Christmas Day 2025 Sermon

Christmas Day 2025 Christ every day

There is a song which asks ‘Why can’t  every day be Christmas? If we feel this good on one day, why not all days?

The song is assuming that every house is experiencing joy. There is so much that is good and desirable about Christmas, why can we not have the same things every day? Especially that people get along while peace and harmony reign.

Christmas conveys a set of ideals that we wish would be established in practice – could be, should be, must be  - as expressions of all the good there is, or can be achieved.

We could be cynical about Christmas, dismissing it as just ideals and only ever that. The human race will never (in this view) rise above its present level – hatred, violence, exploitation etc.

We point to the Crib in Bethlehem and say, as long as we have that scene our hope will never be exhausted.

If we have the Christ Child we have God and all the power and goodness that flows from Him. Nothing negative or evil can find a place in His presence.

The main reason humanity has been unable to put the ideal into practice is that we have not yet, even yet, given God the full recognition that we need to make.

We say that God is not listening to us, does not care – it is really the other way round. We are not listening to Him.

He has the will and the power to save us.

And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins (Mt 1,21).

He does many things for us but most of all He saves us. Saves from what, we might say?

Most of all from Sin. Sin is a state of alienation from God. Jesus removes that alienation, fills the gap, the void which sin leaves between the sinner and God.

Jesus in His humanity loves God and takes the human race to the heights that He has reached, enabling us to fill the emptiness caused by sin.

We love God more in proportion as we are freed from sin and its attachments. Sin is replaced by Grace, the life of God, the goodness of God, shared with us.

So at Christmas we look at many aspects of our world which are not joyful or peaceful; but we can apply to all difficulties the grace of God, which sets all thing right.

Hearts and minds are changed as we are exposed to such goodness. We are healed at the deepest point where sin takes root and that makes Christmas happen right inside us.

We may not have the trimmings of Christmas every day, but we can have Christ dwelling in us and transforming us.

Not Christmas every day but Christ every day! And that is better still.

All that is necessary is found in Him; all we have to do is ask for it to come upon us. The grace and mercy of God will set us free.

We see that we are not just wishing for better things but actually helping to bring them about.

We dare to hope for more than one happy day a year!

God loves us; we love Him in the strength of that love. The stronger the flame we offer Him the better all the other things in our world will dispose themselves.

In reverence to these great truths we wish each other happiness, and for ever. Happy Christmas!

3rd Sunday of Advent A 14 December 2025 Sermon

3^rd Sunday of Advent A 14 December 2025  Keeping faith

Happy is the man who does not lose faith in Me  (Mt 11,6), says Our Lord, on referring to John the Baptist.

He was calling on history up to that point to remind His listeners (and us) the sort of service God had been providing.

He had put the world in place, created humanity, set everything to work as it should.

He made allowance for human rebellion against His creative will, and to help further He took on human nature; then dying for us, then rising to new life, then (still to happen) a glorious return to reward those who ‘have not lost faith in Him’.

Our job is to stay faithful, and one way we can do that is to have a lively and imminent sense of history; to remind ourselves daily of the wonders of God, and thus to keep our faith at an active level.

We do not treat the stories in the Bible  as ‘long ago and far away’ and therefore out of our concern. Just because a story is old does not necessarily make it any less true or any less relevant.

When God speaks, the word stays spoken. My word does not return to Me empty, says the Lord. (Is 55,11).

This is why we have Liturgy, and why we have biblical readings in the midst of our ceremonies – to call us back to truths which might at first appear too good to be true; but as we make them a part of our lives, they become enlightening to us.

When God delivered Israel from Egypt, for example, that might seem a long time ago to us, but it comes alive for us every year at Easter, and even every day, as the Mass is offered.

We retell these stories and we let them take hold on us. They remind us of the generosity of God and of His constancy. He does not grow tired or weak; nor does He forget His promises and overall purpose.

This is what Jesus is reminding the people of His time. Tell John what you have seen and heard, the lame walking, the blind seeing etc (Mt 11,4-5).

And you will see a lot more than that. Those things are just symbols by comparison with the plans still to be fulfilled.

Our beliefs are bold, but they are not pulled from thin air. They are based on historical events, and even more solidly on the impeccable nature of God Himself.

Truth itself speaks truly, or there’s nothing true (St Thomas Aquinas)

Specifically today, the Church invites us, not just to stronger faith, but a sense of the pure joy with which we can grow in that faith.

The redeemed shall return, with everlasting joy on their faces - in such a way as never to go back to the old ways and the wrong ways. (Zeph 3,20).

We are free from the slavery of sin and the degradation that goes with that.

We have been lifted to a higher level, because God has come down to our level, and takes us with Him as He returns to Heaven.

We have never seen a world without trouble, but we can easily see that if everyone suddenly started obeying Almighty God the world would set itself right very quickly.

We may not be able to imagine it but we can desire it.

So we rejoice, on this Sunday (Gaudete Sunday).

Tell John what you have seen and heard, and tell each other, and anyone who will listen!

 

2nd Sunday of Advent A 7 December 2025 Sermon

2^nd Sunday of Advent A     7 December 2025 Expectancy

The Bible is a very long book. One reason for its length is the necessity of preparing the

human race to receive what is promised. The human  race takes convincing that they are that lucky.

When people receive a phone call to say they have won the lottery there is always that sense of disbelief. You must be joking etc.  Gradually it sinks in.

Think of the prodigal son who got more than he expected. He was just going to slink in through the back door trying to escape notice and he was greeted with great fanfare.

He received more than he expected, more than he dared to hope. This is our position in relation to God. We know He wants to bless us in a general sort of way, but we have trouble grasping the scale of what he has prepared for us and is still promising.

We would settle for less, but we get more. Eternal life, no more pain or suffering, paradise like conditions wolf with lamb etc first reading.

Good news can be taken by stages and then is not so much of a shock. You had better sit  down before I tell you etc.

That is why the Bible is so long; God wants us to understand His blessings to us in the context of his overall plan.

Plus, we see over centuries not only the original plan but how much rejection God would receive, just for trying to save the world!

Within the Bible there are many colourful characters who fill out the scene  One of the most important is John the Baptist.

He is the greatest of the prophets (Mt 11,11) and the closest to the good news which is being prepared.

He fascinates the people  such that they want to see and hear him. They think he might be the Messiah, so impressive is he.

He replies that he is not worthy to tie up the real messiah’s shoelaces (Mt 3,11). He eases the people in, to expect more and even better good news.

There are two parts to how he does this:

One is to offer forgiveness of sins to those whom he baptises.

The other is to offer a change of heart to those who really want to learn.

God wants to bless us in these two ways – to take away the guilt of our sin and to let us stand upright before Him.

And then to give us a new heart (cf Ezekiel 36,26) so that we will no longer have any desire to sin.

We have been restored like the prodigal son. Expecting to be thrown out we are welcomed; expecting to re-offend we are suddenly able to see things in a new light, and we sin no more.

Not only are we allowed into the house, but we can live like royalty. And we can all be like this. Everyone is a winner in Heaven.

