Category: Deacon Tony reflects

[Acts 5:27b-32, 40b-41; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19]

Now, there is an empty seat in Rome. We don’t know who will fill it, for the moment, only God knows for sure. The men charged with identifying the next successor of Peter would do well to look at the Gospel used today; for within this Gospel is the job description for the Pope.

Firstly, he is to be a man who obeys the Lord; despite having an unsuccessful night fishing, Peter still obeyed when Jesus said, ‘cast the net on the right side of the boat’. Next, he will have to get out of the boat occasionally, step away from his comfort zone. When Peter was made aware that the stranger on the shore was Jesus, he made himself presentable and stepped out of the boat making his way to the Lord.

Next the new Pope will have to bring new people to the Lord; as Peter was made a fisher of men, so too will the new Pope be expected to bring his catch to the Lord; neither should he be afraid of overfilling the net, the Lord will make sure there is enough room for everyone. God’s net will never burst.

The new Pope should be a man who has experienced God’s forgiveness; for by receiving God’s forgiveness, he will be more grateful of God’s mercy and become a dispenser of that same mercy. When Jesus asked Peter three times ‘Do you love me?’ He was forgiving Peter’s three denials during the Passion of the Lord. Not only that, but He was also commissioning Peter to look after the flock chosen by God and put into his care. Peter was being chosen to be Christ’s shepherd and with that came responsibility. So, the new man will need to be a good shepherd; feeding the lambs, those young in faith and those young in age; tending the sheep, those who are already part of the flock need to be looked after; and, feeding the sheep, a recognition by Jesus that we all need to be fed. The new Pope will be expected to provide a rich diet to suit most pallets, whether they are seen as Liberal or Conservative within the Church. Peter was tasked to lead one flock and make decisions for the common good. The new Pope will be a voice for the whole world, a man who seeks peace and who speaks up for those whose voice goes unheard.

Like Peter, the new Pope will be giving up his freedom. He may have to go to places he would rather not. He will most probably have to speak with people he would rather not as well; as Peter’s successor, this is all part of the role. But the last words in today’s Gospel spoke loudly to Peter and the disciples and should speak loudly to us as well. They are quite simply to ‘follow me’. As a sheep knows and listens to its master’s voice and follows that voice, so too, should we listen for our Master’s voice and follow.

At this time when the Chair is empty, we all need to pray for those charged with identifying the next Pope; that they will be guided by the Holy Spirit, and we need to pray that whoever emerges on the balcony to the words of Habemus Papam, is a man of prayer, a man of service, a man of love and a good shepherd.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Third Sunday of Easter

CCC 642-644, 857, 995-996: the apostles and disciples as witnesses of the Resurrection
CCC 553, 641, 881, 1429: the risen Christ and Peter
CCC 1090, 1137-1139, 1326: the heavenly liturgy

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 Cardinals of the Church that they will make all decisions related to the new Pope in a prayerful way and that they can discern the will of the Holy Spirit.

Deacon Tony, 3^rd May 2025

Divine Mercy Sunday

[Acts 5:12-16; Psalm 117; Apocalypse 1:9-13,17-19, 5:7-9; John 20:19-31]

It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. Although he had been ill for some time, he appeared to have rallied and was able to go out into the crowds one last time on Easter Sunday. As I sat down to prepare for this week’s reflection, I thought I would look back at what Pope Francis preached the last time these readings were used in 2022.

He highlighted that Jesus had used the phrase ‘Peace be with you,’ three times and that each time the phrase was used it was for a different purpose.[1] Pope Francis said that “these words first give joy, then grant forgiveness and finally offer comfort in every difficulty.”

He highlighted that when Jesus entered the room; where the door was locked, out of fear of the Jews; the disciples must have felt like failures. They had abandoned their Master when He was in trouble, Peter had denied Him three times, and it was one of their own who had betrayed Jesus. Now they were hiding, afraid for their own lives and feeling totally despondent and bewildered at what had been going on.

