Category: Deacon Tony reflects

(Exodus 19:2-6a; Psalm 100; Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36-10:8)

On Friday, I sat with a group of pupils at St Anne’s school in Basingstoke. They had each prepared two questions to ask me about the Diaconate and my life as a deacon. It was a lively session, and the pupils had obviously put a lot of thought into the questions they asked. I answered as honestly as I could and they all seemed to enjoy the experience. For me it was a great reminder of why I serve as a deacon. A time of looking at the high points of my Diaconate and the days when it was really difficult, as well as a reminder of the sacrifices that both I and my family make; to allow me to serve.

When Jesus chose the 12 men to serve as apostles, they too had to make sacrifices. Their sacrifices were far greater than the ones I have had to make so far. In parallel with the First reading where we have the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel who multiplied so much, they numbered the stars in the heavens and the grains of sand on the shore. (as originally promised to Abraham) We, the spiritual descendants of the Apostles are numerous. Through their hard work and their sacrifices, the Good News of Jesus has been spread to every continent on the earth and has even been taken into space. A high proportion of the Apollo astronauts in the 1960s and 70s were Christian and there was even a live TV broadcast Bible reading from space in December 1968 when the astronauts took it in turn to read from the first few verses of the Book of Genesis.[1]

The twelve Apostles created a New Israel, and they were instructed to ‘heal the sick, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.’ These are all healing activities, and they are not restricted to the ailments mentioned. This New Israel, which we are all part of, is a body who look out for those in need. Our mission is to take God to those we meet. By feeding the hungry we can help to heal the sick, by helping those with addictions to get healthy again we are cleansing the lepers in our society, by forgiving one another, we can cast out the demons which grip every sinner, those demons that tell us we are not good enough, those demons which urge us to repeat mistakes, those demons which promote apathy amongst the faithful.

The times when we are disheartened are the times when we allow apathy to enter our hearts. This is the enemy infiltrating our thoughts and influencing our actions, putting distance between us and God.

I’ve experienced this myself. At times, when I know there are sacrifices to be made, I can question if it’s really worth it. Then, when I’ve done whatever ‘it’ was, I find that I’ve been truly blessed by meeting someone new, experienced something I’d never of thought of, or just enjoyed being with others.

During this week ahead, if you feel that God is not close to you, I’d like you to think again. God is always close in our relationship.

 Ask yourself, am I close to God?

What is it in the choices I make which puts distance between me and God?

Our Scriptures today, remind us that God is always there. He rescued the Israelites from slavery and then sent His Son to rescue their descendants. Those who listened were saved, and sent out to widen the Chosen people to the whole world. Those original Apostles sent out as shepherds to the world to guide and teach, have their own descendants now. It is not by their blood and DNA that they can trace these descendants. Their descendants are the bishops of the Catholic Church today, and the blood they demonstrate their descendance by, is the Blood of Jesus Christ. The bishops of today still teach the Good News, they are our Spiritual fathers as successors to the Apostles.

The young people I met on Friday, have a thirst for learning more about our Faith. They asked about how I can encourage others in faith and on a previous visit another young person asked how they could encourage others to believe.

For me the answer is always by our actions.

People are more likely to want to follow Christ if they see Christians put our faith into action. That’s what I try to do and that is what the Apostles all did until their dying breath.

I’d like to encourage us all to become more in tune with our mission here on earth; working with and for each other, to achieve it.

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 551, 761-766: the Church prefigured in Old Testament community
CCC 783-786: the Church a priestly, prophetic, royal people
CCC 849-865: the apostolic mission of the Church^[2]

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 success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• Those in need of work.

Deacon Tony

13^th June 2026

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[1] Astronauts Had ‘Space’ for God – The Tablet

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

(Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14b-16a; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58)

Holy Scriptures is the history of our salvation. Throughout the Bible we are told how God, not only breathed life into us and created a world for us to live in, but He has also ensured that since the beginning of time, He has provided us with everything we need. From Genesis, where He created us and provided us with every type of food that we could possibly need, as well as everything that we would need for shelter and warmth.