Even the pharisees had an opening … brood of vipers even you can be a part of this blessing Mt 3,7).

Christ could have come anyway but better if the people had some preparation because they were not used to things going so well.

Hou much do we dare to hope for? Many would settle for too little.

If it is really true, then we are luckier than we would have ever dreamed of being. We have a foretaste of it in this life but there is much more to come.

We did not expect the Incarnation of God as Man, but having received it we can respond.

We cling to what we know, so we are gradually extricated and prepared for our proper state.

We are that younger son, this time getting it right!

1st Sunday of Advent A 30 November 2025 Sermon

 1^st Sunday of Advent 30 November 2025

 Advent tends to get swamped by Christmas. so let’s keep it alive this year.

 Advent enables us to celebrate Christmas more fully because it helps us to know that we need Christmas.

That Christ would come as Man was vitally important, but people did not understand this was God's intention. They had to be prepared by prophecies and miracles. Partly they caught on, but often slipped away again, reverting to worldly ways.

God's intervention in human affairs is often resisted, making it harder to take effect.

To be saved one has to cooperate. Out of  pride or stubbornness and the like, one can refuse or delay the salvation offered by God.

My boat sinks and I am sitting on the last piece of wood, but when the helicopter comes I  send them away. No thank you, I am perfectly fine… and I  must drown sooner or later.

It sounds absurd in normal life terms but in the spiritual domain that dialogue is going on all the time.

God repeats his offer, so there is still  hope for those who have been hiding from Him.

But Advent also recalls to us that there is a time limit. Either in one’s own death or in the second coming of Christ . So there is an urgency about the matter.

If we are clear that we want to be saved it should not be too hard,  but we do need to keep reminding ourselves of certain things; not become complacent or despairing.

Complacent  is when we think it is very easy to be right with God, and salvation is assured.

Despair is when we think it is too hard, and no one can qualify.

Salvation is hard insofar as it requires discipline and self-denial. It is easy insofar as God is merciful and give many graces to assist us.

With each passing Advent we nurture the hope that all we have longed for will find its fulfilment.

What about the millions of people resisting? We use the time that we have to spread the Good News, to say to the world, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.

We can do this as individuals and as the whole Church.

We are telling the world that it does not hurt to be a Christian; that it brings great joy, even when there is sorrow about; that life eventually will be free altogether of suffering.

That, if enough people will accept God's offer of salvation a lot of the worldly troubles will disappear as a new order takes hold.

The Church is meant to transform the world. For much of our history it has been the other way round – the world transformed the Church. This is because we have forgotten how much trouble we are in! 

It is easy to see trouble if you are alone in the ocean. Not so easy if you are living like many around us who have no clear idea what life is for, or where they are going.

These are the bridesmaids of the Gospel, and the servants who were not ready.

These are the people of Noah’s day, buying and selling (Mt 24,38-39).

People will say how long he is taking to return… God keeps his word; if he says he is coming, he is coming

We can be caught up in some of the misunderstandings get muddled in our response but can clarify that response in this, another time of Advent.

It is a good place to start, in a church, and on a Sunday. We just need to persevere.

Come Lord Jesus!

 

 

Christ the King 23 November 2025 Sermon

 Christ the King         23  November 2025 Uniqueness of Christ

Today, Christ the King, a feast of Jesus Christ who is uniquely and in every sense the Creator and Saviour of the world, the whole operation. Save us, Saviour of the world.

There are many shining lights, only one which ultimately leads home.

It is the uniqueness of Christ that we must grasp. We have to make a choice, but there really is no choice. It is either Him or no one.

We should honour Him, obey, even worship. We don’t worship the prime minster and premier! With God it is a different matter. We ‘worship’ when we express His worth.

He is the source of all perfections, all beauty, all truth, justice, mercy, and all that is good.

He is King by virtue of being God, and therefore in charge of everything.

He is King by virtue of His perfect humanity, whereby He has overcome every obstacle and established a new humanity in Himself.

There is a solution and He is it! He is not popular with everyone. Some want to deny Him out of hatred (coming from the devil); others out of neglect; they know what is right but cannot raise the commitment necessary.

Humans have conferences to work out what to do. There is a place for meeting and talking, but often God is excluded from the equation. It is as though He has no place in His own universe!

Affirm He is there, and even pray to Him, and we will see a lot of problems solved.

Acknowledge His greatness and imitate Him where we can such as humility.

It is not like an earthly king to die for his people.

The biggest difference between Jesus and other kings - charity and  humility, and the power to make their subjects into sources of power.

This feast was established 100 years ago in the hope that it would draw the world back to its origins and to restore all things in Christ. 

We worry about things like peace on earth, justice for all, everyone living in dignity, with enough income and resources to do that.

Particularly earthly leaders must acknowledge His superiority, which they are not good at, if we look at history.

Denial of Christ poisons everything. Restore him to His true place, and when enough people recognize His authority there is no more war or other disorders. The streets will be safe; the lamb and the wolf will lie down together (Is 11,6)

We can still have the structures of our society such as business and industry and all the things which go to make up normal life; it is just that everything must be compatible with Christ and His values.

Jesus is not just a concept or a set of ethics, but a real person - just much better and stronger than usual. If we attach ourselves to Him we cannot fail.

He will give us the grace to cope and flourish, even in a negative environment.

It is up to us to imitate the King; to be good and do good. Each day we renew our commitment to Him. With new insight we say often, Thy Kingdom come.

 

 

33rd Sunday C 16 November 2025

33^rd Sunday C   16 November 2025 Punishment

Jesus is on the one hand saying we should not get too excited about things which look like the end, but are really just normal. Like we always have wars, floods, trouble etc.

So we should not be overly anxious about the things going on around us, but just get on with living our lives in the best possible way (cf second reading: don’t be idle).

On the other hand He is telling us not to be so relaxed about things that we forget the passing nature of this life, and that all we see around us will eventually be dismantled.

The reason that Jesus lets these things change, or puts before us these reminders, is to bring us to trust in Him.

No matter what we cling to here on earth it will not last forever, so we had better cling to Him who does last forever.

This is the essence of the message, the constant theme.

Money will not save us. Friends will not save us. Popularity, power, good looks, past achievements... all these, like the temple stones will be dismantled, but Jesus Christ remains.

God does not have good and bad moods. There is no good side or bad side to God. He is all good (cf James 1,17). Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13,8).

Humanity must take the blame for what is often attributed to God.

Had we never sinned we would have paradise conditions already.

When God allows us to suffer it is to purify us  to think the right way as to what we want. We are purified from false gods which distract and confuse us.

The real God is ignored. The real God says, I must help these people to know Me.

So He allows the sufferings, and many people will come to repentance. God sees the potential goodness in each person, and wants to bring that goodness out.

God does not give up and will challenge us to seek Him.

So why are we not just good all time? Not so easy if we are out of practice; but then not so difficult if we do keep focused on the main event, and make small strides forward.

We learn to put God first. To us it can seem harsh but that is only because our values are distorted. We have been telling God what He is allowed to do or not – it needs to be the other way round.

