FATHER ALF’S HOMILY

15.09.24 ~ 24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)





01.09.24 ~ 22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




In 1984, as I was just starting a Northern Ireland tour of duty in Omagh, I suffered a TIA, a sort of mini stroke, and was rushed up to Musgrave Park Hospital in a helicopter. After a couple of hours, I felt fine and asked to be taken back to my Unit. But, the Army, being the Army, stood me down for three months while I went for all sorts of tests, in various specialist hospitals. At the Woolwich, the Consultant let two young Army doctors loose on me. They were thrilled because they’d just got hold of a digital vascular imaging machine and wanted to try it out on me. Basically, it fired magnetic dye through the blood vessels and gave an instant read-out of their performance. Everything was fine, so they asked if they could fire some through my heart? “Steady on” I said. But they told me it was safe and would show how my heart was doing. So, I said ok, and it turned out my heart was doing very well.

Today’s scriptures are all about testing the heart, not what makes it tick physically, but spiritually. Just as we take care of our physical heart by not eating too many fatty foods, so we need to keep an eye on what we allow to find their way into our spiritual heart. In the first reading, Moses, the great Law Giver, had instructed the people : “You must add nothing to what I command you, and take nothing from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God just as I lay them down for you”. The ten commandments are the heart of the Law. All other laws derive from them. However, over time, the Israelites developed many traditions and customs which, although not part of the Law, came to overshadow its heart. So, by the time Jesus arrived on the scene, the Scribes and Pharisees had the whole Jewish way of life, ruled by external observation of the traditions and customs of the elders, so were not happy with what they were hearing about this new young Rabbi’s attitude.

In today’s gospel, he’s up North in Galilee, and they’re clearly worried, because they’ve come all the way from Jerusalem to see what he’s up to. While everybody else seems to be listening to what he has to say, they are watching what people are doing, noticing that some of his followers were eating with unclean hands, implying that Jesus doesn’t give a fig about the traditions handed down by their elders. Their complaint allows him to emphasise the distinction between man-made rules and the commandments. It’s a clear case of them unable to see the wood for the trees. What he means, is that their refinement of the law into minutiae, governing every aspect of personal and public life, obscures the one essential thing needed in a relationship with God, ie a loving heart. God is not as interested in outward observation, as he is in the way we put our hearts into what we do for him. Anything we do in the practice of our faith, should be an outward expression of the love of God we have in our heart. Otherwise, it can become a false show of piety which masks what we’re truly feeling, which may well be anything but love. That’s why Jesus accuses them with Isaiah’s words to their forefathers: “You honour God only with lip-service, while your hearts are far from him”.

It’s fair to say that over the centuries, the Church itself had developed many customs and traditions that were peripheral to the central heart of Christianity, which is to develop a personal relationship with Christ. But, happily, in the last 60 odd years since the Vatican Council, many of them have been done away with, in order to bring us back to what’s essential, ie that we are in love with a person not a rule book, and that the love we have for God in our hearts, must overflow to how we live our lives outside. “Pure unspoilt Religion, in the eyes of God our Father” St James says, “is coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.”

For us, then, life is not about prohibitions and laws, but about the exercise of those virtues which come from the heart and draw us ever closer to him who wants all of us to be holy. “You must do what the Word tells you, not just listen to it and deceive yourselves”. As St Augustine says, “Love, and do what you will”. As I said earlier, today’s scriptures invite each of us to undergo a spiritual ECG, a test of the heart, to reveal the truth of who we really are, before God and our neighbour.

25.08.24 ~ 21st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




As I was reading today’s scriptures, an old song from ‘The Clash’ came into my head.  “Should I stay or should I go? If I go there will be trouble, and if I stay it will be double, so you gotta let me know, should I stay or should I go?” Most of us, at some point in our lives, will have reached a crossroads and, as the name suggests, had to make a decision on which way to go. Some may have found it easy, like those people who plunge straight into the cold water of a swimming pool, others take forever, dipping their toe in bit by bit, before committing. Either way, the decision we made will have been a major turning point, and that’s what we’re seeing in the theme of today’s Mass.

Joshua’s challenge, as the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land, “Choose today whom you wish to serve”, came after a long speech, in which he recalled all that God had done for them. In the history of the Covenant God made with his people, this is a real turning point. The people are free to go or stay. If they go back to worshipping the gods of Egypt or adapt to the gods of the Amorites in the Promised land, it might mean trouble. But, if they stay faithful to the true God of Israel, they will have to live by different values and customs from their contemporaries, which may well cause them double trouble. It’s a tricky one, but their choice is, “We will serve the one Lord, for he is our God”.  

In the gospel there’s a major turning point for the followers of Jesus, over 5000 of whom he had fed with five loaves and two fish. Now, they are asked to choose. Will they go or will they stay? Most choose to go. In some ways you can’t blame them. The very idea of eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Jesus is intolerable language. “How could anyone accept it”, they say. Of course, at this stage they have no idea he is talking of the Eucharist, because the Last Supper hasn’t taken place. Nor have the 12 apostles. So, when he asks them, In the face of near total rejection from the huge crowd, “What about you: do you want to go away too?”, he is staking everything on their response. Imagine his relief and the sheer joy of hearing “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”. It’s a phenomenal act of faith on their part, because, up to now, they have only had glimpses of who he truly is. Yet it’s enough for them to commit their lives to him.

In today’s second reading, we see another major turning point in life; the commitment to marriage. St Paul says that the union of man and wife is so holy a mystery, that it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church, which is the model put before every engaged couple, as they prepare to make their life-long commitment to their partner. Husband and wife must think less of themselves as individuals and more of each other as a couple. Marriage vows affirm the choice to stay, not to go. 

But long before that, the first major turning point in the life of a Christian is Baptism, the beginning of our long journey to the Promised Land of Heaven. It’s the time when you have to decide should I stay or should I go? When I ask parents and godparents, ”Do you promise to bring your child up in the Faith?” they always say yes, which sounds fantastic, like the Israelites promising to serve the one Lord, or the apostles staying with Jesus, because he has the words of eternal life. But, in reality, very few honour their promise to go with Jesus, to take their children on that journey, preferring to stay with the more familiar pagan gods of football, celebrity, fashion or whatever the world has to offer.

“What about you?” is a question Christ asks of all his disciples, in a world which largely rejects the gospel. Like Joshua, he always leaves us free to go, and many do. It’s understandable that people find it easier to blend in with what’s trending on social media, than what the Church teaches. You can like or dislike, not commit to anything, and avoid speaking up for your faith. But that’s not the Christian way. Jesus says, “If anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me before men, I will disown in the presence of my Father”. So, think about that: ask yourself, “Do I stay or do I go?”

18.08.24 ~ 20th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




On the news this week there was talk of a great breakthrough for the use of British air space. Was it solar powered aircraft or giant helium propelled transport balloons? No – it was Amazon, announcing a fleet of drones which will deliver your order to your door, only one hour after you’ve ordered it. Some may see that as fantastic service and amazing concern for the consumer, but let’s not forget, the more stuff they get rid of, the richer they get. But, what about those addicted to shopping? A lady I once knew used to sit in front of her tele all day ordering stuff, all of which was piled up around her, like the Old Curiosity Shop, lots of parcels not even opened. A man I knew couldn’t resist a Bogof and always ordered the two. Wisdom for Amazon certainly, but is it folly for those who can’t wait?

In the Old Testament, Wisdom is always personified as a woman and, in Proverbs, there is a delightful verse which tells of her role in the Creation. “I was beside the Master Craftsman, delighting him day after day, ever at play in his presence, everywhere on his earth, delighting to be with the children of men”. She is completely wrapped up in the love of God, entranced by his creativity and the beautiful works of his hands. But in today’s extract from Proverbs, there’s another woman, and her name is Folly. She is not quite so impressed with what the Lord has done. Both these ladies invite people to share the food they have prepared. Wisdom has built a house on seven pillars, seven being the sign of perfection, which means she has put down roots and settled among us, as the means to save us from Folly, but, as we know from our own experience, Folly does not give up easily.

I was talking to a young couple planning to get married, the other day, who are very aware that, having been brought up in a consumerist society, they can be easily infected with the desire for instant gratification, which, when taken to extremes, can be summed up as “I want it all, and I want it now”. We talked about how in the old days, people used to wait until they got married before living together. During the courtship, the emphasis would be on preparation for a completely new way of life, the anticipation of which was the spur to work hard and save up, to achieve something worth waiting for. I suspect that the majority of married couples who did it that way round, are still together.

In the letter to the Hebrews, the author says, “For the sake of the joy that lay in the future, Jesus willingly went to the cross”. It’s a rather sobering way of saying some things are worth suffering for. The pain of childbirth is often forgotten when a mother holds her newborn. Olympic athletes would never dream of just turning up on the day and expect to win a medal, without years of training, which often includes injuries and setbacks. Instant gratification doesn’t last. Working through a pain barrier, overcoming obstacles, and persevering in the pursuit of the joy which lies in the future, produces long term results, for ourselves and, like Wisdom, those among whom we live, move and have our being.

In the recent riots, we saw hundreds of people use the murder of three little girls as justification to loot and steal things they would normally have to work to pay for, which was a wicked thing to do, a victory for Folly over Wisdom. 2000 years ago, St Paul wrote “This may be a wicked age, but your lives should redeem it”. How? Slowly and with conviction. For example, St Peter, writing about the dignity of women, based on Our Lord’s teaching on equality, was well aware that their right to be equal partners in a male dominated society, could not change overnight. So, he encouraged them not to draw attention to their outward appearances, but to go quietly on proving their innate dignity as equally beloved children of God our Father, by the way they lived the gospel. In the long term this small but necessary step would change perceptions and overturn the injustice of their situation.

Similarly, in our own time, much injustice and wickedness abound, and our lives should redeem it. We know we can’t do it without the strength of Christ which comes from the food he provides in the Eucharist. “My flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him”. So, at the risk of being mocked, misunderstood or dismissed as being out of touch, if we try to do our best to live the gospel in the quiet conviction of always having in mind the joy that lies in the future, we might just help to redeem this wicked age.