That first, ‘Peace be with you’, brought them joy on two fronts, firstly, Jesus had risen from the dead and secondly, He still offered them His peace. Pope Francis highlighted how we can often feel like failures when we lapse into sinful behaviours and can ask ourselves if we are worthy to be called Christian. I know there are times when I doubt myself, allowing my faults to define me instead of the times when I have followed Christ more closely. The Holy Father said that the joy felt by the disciples is similar to the joy we feel whenever we experience His forgiveness. Pope Francis encouraged us to ‘put the memory of God’s warm embrace before the memory of our own mistakes and failings. In this way, we will grow in joy. For nothing will ever be the same for anyone who has experienced God’s joy! It is a joy that transforms us.’

Jesus repeated the words ‘Peace be with you’ and then commissioned the disciples to become not just people who receive God’s mercy; but people who dispense God’s mercy. The Pope then outlined some advice for the priests who celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They first of all should have experienced God’s mercy for themselves; they are not to look upon this as something which gives them power over the penitent, but as a channel of God’s mercy, which has been given to them; through the grace of Christ.

Pope Francis also highlighted that it is not just the priests who have to show mercy, we are all called to dispense Christ’s mercy. Sure, the priest has the faculties to hear Confession and absolve the sins of penitents. But we are also to be merciful, within our families; as husbands, as wives, as parents; we are called to share God’s mercy with those we live with, those we work with, those we argue with, and even those who offend us. Pope Francis left us a legacy of the Church being like a field hospital dispensing Christ’s mercy to the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised. There are many people like this in our communities, and we are called to support them. I have met many wonderful people through my links with the Foodbank, the Night Shelter and hospital chaplaincy work. There is a lot of great work going on in our community, but there is always more needing to be done.

The third time Christ says ‘Peace be with you’ is when He returns a week later to greet Thomas, who had not been present the week before. Christ doesn’t scold him for his disbelief, but instead gently invites him to touch the wounds, to prove to himself that Jesus had risen. Thomas acknowledging Jesus as risen no longer needs to touch the wounds, he sees, and he believes. Again, he is a beneficiary of Christ’s mercy. Thomas didn’t have to feel the wounds, because he felt the power of Christ’s mercy there and then. Pope Francis tells us that sometimes we are all like Thomas; when we are troubled or find it hard to believe in the Risen Lord or shut ourselves off from our community for fear of judgement or shame. These are the times when we need to allow Christ to enter our space and accept His peace.

The Pope tells us that when we are faced with the ugliest of our sins, Jesus does not come to us triumphantly, scolding us or condemning us. No, Jesus comes quietly, humbly and offers us His wounds, because His wounds are stronger than sin.

Pope Francis concluded his homily, by telling us that often when we are in the midst of our own crisis, we encounter others who we judge have more pressing needs than we do. By coming to the aid of our neighbour we find that we are touched by Christ’s mercy. He then challenged his listeners to think of when we last came to the aid of someone in crisis.

Are we Christians who put our faith into action or do we walk along on the other side of the road?

I am very aware that I can’t help everyone all of the time. There aren’t enough hours in the day, and I don’t have limitless resources to be able to help everyone. But by helping when I can, joining with others in organised support or helping when I see someone in need, I can be a dispenser of Christ’s mercy, working in the field hospital which was Pope Francis’ dream for our Church.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

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
CCC 612, 625, 635, 2854: Christ the “Living One” holds the keys of death

Holy Mass on the liturgical feast of Divine Mercy (24 April 2022) | Francis

Please keep in your prayers this week

• Maria, Mario and Pierina who will be baptised at St Bede’s this Sunday.
• 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 Holy Father as he is laid to rest.
• The Cardinals of the Church that they will make all decisions related to the new Pope in a prayerful way and that they can discern the will of the Holy Spirit.