In our first reading we hear Moses reminding the people of the great deeds God has done for their benefit. He tells them never to forget these great deeds: freedom from slavery in Egypt, led them through the desert, gave them water and food where there was none. Just as God provided for Abraham when he took Isaac up the mountain to sacrifice him, God provides for Abraham’s successors; and that includes us.

In the Gospel we hear from St John, Jesus is telling the people that to be saved we must eat of His flesh. This caused outrage among the Jewish leaders, who failed to understand that this was God continuing to provide for all of our needs; just as He had done for their forefathers from generation to generation. There is a sense of urgency in the words of Jesus. He homes in on their disbelief and re-emphasises that this is not something which we should merely want, it is something we need.

If we want to inherit eternal life, the Body and Blood of Christ gives life to our eternal soul; in a similar way to oxygen, which allows our physical body to live. We take in the oxygen which is then carried throughout our body by the blood giving life to all of our organs. But not only that, the Body and Blood of Christ gives Spiritual Energy to our physical body too. Through receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, we become like Jesus, we have a desire to be One with the Father, we have a desire to be one with our brothers and sisters in Christ too. This Spiritual Energy is what feeds our desire to serve; it is what reminds us of the sacrifices Christ made for us, it drives us to love.

These words from Jesus also speak of the relationship Jesus wants to have with everyone of us. Jesus loves us so much that He wants to be part of us. Jesus wants an intimate relationship with us all. As St John Paul II said at an audience in October 2000 ‘with the Eucharist the intimacy becomes total; the embrace between God and man reaches its apex.’[1]   The passion shines through in the words Jesus uses in today’s Gospel, He loves us so much and wants us to love Him too.

Every time we come to Mass we are fed by the Word of God and by the Body of Christ; both inextricably linked. Even for those unable to receive the Eucharist we have the opportunity for Spiritual Communion; in some places this is still said publicly, others it has disappeared since the lockdown ended. But the words of Spiritual Communion remain available for all those unable to receive for whatever reason. We can still receive Jesus spiritually. When Jesus said at the Last Supper that we were to do ‘this’ in remembrance of me, He was telling us to come to Him. For us as Catholics, ‘this’ coming to Mass, to get as close to Jesus as we possibly can; be present, listen, sing, pray, offer up Christ to his Father along with the priest, receive Holy Communion, trying to live outside the church walls what we have done within them.[2]

This is a day when many parishes choose to celebrate First Holy Communion for their young people. The Parish of St Michael’s, Tadley and St Oswald’s, Burghfield Common are doing so this year. The parents of these children have listened to the words from the Baptism Service which says, ‘they will share the banquet of Christ’s sacrifice.’ Every parent who presents their child for First holy Communion is enabling their child to partake in this banquet.

Even though it was many years ago, I look back fondly to my own first Holy Communion. In those days, the Parish I lived in had two Catholic primary schools and a ‘Special’ school for what we now call children with special needs. That means there were around 150 of us who made our First Holy Communion together, I was still six years old. Did I fully understand what I was receiving on that day? I think I understood enough for a six-year-old. Do I fully understand what I am receiving now? It is unlikely that we will ever fully understand, but my journey of faith still drives me to explore and to try to understand more every time I receive the Eucharist.

When the priest holds the host up and says, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world, Happy are those who are called to the Supper of the Lamb.’ Firstly, I am truly happy that I have been called to the Supper, but next very aware of my unworthiness as we say the prayer ‘Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.’

For me this is one of the most important prayers of the Mass. For us to receive worthily, the Body and Blood of Christ, we need to recognise that we are not worthy and to seek God’s permission to receive Him, worthily. As we remember this bread ‘is not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live for ever.’

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

CCC 790, 1003, 1322-1419: the Holy Eucharist
CCC 805, 950, 2181-2182, 2637, 2845: the Eucharist and the communion of believers
CCC 1212, 1275, 1436, 2837: the Eucharist as spiritual food^[3]

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 housebound who desire the Eucharist and are unable to receive it due to too few Eucharistic ministers.
• 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 success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• Those affected by addiction.
• Those fruitlessly searching for a food that satisfies more than the Eucharist, that they realise that only Jesus can fully satisfy.
• Those in need of work.

Deacon Tony

6^th June 2026

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[1] St. John Paul II on his love for the Eucharist – EWTN Great Britain

[2] Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, [The Columba Press, Dublin, 1988] 57.

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

(Exodus 34:4b-6,8-9; Daniel 3; 2 Corinthians 13:11-14; John 3:16-18)

Every time we start a prayer, we start by saying – In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do this at the start and end of Mass and we recognise the significance of the Cross before we hear the Gospel by tracing the sign of the Cross on our head, our lips and our chest. This is a request to God that He will place the Gospel in our minds, on our lips and in our heart.

These same words are the words we hear as our Christian life begins, when the celebrant says the words, ‘I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’.  The Trinity is central to our Christian life and by using the Sign of the Cross, we not only recall our Baptism but we are placing God at the centre of our life and by recalling that Our Lord is the Son of God, leads us to think of the Father, whose Son He is and of the Spirit which He promised and sent to us.[1]

The Scripture readings we have today outline the importance of the Trinity in our lives. In the reading from the Book of Exodus, we have Moses; having returned to Mount Sinai after having smashed the original stones which God had inscribed with the 10 Commandments; return and God tells him that the He is ‘the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.’ The LORD also demonstrates this mercy and faithfulness by inscribing fresh stones which He had ordered Moses to cut; remembering that Moses had smashed the stones because of the Jewish people’s sinfulness.

In the place of the psalm today we use a small selection from the Book of Daniel allowing us to praise God in the same way that Daniel did when he was faced with imminent death for not bowing down to false gods. Pope Benedict XVI said about today’s Solemnity ‘the liturgy invites us to praise God not merely for the wonders he has worked, but for who he is; for the beauty and goodness of his being from which his action stems.’[2] Using the reading from Daniel allows us to praise and exalt God for the many benefits and gifts He bestows upon us; as his beloved children.

In the second reading from St Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we are encouraged to remember that we are his children and that everyone else who professes Jesus to be the Son of God is our brother or sister. For this reason, he says we have to live in harmony, support one another and love one another.

When I think about this in my life, I know that I struggle. A very recent example of this, was earlier this week when I let my frustrations get the better of me because an activity that Pam and I were doing together, wasn’t done the way I wanted it to be done. I wonder why it had to be done my way? Did I not trust that someone else could have a different, maybe even better way of doing this? Why do I and perhaps we, make things like this so important, that it affects the harmony we should be enjoying as brothers and sisters in Christ? What does my anger tell me about myself? Why do I put my pride first, rather than be life giving to the people I love?[3]

In St John’s Gospel we hear that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that we, who believe, would not perish. Our belief in God, His Son and the Holy Spirit call on us to set aside our own needs; and look out for the needs of those around us. The beauty of this is that if we surround ourselves with other people of faith, then they will also be looking after our needs.

I started this reflection by saying that our Christian life begins by us hearing the words of our Baptism. If we are truly blessed, our life may end by hearing the words from a prayer attributed to St John Henry Newman which is a prayer for the dying –

          Go forth upon the journey, Christian soul!

          Go forth from this world! Go in the name of God

          The Omnipotent Father, who created thee!

          Go, in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord,

          Son of the Living God, who bled for thee!

          Go in the Name of the Holy Spirit, who

          hath been poured out on thee!

          …Go on thy course;

          And may thy place today be found in peace,

          And may thy dwelling be the Holy Mount

          of Sion; – through the Name of Christ our Lord.

          [Newman, ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ Verses on Various Occasions, 326][4]

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

CCC 202, 232-260, 684, 732: the mystery of the Trinity
CCC 249, 813, 950, 1077-1109, 2845: the Trinity in the Church and her liturgy
CCC 2655, 2664-2672: the Trinity and prayer
CCC 2205: the family as an image of the Trinity^[5]

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 success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• Those affected by addiction.
• Those in need of work.

Deacon Tony

30^th May 2026

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[1] Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, [Columba Press, Dublin, 1988] 53-55.

[2] Pope Benedict XVI, The CTS New Sunday Missal, People’s Edition, [Catholic Truth Society, London 2024] 818.

[3] Mark & Liz Dutton, I Am With You, Year A, Scripture Reflections for Couples, [TWO IN ONE FLESH, Caterham, 2013] 140-141.

[4] Quoted by Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, [Columba Press, Dublin, 1988] 54.

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

(Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7,12-13; John 20:19-23)

Most of us are familiar with the story of the day of Pentecost as described in the reading we take today from the Acts of the Apostles. Imagine how frightening it must have been initially for the Apostles. They had been told they would be sent an advocate and had seen Jesus Ascend into Heaven, but would it have prepared them for what happened that day? The noise of the descent of the Holy Spirit was so loud that people from all over the city rushed to see what was happening.

So, what was happening?

The Holy Spirit descending upon the Apostles was not a gentle occurrence. We read there was a mighty rushing wind which filled the whole house; this was noisy! There were what appeared to be tongues of fire, which divided and rested on each one of them. Does this mean that they felt a great heat as well?  They were filled with the Holy Spirit and started speaking strange languages. If we were to read further on in this chapter than what we use for today’s readings. we would see that some thought they were drunk, nowadays some may say ‘under the influence’.  As believers we know that they were under the influence, but not from alcohol or other substances; they were under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and through this influence they were filled with the gifts which would enable them to take the Gospel out to the whole world.

We are also under that influence, but do we allow the Spirit to control our lives or do we seek to maintain control?

Are we afraid to let the gifts of the Holy Spirit flourish in our lives?

Do we try to hide or supress our gifts?

Do we live and act sometimes as if there was no such thing as a Holy Spirit?

Jesus left us His Spirit to help us stay connected and ultimately be with Him. Many of us over the last nine days may have taken part in the original Novena, which is a time of prayer between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday; seeking the Holy Spirit. Some of us may have let other things get in the way of that. I’d like to suggest that we engage in another nine days of prayer, another Novena over the next nine days. I’d like every one of us to think of an individual, who used to come to Church, or even someone who has never been to Church; and to pray for the Holy Spirit to enter into their lives. We can use our Mission prayer for this, and as we say it, picture the person you are praying for in your mind, say the Mission prayer as if they were saying it for themselves. ‘Breath in me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Guard me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy. Amen’.

That day when the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles, they went out into the crowd who had gathered to find out what the almighty noise was.  Then St Peter addressed them telling them about Jesus, telling them how they had been part of the Salvation story. Peter’s testimony was so strong, powered by the Holy Spirit, that three thousand people were added to the Faithful that day. Our prayer during these nine days can help to call loved ones back to the Church or bring new believers. We just need to use the gifts we have been given by the Holy Spirit.

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Solemnity of Pentecost

CCC 696, 726, 731-732, 737-741, 830, 1076, 1287, 2623: Pentecost
CCC 599, 597,674, 715: apostolic witness on Pentecost
CCC 1152, 1226, 1302, 1556: the mystery of Pentecost continues in the Church
CCC 767, 775, 798, 796, 813, 1097, 1108-1109: the Church, communion in the Spirit[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 success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The success of the current Called & Gifted programme.
• Adanna and Camille who will be baptised at St Bede’s this Sunday.

Deacon Tony

23^rd May 2026

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

(Acts 1:12-14; Psalm 26; 1Peter 4:13-16; John 17:1-11)

A key element of our Faith is the dialogue we have with God; which we call prayer. In our scripture readings today, we have examples of prayer. In the Gospel, we have Jesus praying to the Father. He is offering prayer by glorifying the Father and at the same time, telling the disciples that He has completed [or will soon complete] the work His Father set him.

He also prays for the disciples, acknowledging that they have accepted Him as the Christ, sent by God Almighty.

In the first reading, we have the Apostles and other disciples, meeting with Our Lady and other women. They spent their time in prayer.

Can we imagine what that room was like?

Can we imagine being in their presence?

They also used this time to be active and planned for the next stage of growth of the Church. It was during these days that they selected Mathias to replace Judas, again they did this in prayer and then sought Divine intervention by casting lots. We are called to follow the example of the Apostles and to pray.

At this time,

• We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all Christians, so that the Church founded by Jesus and developed by the Apostles can be one again.
• We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on those preparing for Confirmation, so that they can reignite the faith of those around them, just like the Apostles and the other disciples did, that Pentecost Sunday.
• We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to restore peace in our world.
• We pray for our leaders that they will see the value of every person from conception to natural death and that they will work to ensure that every person they serve is given every opportunity to thrive and contribute to Society.

We also remember that prayer, being a dialogue, involves listening. In the quiet during our prayer time, we need to follow the example of the Apostles and listen. What does God ask us to do? As I mentioned earlier, the Apostles used this time to plan the next stages of the Church. During our prayer time, do we ask how God wants us to be involved in the next stages of the Church? Our Diocese has a ten-year plan, have we looked at this recently to see how we can actively engage with it? Can we see where God wants us to be involved?

We can sometimes think that these things are difficult, that it is only really special people that God calls, that we are not able to do God’s work. But that is not true. Jesus called ordinary men and women to be His disciples. Some of them were named as Apostles and they were commissioned to go out to the whole world and baptise in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Every single person who has been baptised is an adopted child of God; we are all special. We have all been baptised as priest, prophet and king and this makes us all heirs to the kingdom. We have all been given a task to do, a task that only we can do.

Jesus told the Apostles to go and stay in Jerusalem and await the gift He had promised; that gift is the Holy Spirit. We therefore join in prayer with Catholics around the world and pray for that gift, it is a gift promised to all who believe. The promise was made by Jesus and Jesus keeps all of His promises.

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Seventh Sunday of Easter: prayer and the spiritual life

CCC 2746-2751: Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper
CCC 312, 434, 648, 664: the Father glorifies Christ
CCC 2614, 2741: Jesus prays for us
CCC 726, 2617-2619, 2673-2679: at prayer with Mary

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 success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The success of the current Called & Gifted programme.
• The young people who celebrated their First Holy Communion this weekend.

Deacon Tony

16^th May 2026

(Acts 8:5-8,14-17; Psalm 66; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21)

When we facilitate the Baptism Preparation sessions, we emphasise strongly how much the parents and Godparents need to be good role models. As part of the Confirmation sessions for both the young people and in the RCIA programme we also talk about Sponsors being good role models and encourage the Candidates to choose a Saint who they see as a good role model for their lives. But what do we mean by being a good role model? In the Gospel we hear today, Jesus tells us that those ‘who love Him and keep His commandments will be loved by Jesus and the Father. I would suggest that those who listen to the Word of God and keep it are suitable role models for us all. It is not enough to read or listen to the Word and then tell people about the Word, we must also put the Word at the centre of our life and obey. Jesus is telling us that it is our actions that demonstrate whether we love God or not.

If we are Godparents or Sponsors, do we remember that we are role models? Do we take our responsibility seriously?

The first reading is starting to prepare us for Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fills the disciples with courage and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles happened after Pentecost and the Apostles used those gifts to call down the Spirit to Baptise them in the Spirit, just as Jesus had stated. I think of the 80 young people from this Pastoral Area who were Confirmed at the Cathedral last Sunday. I pray they and their Sponsors will be thriving after celebrating this Sacrament. May their Sponsors be great role models and may these young people go on to be great role models for others in the future.

The Psalm used today reminds us of the joy of Easter [by recalling the Exodus reading of the flight from Egypt], that we are Easter people and that we need to share that joy with those we meet.

In the second reading St Peter is encouraging us to share that Good News in a gentle way, ensuring we are respectful to those we encounter. He is also telling us that because we are followers, we might be subject to false accusations. He says, ‘it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.’ He reminds us that Jesus, who was all good, ‘was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.’ Something we all hope for is to be ‘made alive in the spirit.’ This will help us to know why we follow Jesus and to be able to state why if we are challenged by anyone.

The words we hear from the Gospel are from the long prayer Jesus said at the Last Supper. Jesus, before the crucifixion prayed for all of his disciples, that includes us. He wanted us all to follow his commandments, obey his word and to be good role models to those around us. It is by following those commandments that we demonstrate our love for Jesus and that we know that Jesus loves us. We also know that when we try and fail to follow those commandments then we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help us be reconciled with God and our Community. St Pope John Paul II said about today’s Gospel ‘it shows us how love is the complete fulfilment of the person’s vocation, according to the plan of God. This love is the great gift of Jesus that makes us truly and fully human.’  St John Paul who was a great role model following the attempt on his life 45 years ago next Wednesday, he visited the man who shot him and offered him forgiveness.

St Pio of Pietrelcina [Padre Pio] said, “Let us always strive more and more to love the Lord. This great truth of loving God must not seem hard to us; on the contrary, we must consider ourselves honoured, because the Lord God didn’t limit himself to creating us and telling us to love him, but he made a commandment of it . . . He commands us to do so, and the commandment is full of love. It is he who instils it into our hearts. It is he who gives us the means to be able to love him. But that which is more surprising, he has also promised us the prize. It isn’t something that is temporary, passing, or limited. It is as eternal as he is eternal; it is as immense as he is immense; it is as lasting as he is lasting. And God lasts forever, for all eternity.”[1]

If we remember that we are made in the image and likeness of God and that God is love, then we are made in the image and likeness of love. We are made to love and be loved. Nothing else really matters. If we do not experience love, then we are living in a void. If we do not love, then we are not doing what we were created to do or being what we were created to be.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Sixth Sunday of Easter

CCC 2746-2751: Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper
CCC 243, 388, 692, 729, 1433, 1848: the Holy Spirit as Advocate/Consoler
CCC 1083, 2670-2672: invoking the Holy Spirit^[2]

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 from our Pastoral Area who were Confirmed at Portsmouth Cathedral last Sunday.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The success of the current Called & Gifted programme.
• The young people preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist within our Pastoral Area, especially those celebrating their First Holy Communion this weekend.
• Maia, Aaliyah and Hunter who will be baptised this Sunday at St Bede’s Church.

Deacon Tony

8^th May 2026

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[1] Padre Pio Quotes on Love – christian catholic frases

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

(Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 14:1-12)

Critics of Christianity will sometimes say that if God exists, why haven’t we heard from him since Jesus was on the earth? In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us that His voice is the voice of the Father, the voice of God. In this same Gospel message Jesus said, ‘whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.’ These works are to spread the Good News to tell people about Jesus by what we say and, more importantly, by what we do. So, are these critics right when they say we haven’t heard from God for 2000 years? Of course not, we who believe, know that God speaks to us every day through Holy Scriptures; we just need to listen.

As Catholics we believe that our Pope is chosen by the will of the Holy Spirit; the same way the first deacons were chosen in our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. If we listen to the words of our Popes going back more than fifty years we can hear the voice of God. God is telling us we need to Evangelise; we need to be Missionary Disciples for Him.

In 1975, Pope Paul VI, in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi [ On Evangelisation in the Modern World] said, ‘The Church is born of the evangelizing activity of Jesus and the Twelve.’ He added ‘The Church is an evangelizer, but she begins by being evangelized herself.’ And he stated, ‘it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn.’[1]

Pope John Paul II also spoke widely on Evangelisation. In his opening sentence of his encyclical Redemptoris Missio [On…] he said, ‘The mission of Christ the Redeemer, which is entrusted to the Church, is still very far from completion. As the second millennium after Christ’s coming draws to an end, … this mission is still only beginning and that we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to its service. It is the Spirit who impels us to proclaim the great works of God: “ He also said in that document, ‘missionary activity renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive. Faith is strengthened when it is given to others! It is in commitment to the Church’s universal mission that the new evangelization of Christian peoples will find inspiration and support.’ [2]

Pope Benedict XVI established a Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation.[3] Pope Francis in his Encyclical Evangelii Gaudium [The Joy of the Gospel], emphasised that evangelisation is the joyful, communal and witness-driven mission of every baptised Christian, rooted in God’s love and expressed through service, witness and missionary discipleship.[4]

These four Popes, two of whom are now listed among the Saints of the Church, spoke about continuing and re-energising the mission of Christ, to spread the Good News that Jesus is ‘the way, the truth and the life.’ These men chosen by God to lead the Church He founded, all spoke of Mission and Evangelisation, and almost as if God said that we were not listening, the next Pope chosen a year ago next Friday is a man who has worked for twenty years as a Missionary priest in South America. In his first homily on the day after he was elected, he said that the Church’s ‘missionary outreach is desperately needed.’[5]

While we know that God speaks to us every day and week through Sacred Scripture, I would like to suggest that God has been urging us through the voices of the Popes of the latter part of the 20^th century and at the beginning of this century, to go out and reach those who do not believe, to bring back those who have stopped coming; in short to make sure that everyone knows that the Church is a place where everyone can belong.

This is the vision expressed in our Diocesan 10-year Plan and one which is enacted locally through our Pastoral Area Mission Plan. The next phase of our Pastoral Area Mission Plan is to come together as a single Parish, that will involve having a new name for the Parish. The individual churches will still retain their names but will become part of the new larger Parish. Please look out for details of how to get involved in the Parish Newsletters. By coming together, we can share resources and build upon all of the great things which are going on in the individual churches. This will allow us to help grow God’s Church further, as we look at ways to reach those who do not follow Jesus. This is the Mission of the Church, this is how we witness our Faith to the world.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Fifth Sunday of Easter

CCC 2746-2751: Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper
CCC 661, 1025-1026, 2795: Christ opens for us the way to heaven
CCC 151, 1698, 2614, 2466: believing in Jesus
CCC 1569-1571: the order of deacons
CCC 782, 803, 1141, 1174, 1269, 1322: “a chosen race, a royal priesthood”^[6]

Evangelii Nuntiandi (December 8, 1975)

Redemptoris Missio (7 December 1990)

Apostolic Letter issued “Motu Proprio” Ubicumque et semper of the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI establishing the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization (September 21, 2010)

“Evangelii Gaudium”: Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World (24 November 2013)

You Will Be My Witnesses – Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth

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 from our Pastoral Area who are being Confirmed at Portsmouth Cathedral this Sunday.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The success of the current Called & Gifted programme.
• The young people preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist within our Pastoral Area.
• The men and their wives who attended the Selection Day for the Diaconate this weekend.

Deacon Tony

2^nd May 2026

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[1] Evangelii Nuntiandi (December 8, 1975)

[2] Redemptoris Missio (7 December 1990)

[3] Apostolic Letter issued “Motu Proprio” Ubicumque et semper of the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI establishing the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization (September 21, 2010)

[4]“Evangelii Gaudium”: Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World (24 November 2013)

[5] In first homily as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV calls for missionary church in a secular age

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

(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