11.08.24 ~ 19th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)

 

Last week, there was a programme on the radio called ‘God Next Door’. It was about a landscape gardener from Wythenshawe called James, who thinks he is God, not a god, or a messenger from God, but the Absolute Divinity, a conviction which is shared by a few locals. His mission is to bring peace to the world using fitness sessions, games and Q&A evenings. He looks and dresses like any other young man of our time but, unless he begins to perform miracles and the kind of things people expect from God, not many will be convinced. I mention James because there’s an echo in him of what we see in today’s gospel. Jesus proclaimed, “I am the bread come down from heaven” but is not accepted, especially by those who’ve known him all his life as the son of Joseph and Mary, simple people like themselves. Other people feel the same: he’s too much like us to have come from heaven,
 
On Tuesday it was the feast of the Transfiguration. Up till that moment, the apostles saw only what everybody else saw – a man like them, although blessed with extraordinary powers, but now they are given a glimpse of his divinity, manifested in blinding brightness. What’s going on, and why are Moses and Elijah talking about what is to happen? Was Jesus wavering? Was he thinking he’d had enough, knowing that, regardless of the signs given, he will be rejected? Were they there to encourage him to persevere, knowing, from their own experience, how utterly alone he would be, especially in Gethsemane the night before the whole nation turns against him? If they were, it was understandable. Both of them had wanted to give up, Elijah when the people failed to turn back to God, even after his outstanding victory over the prophets of Baal: Moses, when, in spite of leading them out of slavery, they rebelled against God, and started worshipping a golden calf. They’d both had enough, but God made it clear their work wasn’t done. But whatever was said on that mountain, and, although the apostles wanted to stay there for ever, Jesus insisted they must return to the mission field and carry on
 
I think it’s fair to say that many of us will have, at some time, been tempted by setbacks or ingratitude to throw in the towel. ‘Why do I even bother’, may be a refrain you’ve heard yourself saying. But then, remember that we have accepted the invitation to be Christ’s disciples, and in doing so have accepted all that goes with it which, as with him, can mean rejection, frustration and dispiriting failure. It goes with the territory. But, before we throw in the towel, think about what’s happening in today’s gospel. Jesus says “No-one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me”. The fact that we are here today is because the Father has drawn us to Jesus, but we still have a lot to learn. It was the same with the apostles. Although they were very privileged to see his glory on Tabor, they still had a long way to go. For example, when they were ordered to tell no-one about what they’d seen until after he had risen from the dead, they hadn’t a clue what he was talking about and were too frightened to ask. Besides, back down among the people he looked exactly the same as he always did. Slowly, slowly, they were being drawn by the Father to learn more about Jesus and why he had come.
 
Like them, we too are being slowly drawn by the Father to a deeper union with Christ. How does the Father draw us on? Unsurprisingly, very like an earthly parent. When I was in Carlisle with Fr Gerry, there was a little boy who used to ask his dad questions out loud during Mass. “What’s he doing dad? Is he doing the washing up dad”? Because of the way I held the host up, he thought it was an owl, so when I consumed it, he blurted out, “Dad, he’s eaten it”. In the background I could hear the low rumble of his dad’s voice quietly explaining what was going on. Recently, we had Matt’s lovely view from the pew, reflecting on how he finds the loving power of parish community life, in the safest and most nurturing of environments, to be invaluable to Anna's upbringing in a myriad of ways.
 
If we look back on our own lives we may see how we have been drawn on by the Father in a similar way. He uses our parents, our teachers, the Church, the scriptures, to teach us to appreciate all Jesus has done for us. We know we won’t see him transfigured in glory in this life but are still happy to experience the intimacy of being in his presence, whenever we receive him in holy communion. All we’re asked to do is trust him, as Elijah, Moses and the apostles did, despite many disappointments and trials, knowing he will continue to draw us to the ultimate goal he wants for all his children: our complete union with Christ forever, in heaven, in the glory of the Blessed Trinity and all the saints.

04.08.24 ~ 18th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




Last weekend was a celebration of grandparents, and quite right too, for all the love and care they lavish on their grandchildren. Jim Bellamy told me of a post on Facebook, of a beautiful, fresh-faced child looking at her grandad’s wrinkled face, and asking ‘Grandad, who made you?” “God made me” he said. “Grandad, did God make me too? “Yes, he did Sweetheart”. After a pause, she replied, “He’s getting better, isn’t he”.

Facebook has come up quite a lot in conversation this week, and not because all the posts are as sweet as the one Jim quoted. Several people have told me of nasty posts about the demolition of St Edmunds: “the Pope wants more money; they’ll be building houses there now for illegal immigrants; it’s disgusting – I made my 1st HC there”. When he read that last one, a parishioner said he was tempted to reply, “Well if you’d been coming to St Edmund’s regularly, and brought your children, it might yet still be here”.  

Trolling, seeing negativity in everything, and bad-mouthing people you know very little about, is not new. It’s part of original sin and was considered so destructive, that it was included in the ten commandments – “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour”. That’s not as eye-catching a commandment as murder, adultery or theft, but malicious gossip is just as lethal. What’s different today is the sheer volume and extent of its malevolence, made possible by unregulated social media, as we saw in Southport earlier in the week and many towns since. Thousands were aroused, by co-ordinated posts, to inflict maximum damage, on police and property, based on the say-so of undocumented agitators, with no possession, or proof, of the facts.

So, how do we Christians deal with it? Firstly, it’s important not to respond in kind. As we see from the escalating conflict in the Middle East, retaliation does no good whatsoever. Besides, we’re supposed to love our enemies. One way is to look at what St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians has to say. He talks about the aimless kind of life that pagans live, and urges us to avoid it; to live as a new man in the goodness and holiness of the truth, as exemplified in Christ: and, how did he deal with the trolls of his day, who caused his death? He asked his Father to forgive them, as they didn’t understand what they were doing. In a similar way, we have to rise above the hatred and vitriol, being spewed out on social media, a) by refusing to join in spreading evil about people: b) if we do decide to respond, to make sure not to assassinate anyone’s character, but simply speak up for the truth. c) to pray for a change of heart in those, who don’t really understand the harm they are causing.   

Not helping to fuel the fire may feel like being alone in a hostile desert, but we’re not alone. God will provide. As we saw in Exodus, the Israelites accuse Moses of wanting to starve them to death in a hostile desert, which was certainly not true. But, with the whole community complaining against him, can you imagine how alone he felt? Luckily, there was no internet then, otherwise their complaints would have gone viral. Think of the joy and schadenfreude, their erstwhile Egyptian slave masters, would have derived, from knowing how badly things were going for the Israelites. But Moses wasn’t alone. God provided and the people stopped grumbling, at least for a while. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be long before they began to grumble again, while taking the Manna for granted. The daily miracle didn’t seem to bring them any closer to God who provided it.

Something similar happens in the gospel. Jesus had fed the 5000 but it’s obvious they hadn’t understood what the miracle is pointing them to. “You’re not looking for me because you have seen the signs, but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat. That bread doesn’t last. You’ll need more tomorrow. Work for food that endures to eternal life”. He means, look beyond worldly needs, to God the source of all life, who is so much greater. Sensing from those words that he has more to offer than just filling empty stomachs, they ask why they should believe in him. His reply is “On me the Father, God himself, has set his seal. I am the Bread which comes down from heaven, for the life of the world. He who comes to me will never hunger or thirst” to which we could add ”for the understanding of the true purpose and meaning of what life is all about”. If we get that, we have the key to dealing with all hatred, internet-based or otherwise.

The whole point of being fed regularly here with the bread of life, is to put Christ at the centre of all we say and do. With him underpinning our own lives, and the way we deal with others, doing our best to keep his two great commandments, ‘Love God and your neighbour as yourself, we’re hardly likely to exercise hatred and cruelty, be it face to face, or as a cowardly keyboard warrior, hiding behind anonymity.

28.07.24 ~ 17th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




On Friday, in spite of a co-ordinated attack on the French railways by saboteurs, we had the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris. For the next few weeks we will be watching finely-tuned athletes, at the peak of their fitness, competing at the very highest level to be the strongest, highest and fastest. St Paul, who was very familiar with the original Olympic Games, 2000 years ago, often uses images of athletics, as metaphors for the Christian life. As individuals, we must fight the good fight, run the race to the finish and keep the faith, to win a crown that will last forever. But, we’re also members of a team. We are different parts of the Body of Christ which all need each other if it is to function properly. This interconnectedness is vitally important, because it allows us to feed off each other’s gifts and talents, to share what each of us has, for the common good, and for our neighbour, whom we are commanded by Jesus to love as we love ourselves. Today, we see that command put into action by Jesus himself.
 
A human body needs a sustainable environment to live in, which includes food, warmth and shelter. Jesus picks up on this when he makes the decision to feed those 5000 plus hungry people, stranded without food or shelter in a lonely place. What’s important to note is how he does it. He is well aware, that most of them have followed him to the lakeside, not for himself, but because they’re impressed by his miracles. It would have been so easy to impress them even more, by conjuring up bread and fish from thin air, but that would only have caused even more people to follow him, for all the wrong reasons. Instead, he chooses to teach them how grace builds on nature, that without God we cannot, but without us he will not. So, he decides to feed them with the cooperation of a small boy who’s willing to share the little he has for the common good.
 
Such generosity, no matter how small, lets God in, and through it, God does what he does best, provides for his people. This is how God works in the world, so if we truly want to be a blessing to others, we should bring to Jesus what we have, because, as we see in this story, in his hands a little goes a long way. By collaborating with the little boy, he prepares the ground for Paul’s teaching, which I mentioned earlier, that the Church is the Body of Christ, in which we all work in partnership with him. If we share with others what we have received, be it our time, talents or treasure, they will multiply and overflow to where they’re needed. We’re all blessed in different ways, so we can’t all offer the same things. God will never ask of us what we haven’t got, but we’ve all got something we can share, no matter how small, and it’s that we should offer.
 
On Thursday I watched the story of a young man from Cornwall called Chris Parry who, when he saw the plight of the Ukrainian people, unable to flee from the Russian bombardments, went out there to volunteer as an evacuator, driving a jeep to the Front Line, to rescue people, mainly elderly, from their bombed-out homes and take them to safety. He could not speak Ukrainian, had no weapon, no military or medical experience, but felt he had to do something, which he did, often accepting solo assignments to places nobody else was willing to go. This eventually got him killed, shot dead by Wagner mercenaries. He’s credited with bringing out over 400 stranded civilians, in twos and threes, which meant a huge number of journeys into that Hell hole. I don’t know if he was a Christian, although, coincidentally, the name Christopher means Christ Bearer, but what he did was extremely Christlike, giving his life to save others. He generously gave what he could.
 
Whether Chris was Christian or not, it’s important to remember that Christ died for the whole of humanity,  and made it clear that ’He who is not against us is for us’. So, anyone who gives of themselves for others, is a partner of Christ, even if they do not know him. This is shown by what happens after all, presumably Jewish, have been fed. At Cana, Jesus had provided far more wine than was needed, and he does the same with the bread and fish. The apostles fill twelve baskets, one for each of them, but what does it mean to have so much left over?. This clearly wasn’t a litter-picking exercise. The bread will last and provide for those weren’t there: nothing gets wasted. The superabundance means that there’s plenty left for everyone.
 