The predictions and prophecies we will encounter in the next few weeks are conditional on our response. God will hold back on the punishment if we can demonstrate we do  not need it. The temple would not have been destroyed if the Israelites had been obedient.

The theme of Advent which approaches: It is not as hard as we make it!

We  pray for each other, and the dead, that everyone can make advance on wherever they are And they will pray for us, once they experience the kindness of God fully enough.

The cycle of threatened punishment, repentance, then falling away again, then more threatened punishment – it goes on century after century. We need God's help to break out of the cycle.

There has been a lot of progress; souls have been saved; Christian teaching has reached many places, but still there is so far to go.

Everyone can agree there is much wrong with the world (senseless violence, poverty, sexual immorality, abortions etc) but not yet have enough people seen the clear solution: There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1,29).

 

 

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica 9 November 2025 Sermon

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica      9 November 2025 Unity

Our Lord Himself prayed for the unity of His disciples, as we see in John 17,21… that they may all be one.

He must have been looking into the future when He prayed that prayer! What a tangle we have made of it, dividing and subdividing in so many ways, thousands of groups.

Only God can answer His own prayer. Father, may they all be one. He will not force us but He will make the way clear.

Today’s feast reminds us that God does value the unity of His disciples.

The Lateran Basilica is the Cathedral church of Rome. Rome is our spiritual centre, so its cathedral represents the unity of the Catholic Church, worldwide.

Have we kept that unity? Partially, imperfectly. The rest of the process we are still praying for!

Unity stems from Christ Himself. He founded the Church to be a visible link with Himself. And a source of sacramental help. Those who belong to this Church are united with Him and with each other, and will be nourished by the Good Shepherd.

Our Lord said He would found the Church on rock and now we have become a big rock. Not, however, a rock that is meant to crush, but to be a foundation on which we can stand. (Eph 2,20).

The existence of the Church gives us a secure foundation for our individual lives. Without the Church we would not know Jesus Christ. It was the Church that gave us the Bible. It was the Church that has preached and taught the Gospel in every age since the time of Christ.

It is the Church that guides us on matters of belief and practice.

Many challenge the Catholic Church’s claim to teach the truth. We do not make this claim out of any sense that we are better or smarter than other people; only that Our Lord has guaranteed that the Holy Spirit would guide the Church in all important matters. He will teach you all things (Jn 16,13).

This is divine activity not human. We do not claim credit for it; we simply recognize the action of God when He does act.

We can have cultural differences regarding clothes, food, music and the like. We can have different personal preferences, for all sorts of things.

But we cannot have different beliefs when it comes to basic doctrines and practices, things which determine whether we are still with Him, or against Him.(Mt  12,30)

We use our intellect to see why the Church teaching is true. We will never win an argument with God! We can come around to seeing the truth and the value of all His teachings.

We do not always practise what we preach. Should we change the preaching or the practise? We cannot change the word of God, but we can grow in our understanding of that word, and with God's help put it into practice.

Today, we gather around the one altar, offering one perfect sacrifice to the Father.

The splendour of many of our churches expresses the love for God that we wish to achieve and give back to Him. We can worship in a stable, but if we have the means we also beautify our churches as an aid to prayer and an inspiration to do good.

May He accept our humble praise from this church on this day. May He grant the prayer that Christ Himself made: that we all be one!

All Souls Day 2 November 2025 Sermon

All Souls Day 2 November 2025

If you are going to Buckingham palace you would make sure you behave a bit better than usual.  And put on your best clothes.

What if you could go to heaven for half an hour? Even more so we would want to be as clean as possible, to do justice to the occasion.

We have to make a transition from earth to heaven. We are not ready for heaven, insofar as nothing imperfect can enter there. And who among us is perfect?

We need and we want to grow in our love for God. He loves us certainly, but do we love Him?

We are not sure how much we love God, but whatever the amount it can always be increased. By prayer, sacraments, obedience, service, making Him known to others. etc

So we shed the sin and its effects and we prepare for Heaven, our true home. This is a liberating thing, because we discover our true selves as we discover God.

Can we help each other to grow in the love of God?  This is how All Souls works. We become conscious of our corporate identity. We make up the Body of Christ, and that body is powerful, doing good to all who belong, or are seeking their way.

A healthy body will help the sick member to recover. So in faith the more the Church seeks to love God, the more grace and mercy will act on others.

We never stop searching for God and even in Heaven we will behold him, but not fully comprehend. We cannot know everything about an infinite being.

We are made to know love and serve God. This is built into us and must be embraced, no matter what other worthy pursuits we may have.

For the vitality of the Church we need many members activating the grace that God is seeking to shower upon us. What we do here will help people all over the world, and in purgatory too.

The dead need our prayers in case they did not reach their full potential in their earthly life.

We pray for them, that if they need to perfect their love for God, or to remove any remnants of sin, it will happen. The prayers of the Church will assist and accelerate the process.

What is bad can be made good, what is good can be better.

We pray for all faithful departed. They need it, and we do it.

We might need others to pray for us when we die.

The dead cannot do much on their own behalf; they have to rely on others to pray for them.  Their situation could be likened to being trapped under rubble and not able to move; but others can pull you out. You meanwhile feel your predicament but have hope you will be released.

But sometimes people might be left without any help, so we pray for the lost souls, the least loved of all, as well as those we know and love.

The crucial point to resolve is how much we love God. We don’t compare with others, except by way of being inspired by good example. We strive to reach God, like a drowning man reaching out for whatever can keep him afloat.

Purgatory has that sense of holy desperation, where the longing is painful but also sweet. Like we have on earth only much more intense.

The Church gives us one special day (All Souls) and one special month (November), but every day we mention the faithful departed. Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord. Lest we forget.

30th Sunday C 26 October 2025 Sermon

30th Sunday C    26 October 2025 Humility

The readings today present us with a closer look at a very important quality, namely humility.

Humility is not just putting oneself down, for example saying that I am no good at anything. It is not so much about what is wrong with me as what is right with  God. Not so much my weakness as His strength.

It is God's perfections which make us humble, as we realize we are a long way short of what He is (like an insect comparing itself to a mountain).

We are humbled as we consider that one so great can find  time for my conversation. World leaders would  not be so interested in my life as God Himself is!

We are dust and ashes by comparison but confidently expect to be glorified one day. To dust we shall return but after that we will rise in glory.

But all the while staying humble, because this would  not happen without God, who thought of the whole thing and watches over its progress.

We follow Our Lady who saw herself as the lowest of the low yet marvelled that God would lift her  so that all ages would call her blessed. Her humility can be likened to a very clean window letting in the full sunlight.  Or a clearing of a path of obstacles, enabling the entry of something desirable. Prepare ye the way of the Lord!

If we should take a false step and forget our humble status we become distorted and all manner of irregular things happen. The fallen angels thought they were equal to God or maybe better.

We can learn from the publican  God, be merciful to me a sinner. (Lk 18,13)

That’s all he said and all it needed. The prayer was probably better for being short, as even prayer can be a source of pride, as we see with the pharisee.