Deacon Tony, 25^th April 2025

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[1] Holy Mass on the liturgical feast of Divine Mercy (24 April 2022) | Francis

[Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12; Psalm 30; Hebrews4:14-16, 5:7-9; John 18:1 – 19:42]

When Pope Francis declared 2025 as the Year of Hope, he said “May the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ (cf. Jn 10:7,9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere, and to all as ‘our hope’ (1 Tim 1:1),” 

When we think of the Passion of Our Lord it might be difficult to see hope in this part of Scriptures. Fortunately, St John’s Passion; which we read every Good Friday; portrays a journey of triumph – where Christ, through being lifted up on the Cross; will draw all people to himself.

By drawing us to Him, Jesus, again defies all human logic. He, who the Jews and the Romans looked upon as hopeless whilst hanging on the Cross; is the source of hope for all mankind. Jesus told us that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

In this Holy Year, we are encouraged to be pilgrims of hope acknowledging Jesus, our Crucified Christ; as the door of salvation.

As Catholic Christians we should not allow this year to pass without making the time to do something special to improve our personal relationship with Christ; for we know that the Crucifixion was not the end, but necessary, to allow Jesus to conquer death; when He rose from the dead on the first Easter Sunday.

This year the Church have given us symbolic doors to walk through, to enable us to decide to walk through and greet Jesus the door of our salvation.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Friday of the Passion of the Lord

CCC 602-618, 1992: the Passion of Christ
CCC 612, 2606, 2741: the prayer of Jesus
CCC 467, 540, 1137: Christ the High Priest
CCC 2825: Christ’s obedience and ours

Please keep in your prayers this week

• Polly and Audrey as they prepare to make their final preparations to come into the Church at the Easter Vigil.
• 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.
• All who are on holidays, that they may be kept safe and enjoy the opportunity to be refreshed.

Deacon Tony, 18^th April 2025

[Luke 19:28-40; Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:14-23:56]

Last Sunday, for those who used Year C readings we had Jesus stop the crowd from stoning the adulterous woman by asking them to look at themselves first before they condemned the woman. This Sunday we have the Jerusalem crowds again. Initially they are greeting Jesus like a triumphant king as He enters the city. Then we have many of the same people who have been persuaded by the Jewish leaders to form a crowd to condemn Jesus when we enter into the Passion of Christ.

A reminder for us all, of how easy it is, to be caught up and carried by a crowd or by the popular view.

These crowds can serve as a mini summary of the mission of Christ. Firstly, He came not to condemn us, but to save us; just as He saved the adulterous woman. Secondly, He is our King, His entry into Jerusalem was greeted by the crowd in the manner which befits a king, however, He entered on a donkey, not surrounded by an army. His Kingdom is one of peace, not war. Thirdly, He surrendered His life for us. Jesus was not condemned to die by the Jews nor the Romans; they were only living out the path God had chosen for them since the sin in the Garden of Eden. Jesus chose to die, as the Word made flesh; the same Word, which brought the world into being; He could have chosen a totally different way; but He chose to die, for us.

As we start Holy Week, we are drawn into the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. This is a special and solemn time for the Church. This is not something which we need to do, to get this week out of the way so that we can start rejoicing at the Resurrection. We are not just to experience this emotionally; this is an incredible time to deepen our faith. In this Year of Hope, we pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that we can experience every grace of this Paschal Mystery. This is not just a commemoration; in the liturgical celebrations this coming week we are plunged into the Paschal Mystery itself, dying and rising with Christ.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

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

Please keep in your prayers this week

• Polly and Audrey as they prepare to make their final preparations to come into the Church at the Easter Vigil.
• 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.

Deacon Tony, 11^th April 2025

[Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 125; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11]

In parishes where they have the final Scrutiny of the Elect this Sunday, they will have the story of Lazarus, which reminds us that Jesus wept when He saw how upset his friends were at the death of their brother and how he called Lazarus back from the dead; to restore him. We all journey in hope that we will rise from the dead with Christ on the last day. In other parishes, they have the readings listed above.