Telling the apostles to pick up the pieces, is his way of signifying their future role in distributing the food of everlasting life, the Eucharist, for all those who come later, should they accept his invitation to the banquet. We are those people, blessed to have been included in the leftovers. Over the next few Sundays, we will see Our Lord build on today’s unpromising start, of people just wanting to see miracles, to introduce the concept of his being the living bread, come down from heaven, for the life of the world.


21.07.24 ~ 16th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




Seeing Annie’s note offering to take our petitions to Lourdes, reminded me of a story of a young man from Lancashire, who was in love with two girls, Jane and Maria, and couldn’t make up his mind which one to ask to marry him. So, he went to his parish priest for some advice, who told him to go on pilgrimage to Lourdes and to ask Our Lady. No sooner had he got there, he saw his prayers were answered. Above the Rosary Basilica in huge letters, were the words “Ave Maria”.

Going on pilgrimage, to see the places where and why God has intervened, always leaves us with a deeper appreciation of our faith. Those of us who went to the Holy Land recently, came away greatly enriched by hearing the words of the gospel in the very places they were first spoken by Our Lord. One of them was the Mount of the Beatitudes where Christ fed the 5000 immediately after the events in today’s gospel. The apostles, having been sent out by Christ for their first taste of missionary work, have just returned, bubbling like excited children, bursting to tell him all about their adventures and what they had accomplished. He, in turn, no doubt after congratulating them, sees that they are worn out and need a break from “so many coming and going that they had no time even to eat”. He suggests they go off to a lonely place where they can rest and recover.  On arrival a large crowd is waiting for them. On seeing this, Jesus decides to take over, and sets himself to teach the crowd at some length, thus allowing the apostles to maybe get their heads down.

As for the apostles, they must have been pretty impressed to see all these people chasing after them to hear more. Their message had obviously hit home much more powerfully than what they usually  heard from their own ‘shepherds’ and rulers, who had allowed the flock of God to be destroyed and scattered. King Herod lived in luxury in a huge palace, courtesy of cosying up to the Roman Forces of Occupation. The Pharisees occupied the Chair of Moses, took the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues and so on.  ‘Scattered sheep’ from all the surrounding towns, rush to a remote, lonely place, hungry to hear more from the apostles, the true shepherds, Jeremiah prophesied, whom God would raise up for them, when the ‘Virtuous Branch for David, who will reign as a true and wise king” comes.  Jesus had sent the apostles out with no earthly resources, no purse, haversack or spare tunic. He insisted that they were to rely on God’s providence, to ensure they did not become self-serving, like the bad shepherds Jeremiah refers to. Their job was to lead people to Jesus, which is exactly what happens in this story, and it is Jesus who satisfies their hunger.   

If ever there was a time when the world was full of scattered sheep, it is now, awash as it is with thousands fleeing starvation or persecution, often from their own self-serving leaders, who live in luxury. Self-interest also raises its ugly head in supposed more enlightened Democracies, with people held in thrall to politicians unable to see beyond their own country’s interests, promising anything which they think might be popular, in order to get elected. It’s ironic that a certain country, made up of immigrants from around the world, who took the land from its natives, wants to build a wall to keep other would-be immigrants out, an attitude very similar to that of pro-abortionists who, although having been allowed to be born themselves, deny that basic human right to other babies.

Only Christ, whom Jeremiah calls “The Lord-our-integrity” can sort the mess out, and he needs us, as good shepherds who really care about our fellow human beings, to help him do it. Like the apostles we must point people in his direction, introduce him into ordinary, everyday conversations about the kind of issues I’ve just mentioned. It’s very important that his voice is heard whenever we come across injustice, be it in our own country or on the world stage. Don’t shake your head and feel helpless. Write to your MP. Support protest marches. Don’t worry about what to say – the Holy Spirit will provide, as he did for the Apostles. The mission of the Church doesn’t depend on politics or patriotism. It comes entirely from Christ’s compassion for people with no shepherd and no hope.

14.07.24 ~ 15th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME ~ SEA  SUNDAY
I’m sure you all know the one about a rather condescending Mayor visiting an Old Folks’ Home, dressed in all his finery, who asked one of the residents, “Do you know who I am”? He replied, “No, but if you ask Matron, she’ll tell you”. In today’s first reading Amaziah, the high priest of Bethel, is more than condescending to Amos, a lowly shepherd, sent to warn him that God was going to punish the people of Bethel, if they didn’t stop exploiting the poor. He accuses Amaziah of getting into bed with leading politicians and the elite, and benefitting from their patronage, while God’s people starve. Sad to say, that sort of thing has also happened in the Church from time to time, and is even now, as witness the Patriarch of Moscow’s support for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Rather than pay heed to the message, Amaziah, decides to attack the messenger, to make it personal, as people do when they feel they’re losing an argument. He dismisses him as a small-time seer, not worthy to be heard in the royal sanctuary, the national temple where the State religion exists to promote loyalty to the status quo. Amos retorts that he has no claim to be a prophet. He’s a simple farmer, given a job to do by God and he must obey God not man. Take it or leave it.

This idea of take it or leave it, is very much at the heart of today’s gospel too. Last week we saw Jesus rejected by his own villagers in Nazareth, as he would be later by most of his contemporaries, but, as I mentioned, he still faced the music and danced. Today we see him involving the apostles for the first time, sending them out to spread his message, but without softening it. “If they refuse to listen, shake off the dust from your feet, and move on”. It’s a direct challenge, and when the apostles return, they report that some did, others didn’t, which it is how it’s meant to be. No-one is forced to follow Christ. Our job as disciples is simply to invite, as Jesus did with the first two apostles: “Come and See”. Of course, that might not be as easy as it sounds.

In the Sunday Times last week there was an article called ‘Help, I’m a people pleaser’. It was all about our fear of upsetting anyone. Examples were, do you automatically say sorry if someone bumps into you and it’s not your fault? Do you outwardly agree with opinions you internally disagree with? Do you say yes to plans when you already feel overloaded? Do you allow someone to call you the wrong name for years? Looking back on my life, I think I may be one. I usually answer the waitress who asks “Is everything all right with the meal?” with “Yes, thank you” even if the steak needs a chainsaw to cut it. I haven’t found the courage yet to ask a friend to turn his phone off when we’re playing golf. However, I did recently tell an elderly man my name is Alf, after he’d been calling me Ged for quite some time, but that was only to spare him ending up like a certain American President. The article went on to say that people pleasers often end up in lopsided friendships, trapped in cycles of endless plans because they can’t work out how to say no without hurting someone’s feelings, or being the one to make all the effort to keep the relationship alive.

Even if we’re not a people pleaser, many of us will feel we are not the right person to introduce people to Christ. If so, we’re in good company. The Apostles, like Amos, were amateurs, and did not have special missionary training. They simply let the Holy Spirit speak through their mouths and act through their hands. We’re amateurs too. Very few of us have been sent by God to proclaim the gospel in far-off lands, in public, on the beach or in the townhall. But all of us, as disciples of Christ, are asked to witness to the gospel in our daily lives, at home, at work or in our neighbourhood, relying totally on the Holy Spirit, to awaken the times we live in, to the mystery of Jesus and his kingdom.

Of course, some might possibly argue from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians today, that we are just pawns in a great cosmic game, predestined to be saved or not as the case may be, and, if that is the case, what’s the point of sharing the good news? But not so. Paul makes it very clear, “God has let us know the mystery of his purpose, the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning. Each, by faith, freely chooses for or against God.”. It’s all there. We don’t have to argue with people or upset them by being too pushy. We simply need to show that our Faith is a natural expression of who we are, the source of our joy. After that, it’s up to them to take it or leave it.


07.07.24 ~ 14th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




“There may be troubles ahead, but while there’s moonlight, music, love and romance, let’s face the music and dance”. Facing the music: we’ve all had to do that from time to time, and it seems to be the theme running through today’s scriptures. All three main characters see troubles ahead, but they all face the music and dance through them. Ezekiel knows his mission to the rebel Israelites will be ignored but goes anyway. Paul is inhibited by a thorn in the flesh, but soldiers on regardless. Jesus knows he was predicted to be a sign of contradiction but still begins his mission. All three are aware that they did not choose their mission: God chose it for them, which means that, no matter if people listen or not, his messengers must be faithful and speak the words God wants his people to hear.

You might wonder in the face of such opposition why God would bother. It’s because he never waivers in his love for us, and will never abandon the covenant he has made with us, even if we do. He’s like Gabriel Oak in ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ who never gives up on Bathsheba Everdene, who leads him a merry song and dance, before he finally wins her heart when she comes to realise how loyal and faithful he has remained, in spite of her cavalier treatment and ingratitude.

As Christians, like St Paul, we are called to continue Christ’s mission to win people back for God, even when obstacles, such as people’s desire to be constantly entertained, overcome the need for serious conversation. I had ten minutes to spare before the 10pm news on Thursday, which was due to start with the Exit polls for the general election. So, I flicked through the channels and landed on Love Island, which I’ve heard a lot about but never watched. For 5 minutes I watched a muscle-toned hunk, trying to decide which pneumatically endowed goddess he would select, from a harem draped around the pool. I don’t know how it ended as I soon lost the will to live. Some of you may feel the same about football. But, I wondered to myself, if the millions of people who watch it, think that’s real life. Like a lot of “Reality TV”, a misnoma if ever I heard one, it has echoes of ‘Bread and Circuses’, the method used by the ancient Romans, to keep the people happy, and divert their attention from having anything to do with the things that really matter. In our day, the things that really matter are climate change, social justice, an end to so many conflicts, and equal distribution of the world’s resources, none of which will happen if people ignore God, which, with so many diversions, is easy to do.

This isn’t something new: we’re not unique. It has always been like this. People don’t change. Every generation since time began, has had people who ignore God. But because, as I said earlier, he will never give up on us, he continuous to send messengers to call them back, and we just happen to be his messengers at this time in history. Some of you might think, “I couldn’t possibly do that. I’m not good enough, clever enough or brave enough”. But, without the power of the Holy Spirit, nor were any of those prophets God sent in earlier times. Remember, the Holy Spirit’s still here: he hasn’t gone on holiday. So, we shouldn’t be held back by thinking no-one will listen to us. Whether people listen or not is up to them, but they should know, as God said to Ezekiel, that there is a prophet among them, ie someone who lives his/her life in the presence of the living God, and is happy to make him known..

