

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[1] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

(Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-2,5-8; John 4:5-42)

This Lent, we have restarted watching The Chosen, which is a dramatised version of how Jesus called the disciples interlinked with Gospel accounts. One of the episodes this week was the Gospel we have just heard. This helped me not only to visualise the scene and the discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan woman but also to see how the woman’s encounter with Jesus changed her. She went from a woman who was shunned by her neighbours to telling everyone about Jesus.

It also reminded me of a trip to Goa in 2018, where we visited a church with life size models of this scene from Jacob’s well. In that scene the Samaritan woman had the image of several men on her back to demonstrate her life before she met Jesus.

The Scripture readings today remind us of our Baptism, by water and the Holy Spirit. In the first reading from Exodus, we hear how the people rebelled against Moses and against God, by complaining that they would have been better off staying in Egypt to be slaves, as at least they had water to drink. God instructed Moses how to provide water, which saved their lives.

In St Paul’s letter to the Romans, we hear that “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” In our Baptism we enter the grave with Jesus and rise again with Him. St Paul reminds us that Christ died for us even though we are sinners.

In the Gospel we have the discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. There is so much in this passage, for example, the Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans, in fact they despised each other. In those days, a Jewish man would not approach a woman who was alone, he would certainly not ask her for a drink. The Samaritan woman, who we discover was not one for keeping to convention; points out how Jesus is not complying with custom. Jesus is able to tell the woman that He knows all about her; just like He knows all about every one of us. He also chooses her, a non-Jew, to reveal that He is the one they have all been awaiting; He is the Messiah. The whole conversation is a wonderful example of Jesus’ willingness to engage with people as they are, and of his openness with women.

This Gospel is the first of three Gospels in Cycle A, in these last three Sundays in Lent, we start to emphasise the symbols of Baptism which we celebrate at Easter. This is important not only for those being baptised at the Easter Vigil, but also for all of us who will renew our Baptismal promises at Easter. Then we enter afresh into the living and nourishing water of God’s love which surpasses any food or drink, into the light which enlightens the blind [the Cure of the Man Born Blind] and true life [the Raising of Lazarus].[1] It is through our Baptism that we are refreshed by the living water, our eyes are opened to see God and the needs of our neighbour and that we have the promise of being raised up after we die.

For several months we have been journeying with men and women who have been seeking to learn more about the Catholic faith. Two weeks ago, some of these people attended the Cathedral at Portsmouth to formally register their intent to join the Catholic Church. Today some of them commence the Scrutinies, where they will start to make promises designed specifically for the unbaptised who seek to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil. These rites are celebrated on the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent, and they serve as moments of deep spiritual purification and enlightenment. You may not be aware, but they are deeply rooted in the ancient practices of the early Church. The scrutinies call both the catechumens [those yet to be baptised] and the faithful to complete a self-examination, which ultimately leads us towards conversion. They prepare the catechumens to receive the sacraments of initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist—while also reinforcing the Lenten journey for the entire Church.[2] This is a time of great joy for these people and for us, it shows us that the Church is still growing, that people see something in us that makes them want to look into becoming Catholic.

Let’s keep these people in our pastoral area and beyond in our prayers, as we all journey towards Easter together.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Third Sunday of Lent

CCC 1214-1216, 1226-1228: baptism, rebirth of water and Spirit
CCC 727-729: Jesus reveals the Holy Spirit
CCC 694, 733-736, 1215, 1999, 2652: the Holy Spirit, the living water, a gift of God
CCC 604, 733, 1820, 1825, 1992, 2658: God takes the initiative; hope from the Spirit^[3]

Please remember in your prayers

• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• Those attending the RCIA programmes especially those preparing for Sacraments this Easter.
• Those attending the Youth Alpha programme which is a prerequisite for the Confirmation programme in our Pastoral Area.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The continued success of the Pastoral Area Lent course on Prayer.
• The children who will begin their Baptism Preparation this weekend.

Deacon Tony

7^th March 2026

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[1] Universalis commentary on the Readings for the 3^rd Sunday of Lent.

[2] The Significance of the Scrutinies in the Catholic Church and the Easter Vigil

[3] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

(Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 33; 2 Timothy 1:8b-10; Matthew 17:1-9)

For most of my life, except my first ten years in Tadley I have lived on or next to hills. I know that it takes more effort to go up a hill than to go down a hill. So much so, that when I was a schoolboy, I used to delay my trip up the hill after school for as long as possible in the vain hope that my Dad would be coming home early and would maybe stop to give me a lift. Whilst at school, I tried hill walking a couple of times; we went to Ben Vorlich and Ben Lomond, which are located near Loch Lomond. I enjoyed the hill walking, but using borrowed walking shoes put me off for a long time. More recently when I travelled to Medjugorje I climbed the hill and the mountain, both of which require a great deal of energy to climb, however, the views are so beautiful and inspirational.

In the Bible we hear of Moses and Elijah being energised in their mission by meeting God on the mountain. In the Book of Exodus, we read that “The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud” [Exodus 24:16].If we had heard the actual start of Chapter 17 of Matthew’s Gospel today, we would have heard “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” This reference announces Jesus as the new Moses and, with the seventh day, a reference to the new creation which Jesus is inaugurating.