In the first reading we are reminded of the generosity of God who provides for all of our needs. There is emphasis that God provides, despite our previous wrongdoings; as long as we have repented, Isaiah tells us “remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.”  God rewards those who turn away from evil and who give Him praise.

There is often a temptation for us to live in the past, to allow our past to dominate our life. Jesus calls us to live today. When we are baptised, we become new creations. When we confess our sins, the slate has been wiped clean; yet we often allow the tempter to convince us that we are still condemned. St Paul tells us to “to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead.” Like St Paul our goal is “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

In the Gospel, Jesus tells the woman who had been condemned by her community, that He does not condemn her, nor does He condemn us. He did this after challenging her accusers to examine their own lives first before they even thought about what she had done. Jesus again asks us not to live in the past and not to keep a tally of the things which are behind us, because we cannot change the past. Neither should we accuse, blame or condemn one another. We are called to forgive one another; this gives hope to the whole community.[1]

The scribes and the Pharisees demonstrate an act of male conspiracy and coercion; where is the man who must have been involved in this act too? They are trying to trap Jesus in the same way that the woman had been trapped; [otherwise there would have been two accused persons]. If Jesus had gone with the lynch mob, He would have been in trouble with the Romans. If He had let her go, the Pharisees and the scribes would have accused Him of not following the law of Moses. They believe they have Jesus between a rock and a hard place.

Yet, Jesus puts their question back to them, asking them to look into their hearts and condemn her only if they had not sinned. The accusers one by one slink away, just like the serpent in the garden of Eden. They know they are sinners, but they are not prepared to accept a new life as forgiven sinners. Their preference is to hold others to account; and to cling on to any moral high ground they perceive exists. When Jesus looks up, He is left with the woman. Jesus tells her to sin no more, ‘anointing her with dignity’ according to Pope Francis.[2]

Pope Francis tells us that “mercy is divine and has to do with the judgement of sin. Compassion has a more human face. It means to suffer with, to suffer together, to not remain indifferent to the pain and suffering of others. It is what Jesus felt when He saw the crowds who followed him.” [3]With the woman in today’s Gospel Jesus was the face of compassion and mercy, This is the same in every confessional in the world; where the priest is in the person of Christ [persona Christi]; forgives our sins and asks not to sin anymore.

These readings call on me to forgive, they remind me not to judge or to accuse those I meet. This is often difficult. A recent example of this is when I met someone, who I know is homeless. He was being loud and was disturbing my peace. He came over to me and had obviously had a bit too much to drink. Inside I was thinking he can afford alcohol, why should I buy him some food? I then realised, it wasn’t up to me to judge him. His need at that time was not more alcohol, it was food; and I knew that if I could help, then I needed to. This is not easy, and there will be some people who take advantage of our good intentions; but we need to remember to let God judge them; just as He will judge us.

In this year of Hope, we are reminded that we are to be a sign to others. Whilst not always easy, we must; whenever possible, call on the Holy Spirit to help us do this.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Fifth Sunday of Lent

CCC 430, 545, 589, 1846-1847: Jesus manifests the Father’s mercy
CCC 133, 428, 648, 989, 1006: the surpassing wealth of knowing Christ
CCC 2475-2479: rash judgment

Please keep in your prayers this week

• Polly and Audrey who will undergo the third scrutiny at St Bede’s this weekend.
• 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.

Deacon Tony, 3^rd April 2025

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[1] Mike & Margaret Magee, I Am With You, Year C, [Two in One Flesh, Caterham, 2012]46.

[2] Maria Power and Raymond Friel, Pastoral Review Vol 21 Issue 2, [The Tablet Publishing Company, Twickenham, 2025] 78.

[3] Pope Francis, The Name of God is Mercy, [Bluebird books for life, London, 2016] 87.

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