Being a modern-day prophet can take many forms. As you know, in our secular society, a culture of death is slowly creeping in as a panacea for all social ills. MPs have proposed assisted dying, not just for the terminally ill, but for anyone fed up with life. They also want abortion up to birth, not just for medical reasons, but to make it virtually on demand. In contrast to such negative thinking, at 17yr old Summer Atkinson’s funeral on Thursday, her mum, Stacey, proclaimed, to a largely non-church-going congregation, that she felt truly blessed to have been entrusted by God with the precious life of her disabled child. It was a powerful counter-cultural statement, from an ordinary person, about the sanctity of human life in whatever form it comes to us. People may or may not have agreed with her, but at least they heard the word of God from a prophet among them. My prayer is that whatever troubles come our way, personally, or as Christians called to be light to the world, and salt to the earth, on the things that really matter, all of us will face the music and dance, as followers of Jesus, the Lord of the Dance himself, “who has leapt up high and will never, never die”.

30.06.24 ~ FEAST OF SAINTS PETER & PAUL
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




On Wednesday I had to make a difficult choice, whether to watch the leadership debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, or Georgia v Portugal in the Euros. It was quite difficult, but after about ten seconds I chose the football. However, I caught the highlights of the debate later, one of which was a man asking both leaders “Of all the people in this great country of ours, are you two really the best we’ve got?” It’s a question many people in America are asking about Joe Biden and Donald Trump.  Today we are celebrating the feast of St Peter and Paul. Had they been subject to a leadership contest, would the early Christians have asked the same question? Luckily for them, their leadership was by divine appointment, so the question didn’t arise, but we’re still entitled to ask “What did Jesus see in them which led him to entrust them with the continuation of his work?

Peter was physically strong, a man used to hauling heavy fishing nets. He also had a stubborn streak, unwilling to have his feet washed by Christ, and an overinflated idea of his own courage, begging Jesus to let him walk on the water, and bragging that, should all the others desert him, he would certainly not. Well, we all know what happened there. Paul was mentally strong, very clever, well educated, with powerful connections, filled with fanatical zeal and ready to destroy Christianity before it really got going. As we know, he got his comeuppance on the road to Damascus and had to eat humble pie. Even after such a dramatic conversion, though, his character didn’t really change. He had his own way of doing things, could be impatient and didn’t suffer fools gladly. You wouldn’t call him a romantic, and yet he wrote that great hymn to love which thousands choose for their wedding. But it’s no surprise that his version of love is not the sloppy sentimental kind, but real self-sacrificing giving of oneself – the nitty gritty of patience, kindness, not taking offence, lack of envy etc.

Both Peter and Paul, in their respective apostolates, brought to fruition the kingdom Christ came to inaugurate on earth, to which we are proud to belong, and, like them, we are called to do the same. So, how did they do it? Clearly, they were both independently minded characters, but, by submitting their own wills to Christ’s, and their openness to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, these two unlikely characters made it clear, that God can, and does, use all sorts of people, some we’d never have thought capable, to do his work, and often with spectacular results. He asks for neither strength nor willpower: only love. Don’t forget he calls and empowers whoever he likes. No matter how poorly equipped, lacking in talent or sinful we consider ourselves to be, he can do wonderful things through anyone who answers the call. As Paul says, “It is the Lord who stands by me and gives me power”.

Going back to the election, we are promised many beneficial things which we are assured will be fully costed and easy to deliver, as though politicians think we’re only interested in what we can get. But the gospel teaches us to think the opposite, paraphrasing JFK’s inaugural address “My fellow citizens, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” a sentiment taken directly from Catholic Social Teaching, which is all about service to the Common Good. So, what can Christians do for the common good, at this particular time of general malaise and dire political woes? A parishioner told me the other day, that a lady she works with is intrigued by what Christianity has to offer, to a world she’s completely disillusioned with, as it seems to have no purpose besides birth, a meaningless life, then death. I suspect she’s not the only one. In the Post Office a lady expressed concern about so many young people dying?  Have they no reason to live?

With all this searching for meaning and purpose going on, I think the time is right, to help people by sharing our gift of faith in a completely natural way, making our relationship with Jesus a normal part of conversation. We don’t have to give the whole church package. We can simply say something like, “I find my faith in Jesus helps me to deal with most things” then leave it to the Holy Spirit to do his thing. In this simple way we can actively get the gospel message of Hope out there. We know the influence of the Church is not as great as it used to be, but we also know from experience, reassured by Christ’s promise to Peter, that “The gates of Hell will never prevail against it". So, let’s continue to  fight the good fight, run the race to the finish, keep the faith, and share it with those who need it most.

23.06.24 ~ 12th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




When I was studying for the Priesthood at Valladolid 50 years ago in Spain, there were quite a few protest rallies against the UK for the return of Gibraltar. On one particular day, a huge crowd was demonstrating outside the British Embassy in Madrid, banging drums, blowing whistles and generally causing mayhem, all of which caused the Ambassador to go down to the gates to talk to the crowd. When it had finally stopped shouting “We want Gibraltar”, he calmly replied, “Well it isn’t in here, you know”, at which many of the protesters burst out laughing. The passionate Spaniards thought his cool, understated reply was hilarious, and it completely defused the situation.

To be able to keep a cool head, when all around there’s chaos, fear or panic, and restore calm, is a wonderful gift, something Jesus had in spades, as we know from his many clashes with the Pharisees, when to have lost his cool, could have landed him in big trouble, long before they finally had him killed. In today’s gospel we see calmness personified. To put it into context, Jesus had been teaching all day at the lakeside, and because so many people had come to listen to him, he had got into the boat and pushed out a bit so they could all see and hear him. This also allowed him to avoid being mobbed by the crowd when he’d finished, and to get some sleep which he clearly needed. Then came the storm, which terrified the apostles and panicked them into waking Jesus, who calmy defused the situation, before giving them a gentle ticking off for their lack of faith in him.

When Mark wrote his gospel, 30 years or so after the Resurrection, it was during the Emperor Nero’s persecution of Christianity, which was terrifying. It was one of the many storms the early Church would go through, and, by reminding his readers of what happened on the Sea of Galilee, Mark was exhorting them to have faith in Jesus, who is always there, even when he seems to be asleep
But, there’s another side to the story. As we saw, preaching all day to his own people had exhausted him, and yet he says, “Let’s cross over to the other side”. The other side was pagan territory, which was a lot tougher proposition. So, was Jesus deliberately giving them a hint of what he would charge them with at the Ascension, “Go therefore, make disciples of all nations”? And was the storm at sea a lesson that, in order to go to the pagans, they would have to leave the calm waters of what they were used to, and brave the gales and waves of uncertainty, trusting only in him whom the sea and wind obey? It seems to me that in every era of our Church history, that’s precisely what he was doing.

And so we come to our own times. As I said last week, I truly believe God is doing a new thing and he wants us to be part of it. Our Church storm today is indifference and apathy. It’s not really a storm. We are not being persecuted. Nobody outside of our parishes is really bothered about falling numbers, or whether our church will close. So, there’s no pressure. We are completely free to take risks, and we should, because there’s an awful lot of people looking for something, other than consumerism, to give their life meaning, especially young people aged 15-25, among whom, we are told, there is a growing interest in Catholicism. So, don’t be risk averse. One of the speakers at the Catholic Summit last week said he just introduces people to the unfiltered Jesus, and lets the Holy Spirit do the rest. He meant that when we first share the Gospel, we don’t have to give them the whole Church package. As we heard earlier, the apostles took Jesus in the boat ‘just as he was’ with no frills, and that’s how they presented him to others, who in time, would be given the grace to look at this man but also see God.

Using today’s image of the sea again, lots of fish swim past the harbour mouth, but none are caught if the boats stay tied up in the harbour. Lots of people pass our churches every day but won’t come in if not invited. Why not risk inviting someone? If they say no, you’ve lost nothing. If they say yes, who knows where the Holy Spirit may lead? Don’t forget, these days conversations on exciting things go viral very quickly. As Cathy Anderton wrote in her reflections on the Summit, “We can sit in our pews which we have sat in for years, and continue to watch our parishes get smaller and smaller, and our churches close, or we can get out there and turn back the tide. It’s not going to be easy, but then, things worth having don’t often come easily. With the Holy Spirit, we know anything is possible.


16.06.24 ~ 11th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




Frozen or Chosen? You may have heard in the news recently that the tiny Austrian village of Halstatt, is being swamped by up to 10,000 tourists every day, because it’s believed to be the model for the Disney film ‘Frozen’. The two hundred villagers have had enough and are going to put a stop to it.  No-one buys anything or stays over. They just take selfies and drive on, a bit like people who take a photo of a priceless artwork instead of spending time to appreciate it. You may also have heard of the phenomenal worldwide success of ‘The Chosen’, a beautiful series on the life of Christ, which you can watch free on the Angel App. Very few people who watch it simply move on without taking in the profound message it portrays. So, are you a ‘Frozen’ or ‘Chosen’ when it comes to our Catholic faith?

The reason I ask is because, with four of our parishioners, I have just got back from the national Catholic Parish Summit, which was all about mission, based on the fact that, in the gospels, Jesus spent 75% of his time evangelising, and we are meant to do the same. Having said that, I’m going to drop the word evangelise, because for us Catholics, it conjures up the image of Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons, knocking on doors, interrupting your tea, the Euros or Coronation Street.

I prefer to talk about generously allowing ourselves to be used by the Holy Spirit to tell people, who know nothing about Jesus, the good news, when the occasion arises. Oh good, you might think. That’s not likely to happen very much! And it won’t if you are not generous about sharing the faith, which requires action, going fishing, not sitting in the boat hoping the fish will simply jump in. One of the inspirational speakers told how every morning she prays, “Lord, bring me someone today who I can share you with”. She then applies VIA. Vigilance to spot someone in need. Initiative to start the conversation. Action to help in whatever way the Holy Spirit guides her. I prayed that prayer myself yesterday, and something wonderful happened, which I hope will bear fruit in the next few weeks.

The reason we went to the Summit is because we are realists. We have accepted the fact that cultural Christianity is dead and gone in our country, and even in our own parishes. Most people coming for baptism or 1st Holy Communion are like the Frozen fans. They don’t join in the life of the parish or come back after the photos. The lapsed are hardly likely to come back to the type of church they have chosen to leave. So, it’s time for change, and I personally believe that God is doing a new thing.

Rather than a dead post Christian era, we are entering a new pre-Christian era, in which thousands will be hearing the gospel for the first time, and it’s our privilege to share it with them. For those who think we’re ok as we are, there’s no need to do more, it’s the difference between working in the parish and on the parish. If we want to simply grow old and fade away, we don’t need to do anything at all. It will happen because, each year, we all get a year older. But, if we decide we want to go down and out, ie to lower the average age of our congregation, and boost it with new people who have not heard the gospel, then we have to be church in a different way in this new apostolic age.

