This Sunday’s Gospel (John 1:29-34) begins with John the Baptist pointing towards Jesus and saying, “Look, there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”. His words are repeated at Mass in order to alert us to the awesome privilege of welcoming the Lord in the Eucharist. “Behold the Lamb…
Who is this child born in Bethlehem? The manifestation of his divinity is known as an epiphany. On Friday, the sixth of January, we recall the first of three epiphanies. The Wise Men coming from the east brought gold to proclaim Jesus as king, frankincense to represent his priesthood, and myrrh which is used for…
The Sunday Gospel The liturgical celebration of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, has been ascribed to several different dates down through the ages. The liturgical reform which prepared the way for the Second Vatican Council prompted the restoration of the feast to January 1, the completion of the Octave of Christmas, the eighth day,…
The Sunday Gospel Have we forgotten why we celebrate Christmas? A friend told me she got a card wishing her a very merry winter festival? Could you beat that! People tell me they have to search in shops for cards that portray the Nativity but there is no shortage of snowy fir trees, red robins,…
The Sunday Gospel Children are counting down the days. Only 10 more days till Christmas. I am really taken by the television commercial where the little boy keeps asking “Will he really come?” Of course, we think that it refers to Santa Claus. But no, it is Grandad. “I knew you would come.” It’s a story of expectation and joy,…
The Sunday Gospel “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” This is the entrance antiphon for the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday, a day to rejoice. I am intrigued by the prominence of the letter ‘w’ in Advent…winter, wonder, wilderness, waiting and the womb of…
The Sunday Gospel Two great prophets, Isaiah and John the Baptist, stride into our liturgical readings for the Second Sunday of Advent. We usually think of prophets as people who foretell the future but that is only partially true. The real meaning of prophecy is the unveiling and proclamation of God’s presence in dark and…
The Sunday Gospel Dark November will soon be past, and in the Church’s calendar, today is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the new liturgical year. Advent means coming and it has three dimensions: the past coming of Christ at the first Christmas; the future coming of Christ at the end of life;…
The Sunday Gospel Today, the last Sunday of the liturgical year is when we celebrate Jesus Christ, the Universal King. The end of the liturgical year anticipates the end of time when “the kingdom of God will come in all its fulness. Then the just will reign with Jesus Christ for ever, glorified in body…
The Sunday Gospel Purgation is a process of purification. Purgatory is not specifically mentioned in the Bible but the doctrine of purgatory is a beautiful development which holds in unity two ideas which might seem to be contradictory. Firstly, the doctrine of God’s holiness reminds us of God’s unique otherness, glory and blinding light, far…