To find our true status is the necessary goal. We interpret everything that happens in terms of God's view of things, not our own view.

If a particular decision has to be made, or attitude adopted, or outcome to be sought – it is to God that we look. Thy will be done!  God's will is better for me than to follow my own will.

The prayer of the humble man will pierce the clouds (Sir 35,21) first reading). Humility will get further than pride because it is more harmonious with God. It is a meeting of like with like and will bring forth even better still.

Humility is power, a shock reversal of worldly thinking where military and economic might are considered the source of power.

Stalin is supposed to have said; how many divisions does the pope have? Meaning military strength. The humble Church will triumph over its persecutors. We can win another way.

When we click into our exact place with God, we will see miracles coming, good things happening, bad things averted.

Especially is this so when several people do this. A family, a parish, a diocese, the Church – all can do this. And be like the publican, in humble bearing.

The message is frequent through the New Testament – Clothe yourselves in humility: Ephesians 4:2

Colossians 3:12  believers should be completely humble, gentle, and patient, bearing with one another in love.

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself".

1 Peter 5:6 encourages, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time". 

And Our Lady herself: ‘He has brought down the proud and raised the lowly.’ (Lk 1, 52)

May she help us to be truly humble and contrite before the majesty of God: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

29th Sunday C 19 October 2025 Sermon

 29 C  19 October 2025 Persistent Prayer

 The course of a battle depends on whether one man has his arms raised or not! A strange story (today’s first reading: Ex 17,8-13) but one which affirms the power and the importance of prayer.

In an age which looks for practical solutions and is impatient with prayer, the word of God reminds us that prayer is the beginning and end of all human activity.

Moses’ prayer has a direct, visible effect on the course of the battle. It is not always so obvious when we pray, but the same principle is always at work.

When we pray we are bringing the power and the love of God into action at the scene of our prayer.

And, yes, there is still a battle going one. The battle is at the spiritual level, between good and evil. God and Satan are fighting over which one will possess us for all eternity.

It is a furious battle and one which is mostly invisible, but no less real for that.

And being an invisible battle, it is easy for us to be distracted from attention to it.

Moses could see what happened when he prayed, and when he stopped praying. We are not so fortunate to see the results so clearly.

But we need to understand that while our arms are lifted up in prayer the forces of good are making progress, and if we relax our efforts and become complacent, the forces of evil make progress.

The prayer has to be continuous, and persistent. Like the widow in the Gospel (Lk 18,1-8), we keep knocking on the door of heaven. Lord help us, save us.

Even when there is nothing in particular going wrong, that we can see, we keep praying because the battle is still raging.

We might think of our prayer as an individual matter. I have said my prayers for today.

But think of a soldier going into battle. He does not say: I’ve fired my bullets for today, so now I can relax. He knows that while he is out there on the battlefield he is involved and committed, and must keep shooting.

This is our position. It is not bullets we fire, but prayer, while keeping a constant state of alertness. It is hard to keep up this attitude, but the Church itself helps us.

Just as Aaron and Hur help up Moses’ arms, so the whole Church holds us up when we grow tired.

Of course, we must sleep and rest, and must attend to other things. But somewhere in the world, someone is praying while we rest. The Church is always at prayer. There is always a Mass going on somewhere, always a rosary being said.

This is comforting, but we always need more prayer and more intensity.

Given some of the issues we face in our time, we cannot just rest with a few short prayers before we go to bed. We have some major problems on our hand and need to bring them to some serious prayer.

What about the young people? What about all the lapsed Catholics? The abortions? The divorces, the suicides, the drugs, the disasters, the terrorism.... and on and on.

There are more things to pray about than we have minutes in the day. No one person can address them all, but the more time and energy we do put into our prayer the better things will get.

We support each other here in this church, in this parish. It is easy to be discouraged, to give up, to feel alone. But see the tide of battle turning and realize that you could be part of that, as courage and energy return.

May the Lord sustain us in our prayer, as we call upon Him.

28th Sunday C 12 October 2025 Sermon

28^th Sunday C     12 October 2025 Gratitude

If we are rescued from a crisis our gratitude will be greater according to the size of the crisis.

An acute  need draws all our attention. Everything else seems unimportant at that moment.

For example being lost, wanting to find a reference point. Or in a struggling aeroplane – we are grateful if we can find solid land again. In difficult situations we might pray to God for help; and we might promise God that if He gets us out of this trouble, we will be especially good for the future!

Such promises may not be kept, once the focus shifts to other things.

But in essence that is what we are doing all the time in relation to God. We are grateful to Him for creating us, saving us, guiding us - all for our benefit and from His generosity.

We have received many  blessings from God, but we do not necessarily value those blessings.

In the spiritual world it is possible to miss the various snares we face and so think we have no particular problem, when really we have.

We need to cultivate gratitude and let that gratitude lead us to better understanding.

Take the story of the unforgiving debtor. Forgiven a large amount of money he then went out to throttle the other servant who owed him only a small amount (Mt 18,21-35). The first servant was not grateful enough to make him see anything differently.

We could thank God day and night and for a long time, and we would not get to the end of the blessings.

God does not need our thanks but we need to give thanks. He has made us to live in relationship with him. If we ignore Him we are losing part of ourselves, stunted in spiritual growth.

The primary way we can express thanks to God is to take part in the Mass.

In every Mass the Church speaks as one in thanksgiving, and benefits from the experience.  The Father and the Son are in constant exchange of offering, receiving, thanking, and they include us in the experience. We are taken up into their world, and we need to be grateful for that.

At each Mass we thank God the Son for His death and resurrection. These events lift us out of sin and death, a problem we may not have known we had. But as we discover the mercy of God and how much He has forgiven (first debtor) we become more grateful.

The prayers of the Mass make continuous references to God’s goodness to us. The psalms in particular express this response, which we need to make our own. We say lots of words with our voices; the next step is to say them in our hearts. For example: Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord; praise the Lord, my soul. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.

Continuous praise and thanksgiving will melt hard hearts as we discover a new way of seeing things.

Finally, we will have a sense of gratitude proportionate for the magnitude of the occasion.

We realize what we could have lost, but we did not lose it; and here we are celebrating our union with God, and our hope of eternal life.

Each act of thanksgiving should make us more ready for the next one.

The one leper is immortalized because he came back to give thanks. We hope he stayed grateful. We hope we will ‘come back’ and stay grateful; it is a hope we can make certain.

 

 

27th Sunday C 5 October 2025 Sermon

 27^th Sunday C   5 October 2025 Obedience of faith

 “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. (Lk 17,6 Gospel)

Not many have that sort of faith, but we can move in that direction.

Our Lord expands the theme by likening it to a master-servant relationship.

Servants interpret everything in terms of what they must  do for the master.

The servant must obey the master at all times. So must we be on a permanent footing of obedience to our Master, Almighty God.

Obedience to a kind and just master will draw one closer to that master, in terms of wanting to please him, anticipating his wishes, making sacrifices for  his sake.