The lead speaker showed us a slide of an archipelago in the Caribbean of which only five or six islands are still above water. Most of the Islanders have gone, but the Mayor and 12 others are determined to stay, making the stilts of their houses ever taller. Soon they will be no more. In our secular society, so many are in the similar danger of being swamped by the rising tide of materialism, addiction, mental health problems, cost of living crisis and the rest. They need rescuing by the Holy Spirit’s lifeboat, in which we are all crew members, working together, to haul aboard those who are drowning. So, it’s time to start taking risks and put out into the deep for a catch.

With that in mind, I’d like to call a meeting of as many members of our two parishes as possible to create a clear vision for the way ahead. The point is that evangelisation is the work of the Holy Spirit. So be not afraid. All we have to do, is make ourselves available to be used by him, which means we don’t have to fret over success or failure, as though we stand or fall by our own efforts. Like the guy in today’s gospel, we simply do the sowing. God does the rest. It’s like conception, which starts a long, sometimes painful, process to birth, but when it finally comes, everyone wants to hold the baby.

02.06.24 ~ CORPUS CHRISTI
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




Yesterday we celebrated the feast of St Justin, Martyr, who was a Palestinian Christian murdered for the Faith in the second century. He had been an unbeliever searching for the meaning of life, when he met an old man who told him he would find it in the Christian Faith, and he did. His life’s work then became to teach and spread the gospel as much as he could by founding a school, to which hundreds of people came over the years. This caused a great deal of jealousy among the pagans, and they contrived to have him executed as an enemy of the gods. Two of the books he wrote survive, one of which, his Apologia, written about 154 AD, says this about the Mass: (Quote from Chapter 65, “Administration of the Sacraments”).

Although the nucleus of the Mass has remained constant, the liturgical form has changed many times depending on circumstances. We are all familiar with Mass celebrated in parish churches as well as by thousands in football stadia, or in small gatherings in hospital chapels, schools, prisons, or on a kitchen table. The variety of ways in which Mass is celebrated, represents the infinite variety of tastes and traditions from all over the world. But whatever the style or nation, what unites Catholics throughout the world, is the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, which is what today’s feast is all about. The Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic life, and throughout our history many thousands, like St Justin, have given their lives for it.

One of the most recent to do so, although he wasn’t martyred, was Blessed, soon to be Saint, Carlo Acutis, a 15 yr old computer Whizz, who died of Leukaemia in 2006. He saw the internet as a missionary tool for spreading the gospel. While investigating his cause for beatification, his computer was analysed by forensic technicians to see what websites he visited. There was no pornography, trolling on social media or anything malign. All his research was done for what was  very close to his heart, Jesus really present in the Eucharist. He was very concerned by people growing away from the Church and the sacraments and wanted to bring them back. In 2004, he created a website, visited by millions, detailing all the Eucharistic miracles, recognised by the Church, from early Christianity to our own time. Most occurred because of unbelief, even by priests and bishops, as well as a woman who couldn’t believe the bread she had made could become the Body of Christ. For these doubters, blood flowed from the host at the consecration.

Carlo was born in England but brought up in Italy.. His mum never went to Mass before he was born, but his faith and persistent questions brought her back. An Indian Brahmin who worked for the family, after many talks with Carlo about Christianity, asked to be baptised and was followed by his friend and his friend’s mother.  Perhaps he was sent to our modern world to help rebuild God’s church, as his favourite Saint, Francis of Assisi, did. It’s true our Church is crumbling, as people turn elsewhere to football or celebrity worship. Eg, next week, the Taylor Swift Juggernaut comes to the UK for a series of sell-out concerts which will make millions. Many of her songs are autobiographical, dealing with her break-ups, which her legion of Swifties will enjoy, but will they be inspired by those songs to do something great with their lives? One day, as musical tastes change, Swifty will swiftly be gone. When she has, will fans just follow the crowd onto the next big thing? Carlo used to say, “We’re all born originals, but many of us die as photocopies”.

Carlo, however, will be forever inspirational, because he is now a saint, someone for all of us, especially young people, to look up to. By using his computer skills, while remaining an ordinary teenager, who loved fashion, gaming and Italian car design, to bring others back to Jesus in the Eucharist, he joins other young saints like Bernadette, Dominic Savio and, more recently, Akash Bashir, a young Pakistani, killed while preventing a suicide bomber entering his parish church. May all these young saints inspire us to a deeper love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.   


26.05.24 ~ TRINITY SUNDAY
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




Before every exam at College, we used to write AMDG (For the greater glory of God), then start with the sign of the cross. When you see so many footballers making the sign of the cross, is it fanciful to think that many of them, especially the Catholics, are giving glory to God for their talent? In his fight with Tyson Fury, Oleksander Usek did it before each round. Catholics are recognisable by the sign of the cross, and like so many of our signs and symbols in the Church, it is a profession of faith. It shows to anyone watching that we believe in the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the fundamental mystery of the Christian faith, which underpins everything we believe and do
 
The mystery of there being three persons in one God, has exercised the minds of many great thinkers throughout history, but no-one has solved it, precisely because it is a mystery. Even an intellectual giant like St Augustine had to admit defeat, after a dream he had of a young boy trying to empty the sea into a hole on the beach. He told the boy what he was trying to do was impossible. The boy replied that so was what he was trying to do in solving the mystery of the Trinity. So, the conclusion reached by most spiritual writers, is that the mystery of the Trinity is understood more easily with the heart than the mind. The Trinity is Pure Love. The Father is the Lover, the Son is the Loved, and the Spirit is the Personification of the love between them.
 
There have been lots of good ideas over the years to help us understand the life of the Trinity, and how it is possible to be three in one: St Patrick’s use of three distinct leaves which nevertheless form only one shamrock. St Cyril of Alexandria’s use of only one sun but with light and heat, each distinct with their own roles to play. St John Damascene’s spring, river and sea, three distinct roles but all the one nature of water. He also has root, branch and fruit, but all forming the substance of only one tree.
However, all these descriptions, although helpful to us, don’t really solve the mystery.
 
The only reason we know there are three persons in one God, is because Jesus told us. In doing so, he was building on what had gradually been revealed of the nature of God in the Hebrew Scriptures over 2000 years. In the first reading the Chosen people are about to enter the Promised Land where they will be surrounded by many exotic, colourful and tempting religions, based on idol worship. So, Moses makes it very clear to them that they should never forget there is only one God. “Understand this today and take it to heart: the Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth below, he and no other”. They accept what Moses says but, over the centuries, realise that, although God is only, he is never lonely, because he is in constant dialogue with them, through his word and the signs he gives.
 
Jesus completes the revelation, when he unveils himself as the Son of God and gives us the Holy Spirit, which sets up our personal relationship with God the Father. As St Paul says, “Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God, so we are God’s heirs and coheirs with Christ”. Our God is not cold or distant, or a riddle to be solved, but is the love which beats in the very heart of all of us and needs to be recognised in each person we meet. As we’ve seen from the examples above, the three persons of the Trinity do not act separately, but it can be helpful to our prayer life, if we think of the Father as Provider, who created us out of love, keeps us in being, and wants us to know him, love him and serve him in this world, so as to be happy with him for ever in the next: the Son as Saviour, who lived, died and rose again, to make that possible: the Holy Spirit as Comforter and Sanctifier, who gives us the strength and guidance to face the challenges of life, remembering Jesus’ last words to the apostles in today’s gospel, “And know I am with you always; yes till the end of time”..
 
With that power, may we try to live for the greater honour and glory of God, the salvation of souls, and our own personal sanctification, and may the grace of Our Lord Jeus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all now and forever. Amen.

19.05.24 ~ PENTECOST SUNDAY
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




Water is very much in the news at the moment. You’re not allowed to swim in the Thames in case you catch a disease. Lake Windermere has had 3000 tons of raw sewage accidently pumped into it. Devon’s water supply is contaminated. Blackpool’s might be too. In many other parts of the world there is drought. Mexico City, which was built surrounded by water, has now almost dried up. If only we could ship them some of ours – we’re never short of rain in Fleetwood!   
 
Water is essential. Without it there can be no life. So, it’s no surprise that the action of God’s life-giving Spirit, is often represented by the image of rain, which, as the prophet Isaiah says, never returns to heaven, without first watering the earth, and causing everything it touches to grow. Every single blade of grass, every plant or tree, with its distinct life form, is enabled to grow and flourish by the outpouring of water, and each of them has something unique to offer to the eco system of our common home. In the same way the grace of the Holy Spirit is poured out on each of us individually, so that we may grow, flourish and, through the use of our unique talents, contribute to the building up of the Body of Christ, and the spread of the gospel, which is what this great feast is all about.  
 
Before his ascension Jesus bequeathed us two things, a promise and a request. His promise was that to all who follow him he would give the gift of eternal life. His request was that we should “go out to the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation”. While the promise is very comforting, the carrying out of his request can seem very daunting. But is it? At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit turned a group of hesitant, frightened disciples, into fearless missionaries who spoke that day to thousands of foreigners, as well as to people they lived and worked with and saw every day. When persecution started in Jerusalem, far from being cowed or discouraged, they set off to evangelise in other regions, relying solely on the power of Christ’s spirit within them.
 
Apart from the power of their preaching, what really impressed people, was they set up teams to deal with orphans, widows, the poor and those who had nothing. They were living proof of faith and good works working together. So, from the earliest days of the Church we learn that there are many ways of proclaiming the good news. Not everybody can get up on a soapbox and preach, as the Apostles did, but none of us should ever be afraid to proclaim our faith. It’s equally important for people to see how well we look after each other, and what we contribute to the common good. As Jesus says, “It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples”.
 
Our Church is changing, as it has had to do many times over the centuries, but the mission remains the same. The most obvious change, as we have now come to experience here in Fleetwood, is the lack of priests. Clearly, the Holy Spirit is doing a new thing, bringing to the fore the Lay Apostolate, and taking us down the route of collaborative ministry, which means priest and people working together as equal partners, each one of us using the gifts and talents we have been blessed with, to proclaim the faith and keep it alive. As a living cell of the Body of Christ, each of us must know what spiritual, physical, natural gifts or acquired skills we have to offer to the Common Good, then put them into action, either here in the parish or out in the community. There are as many ways to exercise our baptismal commitment as there are people; you can be a hospital visitor, Foodbank volunteer, help slow readers at school, drive someone to Mass, run an Alpha course or prayer group, foster a child, support unchurched parents seeking baptism, be a welcoming face to visitors. If we all chip in together, we will become like a well-oiled machine, producing much fruit for the glory of our Father. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to fan into a flame the kind of Christian action which proclaims the good news, that Jesus is still very much alive and has much to offer to our self-indulgent world. As Paul says, “What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit”. 21.04.24 ~ 4th SUNDAY OF EASTER
(To hear audio file ~ click here)



 

+Rt Rev Paul Swarbrick
Bishop of Lancaster 

07.04.24 ~ 2nd SUNDAY OF EASTER
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




At the Easter Vigil last week, we had the great joy of welcoming Holly and Simon into the Catholic Faith. An adult who converts to Catholicism naturally approaches it differently from someone born into it. Everyone’s journey in faith is different and personal. For some, it begins with questioning life’s meaning, for others it’s the search for certainty to anchor their life to. Very often it comes from mixing with cradle Catholics for whom the faith is as natural as eating and drinking, whose very sense of belonging, being part of a family, is an inspiration to those who feel they have no spiritual home. Simon has written a beautiful view from the pew, which encapsulates much of what I have just said.