Today’s Gospel, where Jesus reveals His Glory to his closest apostles, comes immediately after St Matthew’s account of when Peter was told he is the rock on which the Church will be built, followed swiftly by Jesus rebuking him because he failed to understand that Jesus had to die and rise from the dead. Again, in today’s account we see Peter not fully appreciating what is happening in front of him. He wants to preserve the scene by building tents, he wants to keep Moses and Elijah alongside Jesus. He doesn’t understand that the purpose of the mountain is to give them energy to get through what they are going to experience. The voice from the cloud, seems like a message to Peter, and to us, that when we get our own ideas about faith, we need to focus back on Jesus. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to him.” [1]

By experiencing the Transfiguration, these three apostles will be able to gather the rest of the apostles and the disciples together after the Crucifixion; they, having seen Christ’s Glory, will be able to tell the others to keep the faith. This is the same message we need to remember even in our darkest moments.  We need to keep the faith, because if we can, then at the end of our journey we will see Jesus as He really is; Glorified on the right hand of the Father.

As we continue our Lenten journey, we walk on with hope. We remember that we are his disciples today and we need to take the Light of Christ to the darkest parts of our life, to the darkest parts of our world and shine that light to transform the darkness into light. That is the hope which faith gives us. We can use this as an examination of conscience –

What are the dark parts of my life which I need to be exposed to Christ’s light today?

When we are able to identify these, we can take them to Confession and seek reconciliation with God and our Community. Confident in the first words Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel “Rise, and have no fear.”

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Second Sunday of Lent

CCC 554-556, 568: the Transfiguration
CCC 59, 145-146, 2570-2571: the obedience of Abraham
CCC 706: God’s promise to Abraham fulfilled in Christ
CCC 2012-2014, 2028, 2813: the call to holiness^[2]

Please remember in your prayers

• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• Those attending the RCIA programmes especially those preparing for Sacraments this Easter.
• Those attending the Youth Alpha programme which is a prerequisite for the Confirmation programme in our Pastoral Area.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The continued success of the Pastoral Area Lent course on Prayer.
• The children who will be beginning their Baptism Preparation soon.
• The Community of St Oswald’s in Burghfield Common, whose Patronal Feast is this Saturday.
• Fr Jim Keenan RIP, former Parish Priest in Tadley and Kingsclere, whose anniversary of death occurs next Friday.

Deacon Tony

27^th February 2026

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[1] Maria Power and Raymond Friel, Pastoral Review Vol 22 Issue 1, [The Tablet Publishing Company Limited, London 2025] 78-79.

[2] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

(Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Psalm 50; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11)

Over the years there have been many professed atheists who try to convince others that there is no God. Sometimes they do this in debates with Christians in places like universities or colleges and sometimes these have been televised. One of the things which strikes me about these people is that they have mostly read Scriptures thoroughly and can recall the words of Scriptures often far better than some Christians; myself included. This is dedication, the origins of which should be examined.

In the Gospel we hear today we have the devil quoting Scripture to Jesus, in an attempt to make Jesus prove that He is the Son of God. Jesus, the Word made Flesh, knows Scriptures far better than anyone ever born; rebukes the devil, knowing that He will prove He is the Son of God in his own way, in his own time and to those who will follow him.

In St Paul’s letter to the Romans, we hear the argument from Paul that if sin was brought into the world by the actions of one man, then it is only fitting that redemption is also brought into the world by one man. That man is Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man. This reading is perfectly placed in our readings today. In the first reading, we hear about the first sin, which saw mankind exiled from the Garden of Eden and in the Gospel, we hear how Jesus resisted temptation at the start of his ministry.

The same tempter, involved with vastly different results.

Lent is a time when we are called to look at how we are living out our Faith. We are encouraged to pray, fast and give alms in order to offer sacrifice to God. However, I’d like to suggest that this is how we as Christians should already be behaving. If we call ourselves Christians then we should already be leading a life which is rooted in prayer. We should be learning Holy Scriptures better than any atheist, so that when we encounter someone who argues against God, that we have the answer. We should already be fasting when the occasion demands it. Abstinence from meat on a Friday is no great sacrifice really and we should probably be doing this more; it helps us to get closer to Jesus and is good for us [says the overweight deacon]. Alms giving should be second nature to us, but is it? As Christians we are called to love God and our neighbour.

How do we show that in 2026?

It is scandalous that we need Foodbanks and Night shelters in 21^st Century Britain, but we do, and from my experience locally they are getting busier.

Next Friday we are asked to take part in the CaFOD Family Fast Day, it is one of the main fundraisers for CaFOD which helps people in need all over the world. Often when we are asked to give to charity we are encouraged to give from our surplus; the money we have left over after paying our bills; but this appeal is different. When we fast, we place ourselves temporarily in a similar position to those who are hungry. We get to temporarily experience what they experience all the time. However, the next day we can go back to eating while they are still hungry. Next Friday, we are encouraged to use the money we would have spent on food and give it to CaFOd, who can then use it in one of their projects to keep people alive. We go hungry for one day and someone else gets to live.