This is about us and our Master, Jesus Christ.

If we are obedient to Him He will entrust us with more (cf parable of talents – you have been faithful in small things, I will entrust you with greater Mt 25,14-30.)

God created us to share His life, to participate in His ruling of the earth.

The first man, Adam, enjoyed supernatural authority over creation. Had he not sinned he would have grown in faith and power, also love for God.

If the wind had been blowing too strongly, for example, Adam could have stilled the wind with a word (just as Jesus could calm the storm Mt 8,23-27).

We find ourselves a mixture of power which is still there, and power lost through sin.

If we would come back to a perfect relationship with God we would be working miracles too, or at least contributing to them.

The key is to obey, even if it is against our inclinations. If we do obey we will be coming into right order with God and all His creation.

Many have given up on prayer thinking that it does not ‘work’. It will work when the one praying makes a resolution to obey God in all things.

Increase our faith , say the apostles in today’s Gospel.

Every prayer, every good work can help us to grow in our understanding of God, and willingness to please Him.

This has to be every day. We are told in other spheres of life that we have to eat well, get enough sleep, enough exercise etc. Even more so, we have to get enough supernatural life - enough prayer, communing with the Divine, gradually coming into better relationship with all who seek union with God.

We make this world a place where God is taken seriously. This would be the ‘kingdom’ for which we pray.

We can tell God that we are not happy with the current state of affairs, provided we are humble and respectful. (today’s 1^st reading Hab 1,2-3 and 2,2-4). How long am I to cry for help, Lord, while You will not listen?

God does not tell us much, as in words we can hear. But He shows us a lot, leaving it for us to put two and two together, and adjust our position accordingly.

We are asking not because we are losing faith, but because we need help piecing it all together.

We know that the fault cannot be with God, so it must be somewhere else, maybe a lot of places, where God is not honoured.

Any way we can unravel the difficulties the better off everyone will be.

Just simple obedience will set things off in the right way. Do whatever He tells  you  (Jn 2,1-11).

And watch what happens! 

 

 

 

 

 

26th Sunday (C) 28 September 2025 Sermon

26^th Sunday (C ) 28 September 2025 Multiculturism.  Today is the 111^th world day of migrants and refugees, and we celebrate it here in this parish, combined with the main theme of the Jubilee year - Pilgrims of Hope.

In this parish we have a lot of evidence of different cultures blending harmoniously. We take the chance to pray for all the relevant and connected themes of the day.

That we can all live in peace is a constant prayer. Whenever we look at any country or region we see too many signs of discord.

Everyone should treat everyone with respect, but it does not always happen. Through our prayer we express the hope that it can be done differently; that the change brought about in the human condition by the coming of Christ will penetrate hearts and change will result at the ground level.

The place to start is to recognize the common humanity which binds us, either in an already established peace, or in a peace which is waiting to be realised.

St Paul tells us that now there is no Jew or Greek, but only Christ (Ga 3,28).

Christ made us one, and can keep us one if enough people will unite themselves with Him.

We can speak of two things that need to happen.

One, as we have been saying, is that we learn to live in peace, so that no matter how many people are in one area they can learn to get along.

Two, is that as many as possible, and potentially the whole world, can come to an explicit complete union with Our Lord Jesus Christ, through faith and baptism. This is the source of unity that St Paul was speaking about.

We offer to those of other religions, or no religion, the greatest gift of all – the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the pearl of great price (Mt 13,45-46), for which we should give up all we have.

Our primary method of influencing others to believe in Christ is to be the very best disciples we can be.

We are to be Pilgrims of Hope, one of the main themes of the Jubilee year.

We can achieve peace (important) through faith, hope and charity (even more important).

Christ is the overall source of culture, if we take ‘culture’ to mean the way people live, the way they set values, make decisions.

We can still celebrate our differences on less essential matters. So nations have different customs on matters of art, literature, food, clothing, music, language, history, geography, sport etc.

Being Christian does not mean we have to be the same on all points. As long as we have that unity with Jesus Christ we can then expand into other areas, never losing our focus on Him.

We are one when we need to be, and diverse when appropriate, but never forgetting where all this richness comes from.

We become more like Him, and meet in the middle, where He is found.

Mentally it is easy to see that we are all one, or should be, but who is going to live like that?

We have to forgive everyday, seeking a standard of holiness which is demanding but also rewarding.

History has been pushed out of shape many times, and the world we have now is very different from that which Christ would have wanted for us. But such is the marvel of God's mercy that from any position on the spectrum He can forgive us and give us a new start.

Genuine repentance, seeking the approval of God is the key. Always we are saying, Lord have mercy. Always He is granting it. Today, may He forgive all sins against unity in Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25th Sunday C 21 September 2025 Sermon

 25 C 25 Taking part   21 September 2025

When I was at school they would say to sporting teams, it is not whether you win or lose but whether you take part.

I don’t think anyone believed that very strongly. But it did make a  valid point.

To do something well for its own sake regardless of other results, must have a place in human wisdom. Better to finish second in a strong field than to win in a weak field.

We might understand that God values our ‘taking part’ more than the result of what we do.

Mother Teresa said once that the important thing is not whether we have succeeded in life, but whether we have loved.

God would agree. He can make things happen at will; He does not need our input. But He wants that input from us so we can give Him something.

God could make a road, build a bridge, rain down food from heaven, much better than we could do it, but if we do those things with a desire to please Him, that is what He wants from us.

The second reading: I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument. It is not so much the achievements of the governing body but whether or not they responded to prayer.

We pray that they do respond, and this is the Kingdom of Heaven coming into operation.

What does a government have to do but keep good order, enabling God's will to come into operation?

Many earthly governments forget that they are answerable to a higher  authority and so they try to ‘win’ rather than ‘take part’. They  have forgotten the God who made them, who has made the whole of reality.

God says that He does not require any more bullocks or sacrifices. He owns all the bullocks anyway! (Ps 50,11)

What He wants from us is our sincere worship, to express our humble dependence upon Him, and let whatever society emerges from that.

We do our best, but always submitting to God's greatness over us.

We give everything to God in trust that He will know what to do.

Or as Jesus said to Peter : do you love Me? (Jn 21,15) After all the miracles, all the sermons, all the healings the question that remained : do you love Me? This is what God wants from us.

We may be talented, or clever, but do we love God? Again it comes back to a very simple matter.

We are like children before God.

Sometimes people expect God to intervene and make everything go right. He does not have to do that. Things are already going right if people are seeking to please God.

The universe has a direction after all. It is not a random meaningless process, but watched over by God at all times, intervening to teach us what matters most to Him.

This understanding should help us handle all the different parts of our lives . such as the pursuit of money alluded to in the other readings.

We don’t need so much money if we have trust in God.

God would have us use all our resources for the collective good of all, so that everyone has enough to eat, and other necessities.

Again the simplicity is evident. If we seek to pile up so much money that we do not need God, then we come to grief like the rich man who built bigger barns (Lk 12,16-21)

So that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet (Second reading, 1 Tim 2,2)

Exaltation of the Holy Cross 14 September 2025 Sermon

Exaltation of the Cross 14.9.25

God can do things differently than we would have expected. And the Cross is at the forefront of those things.

In the Cross of Jesus Christ God is giving us a lesson for which we probably did not ask.

In human wisdom we usually look for the shortest way to get from the problem to the solution.

If we are to try to understand God's ways, we need to know His main objectives. With regard to us (humans) God seeks to save and sanctify. To save means to rescue from all forms of evil and sin. To sanctify means to cleanse at the deepest level of a person – the heart and the will.

We might settle for feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless  - treating the exterior, not worrying what the person is like.. (Much like governments do; they do not explore the spiritual element.) But God does get into that element, and wants to take us there too.

And strangest of all is that God has sent His Son. Why would you send you son from the peace of heaven to a barbaric tribe, knowing that he will be tortured humiliated killed etc… and the people did not ask for it, and would be content to settle for just the external matters, like food and health.

God is fixed in His purpose. He comes among us, is taken for a slave and put to death, offering eternal life to any who will express gratitude and loyalty to Him. He will not push away anyone who sincerely seeks Him.

He seeks to waken in us a level that we may not know we had, a level of charity which comes direct from the heart of God, and comes through to those who are joined to Him.

We can imitate something of the style of Jesus’ actions, if not the same intensity.

Thus we become people of the cross. Willing to lay down our lives, or at least to endure ridicule and persecution, for the motive of saving and sanctifying others (not excluding ourselves).

This is our glory as spiritual beings; that we share in heavenly ways.

People wonder why does God not make it easier, more obvious, but He leads them instead to something deeper.

If we can hold off from trying to kill the Son (Mt 21,38) we will discover great joy in expressing the charity of Christ to those around us.

The Cross is a frequent reminder to us of all that is going on here. What sort of a god would do that? The one who actually exists. It is a surprise but we can get used to it.

God could  have done differently, and done things more in line with worldly wisdom.

He could have come off the cross; could have risen sooner; could have performed non- stop miracles in front of everyone.

Instead He gives us a way of pondering and seeing where His actions apply to us.

We need to remember that we have been sent and we will be called in to give an account of  ourselves. (Rom 14,12) We can forget this because it is not usually a visible part of our lives.

Today’s feast restores us to the proper vision. It is harder to take the spiritual view, but much more rewarding.

1 O cross of Christ, immortal tree on which our Saviour died,
the world is sheltered by your arms that bore the crucified.

2 From bitter death and barren wood the tree of life is made;
its branches bear unfailing fruit and leaves that never fade.

3 O faithful cross, you stand unmoved while ages run their course:
foundation of the universe, creation's binding force.

4 Give glory to the risen Christ and to his cross give praise,
the sign of God's unfathomed love, the hope of all our days.

(Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal)

The Sorrows of Mary (a reflection)

 The Sorrows of Mary (feast 15 September) 

 The prophecy of Simeon. (St. Luke 2:34, 35)

The flight into Egypt. (St. Matthew 2:13, 14)

The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple. (St. Luke 2: 43-45)

The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross.

The Crucifixion.

The taking down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross.

The burial of Jesus.

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The last four of the sorrows deal with Our Lord's death, the first three with the earlier years.

The last three sorrows coincide with the last three stations.

All mothers feel the pain that their children feel. Mary felt the pain a million times more – having more capacity to love, and having more to weep about, given that Christ is more important than any other child.

The invitation/challenge for us is to see how much we can identify with her sorrow: Is there one who would not weep, whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ’s dear Mother to behold?

We are aware of the sensation we can have in following a story about other people, where there is suffering involved. It actually does us good, because it opens our hearts to a greater compassion. It takes us out of ourselves, for a while at least. We are less worried than usual about ourselves and what happens next.

This is especially so with this story of Mary and Jesus. The more fully we enter it the more we are going to be transformed, not just in how we feel, but actually becoming more charitable, better people.

Is there one who would not weep? Can the human heart refrain from partaking in her pain, in that Mother’s pain untold?

We would need to have hearts of stone not to be affected by the sight.

We can be very stony in our disregard of other people’s sufferings, because we think we have already enough for ourselves.

We can even be indignant at our own troubles, declaring life to be unfair. We can break free from these attitudes with enough contemplation of higher things, such as the sorrows of Mary.

We can do ourselves a lot of good, but we can also help Mary and Jesus, by helping them carry the load. And also help them to convey their love out to the world.

We might think we cannot do much good, but each person that comes onside is changing the overall balance.

We become more willing to help others in need, and less likely to cause harm ourselves.

Through sorrow we learn the pain that is caused by sin, and the need that we have to overcome sin, and transform it by love.

This is the key: we do not want to kill sinners but turn them into good people. This, at least, is what God wants, and He wants us to take on His view of others.

This is something good that comes from the Cross, even though it is an event that should not have happened.

The love of Jesus and Mary, called into action by the cruelty of man - then comes to help man stop being cruel!

We share in this transforming, ourselves becoming less ‘cruel’ (generally nasty), and more useful in extending the power of the cross to the world around us.

The world is still crucifying Him, or would do so again if He let them. They do not care about Him now for the same reasons as then.

We have to go against the tide and be with Mary - eyes fixed on the cross. If there are tears they are tears of hope not despair; hope that all this suffering will turn to joy.

Our Lady of Sorrows, help us to take our part in these great matters.

22nd Sunday (C) 31 August 2025 Sermon

22^nd Sunday C  31August 2025 Humility

There  are layers of meaning in this parable (the dinner guests Lk 14,7-14).

At the simplest level we would exercise good manners and not push in above our status. And if in doubt, yes we would take the lower place. Much like we let someone else go through the door ahead of us. After you!

At another level we could see the seating model as a more general expression of how we deal with life and other people.

The arrogant and the bullying will see everything in selfish terms and use other people as seems expedient.

The humble of heart will be prepared to give way to others, even if they (the humble) have higher claims. Other factors may have to be considered but the essence of humility will always be present.

Christians should not be afraid to use their talents, but always with deference to God, His wisdom and power.

The follower of Christ must have a share in His humility, never forgetting the communal nature of the Church. We seek the benefit of all, including ourselves, but always aware of belonging to something bigger than just ourselves. This is ‘loving one another’(Jn 13,34).

Then we can take things to a wider level still, applying this image of the dinner guests to our overall relationship with Almighty God.

God has made many different types of creatures, but only to angels and humans has He given the privilege of communicating directly with Him.

All other creation is irrational, not having the power to reflect on things, to praise God, to ask for favours etc.

Having this privilege of communication with God means that we have the ability to reject Him. This is what many of the angels did, turning into demons instead.

And it means for us humans that we can commit sin, something which the animals cannot do.

Why would we want to pit ourselves against God? Well, we do not usually put it in such plain terms, but when we sin we are putting our own will ahead of God's will. Whatever we call it, or think we are doing, we are not being humble at that point!

Pride is at the root of all sinful behaviour; it is trying to take the highest place from God Himself.

If we really humble ourselves before God, we will be prepared to trust His holy will over our own.

If God wants things a certain way, and I want them another way, who is more likely to be right?

Of course, it will always be God who knows best, both as to my interests and for the overall situation, how others are affected. This applies to everything, large or small. God knows what needs to happen.

We place ourselves at the lowest point of His table and wait for further instructions.

The humblest person to have ever lived was also the best person, Our Lady.

God was able to work through her because she offered Him no resistance. Be it done unto me according to thy word (Lk 1,38)

Imagine if there were more people like that. Imagine if most people were like that!. With less resistance to the will of God the world would start to be unrecognisable. It would start to look like the kingdom of God.

By the grace of God we can be part of that humble response. If we are humble enough to obey God readily, we can then be entrusted with more (Mt 25,21 the faithful servant).

We thank God for giving us the power to choose, but we also ask Him for the wisdom to choose the right way, hoping to hear the words from today’s Gospel, Friend, come up higher (Lk 14,10).

 

21st Sunday C 24 August 2025 Sermon

 21^st Sunday C   24 August 2025 Regrets

Regrets I’ve had a few, says Frank Sinatra. As we reach adult years we can recall probably more than a few regrets.

We regret that we cannot change the past; however, we can ‘change’ the future, insofar as we make better decisions as to how we live. 

So we become unlikely to repeat the same mistakes of the past. This is why there is a constant call to repentance in our faith. And why we have penitential rites, and seasons like Lent; and call for mercy in our prayers (especially the Mass).

A lot of people do not pray, it seems, yet Jesus is so welcoming - like the generous father who welcomed back the prodigal son. The  son did not like his chances of being forgiven, but gave it a try. So should anyone do who feels alienated from God. Approach Him and see what happens  (Lk 15,11-32) 

Yet the Gospel today (Lk 13,22-30) sounds uninviting. To be saved you have to get through a narrow door. Even calling on God may not be enough. Yet God will never ignore a cry of true repentance. Jesus uses this image to stress the need for sincere repentance, not just pretending.

Peace of soul comes with repentance, and we feel put back together, re-integrated - all parts working together.

We can have that peace. One could be a dropout, never making it in the eyes of the world.

But with a sincere act of repentance there is mercy and new life. Lord, have mercy on a sinner (The publican Lk 18,9-13).

We can all do this and converge on Heaven, having been transformed by the love of God.

Jesus is putting things in such urgent terms, to give the Jews of His time a wake-up. He tells them that others will get there before them. There is no pre-determined limit to Heaven. We can all get in. but we must all be busy about it, not growing complacent or cynical.

For those who have not needed a dramatic conversion because they have been living a good and orderly life so far – there is an urgency to pray for others who are not so well placed. And as we learn from sport – don’t declare victory until it is over.

We pray for  others, that they will find the narrow door and the path that leads to it. Our prayer can generate grace, which will make it easier for others to repent.

Whatever we have been or have done, we can call down the mercy of God in the present moment.

Some deal with guilt by trying to deny it. But if the guilt is real it has to be addressed. Like with a disorder in the body, we cannot just talk it away.

Complete repentance requires that we change our behaviour, but once we taste the mercy of God we are glad to do that. There is joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents (Lk 15,7); and that joy can be anticipated on earth too, cf Zacchaeus Lk 19,1-10).

The  door to which Our Lord refers is narrow because there is so much falsehood around it. It is harder to stay on course when there are many alternatives on offer. We make the door wider by our personal choices for good. It is not meant to be so hard as it is to live a good life,

It is just that many make the wrong turn-offs in their particular pathway. Then the destination can seem a long way off. And the whole society can get muddled, as much of ours is now.

Some correct turns will make all the difference.

20th Sunday C 17 August 2025 Sermon

20^th Sunday (C)  17 August 2025 Union with Christ

Our Lord does not really want anyone fighting – such as mother and daughter, as put in today’s Gospel (Lk 12,51).

He has indeed come to bring peace, but it has to be first peace with Himself, then with each other.

If we are all looking to be at one with Him then we will automatically become one with each other. (Like converging on the same place, we all meet there).

He did not want division between people, but He knew His coming would have that effect. Some would accept Him; some would reject Him.

Jesus knew that people could be changeable, spiteful, vengeful, and the like. They could rebel against God and each other. He came to set up a renewed humanity that would not be like that.

Humanity could not be fully saved unless the healing go deep down in the heart, the centre of all desires.

Only those who would allow Him to take over their minds and wills would learn what the peace of Christ really meant.

We are made for God and cannot change that. The best idea is to accept that status and find out where it leads.

Christ dwells in us and guides the way we think, the way we love, what we pursue.

It does not lead to peace at first because there is resistance.

1 ) When missionaries would take the gospel to new places they would meet persecution  (cf first reading, the mistreatment of Jeremiah). It is easier to kill the messenger than to heed the message.

2) Or there is a kind of diluted acceptance, whereby people will accept the Gospel but not as the central driving force of their lives, more as an add-on, a contributing factor but not the main event.

3) Or they will resolve to keep the new doctrines, but keep the old ones as well. So there is always the temptation to worship false gods, in whatever form they come.

No, there is only one God, and one Saviour. Union with Him is like being married; fidelity is essential.

4) Or they will say that we should not preach the Gospel anyway; better to leave everyone as they are. That would bring a measure of peace, but not with Christ. It is good if we do not kill each other, but we still need Christ front and centre.

And where we express this unity with Christ and each other most fully is here in the Church, the people of God.

5) Or they will try to be ‘Christian’ but without Christ. This is when Christianity is reduced to a set of ethics. Jesus was a teacher, nothing more.

No, we cannot have the body without the head. It is one unit, one person who unites all others.

Ethics are essential but they do not stir the soul. We need supernatural help, and we get that from prayer and sacraments.

Let Him be the head and we will learn a lot faster.

Jesus is more than teacher; He is the source of all mercy and grace. He enables all who want to live the new life He demonstrates.

In His personhood He can gather in all who want to be gathered.

We come to love Him, not just obey.

We pray that the mercy of Christ will reach every heart, and thus there would be the peace that Jesus came to bring. This is the fire that He was anxious to light.

If He divides us it is only to reunite us with something better. No less than Himself.

19th Sunday Ordinary Time (C) 10 August 2025 Sermon

19^th Sunday (C )  10  August 2025 Security

When we talk about faith, there are two meanings. Faith is an intellectual assent to what is stated in the creeds. And faith is trust, trusting in God not to let us down.

It is this sense of trust that Jesus is asking of us in today’s Gospel. Faith is the opposite of fear or doubt.  I cannot be afraid if I am on trusting terms with God.

Though ten thousand rise against me (Ps 3,6).

 Though the stalls stand empty of cattle (Hab 3,17). Though the mountains may fall (Is 54,10) – yet will I trust in the Lord, and I will not fear.

In all these texts our security is found in God, not in the lesser things we are inclined to rely on - such as money, physical protection, locked doors.

In all trials I will stand firm. We have many saints, especially the  martyrs, to inspire us by their example.

We have direct access to God's grace and power through prayer and sacraments.

How can we lose? The only way we can lose all this is if we neglect the sources of help which are provided. If we do not pray, nor meditate on these things, and put them into practice, we will be fearful always, unless we change direction.

Jesus tells us not to trust things of earth which thieves or moths can destroy (Lk 12,33-34) Better to build up one’s treasure in Heaven where we will collect it one day.

It is like having shares in a company - we have a share in God. We cannot possess Him but we can share in His life.

We do what we can to stay safe, to stay alive. We are careful what we eat, careful crossing the road, careful going out alone, wearing  seat belts, locking the house, and  money in the bank etc.

These things are all good in their way, but our real security, the one that cannot be taken from us is to be in a state of union with God.

This union is the basis of our trusting God. He will not let us down. Either He will give us what we ask, or something different, at least equally good.

Filled with trust in Him we can then be like the servants who will be found being active when the Master returns. (Lk 12,42-48)

We will do things He wants us to do, whether great or small, from choosing a career to helping a stranger.

We will not grow slack with the passing of time, but use all the time remaining to us to make known the kingdom of God.

The word ‘security’ might convey that we are hiding in shelters, just trying to survive. The stronger disciples are proactive, seeking out ways of serving the Lord.

In our way of looking at things, even to die for Christ can be seen as the work of an active servant.

Our concept of success and failure is different from the world’s. Look at Our Lord Himself. To die on the Cross seemed a very strange way of spreading the kingdom but that is what happened.

We might face unexpected challenges, but we trust that God will bring a good result from it all.

We face many difficulties, but God is bigger than all of them. And to the extent that we ourselves might doubt His power or goodness, He can help with that too.

Many despair but not us. For us it is hope and faith, all the way to the gates of Heaven.

We thank God for His faithfulness to us!

18th Sunday of Year (C) 3 August 2025 Sermon

 18^th Sunday of year (C)     3 August 2025 Pilgrims

God gives us a world full of beauty and then tells us not to become too attached to it!

This we might perceive to be somewhat cruel on His part, but He has our wellbeing in mind.

It is something like you get a box of chocolates for your birthday but you know you should not eat them all at once.

Life is like that. We are tempted to throw off restraint and indulge ourselves with various passions, either wrong in themselves, or taken out of their proper balance. Eg too much computer use or social media. 

What is God doing to us? He is training us, forcing us to go through certain exercises to become more sharply focused. 

See how you go at being generous with  your time and possessions. 

See how you go at being ready to give things up, if required. 

These are areas where we can learn and improve. We do it for other areas of life, why not the spiritual life? 

The rich man forgot that he was on a journey, that he was not in his final home. He became too attached to his surroundings. 

We should get ready for Heaven. It is coming closer in time, and in our readiness to enter there. 

By a combination of sorrow for past sin, and making new resolution we can make progress, and this is the idea. 

I am going to heaven means union with God and all the other heavenly citizens. It is not just a place of pleasures, but of deep union with God, for which we were created. 

God expects us to go through this life aspiring to be with Him not allowing ourselves to be too immersed in this life. If there is any immersing it is with God, not the things God has given us. 

To be totally immersed in God's will and so grow in stature spiritually. 

It just takes a bit of discipline. And perseverance. 

And coming back again and again to the main point. Do not make the same mistake as the rich man. He forgot he was going anywhere. He did not consider his immortality. He forgot to consider the end of his life – end in ‘time’, and end in ‘purpose’. 

We need to know the end before setting out. We take provisions for the journey insofar as we equip ourselves like the wise virgins (Mt 25,1-13). 

Our prayers and sacraments help us to get back on the road.

Many lose faith in God when they are deprived of something or someone they love.

We entrust those we have loved to God's mercy. We hope to see them again, but even that will not be the main point. First we will be in union with God.

We could see this life as a training ground, like a camp. We gradually catch on.

Whatever we use or have in this life we express gratitude and detachment.

The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh. Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1,21).

And what joy when our journey is complete; then there is no more giving up or taking away.

We grasp all this and then we explain it to our neighbours, if they will listen!

Every situation, every experience can be a winner, a chance for correction and growth.

We encourage each other as we are all in the same boat, trying to bring that boat to the eternal shore.

It is all a matter of directing our desires to the right place. If we love this world too much we love Heaven not enough.

Think of whatever we love here as a preview of Heaven. To stimulate our appetite.

Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is thirsting for You, my God (Ps 42,1).

17th Sunday (C) 27 July 2025 Sermon

17th Sunday (C )  27 July 2025 United with God

God will give you what ask though it might take a while.

It sounds easy the way it is put in the Gospel. Just ask and you will receive.

But it takes a long time, or never, in some cases.

If we ask something that is not God's will it cannot happen, no matter how much we ask, or how well.

If we do not get what we want we can be discouraged and even angry. Still, prayer is never wasted; we hope for other benefits to come from the prayer.

It is not so simple to ask and receive when there are multiple factors involved. So many things are out of place in the surrounding culture.

We would get a lot more prayers answered if we behaved better, the ‘we’ being the whole Church or whole human race.

We have to pray for the surrounding factors as well; see the whole context of the prayer objective.

For example, to pray for peace requires that everyone has to have peace in their hearts. And that is a big operation. Much more than stopping a particular conflict somewhere.

Praying for things to happen should flow from the closeness of our relationship with God, rather than only when there is a  crisis - which would suggest we do not have a strong connection with God.

Our Lady had the desirable link with God, and so was able to pray for a miracle at Cana, without making any song and dance, but simply calling on her union with her Son. It was like taking heat from the sun, without affecting what remains with the sun.

This is how God wants us to approach Him, and how He can offer so much success in our prayer.

Our prayer can help sort out the surrounding issues as well as the one on which we are focused.

For example, vocations. If we want vocations we have to pray another prayer for conversion of the young to the true faith.

The idea of drawing from the source, the sun, leads to a need for perseverance. We cannot simply name a prayer and then walk off as though we had done enough. We have to stay connected like a plug, ready to be switched on anytime.

We pray all the time in the sense that we are needing to maintain that constant union with God.

If we have that closeness to Him we can pray anytime and always achieve at least some improvement in the outcome.

If we slacken off with the prayer we will have that much more ground to recover each time.

Seeing God as only a provider of miracles is not going to work. We need to be in relationship with God?

So we find ourselves praying for particular goals, while seeking a general movement towards Him.

We seek to restore the order of God’s kingdom, where there is no opposition to God's will.

Stability is needed. Today we honour grandparents for their special role in the Church and wider society.

For those families fortunate enough to have grandparents, and a basic unity, we see in the older generations a foundation for the younger ones to build upon.

Grandparents represent order, stability, wisdom etc. Something like the stability we have in going back to Gd and His kingdom.

For fractured families we pray for as much order as can be retrieved. We need lots of reassurance in today’s world.

For the young, listen to the elders, and avoid a lot of the self-destructive behaviour  that otherwise might follow.