Category: Deacon Tony reflects

Laetare Sunday

[1Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13; Psalm 22; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41]

NB- Year A readings are used here because the Second scrutiny will take place at St Bede’s this Sunday.

Our readings today speak of light, of seeing and of blindness. In the first reading we hear that man does not see as God sees; when Samuel mistakenly thought that Eliab was being called to kingship instead of his youngest brother David. In the second reading we are reminded that once we were in darkness, but our Baptism brought us into the light. Through the Eucharist Christ gives us light, allowing us to take this light and shine it into the darkness of the world; hopefully bringing more people to Christ. The line in the second reading “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” sums up this link between Baptism, light and the Paschal mystery succinctly.

In the Preface used alongside these readings we hear “By the mystery of the Incarnation, he has led the human race that walked in darkness, into the radiance of faith, and has brought those born in slavery to ancient sin, through the waters of regeneration to make them your adopted children.” This illumination, begun in baptism, is enhanced each time we receive the Eucharist, a point underscored by the words of the blind man taken up in the Communion Antiphon: “The Lord anointed my eyes: I went, I washed, I saw and believed in God.“^[1]

If we look at the Gospel, we notice that the more the blind man sees, the more difficult it is for the Pharisees to accept what they have seen. The cured man begins by describing his healer as “the man Jesus“; then he professes that he is a prophet; and by the end of the passage he proclaims, “I do believe, Lord” and worships Jesus. The Pharisees, for their part, become increasingly more blind: they begin by admitting that the miracle took place, then come to deny that it was a miracle, and finally expel the cured man from the synagogue. Throughout the narrative, the Pharisees continue to profess confidently what they know, while the blind man continually admits his ignorance. The Gospel ends with a warning by Jesus, that his coming has created a crisis; in the literal meaning of that word, a judgment: he gives sight to the blind, but those who see become blind. In response to the Pharisees’ objection, he says: “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your blindness remains.”

Sometimes it is difficult for us to see what is in front of us. I have lost count of the number of times I have looked for something at home and asked for help only to be told the object I had searched for was ‘right in front of me’. How the Pharisees must have struggled, as Holy men they were waiting for the Messiah, they were responsible for helping to keep the people hungry for his coming. But Jesus did not fit their image of what the Messiah would look like, He was from the wrong town, He did not stick to their rules, He pointed out their hypocrisy. Their bias blinded them; which blind spots do we have?

Do we have images of perfection that we fail to live up to, that stop us from seeing Jesus in our lives or that stop us from accepting the love and forgiveness of Jesus in our lives?

Jesus offers to free us from our blindness. He is calling each of us to Him and asking those of us who believe, to recognise Him as our Saviour and to bear witness to Him in the same faith as the man who was cured of blindness. He recognised and bore witness to Jesus as a prophet, even though he had never seen Jesus.

In the first reading we hear that “the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.” It is the same for us when we are baptised or confirmed or ordained. The Holy Spirit comes upon us and fills us, energising our gifts and charisms. However, as humans we are not perfect vessels, we leak; that is why we need to be topped up continuously through the other Sacraments. The graces we receive through the Sacraments of Reconciliation, the Eucharist and Sacrament of the Sick refill us with the Holy Spirit. The more frequently we receive these Sacraments, the less likely we are ‘to leak’ as we become closer to Jesus.

For me, I leak, when my prayer life feels dry or like going through the motions. These are times when I realise I need to spend some more time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, looking towards Jesus and recognising that Jesus is looking towards me. If that is not possible I will think of hymns which I find uplifting and maybe play them as I drive.

As we rejoice that we have two people in our Parish; and many thousands of others throughout the world who wish to join the Church at this time. I would like to encourage us all to pray for those who are joining the Church this Easter, ask the Lord for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on them and on us. Help those journeying towards becoming full members of the Church to feel the love we have for them and the love that Jesus has for them. We also pray for the Catechists who are preparing them and their Sponsors, remembering that they do this work on behalf of us, The Body of Christ.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

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

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• Fr John Chadwick, who is ill at this time.
• Polly and Audrey who will undergo the second scrutiny at St Bede’s this weekend.
• On Mothering Sunday, we remember all mothers, especially those no longer with us and those who have lost their children.

Deacon Tony, 29^th March 2025

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[1]Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments Homiletic Directory of the Catholic Church,[Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Rome, 2015] available from Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments accessed 29^th March 2025.

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

NB- Year A readings are used here because the First scrutiny will take place at St Bede’s this Sunday.

Do you ever feel that we take God for granted? I think I do sometimes. Here we are in the year 2025, we have the benefit of the Scriptures going back thousands of years, we have the benefit of the works of the Church Fathers and sermons laid down for centuries by the saints and doctors of the Church, and yet we don’t get as excited as the woman at the well; who encountered Christ for a few minutes of deep personal conversation and experienced the wonderful conversion we hear about in today’s Gospel. She immediately abandoned her pot [something very important in her domestic life] and went to share the good news with her neighbours.

This lady went from being lost, out on a limb, labelled as an immoral woman within her community, and became an evangelist, a disciple of Jesus; sharing the news that the Messiah had arrived. We hear the words of the Gospel every week.

Who do we rush to share the Good News with?

This Gospel is available for use every year on the third Sunday of Lent and is obligatory when people are coming into the Church and the first scrutiny is taking place. It tells us of the conversion of the individual. All around the world there are thousands of individuals who are experiencing this conversion today. This personal encounter with Jesus.

The Scrutinies are three special rites that help prepare the Elect, those participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), to enter the Catholic Church. They take place during the period of RCIA formation known as  Purification and Enlightenment, near the end of their formation.

The season of Lent involves a more intense period of examination and preparation for the Elect, and hopefully for those of us already living the Catholic faith. Though they are meant for the RCIA Elect, the Scrutinies can help all Catholics seeking to live a life of continuous conversion. 

The purpose of the Scrutinies is “to uncover, then heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful” in the hearts of the Elect and to “strengthen all that is upright, strong, and good.” (Quotes from Ritual Text for Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, paragraph #141)

Lent is a time when we go out into our personal wilderness in an attempt to get closer to God. We fast and abstain from some of the things we are attached to; things which may be coming between us and God. We find more time to pray, getting to know God better, allowing God to touch, speak and change us through our prayer time as we listen in the silence for His voice, His guidance, His direction. We enter into communion with the poor and needy by dedicating more time to serving their needs or by giving to worthy causes.

My Lent involves switching off my access to social media, which has the potential to waste a lot of my time. This time is now spent in reading more of the Divine Office or reading books, which help me understand my faith better. A recent example of this is “The Mass in Close-Up” by Fr Antony Jones, this is available on Universalis and describes in detail the various steps of the Mass. The reader is encouraged to read one section at a time and then to attend Mass and using what they have read to allow their understanding of this great Sacrament to mature slowly and deeply. If this sparks an interest in you, why not have a look for it on Universalis or in a bookstore.

The Scriptures today invite us to discern if we are more like the people Moses led in the first reading; who had seen God’s power and benevolence first hand, or if we are like the Samaritans who rushed out to meet Jesus when they heard the testimony of the woman who met Jesus at the well? The Israelites grumbled because they were thirsty, they put God to the test, God provided them water to see them through their 40 years in the wilderness. The woman at the well was offered living water; those who drink this water will never thirst again. We have that same offer from Jesus today, we don’t need to put God to the test, because we know Jesus is our Saviour. In this New Covenant, we were washed with living water at our Baptism. Jesus provides everything we need; all we need to do is listen, believe and obey, just like the Samaritan woman did at the well.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

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

The Three Pillars of Lent and the Jubilee Year

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit – What is self-control? | GotQuestions.org

✞ 21 Unique Lenten Prayers for Spiritual Renewal ✞ –

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• Fr John Chadwick, who is ill at this time.
• Polly and Audrey who will undergo the first scrutiny at St Bede’s this weekend.
• The group from Bishop Challoner who are hoping to go on pilgrimage to Rome this weekend.

Deacon Tony, 21^st March 2025

[Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28b-36]

Recently I saw a parishioner in a new light. It was as they were waiting to receive the Precious Blood from the chalice. They had a serene look on their face; something which I had never observed in that parishioner previously. It was as if receiving the Eucharist had transformed them physically, and there was a sense of true happiness in their appearance as they waited in line to receive the Precious Blood.

In the past I have observed people coming from the Confessional with a look of joy on their faces, and I have experienced that same joy myself after receiving absolution. The Sacraments instituted by Jesus as part of the New Covenant have the power to transform us into new beings.

We hear in the Gospel of St Luke today, that when Jesus went up the mountain to pray alongside Peter, John and James, His facial features were altered, and his clothes appeared to be dazzling bright. Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Him. Moses representing the law and Elijah representing the prophets, indicating that the Old Testament is pointing towards Jesus as the Messiah. The Catechism quotes St Thomas Aquinas’ observation that the whole Trinity appeared together at that moment; the Father in the voice; the Son in the man; the Spirit in the shining cloud [CCC555].

The Catechism also quotes St Thomas Aquinas’ link between our Baptism and our resurrection “On the threshold of the public life: the baptism; on the threshold of the Passover: the Transfiguration. Jesus’ baptism proclaimed “the mystery of the first regeneration,” namely, our Baptism; the Transfiguration “is the sacrament of the second regeneration”: our own Resurrection.” [CCC556]. By allowing His Glory to be seen by men, Jesus gives us a foretaste of what He has promised us, that we can be like Him in heaven and rest in His Glory for ever.

Part of our journey towards our heavenly home is to recognise that we need to reconcile ourselves with God and our neighbour. Lent gives us a time to reflect on where we are on our journey. Through the three pillars of Lent; fasting, prayer and acts of charity; we ground ourselves in our faith.

By fasting we rely on our self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22]. A fruit of the Spirit is a change in our character that comes about because of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. We do not become a Christian on our own, and we cannot grow on our own. Philippians 2:13 says that “it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Every good thing we do is the fruit of the Spirit’s work in our lives.[1]

Through prayer we allow ourselves to spend time in communication with God. This allows us to shut out the cares of the world and rest in His Presence. The cares of the world will still be there after our prayer time, however, when we have spent time in prayer with God, the things we have been worried about seem to feel less important.

Through acts of charity, we allow ourselves to become part of the Good Shepherd’s flock as recorded in Matthew 25:31-40. Jesus taught us to love God and our neighbour. Acts of charity help those in need. Many of us will have fasted on Friday just gone with the aim of donating to Cafod for the annual Family Fast day. The money raised for this is vital for Cafod to continue the work they do on our behalf to help those suffering in places all over the world. Even if you forgot to fast on Friday, please don’t forget to make a donation. If you are unable to make a donation, please pray for the success of this year’s activities to raise money for Cafod. Recent Government decisions mean that there will be less Government support for the next few years for the charities supporting those in need overseas. This means that we have to work harder to support our Charities.

I’d like to suggest, that on this Second Sunday of Lent we take a look back at the first few days of our Lenten observances and review our practices. Have some of our commitments started to look a bit suspect? Do we need a little boost? Perhaps if we can all add a prayer for each other to our daily prayers; that we can be steadfast in our fasting, prayers and acts of charity, then we can all get a boost. I will keep you in my prayers, please keep me in yours.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Second Sunday of Lent

CCC 554-556, 568: the Transfiguration
CCC 59, 145-146, 2570-2572: the obedience of Abraham
CCC 1000: faith opens the way to comprehending the mystery of the Resurrection
CCC 645, 999-1001: the resurrection of the body

The Three Pillars of Lent and the Jubilee Year

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit – What is self-control? | GotQuestions.org

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• Fr John Chadwick, who is ill at this time.
• For those who return from ’Flame’ that they be transfigured by their experience and be a witness for us at this time
• The families who will complete the Baptism Preparation Programme at St Bede’s this Sunday.

Deacon Tony, 15^th March 2025

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[1] The Fruit of the Holy Spirit – What is self-control? | GotQuestions.org

[Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm 90; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13]

The words used by the devil are strikingly familiar. ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.’ If we think about the crucifixion and remember the words used by the Jewish leaders ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ [Luke 23:35] or the words used by the soldiers ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ [Luke 24:37] and also the words of one of the criminals crucified beside him ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ [Luke 24:39]. The similarity of these words and the accusation used suggests that they all have the same root, and I don’t mean they were all written by St Luke in his Gospel. The devil is behind all of these words, he is named in the Gospel used today, but then we hear that ‘he departed from him until an opportune time.’ The devil having been defeated by Jesus out in the desert didn’t have the nerve to go face to face with Jesus again. Instead, he tried desperately putting three similar challenges to Jesus when he thought Jesus would be at His weakest, during His Passion. This last throw of the dice by the devil was an attempt to rob mankind of our Salvation, but instead, Jesus the victory has won.

The season of Lent is a penitential time where we choose to follow Jesus more closely. We make a conscious decision to pick up a cross and abstain from something we like, or decide to do something additional to show Jesus that for us, there are no ‘if’s’, we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, in answer to the devil’s question when he challenged Jesus to throw himself down from a high place, we believe that Jesus is the Messiah in reply to the Jewish leaders mocking Jesus on the cross; we believe that Jesus is the King of the Jews in reply to the soldiers and we believe that Jesus saved us in reply to the condemned man who incredulously mocked Jesus from an adjacent cross. Our faith did not end that day when Jesus died, our faith began when we were baptised and went down into the grave with Jesus and as our Baptismal waters were poured over us, we were reborn as brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus, just as He rose from the dead on the third day.

Today’s scripture readings are a Credo, a proclamation of our faith, like the people of Moses time, we cry to the Lord and with His mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror; with signs of wonders, he raised Jesus from the dead to conquer death and give us hope that we will rise again with Him. We in turn through this Lenten season bring our offerings of what we will forgo, or how we will spend more time putting God at the centre of our life. This time of fasting, prayer and acts of charity brings us closer to God, as we trust that God will provide for all of our needs while God uses us to provide for the needs of others.

St Paul tells us in the letter to the Romans that we will be saved by confessing that Jesus is Lord and believing that God raised Him, he goes on to tell his readers that everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved. This link between the first reading and the second reading is crucial for those of us who are not from the Jewish race. In the first reading, the Jewish people called on the Lord and they were led out of Egypt by the Lord through Moses. We who are followers of Jesus call on the Lord and we are led to the promised Land through Jesus.

In the Gospel, Jesus replies to every temptation by quoting scripture, this is a message to us that just as Jesus became like us, we can become like Jesus. To resist temptations like Jesus did, we need to know our scriptures, not just with head knowledge but with heart knowledge. Maybe this Lent we can choose to spend more time getting to know Jesus better, by spending more time reading scriptures, that way when we are tempted, we can reply in a similar way to Jesus.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

First Sunday of Lent

CCC 394, 538-540, 2119: the temptation of Jesus
CCC 2846-2849: “Lead us not into temptation”
CCC 1505: Christ frees from evil
CCC 142-143, 309: faith as submission to God, response to God, answer to evil
CCC 59-63: God forms his priestly people through Abraham and the Exodus

The Three Pillars of Lent and the Jubilee Year

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• Fr John Chadwick, who is ill at this time.
• Fr John Lee, who celebrated the 35^th anniversary of his ordination this past week.

Deacon Tony, 7th March 2025

[Sirach 27.4-7; Psalm 92; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45]

This time last week I was with my wife Pam in Rome alongside 4000 other deacons and some of their wives. In all it was estimated that there were 6000 extra visitors to Rome for the Jubilee celebrations for deacons. It was our first time in Rome, and we were taken aback by the contrasts. There are many places of splendour and there are many signs of poverty too. It is probably easier to notice these contrasts in a place like Rome where the splendour of the Church is so evident. As we hear Jesus ask us in our Gospel today – ‘Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?’ We have to accept that these same contrasts are only too evident in our own towns in the UK; with many people apparently living wealthy lifestyles whilst others have to decide between staying warm or feeding their family.

Our Scripture readings today again call us to be active in our faith. In the first reading from the Book of Sirach, we are advised to look behind the façade of how a person presents themselves. This reading placed into the Lectionary to compliment the Gospel reading on discerning people by their fruits. It is all very well expressing sympathy for people who are in need, but unless our sympathy is transformed by our actions then our words are hollow and a waste of breath.

Likewise in the psalm used today we read that those who give thanks to the Lord through their words and actions will flourish like the palm tree; still bearing fruit when they are old. This reminds me of one of the teams I have recently joined at the foodbank where two of the volunteers are 85 and 86 years of age. These people, still giving to their community, living out their faith by deeds as well as their words.

In the second reading St Paul tells us that faithful followers of Christ should not fear death. For St Paul, death is a triumph which he awaited eagerly; as he would be fully united with Christ, sharing in Christ’s victory. He urges his readers to continue working for Christ, staying true to the faith, knowing that our work is not in vain. This is encouragement for the days when it is difficult to motivate ourselves to go out and share our faith in Christ, through our actions.

The parable used in the Gospel reminds me of the times when some of the little things Pam does annoy me. For example, if we are in a conversation and I think it is finished and go to walk to another part of the house, Pam will sometimes continue the conversation, much to my annoyance. I will criticise her for speaking to me while I am in another room and can’t hear her properly. Inevitably, ten minutes later I find myself calling out to Pam from somewhere else in the house, doing the exact same thing which annoyed me earlier. But somehow, I think this is okay, but when Pam does it, I criticise her. Jesus asks us to apply the same standard in judging ourselves as we do to other people. He also warns us that if we are to receive favourable judgement from Him, then we must absorb the Word of God allowing it to bear fruit in how we interact with other people. The Word of God is good, we are to fill our hearts with this goodness and allow this goodness to overflow in our lives.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 2563: the heart is the home of truth
CCC 1755-1756: good acts and evil acts
CCC 1783-1794: forming conscience and decision-making
CCC 2690: spiritual direction
CCC 1009-1013: Christian view of death

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• The rough sleepers of our town, now that the Winter Night Shelter has closed.
• Fr John Chadwick, who is ill at this time.
• Calypso and Ozias who will be baptised this weekend at St Bede’s.

Deacon Tony, 1^st March 2025

[1 Samuel 26:2,7-9,12-13,22-23; Psalm 102; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6:27-38]

At first glance the readings today are speaking about how we treat our enemies, but if we examine the Gospel in particular a little closer, what we have is a series of practical examples of how we should live out the Lord’s Prayer.

If we are asking the Lord to give us this day our daily bread, it is only right that if we see someone without, then we should share what we have. If someone offends us, then we are called not to retaliate, but to treat them with love. Jesus tells us that how we treat other people is how God will treat us. If we expect God’s mercy, then we should extend mercy to those in need.

We see in the first reading how David comes across Saul; who is intent on killing David; David finds Saul asleep and vulnerable. Abishi, tries to persuade David to kill him, bit David resists the temptation and reminds Abishi that Saul was anointed by God. David brings peace between himself and Saul, not through violence, but through diplomacy. He ensures that Saul is made aware that he could have killed him, but chose not to, he also emphasised that he accepted that Saul was anointed by God.

In the second reading, St Paul is reminding us that we are all born to be like Adam. We are born as sinners; we are prone to sinning. As Jesus is the new Adam, we can, by following Him, become less like the old Adam and more like Jesus. By listening to the Word of God and following His teachings, we become more like the image of Christ. By extending God’s mercy to those we meet, we become Christ like, and when we finally meet Jesus face to face then He will recognise us, because we are merciful and loving, just like He is.

Three years ago, when I last wrote to these scripture readings I wrote “When I think of this reading, I have to ask myself who do I see as enemies?  I have never been a soldier, so have never been to war; therefore, I have never been in the position of David sparing someone’s life.  But I have been in the position to potentially save other’s lives and not always taken them.  I do not stop at every homeless person on the street to ask how they are; I justify to myself that I can’t help everyone; that perhaps someone else will help them.  But is this just an excuse?  What motivates me or prompts me to stop at some and not with others?  I need to look at that and pray about it.” Three years later, my behaviour in this hasn’t changed much, I am still selective in who I will stop and help. Looking at the Gospel today, Jesus says “Give to everyone who begs from you.” My rational tells me that if I was to do that, I would soon be begging on the street myself. But Jesus responds to that even before we get the words out; Jesus says “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Jesus isn’t asking us to be selective or irresponsible here. Jesus is reminding us that everything we have is from His bounty; whether we think we have earned everything we have or not. We only wake up each morning because God allows it. Therefore, when we are able to help another living being we should help them. We are all made by the same God. We all breath the same air and need the same water to drink, we all need to eat to survive, we all need to be sheltered from the elements at some time or another.

This is challenging, and takes us out of our comfort zone, but it is essential if we are to follow the teachings of Christ. Christianity is not a faith found solely in books, it is a faith which compels us to respond and love our neighbour, and sometimes our neighbour might be our enemy too.

As we approach the start of Lent in the next few weeks I will be praying and seeking guidance on what penance I shall be doing throughout the 40 days. The scriptures this week are a reminder for me that I don’t always help when I can, I help when I choose to. My challenge is to move to a position where I help whenever I can and to be more aware of who needs help as I make my way through the day.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 210-211: God of mercy
CCC 1825, 1935, 1968, 2303, 2647, 2842-2845: forgiveness of enemies
CCC 359, 504: Christ as the New Adam

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• The Basingstoke Winter Night Shelter as it continues to support the homeless in our town, which is now entering its last week.
• Fr John Chadwick, who is ill at this time.
• All the deacons and their wife’s who are in Rome for the Jubilee events for deacons.

Deacon Tony, 19^th February 2025

[Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8; Psalm 138; 1Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11]

As part of the Ordination Liturgy for deacons, the Bishop asks the priest in charge of the formation of the men ‘”Do you judge them to be worthy?’ in reply the priest  says ‘After inquiry among the people of Christ and upon recommendation of those concerned with their training, I testify that they have been found worthy.’  I have spoken with another deacon about this and we agreed that although the priest has testified to our worthiness, neither of us felt worthy to answer the call of the Lord. In this expression of our feeling, we were joining Isaiah, Paul and Peter, none of these great men in the Church felt worthy as described in our readings today. Whether it is that we are comfortable doing the things we are already doing, or whether we are comparing ourselves to others and thinking I could never do what they have done, these thoughts can influence our decision to follow Jesus, and they can get in the way of God’s plans for us.

In the first reading we hear how Isaiah expressed his doubt. He felt lost, he was a man of unclean lips, living amongst a people of unclean lips; and he believed he would die because he had seen the Lord. However, an angel cleansed his lips, taking away his guilt and convincing him to accept his calling with a newfound sense of enthusiasm – ‘Here I am! Send me!’

St Paul, in the extract from the 1^st letter to the Corinthians reminds his readers that he was also unworthy. He actively persecuted the Church. Following his conversion, his unworthiness propelled him to spread the Good News with zeal; as he travelled extensively enduring many troubles, for the sake of the Lord.

In the Gospel we have St Peter; at that time still known as Simon; the man who would become the ‘fisher of men’ . He is blind to the ‘catch in plain sight’ as they thronged to get closer to the Lord. Simon could not see what was happening. He was too busy trying to earn a living and did not yet share in the Lord’s work to offer salvation. However, Jesus wanted Simon by his side and  for him to leave fishing to others. Jesus did not ask Simon directly. First of all, he asked a favour of him; he asked to borrow his boat so that he could talk to the people. Next Jesus directed Simon to pull out into deeper water and cast his net; reluctantly Simon agreed and had the catch of his life; there were so many fish he needed help to land them.[1] This is when Simon realised that he was in the presence of greatness, he knelt at Jesus’ feet and asked him to leave as he was a sinful man. Jesus saw past the weaknesses of Simon to help him realise his potential. Simon would become Peter, the rock upon which Jesus founded His Church.

There are often times in our life when we are called by the Lord. We make excuses in order to try and put it off. But God is persistent, He has a plan for us, and He needs us to listen. Years ago, I heard a talk by Cardinal Nichols who said that if you believe God is calling you, then you have to test it. This means exploring it, talking to someone you trust, praying about it and reacting to it. If it is not God then it will soon go away, but if it is God, He will persistently and gently keep calling you until you do respond.

That day when Simon, James and John put down their nets and followed Jesus is a momentous day in the history of the Church. As St Luke will continue to tell us in the Acts of the Apostles, Peter, James and John would go on to be crucial in the development of the early Church. Before that they would have to change, and their change started that day beside the lake when a stranger asked to borrow a boat and then said follow me.

Jesus calls each of us to follow Him, for us that also involves change. We need to move away from the darkness and step into the light. Jesus calls us despite our failings, Jesus knows all about us, He knows our weaknesses and calls us despite of them. Jesus sees the potential in every one of us and wants to help us to achieve our full potential, which is to return home with Him; and live with Him forever.

When Jesus calls, can we see past the busyness of our everyday lives to follow Him?

Our eternal future depends on how we respond.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 520, 618, 923, 1618, 1642, 2053: all are called to follow Christ
CCC 2144, 2732: awe in God’s presence versus presumption
CCC 631-644: the Apostles as witnesses of the Resurrection

The Liturgy Project – my reflection for the Diocesan website this week.

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• The Basingstoke Winter Night Shelter as it continues to support the homeless in our town.
• Fr John Chadwick, who is ill at this time.
• Those attending the 2^nd session of the Baptism Preparation course this Sunday at St Bede’s.

Deacon Tony, 8^th February 2025

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[1] Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, [The Columba Press, Dublin, 1988]103.

[Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40]

During the Baptism Preparation Course which we help to run, we often ask the parents what kind of adult do you want your child to become? The answers are often remarkably similar; they speak of kindness, they speak of justice, caring, they hope they have a fear of God, and they speak of an adult who has a faith and a relationship with Christ. These are the things which some parents living in the 21^st century in North Hampshire express for their children. These are the things they ponder in their hearts as they look forward in hope to the days when their children will be adults.

In today’s Gospel we have the Holy Family coming to the temple for two reasons: the first is the presentation of the child; Jesus, being the first born son is presented to and dedicated to the Lord in the temple according to the law of Moses [Exodus 13:2 & 12-13], and secondly 40 days after the birth of Jesus, Mary, in fulfilment of the law [Lev 12:2-8], presented herself for purification; offering 2 turtle doves [a sign that the Holy Family were a poor family], as a ‘sin offering’, even though she was without sin.

We hear how Simeon and Anna had been waiting in the temple for their arrival; we hear their encounter, as the Old Testament [in the persons of Simeon and Anna] meets the New Testament [in the person of Jesus].  Simeon and Anna are the third set of witnesses who reveal the birth of Jesus, the first were the shepherds, who ‘made known what they had been told them about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.’’ [Luke 2:17-18] next were the Magi who travelled for weeks in order to pay homage to the newborn king of the Jews [Matthew 2:2 & 2:11] and now we have Simeon [which means ‘he has heard’ or ‘God has heard’] and Anna [a name derived from the Hebrew name Hannah which means ‘favour’ or ‘grace’][1] bearing witness in the temple that at last God’s promise has been fulfilled and this child is destined for the rise and fall of many as well as being the one who would bring light to the Gentiles.

Mary and Joseph fulfilled their duties under the law, by dedicating Jesus and carrying out the ritual purification.

When we present our children for Baptism in the Church, we are asking for the child to be freed from original sin, and we are promising to bring the child up in the faith.

How seriously do we take our promises?

Do we teach our children to love as Christ loves; by what we do and what we say?

Do we teach our children to have an intimate relationship with Jesus by establishing prayer in our households?

Do we teach our children to want to get to know Jesus better by using Holy Scriptures on a regular basis?

I know that I have failed in many aspects of the promises I made as a parent and as a Godparent. I know I need to improve in this area of my life, and I also know that many of the opportunities I have had to fulfil those promises are in the past. I can’t change the past, but I can try to be better in the present and in the future.

At our Baptism we were given a Baptismal candle which the parent receives from the celebrant and are urged to keep the flame of faith alive. We remember our Baptism today through the feast of Candlemass. One form of the prayer used by the priest when he blesses the candles used in the procession is ‘these candles, which we are eager to carry in praise of your name, so that, treading the path of virtue, we may reach that light which never fails.’ Our baptism commits us to become a light to the world to make it a better place through our faith and love.[2]

As we carry our candles this Candlemass, may we remember that we are called to bring Christ’s light to the darkest corners of our lives and in our communities. May Christ’s light banish darkness and all evil and may we be rewarded at the end of our days by encountering the Lord face to face just like Simeon and Anna.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

The Presentation of the Lord

CCC 529: The Presentation of Jesus in the temple.

The Presentation of the Lord: a symbol of the Messiah’s embrace | Catholic News Agency

February 2nd: Presentation of the Lord – Opus Dei

Presentation of the Lord | EWTN

Reflections for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord – Vatican News

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• The Basingstoke Winter Night Shelter as it continues to support the homeless in our town.
• Fr John Chadwick, who is ill at this time.

Deacon Tony, 31^st January 2025

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[1] Presentation of the Lord | EWTN

[2] Fr Frank O’Sullivan, I Am With You, [TWO IN ONE FLESH, Caterham, 2012]134.

[Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21]

Today we celebrate the 6^th annual Sunday of the Word of God. Sunday of the Word of God, was instituted by Pope Francis on September 30^th, 2019, to emphasise the significance of Sacred Scripture. The theme this year is taken from Psalm 119 and links with our Jubilee Year of Hope ‘I hope in your word.’ In today’s first reading we hear how the people of Israel reacted to hearing the Word of God for the first time back in their homeland following the exile in Babylon. They were moved to tears as they listened to the words from the Book of the Law. They were told this was a holy day as they worshipped the Lord, and they were told to eat the fat and drink the sweet wine and to give a share to those who did not have any. I wonder if this prompted people back then to consider those less fortunate than themselves and perhaps even more importantly, does it have the same impact on us here today? They were also told not to worry for the joy of the Lord is their strength.

How do we react when we hear the Word of the Lord? Are we moved to tears?

When we have been troubled or gone through difficult times, do we find comfort in hearing or reading the Word of God?

In the second reading we are told that we are all part of the Body of Christ, St Paul emphasises this and insists that no one part is more important than another. If one part is sick then it affects the whole body. This is why it hurts as so much when loved ones fall away from the Church or if someone we consider to be a close Christian friend is reported to have been gossiping about us. This past week we have been praying for Christian Unity; asking God to bring the separated parts of the Body of Christ closer; allowing us to work in union with each other; to be one, just as Jesus prayed for us to be one. This week I have been with Christians from other traditions working at the Night shelter, working at the Foodbank and visiting people in hospital. Without these vital services more people would die on our streets from the harsh winter weather. More people would struggle to feed their families and themselves and people in hospital would be left feeling lonely, unloved and unwanted. We all do a little bit; and whilst we should not under-estimate the impact it has on people; there is always more to do. Perhaps God is calling you to consider how you can help someone else. If you hear that call, please answer it; someone else may be depending on you. Don’t be tempted to leave it to someone else; perhaps someone you think is more capable than you; be aware of the special individual gifts you have been given by God; to be shared with others.

In the Gospel today, first we hear how St Luke started his Gospel account, he writes to Theophilus; which is a Greek name which means ‘lover of God’; his account as he understands it, was written for the gentile communities; stressing that Jesus was not just for the Jewish people, but that Jesus is a Saviour for the whole world.  In this passage we hear how the Word of God was fulfilled. This emphasises how the Holy Spirit fires up God’s mission. We hear that Jesus returned in the ‘power of the Spirit’ and in the words Jesus read from Isaiah 61 we hear that ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.’ It is this same Holy Spirit which we receive initially at our Baptism and then again at our Confirmation which prompts us to continuously seek God.

Through Sacred Scriptures and the Sacraments, we maintain our relationship with God. Sacred Scripture is not some historic works which has no relevance to us. Sacred Scripture is the Word of God, it is the story of our Salvation and if we are to succeed in our journey back to the Father; back to our heavenly home, then we need to immerse ourselves in Scripture.

To help us with this the Vatican have issued a handbook for today’s celebration of the Sunday of the Word of God.[1] In the handbook there are some reflections, a Lectio Divina and suggestions for taking the Gospel out into the world with us in our everyday activities. These include carrying a small book of the Gospels with us or having a Bible app on our phones to allow us to read Scritpures wherever we are.

Every week we have the opportunity to take what we have understood from the Scriptures and go out and put them into action and, if there is anything that we have not understood, to make a note to take the time to look it up at home or approach/discuss with a fellow parishioner; this is what we are called to do when at the end of Mass we are dismissed with ‘Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord’ or ‘Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life. The Word of God is not meant to be kept locked away in a rolled-up scroll or in a closed Missal, it is meant to be taken out into the world by the faithful by what we do and what we say.

How will we fulfil this duty this week?

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 714: Old Testament expectation of the Messiah and the Spirit
CCC 1965-1974: new Law and Gospel
CCC 106, 108, 515: God inspires human authors of Scripture, and readers
CCC 787-795: the Church as the Body of Christ

ENG Sussidio DPD 25 – Handbook issued by the Vatican for the 2025 Sunday of the Word of God

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• The Basingstoke Winter Night Shelter as it continues to support the homeless in our town.
• The Baptism Preparation Course which starts online on Sunday 26^th.
• Fr John Chadwick, who is ill at this time.

Deacon Tony, 25^th January 2025

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[1] ENG Sussidio DPD 25

[Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 96; 1Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11]

It is almost 40 years since I married my wife, Pam. I remember that around the time of our wedding we were invited to lots of other weddings of friends and workmates. On more than one occasion, after we arrived at the reception, I felt a need to leave; I felt physically sick. My nerves were getting the better of me, whether it was the thought of the commitment I was preparing to make or worries related to our wedding day, I will never know the answer. But this must have been extremely frustrating for Pam. Nevertheless, Pam saw past my weakness and decided to marry me anyway.

I wonder if the bride and groom from the wedding at Cana experienced similar concerns? I wonder if one of the things they worried about was running out of wine? Running out of wine at a wedding celebration would have been hugely embarrassing for the families involved. They would have been the subject of gossip for miles around, and the stigma associated with it would have been difficult to remove. When Our Lady noticed the predicament the couple and their families were in, she chose to intercede for them. She approached Jesus on their behalf and told Him there was a problem. Jesus’ initial reaction was to state that this was nothing to do with him and that His hour has not yet come. Mary then gives the servants; and us; an instruction – ‘Do whatever He tells you.’ The servants obey Jesus, and the wedding party are rewarded with more wine; wine which was judged superior to the wine they started out drinking. This encourages us to ask Our Lady to intercede for us. How wonderful that Jesus attended that wedding in person. I’m reminded of an image I saw the other day, where standing in front of the couple being married, stood the priest and above him an image of Jesus; reminding us that Christ is part of every Christian Marriage.

This was the first sign recorded in St John’s Gospel to show to the few witnesses that Jesus was different, He was so different that his disciples started to believe that He is the Messiah.

Traditionally at weddings people provide gifts for the newlyweds as they give themselves completely to one another.  In the passage we hear from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, we hear about the gifts of the Spirit and how varied they can be.  Gifts given by the Holy Spirit need to be used to glorify God, they are never to be kept for oneself.  The Catechism tells us that “charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church.  They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church.” (CCC 2003).  As St Paul says, the Holy Spirit “distributes different gifts to different people just as he chooses” (1Cor 12:11).  We cannot choose which gifts we are given by the Spirit, but we are compelled to use these gifts to build up the Church.

Do we ever stop and think about what gifts we have been given by the Holy Spirit?

For those of us who have been on the ‘Called and Gifted’ course, do we use the Charisms we identified, or have we let this revelation slip from our consciousness?

Even if you haven’t been on a ‘Called & Gifted’ programme, you must remember that God has given each of us special gifts and I urge you to pray that you become more conscious of these and that you use them generously.

This weekend marks the start of a week of prayer for Christian Unity. There are many examples within our communities where Christians of different traditions work together. There are three which spring to mind, which I have a particular interest in and where co-operation is excellent; the Foodbank, the Night shelter and hospital chaplaincy. In these areas Christians support each other as best we can and we get to know each other, recognising that often, we have more in common than what separates us. We need to remember that Jesus prayed for us to be one [John 17:21], it is His will that we are one and we should all be doing whatever we can to bring Christian communities together.

This Sunday is also Peace Sunday, we are asked to pray for peace in the world, How appropriate that the negotiated peace in Gaza is due to start on Sunday. We remember this region and Ukraine in our prayers, as well as the other areas where there are conflicts and violence around the world. May the peace of Christ, reign in our world and may we all look for ways to bring peace into our homes, our towns, our countries and our world. Amen.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 528: at Cana, Christ shows himself to be Messiah, Son of God, Saviour
CCC 796: the Church as Bride of Christ
CCC 1612-1617: marriage in the Lord
CCC 2618: Mary’s intercession at Cana
CCC 799-801, 951, 2003: charisms at the service of the Church

Please keep in your prayers this week

• The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
• Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
• The continued fight to protect all life from conception until natural death.
• The Basingstoke Winter Night Shelter as it continues to support the homeless in our town.
• Christian unity and those working for peace in areas of conflict.

Deacon Tony

11^th January 2025