The tempter will try and tell us that we can’t make a difference, that the little bit of money we can contribute won’t matter. But this is when we can defy the tempter. Everything that we can contribute will be put to good use. The tempter is all about destruction. He hates it when we work to build up God’s Kingdom. We build God’s Kingdom by loving God and loving our neighbour. We also defy the tempter by loving God and loving our neighbour.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Further Reading

First Sunday of Lent

CCC 394, 538-540, 2119: the temptation of Jesus
CCC 2846-2849: “Lead us not into temptation”
CCC 385-390, 396-400: the Fall
CCC 359, 402-411, 615: Adam, Original Sin, Christ the New Adam^[1]

Please remember in your prayers

• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• Those attending the RCIA programmes and those attending the Rite of Election at the Cathedral this Saturday.
• Those attending the Youth Alpha programme which is a prerequisite for the Confirmation programme in our Pastoral Area.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The success of the forthcoming Pastoral Area Lent course on Prayer.
• The children who will be beginning their Baptism Preparation soon.
• For those returning from their half-term holiday, that the time away from school or college will have been energising for them and that they can return to their studies/work with renewed enthusiasm.

Deacon Tony

21^st February 2026

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[1] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

[Sirach 15:15-20; Psalm 119; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37]

The study of history gives us an awareness of what has already happened. Our Salvation History is documented in Holy Scriptures; what we know as the Bible. When St Paul was writing to the Corinthians nearly 2000 years ago, he described  how the rulers of his day had missed for some the One they had longed to see and for others the signs of the times which pointed towards Jesus being a righteous and peaceful man. As he said, ‘otherwise they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.’

I wonder when historians look back at the rulers of our days, what they will record as being significant. A look at the leaders of our ages in the few weeks since 2026 started, may show significant turning points in our domestic and international affairs. Our Prime Minister’s judgement has been called into question several times, a former Prince of the Realm is under siege by journalists and having already withdrawn from public life is now preparing to move to a new home well away from prying eyes. Meanwhile, the current leader of one of our oldest allies has advised those living in Europe that we shouldn’t depend on the USA to continue to defend us if we are threatened; at the same time applying pressure to take a country under their control; which is currently under the control of Denmark, another ally. If St Paul were alive today, I’m certain that he would be questioning whether the rulers of this age have been endowed with wisdom.

In the Gospel from St Matthew, we hear Jesus tell us that He has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfil them. Before diving into what Jesus said, I think a little bit of context is needed here. The Jew used the expression the Law, in four different ways –

[i] The Ten Commandments

[ii] The Pentateuch- the first 5 books of the Bible

[iii] The Law and the Prophets, to mean the whole of Scripture, which we would call the Old Testament.

[iv] The Oral or Scribal Law; at the time of Jesus, this was the most common meaning of ‘the Law’; and it was this Scribal Law which Jesus utterly condemned.

These Scribal Laws were the results of centuries of debate and refinement, where the scholars of the Jewish scrolls had dissected the Ten Commandments and the works of the Prophets to get as precise a meaning as they could for these documents. The result of this was not a simple set of rules which people could follow easily, but convoluted legal jargon, which the Scribes and Pharisees could find workarounds to; whilst condemning lesser educated followers.

When Jesus went through the Commandments, He was not making the Commandments more severe, He was telling us that we need to follow the spirit of the law and not the letter of the law. The letter of the law was what the Scribes and Pharisees came up with.  The spirit of the law is the essence of what God has asked us to obey.

Jesus is asking us to live our lives more simply. If we seek the path which leads to Jesus, then we will be less likely to sin; because we will be satisfied with what we have and less likely to covet what is not ours. If we put God at the centre of our lives, then we will respect the Sabbath. If we are all honest with one another then there will be no need to swear an oath, because we will be able to trust one another.

Compare this with the leaders we have, who covet other lands because they can exploit the mineral wealth of other nations, making the rich, richer and exploiting the poor. Or, the leaders embroiled in scandal, who mislead or contort the truth to suit their own ambitions.

Jesus taught us all with his actions. He taught us how to live, how to love and how to serve. The leaders of our days and the days to come would do well to follow the example of Jesus, the Son of God, who got down on his hands and knees and washed the dirt from the feet of his followers, this is true leadership, this is servant leadership from the Servant King.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 577-582: Jesus and the Law
CCC 1961-1964 the old Law
CCC 2064-2068: the Decalogue in the tradition of the Church^[1]

Please remember in your prayers

• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• The victims of human trafficking.
• Those attending the RCIA programmes and those attending the Rite of Election at the Cathedral on the 21^st February.
• Those attending the Youth Alpha programme which is a prerequisite for the Confirmation programme in our Pastoral Area.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The success of the forthcoming Pastoral Area Lent course on Prayer.
• Hans, who will be baptised this Sunday at St Bede’s.

Deacon Tony

14^th February 2026

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[1] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments