The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is a celebration of the presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Eucharist. It is an astounding belief. We would not dare to hold this belief except that it is based on the very words of Jesus himself. “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone…
The Sunday Gospel As he was about to ascend to heaven, the Lord Jesus instructed the apostles to go, make disciples of all nations, Baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In those days, baptism meant being immersed in water, plunged into the triune life of…
The Sunday Gospel May I begin by wishing us all a joyful birthday. It is the birthday of the Church, the day when the coming of the Holy Spirit utterly transformed the apostles from being fearful and directionless into a community empowered to carry on the mission of Jesus. Jesus promised them: “when the Advocate comes,…
The Sunday Gospel The celebration of the Ascension of Jesus to heaven marks the definitive closure of his mission on earth. According to St Luke, over a period of 40 days the Risen Lord appeared to certain disciples in varied ways to prepare them for his final departure. The apostles were told that they would continue the…
The Sunday Gospel In the opening prayer of today’s Mass we ask God to help us celebrate our joy in the resurrection of the Lord. The Gospel reading today (John 14: 23-29) sparkles with reasons for Christian joy. It is set in the uplifting conversation of Jesus with his disciples after the last supper. The disciples were confused…
The Sunday Gospel Where is the risen Lord to be met? The liturgy each Sunday in this Easter season directs our thoughts to the various situations where the Lord is present and active in our midst. Over the weeks we have reflected on his presence in the mission of forgiveness, in the faith of those who do…
The Sunday Gospel The Fourth Sunday of Easter is called Vocations Sunday, and each year the Gospel is about Christ the Good Shepherd and the flock of his followers. Today’s reading is short enough to quote it in full. “Jesus said: ‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow…
At the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, St Luke bridges the gap between the mission of Jesus and the mission of the Church founded on the apostles. “He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for 40 days he had continued to appear to them and tell them…
As we noted at the start of Lent, the number 40 is usually associated with a period of preparation. Following the 40 days of Lent, there are 40 days of preparation between the Resurrection and Ascension. My very young grand-nephew once asked me a very profound question: “Where was Jesus in the time between his…
Easter Sunday is the most important day of the year. Pope St Paul VI said that the resurrection is the unique and sensational event on which the whole of human history turns. It is so central to our Christian belief that St Paul wrote: “If Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and your…