But, however we receive the Faith, it is neither a birthright nor something we can earn by intellectual  effort. It’s a free gift from God, for anyone and everyone, who would like to receive it. But it’s a gift which has to be opened, and acted upon, in the way today’s scriptures spell out: love God, love our neighbour. It's pretty easy to work out how to love our neighbour in a practical way, but what about God? St John says, “Loving God is keeping his commandments” one of which, ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ calls for all Christians, especially with what’s going on in the world, to be proud to proclaim their gospel faith, as a better way than conflict, for making the world a safer and more peaceful place”.  

Being proud to proclaim our faith in public, has a lot to offer, because it knows how to cope with the problems of life, in a world which seems to have no cohesive strategy for the common good of all, resulting in excessive nationalism or individualism. I had a funeral at St Mary’s this week of a man I didn’t know, but his sister told me a little about him, the most striking being, that he was proud of his Catholic Faith. I said how refreshing it was to hear that, in contrast to what you hear from so many people in the media, for example who say “I was brought up Catholic but no longer practice”, as if it were a badge of honour, to make them more acceptable to a non-religious and secular audience.

Many people who reject the gospel trawl the internet, or social media, in pursuit of anything that may bring happiness, or self-worth, by the number of ‘likes’ they can notch up. But it’s not working! Last Monday the NHS revealed that in 2022-23, 86 million anti-depressants were prescribed by GPs. Some will have been genuine cases of clinical depression, but I suspect most were just going through a bad time, which is part of life, not a mental health issue. Scotland now has a ‘Hate Crime’ law. Hatred is seen in thousands of innocent men, women and children being blasted to smithereens in Palestine and Ukraine. Saying nasty things about people because they have a different point of view is hardly hatred.

The two essential fruits of the resurrection, are missionary witness and the sharing of material goods, as showcased in the first reading from Acts, where the whole group of believers was united, heart and soul. We know that through our faith we become children of God with a child’s natural love for the heavenly Father ‘who begot us’ as St John puts it. So, it makes sense that Jesus’ first commandment is to love God, then secondly our neighbour. When we love in that order, it’s like a beam of light striking one of those dance hall revolving mirrors, which diffuse light all over the place. We, like millions of our fellow Christians, want our love for God to be reflected in the good we do, in all directions, on all kinds of people, as an antidote to the destructive power of evil, so prevalent in our world today.

But to do this well and consistently, we need the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and absolute trust in the Lord who, unlike Thomas, we can’t see, but believe in. Thomas didn’t trust his friends when they told him Jesus was alive, nor did he trust Jesus. He had to learn that a true loving relationship with God, does not have to be subject to proof and scrutiny. Like Thomas, many people want to understand before they believe, whereas it should be the other way round. Only when we accept that Jesus is truly alive and with us always, do we discover our faith deepening and maturing, as our reason begins to sift the evidence of the first eyewitnesses. Our relationship with Christ is like any human friendship. It grows and develops over the years through both the joys and sorrows we share, precisely because it’s based on faith and trust. Faith in what we can’t see is an everyday part of life’s experience, and so is faith in God. As it says in the Rite of Baptism, “This is our faith: we are proud to profess it”.

30.03.24 ~ EASTER VIGIL
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




I imagine that most of us, from time to time, will have met an atheist, who will proclaim the victory of science over religion, as the only answer to life’s questions, but, for those of us who have faith, life’s questions must be answered in two ways. Science can tell us ‘How’ but only religion can tell us ‘Why’ So, for us, there is no conflict between science and religion. In fact, many of the greatest scientists the world has ever known have been believers. For example, a Catholic priest called Fr Georges Lemaitre. In 1927, in a paper to the Scientific Society of Brussels, he presented the idea of an expanding universe, which has expanded from an initial point, which he called the ‘Primeval Atom’. Over the years, his idea has dominated modern cosmology, as the most important scientific theory, of the origin and development of the universe. In 1949, it became known by scientists as the ‘Big Bang’.

I was reminded of this when reading an article by Martin Bennett, who writes, “To sit and listen to all the readings at the Easter Vigil is to be taken from the dawn of time, and to have an overview of many thousands of years of history, which, with the benefit of hindsight, allows us to see how God has always been with us. From the ‘Big Bang’, which Christians think of as his first explosion of love, through which he created all the universes, God always wanted us to be like him, so he made us in his own image and likeness”. It’s a wonderful story.

Unfortunately, however, we see in the Old Testament Readings, that we have often failed to live up to his likeness, and yet God never fails to call us back. He doesn’t want to lose us. At first, he sent his people messengers, to appeal to their sense of loyalty to him, who, at the Passover, had freed them from slavery. But his prophets were rejected. People didn’t like the idea of being beholden to a God whom they saw as remote, not one of them, unaffected by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. That’s why he decided to send his only Son into the world so that, through him, he could be with us in a different, more personal relationship. This, Jesus attempted to teach, throughout his public ministry, referring often to us as his brothers and sisters, children of the one he taught us to call ‘Our Father’. As we know from Good Friday, this message was not accepted by the Powers that be, and in fact led to his death for blasphemy – they raged at the very idea of the claim that he and the Father are one. He failed to move them from their entrenched position, that when it came to God, they knew best, and so suffered the same fate as the Prophets. Even the apostles, apart from John, lost faith in him that day.

Only after the resurrection did things change. I’m reading a book, at the moment, called ‘Strangers in the House’. It’s about soldiers and other servicemen coming home after WWII, sometimes after five /six years away, and the profound effect their homecoming had on the wives, children and families they had left behind, as well as on themselves. For many hundreds of them, although safe and free from the horrors they had been through, it meant a new way of living from what they had known before. For some it renewed and intensified their love, for others it led to the parting of the ways.

Today is the feast of Jesus’ homecoming after the horrors of Good Friday, to Galilee where they first began, where they had their most success, where they were most comfortable, and where they felt safe. His friends reacted in different ways, some with incredulity, fearing he was a ghost: others, like Mary Magdalen, consumed with unbridled love, wanting to cling to him for ever. However, they all knew that things were now different, and changes would have to be made to their way of living with him. From now on, he would always be with them, but spiritually. He was aware that many followers would want to cling on to the security of the Law, simply following the commandments and avoiding controversy. But he also knew many more would welcome his call to an intimate, living relationship with him. His masterplan was to pour out his Spirit on anyone and everyone who opens their heart to receive his word. He promised that if they did he would live in them. The Risen Christ, still bearing the wounds of the Passion, is the same Jesus they knew before, alive again, continuing where he left off, asking each of us to join him, in helping others to bring about a real, tangible love for God, whose son did indeed know the same slings and arrows of outrageous fortune as we do, was not remote, and definitely was one of us, in all things but sin.

28.03.24 ~ MASS OF THE LAST SUPPER ~ MAUNDY THURSDAY





On the news this morning, it said that, because of his illness, King Charles will not be able to attend today’s church service during which Maundy money is distributed to 75 couples, one for each year of his age. However, he has sent a message to be read, the theme of which is friendship, in which he renews his coronation oath, to serve and not to be served, the same commitment that we priests of the Diocese made this morning, at the Chrism Mass.

The word Maundy comes from the Latin ‘mandatum’ which means command, and is directly connected to our Lord’s new Commandment  to ‘Love one another as I have loved you’. So, the Maundy money in days long ago, would be real money given to real poor people, by kings and queens emerging from their palaces in response to that command, echoing the thoughts of the Apostles at the Last Supper, who presumed that was what Judas was leaving the meal to do. He would, of course, have missed what came later, the washing of the feet.

Nowadays, the Maundy money is largely ceremonial and is used to honour worthy citizens from the relevant Cathedral City’s population. Had the king been well enough to attend to distribute the money, it is highly unlikely, even though he has pledged to serve, not to be served, that he would have gone on to imitate Jesus by offering to wash people’s feet.

When Jesus left the table to set about washing the apostles’ feet, no doubt they were surprised or even shocked, but as they were accustomed to seeing him do unusual things, like touching a leper, talking to a Samaritan woman unaccompanied, delaying his response to Martha and Mary’s plea to come to save their brother, they probably just went along with it. But not Peter! He spoke out, maybe with the silent approval some of the others too. “You, the Lord and Master! You’re  not washing my feet. That’s the job of the lowest slave”.
But that’s precisely why Jesus took  it on. Remember he had just ordained them priests, and given them the same power to heal and forgive sins as he had, powers they had seen him use many times. Perhaps as they were finishing their meal, their thoughts could have strayed to the time when they would be allowed to use those powers, and how wonderful people would think they were – maybe, even, how important they were. Time for a lesson in humility!

Jesus washing their feet was a hard lesson for them to learn, but essential. ”The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served” and they must do the same. Thankfully, it was a lesson well learnt, and in time, they did indeed go on to do for others what he had done for them, something the Church continues to do today. Thankfully, we are still the people of the water and the towel, something we should be justifiably proud of in spite of the institutional faults and failings of the Church in recent years.  

Apart from being given the power to forgive sins, and receive forgiveness, which 40 odd people benefitted from, who took advantage of the Penitential Service last night, he also gave them the power to celebrate the Eucharist, in memory of him, and to make him present to all peoples of all times, until the very end of time.

All these blessing which we enjoy, came at a terrible price for Jesus, which began not long after this last meal they shared together. Later tonight, at the altar of repose, there will be time to spend with Jesus, as if we were in the Garden of Gethsemane, before his arrest, a time so filled with anxiety and fear, that in his agony, he burst minor blood vessels, mingling droplets of blood with his sweat. May this most holy night of celebration and sadness, always keep us mindful of Christ’s saving work, so that we will never forget what he has done for us and be ever grateful.

24.03.24 ~ PALM SUNDAY
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




As we keep getting reminded, this is a year of elections in many countries. Russia’s has just finished: the USA’s and our own are to follow in the Autumn, most of the Candidates committed to a populist agenda, designed simply to get them elected, or keep them in power, but devoid of any real principles. However, I have a feeling, that thinking people are beginning to wise up, and to discern the difference between content and substance. An example would be the huge number who defied the Kremlin, and came to place flowers on Alexei Navalny’s grave, or poured paint into the ballot boxes, in protest against the rigged election; a demonstration by ordinary folk of what they really want.

In some ways, that was what was happening on Palm Sunday, when the ordinary folk welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, strewing palms before him, and shouting Hosannas to the Son of David, in defiance of their rulers. Unfortunately, it didn’t last – the Establishment was just too strong. They didn’t have the military might to put such an insurrection down, as happens in so many dictatorships today, but they were able to manipulate the crowd on the strength of their superior religious knowledge and authority. “This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.” Even when one of their own number, Nicodemus, suggested that the Law does not allow judgement to be passed on a man, without giving him a hearing” they turned on him. “Are you a Galilean too? Prophets do not come from Galilee”. So, it was decided, rather like what happens in Russia today, that any hint of opposition must be crushed.

While all their plotting was taking place during the week, what do you think was going on in Jesus’ mind, knowing full well how painfully this was going to end? For an answer to that we need to look at the Song of the Suffering Servant in the first reading, which highlights the constancy of his hope in God. It is so strong that he is prepared to go through anything, trusting that in the end all will be well. “I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard, I did not cover my face against insult and spittle, but the Lord comes to my help, so that I am untouched by the insults”. When I was taking the children around the stations of the cross on Thursday, I explained to them how narrow the streets of the Via Crucis are, which meant that, as Jesus stumbled along through the crowd, he was in easy range of those who did want to spit at him, slap or punch him. So, he would definitely have had to set his face like flint, so as not to give them the satisfaction of seeing him react or retaliate, an unusual response, but very much in keeping with his teaching to love our enemies. Perhaps seeing, from so close a vantage point, how Jesus dealt with such hatred, may be the reason Simon of Cyrene later became one of his disciples.

Although to the Jews, Jesus was a blasphemer and law-breaker, in St Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we get a reminder of just who it is we are talking about here. When we realise that, we may wonder why he didn’t simply manifest his power there and then, to avoid the fate of the Suffering Servant. But what’s clear in Paul’s hymn, is that Jesus is not some sort of fantasy Superhero. Yes, his state was divine, but he did not cling to his equality with God in order to impress, cajole or scare people into loving him. He had no desire to become a Northern Korea style ‘Beloved Leader’ lording it over his people, forcing them to submit to his will on pain of death. Instead, he assumed the condition of a slave, a state in life unlikely to lead to him having a mass following.

At the presentation in the temple, Simeon had foretold that Jesus would be a sign of contradiction, and in assuming the condition of a slave he certainly was. He turned the whole human way of interaction upside down, serving rather than being served, seeking the common good rather than our own glory. We live in a world of excessive consumerism where, as the Bible puts it “People have exchanged the glory of the living God for the image of a bull that eats grass”. Being a humble servant, he does not try to impose himself on us as a popularist but seeks out those who have eyes to see and ears to listen, thinking people, who don’t mindlessly follow the crowd, like lemmings over a cliff. His appeal is for each of us to see the false gods and idols of today’s society for what they are, and to see him with the eyes of someone who understands they are being invited to know him personally, to be cherished and loved by him, who says to us all, “Do not be afraid – I have called you by your name: you are mine
 

17.03.24 ~ FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT
(To hear audio file ~ click here)





Before I had learnt to ski, I was invited by members of the Mess I lived in, to join them for a days’ skiing in the Harz Mountains. After an hour or two showing me the basics, how to snow plough etc, they left me to my own devices. The problem was that the baby slopes were so short that I had to keep taking off the skis and walking back up, which was exhausting. So, I decided to take the lift to the top, which seemed a good idea at the time. However, from the top, rather like standing on a 10-meter diving board, the downhill slopelooks terrifying. But there was no other way down, so, very gingerly, I set off to negotiate a bend, but as I didn’t know how to turn, I went crashing into a snowbank, burying one of the skis, which other skiers, vey kindly, helped me to dig out.

On the piste itself, I kept falling over and getting covered in snow. Then, to make things worse, having put my skis back on for the umpteenth time, and while I was adjusting my goggles, the skis suddenly started to move downhill, with my ski poles left behind me. I probably wasn’t going very fast, but to me it felt like I was tearing down the M6. I remember that as I shot past a bar somebody shouted that my hat had blown off, as if I didn’t know, but by this stage my only concern was survival. I started to pray out loud, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph don’t let me die”. I had no idea how to stop and kept yelling for people to get out of the way. Eventually, I shot upwards on the other side of the valley, which slowed me down and brought me to a halt. I had scared the life out of myself, but, as I lay there panting, I looked back up the slope and thought: “That was fantastic. I must learn to do it properly”.

When a beginner, as I was that day, starts down a steep slope, his fear of losing control causes him to lean back into the safety of the hill, but that’s precisely why he loses control and falls over. When I was leaning forward, as you’re supposed to do, although I was going a lot faster, I didn’t fall over.

Why am I telling you this? Well, it’s an everyday example of a situation where we struggle to let go of our own beliefs, in case we get into a situation we can’t cope with or control, even though we know for certain, that what we are being toldor asked to do by experts, is necessary, if we want to succeed.It’s a prime example of obedience and trust, which is what today’s scriptures are all about.

In the OT, the covenant God made with the Israelites would have worked brilliantly if they had only remained true to it. It was written on tablets of stone, external rules governing their behaviour which they paid lip service to. By the time Jesus came it was still written on stone, as demonstrated by the way the people and the Scribes and Pharisees in particular, were unable to work out that Jesus was from God from the signs and miracles he gave. Instead, they saw his actions as sinful,because he cured people on the Sabbath.  It was clear to God that they were unreliable, and unlikely to produce much fruit, like the seed which fell into thorny ground, and was choked by the distractions of the world. So, he decided to write his law in people’s hearts, because the heart is where love comes from, love which causes us to see beyond externals, to the reason why God wants us to do things his way..

Jesus, of course, is the Gold Standard of that kind of love, by his willingness to obey whatever the Father asked of him, and it was the same need for complete obedience, which hestressed to those Greeks who asked to see him. Was it to discus philosophy with him or to discover yet another new kind of teaching perhaps? Greece, at the time, led the world inphilosophical discussion, as St Paul found out when he visited Athens. “The Athenians care for nothing more than discussing new ideas”.

Philosophical discussions about Jesus are all very well, but eventually, we’re all challenged to obey God as he did, with all the courage and trust required, to let go of fear. Like the grain of wheat which has to die in order to yield a rich harvest, we too have to die, not literally, as many of our fellow Christians are actually doing today, in countries where persecution is still rife, but by a sort of dying to our own agenda. When we share in Christ’s dying, we lay at his feet our ambitions and plans in a personal commitment to him,which allows him to be in charge of our lives. Such obediencemay appear to thwart our desire to keep a tight grip on our lives, but if we choose to follow Christ’s expert instructions,it’s more than likely that we will not end up going down the slippery slope out of control.

10.03.24 ~ FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




Today is ‘Laetare’ or ‘Rejoice’ Sunday, the midway point in our Lenten penitential journey. So, time for a little light relief, rather than some heavy theology. Even Jesus experienced a little light relief, in the middle of his long journey to the cross, from the usual antagonism of the Religious Authorities. In Friday’s gospel a Scribe engaged him in a civilised conversation about which was the greatest of the Commandments, and was extremely impressed with the answers Jesus gave, concluding, surprisingly, that he was right in what he was saying. Jesus in turn said to him, “You’re not far from the kingdom”. Normally, a scribe would be trying to trick him into saying something to incriminate himself, which could be used against him.

Another one was his encounter with the Pharisee Nicodemus, who came to him in the dead of night when it was dark, hoping, no doubt that no-one from the Sanhedrin would see him. But that encounter with Christ took him out of the dark into the light, so much so, that it would be he who tried to persuade the Sanhedrin not to condemn Jesus to death. He also helped Joseph of Arimathea to take Jesus down from the cross for burial. He became “The man who” Jesus says, “lives by the truth and comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God”. So, a couple of rare bright spots in the ever-increasing darkness creeping up on Jesus as the Passion draws near.

Today is also “Mothers’ Day” a little light relief in Lent’s sombreness. I asked Year 2s what made mums special? “She pays the bills. She does the washing up”. Best of all: “She makes sure you’re not faking it, when you say you’re ill and don’t want to go to school!” Not to downplay in any way at all, the vital contribution a father makes to the life of a family, I think it’s fair to say that in most families it is the mother who is the heartbeat of the home. Certainly, that was always true in my own family. My mother was the life and soul of our family, and the day she died, a great light was extinguished. As a little boy, she would ask me, “How much do you love me?” I’d reply, “That much”, and when I grow up, I’ll buy you a big house, a car and a fur coat – (we didn’t know about animal rights then)! It was like a bargaining chip. You do all this for me now, and I’ll pay you back when I grow up.

Surprise! Surprise! When I grew up I couldn’t get a grant to study at Valladolid, because, the Council said I could have done that ‘course’ in England. No good trying to explain to them that training for the Priesthood was not ‘doing a course’. So, I became a penniless student. The Diocese gave me £50 a year, so guess who had to support me through seminary? Even as a young priest, I rarely returned from my day off at home, without a £5.00 note surreptitiously pressed into my hand to pay for petrol.

I never did buy the fur coat, and the nearest I got to buying her a car, was taking her out for a drive, not long before she died, in my10yr old Ford Cortina with a broken starter motor, which I had to turn over by crawling under the car. Although it was a precious, unforgettable time together, it was marred slightly, by the fact she was the world’s worst back-seat driver, constantly telling me to slow down, and to mind that child. Don’t know how I manged to drive back to Preston by myself! My father was always just as loving and giving. When I joined the Army, I had a salary for the first time in my life. My dad was an OAP, so I sometimes sent him a gift of money, but he would  keep it for me, and give it back when I came on leave, saying, “You need it more than me, Son”, which wasn’t actually true.

I soon came to realise that most of us will never be able to fully repay our parents for all they did and sacrificed for us over the years, especially for giving us the greatest gift of all, our Faith. And the amazing thing is that they know that: they knew it all along – they never expected repayment. All they asked of us is that we learn from them, to share our love with others as they shared their love with us.

It’s the same message our Holy Mother the Church gives us all the time: what more could Jesus have done or sacrificed, to prove how much our heavenly Father loves us?  We’ll never be able to pay it back but we can learn from it, as we did from our parents, to walk in his ways, to love God and our neighbour as ourself, or, as St Richard of Chichester puts it, to ask for the grace, ”To see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day”.


03.03.24 ~ THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT
(To hear audio file ~ click here)

 

A priest friend once said to me, “Remember, Alf, you always hurt the one you love – I cut myself shaving this morning!” Many years ago, I tried to persuade a couple who had a really good marriage, to go on a ‘Marriage Encounter’ course, which is designed to make good marriages great marriages. But the wife wouldn’t go, not because she was against the idea, but, she said, to have a greater love than they had already, would make the separation at death even more painful than it’s going to be. Her argument was the greater the love, the greater the pain. It’s the very excess of their love which makes lovers so easily wounded, something Our Lord, the world’s greatest lover, knew all about.

When he stormed into the Temple and started driving out the sellers and money changers, he was filled with zealous love for his Father’s house, but also, with excessive love for the people he had come to save. There was something not right about the way things were being done. It was a bit like a prayer wheel, where you put money in a slot, give it a spin and let it pray away for you, while you go about your business. People would come to the temple, buy an animal, and give it to the priest to sacrifice at the altar, where they weren’t allowed to go. So, their worship of God was outward and from a distance, based on ritual and keeping the ten commandments. What Jesus did that day was to proclaim that mechanical observance of the commandments, or ritual alone, was not enough.

That is not to say that the commandments have no value anymore, even today. It’s true that many of our contemporaries ignore them as an anachronism which limits our human right to freedom from all constraint. Take, for example, today’s identity debate. Our speaker at an in-service day this week, told us of how, in a class of university students, she produced an apple and informed them that it was in fact an orange. It was met with derision, but she kept on insisting until they eventually said, “Well if it’s an orange to you, that’s ok”. She was illustrating the point that especially amongst people addicted to the internet, the zeitgeist is for absolute freedom to believe whatever you like, even about yourself. She suggested it comes from the fact that people have no roots, no guidance, don’t feel made for any particular purpose, have no shared goal, so are left to construct their own identity from scratch, then compel others to affirm it. This has lead to identity politics, and, as Pope Benedict foresaw 20 years ago, the ‘dictatorship of relativism’ which does not recognise anything as definitive. Its ultimate goal consists solely of satisfying one’s personal desires. It proposes that the ONLY thing that matters, is what I think, and what I am offended by. Toleration for another’s ideas, lasts only so long as those ideas concur with the prevailing argument, the first casualty of which is free speech.

Unlike that sort of unrealistic absolute freedom which says, “There’s a wall and there’s a door: you’re free to choose which one to walk through” the commandments offer the more realistic freedom, to be a person not in isolation, but always in relation with others - by choosing a firm moral foundation not to kill, steal or tell lies, about ourselves or others, as the basis for true happiness. It’s a reality check, a recognition that no man is an island, entire of itself. For Christians, this is most closely lived out in the Body of Christ, in which every member has a part to play for the common good.

When Jesus cleansed the temple, what made it worse, for those who took him literally, was his claim that he would rebuild it in three days. Only after the resurrection would those, who had ears to hear, understand, what he was saying. It wasn’t about bricks and mortar, but about building an intimate relationship, with the God he had taught us to call ‘Our Father’. The minute he died, the veil of the Temple was torn in two, symbolising the end of the Old Covenant, ratified by the sacrificial blood of animals, and the beginning of the New, established, once and for all, by the blood of Christ. Jesus himself becomes the new Temple, where the Holy of Holies can be worshipped in spirit and truth. No longer would we worship from afar. True worship now becomes an affair of the heart, a response to his excessive love for us, summed up in today’s psalm, “You Lord, have the message of eternal life”.

25.02.24 ~ SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT
(To hear audio file ~ click here)



If a complete stranger were to walk up to you and say, “I’d like you to do something for me” your automatic response might be, “I’m terribly sorry, I’m really busy at the moment”. But what if you were asked by someone in authority over you? You might think, “Oh, Oh, this could be difficult”. A few weeks ago, Franz Beckenbauer, one of Germany’s greatest footballers, died, just a few months after Sir Bobby Charlton, one of England’s greatest footballers. At the 1966 World Cup Final, Sir Bobby, England’s record goal scorer, was at the pinnacle of his career, looking forward to adding more goals in his free-flowing attacking role. But, to his acute disappointment, he was told by the Manager, that his job was to man-mark Franz Beckenbauer. Looking back, he said that to get to a World Cup Final was the culmination of all he had ever dreamed of, but at the end he felt he hadn’t really taken part in it. Later, the two became great friends, and Beckenbauer told him that he had been given the exact same instructions by his manager. His job in the Final was to man-mark Bobby Charlton. Both men, the stars of their teams, capable of sheer brilliance, were asked to do something far less exciting and mundane for the common good of the team, which they did, out of duty.

How very different when a friend, or someone you love, asks you to do something for them. You’re more likely to say  “Yes, of course, if I can”, before you ask what it is, presuming it will be a small favour. What you don’t expect from a friend is a request to carry out a stunning act of cruelty. Abraham was a friend of God. At the age of ninety, well settled in and very comfortably off, in Ur of the Chaldees, he was asked by God to leave all that behind, and set off for an unknown destination, on the strength of an unlikely sounding promise, bearing in mind that he had no children and his wife was past childbearing age, that he would become the father of a great nation. But he did it, and never once wavered from his faith in God. So, imagine his feelings, when asked by his friend to offer his son as a burnt offering - surely a bridge too far. But that’s the point: it’s the ultimate test which asks: “Do you trust me, even when common sense and human instinct says don’t trust me”? Showing that he trusts God absolutely, even under such horrendous conditions, signifies that the OT Covenant will be founded on faith, rather than expediency. In the NT Jesus does a similar test of faith on Peter after the resurrection, which will prove to be equally life-threatening, although not immediate, when he asks him three times, to declare that he loves him, before commissioning him to feed his sheep.

Clearly, God did not wish the death of Isaac, nor did he wish the death of his own son Jesus. He was looking to Abraham for the kind of faith which would become the blueprint, the gold standard, the ideal that the chosen people would look towards, in their dealings with him. Unfortunately, over the next 1850 years, they lost sight of the ideal of absolute faith, and settled for the less demanding outward observance of the many laws which governed every aspect of their lives.

When Jesus came, it was to restore the ideal of absolute trust in God, which, unlike Isaac, cost him his life. Naturally, he didn’t want to die such a cruel and painful death, but his obedience to the Father’s will that he should be totally human, meant he would be subject to the same slings and arrows of outrageous fortune as the rest of men. So, when men decided to kill him, an innocent man, he suffered the same injustice so many thousands of innocent people suffer on a daily basis, like Alexei Navalny. His ultimate test was to trust in God that his sacrifice would not be in vain. And clearly it wasn’t. Many millions over the centuries have imitated his sacrificial love, by laying down their own lives for their friends, in absolute trust in God, even when common sense and instinct suggested they shouldn’t. When Navalny was asked why he chose to go back to Russia after being poisoned, he quoted Jesus’ “Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. With such a proof  that, in spite of everything we suffer, all will be well, as hinted at in the Transfiguration, those of us who belong to Christ, should have no fear of taking up our cross to follow him, for, as St Paul says, “With God on our side, who can be against us?” 

18.02.24 ~ FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
(To hear audio file ~ click here)



 
My dear people, Lent can be used by some as an opportunity to recover New Year’s resolutions that have gone a little astray. Being able to see evidence of progress and having ‘targets’ can be useful, but before we dash off to the bathroom scales note that our Blessed Lord offers us another target, far more valuable even if our progress is more difficult to measure. Stay with me.

Can you picture Jesus as He turns his back on the crowds, on Mary, on His family, neighbours and strangers, and walks away towards a vast empty wasteland? No shepherds’ paths go there, no isolated villages are found there.

For thirty years He has lived anonymously amongst those to whom He had been sent, that He might save them from sin. Those hidden years of waiting are now over, but if He is to be fit for the task ahead, there is this final great act of intense preparation, His time in the wilderness. As yet, He has performed no public miracles, given no teaching and told none of His parables. Nor has He gathered any disciples or followers.

Picture Him as He slips away alone, hardly noticed by the majority whose attention is on the river and the figure of the Baptist. Watch, because what He is doing is done for you and for countless others. Watch, because in fact He takes you with Him. And as you see Him entering that wilderness know that, in fact, He is entering another wilderness, the wilderness that is the human heart, your heart. Saint Mark tells us that He will find that wilderness already occupied.

He will find Satan there, the Spoiler, the Tempter, who claims your heart as his. Jesus will find there the ‘wild bests’ of your emotions, ambitions and beliefs all grown wild. He will find greed and grief and fear and so much else that refuses to be satisfied, so much that harms us from within. But these He will set Himself to tame.

He will find there the angels, given to us by a loving Father, the first prophets of hope and a better life, our dear friends and servants since the moment of our conception.

Prayer, fasting and sharing with the poor are the time-tested traditions of Lent that we will put into practice this Lent, with hopes of driving out the devil, taming the beasts and putting us at one with the angels. But these are not the aims or goals for a successful Lent, they are only the means of achieving a far greater goal; the goal of knowing more intimately – or perhaps for the first time – the heart of the loving Father who sent His only Son to save us and share His life with us.

You and I have many concerns competing for our time and attention. Family, work, friends, matters of social justice and charity. The sheer quantity and complexity can overwhelm and weary us, unless we first set ourselves to know the Lord and something of His love. You must know that His love is not just an ideal. It is a love that has become flesh and dwells amongst us. He has made His home in us that we might make ours in Him.

St. Paul tells us that we hold a treasure not made of gold, but of far greater worth. This Lent need not be our usual ‘starting again’ as if life is a game of ‘Snakes and Ladders’ in which we find ourselves annually starting again from an old beginning. Instead, we can know how Jesus has driven the snakes from the board, from the garden of Eden, and left only ladders. The best news is that He is the ladder, and all we must do is to climb onto His back to rise up with Him at Easter.

So, no long faces, no deep despairing breaths as we prepare ourselves for the usual ‘two steps forward, three back’ and the sense that we and this world are slowly slipping away from God. It is God who does the miracles; We have only to believe and persevere in our belief.

See Jesus setting about His work in your wilderness. And may your experience this Lent be more in keeping of the phrase used by Saint John Henry Newman of ‘Heart speaking unto heart.’

With my blessing for you and those you pray for,


+Rt Rev Paul Swarbrick
Bishop of Lancaster 

11.02.24 ~ 6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




At Bible Share this week, we looked at the fix King Darius found himself in over the prophet Daniel, whom he thought the world of. Because of the irrevocable laws of the Medes and Persians, he had no choice but to have Daniel thrown into the lions’ den since he had refused to worship their pagan god. Irrevocable laws have no mercy. However, God does, and Daniel survived his ordeal. Now, contrast that enslavement to irrevocable law, with what St Paul says today. He thinks that a mature Christian, while giving glory to God, by keeping his laws, should also be free to exercise discretion, so long as it is not offensive to anyone. In one of his other letters he says, “Out of love for a weaker brother, abstain from meat if he can only take milk”. So, eg, if you personally choose to ignore ‘Nanny State’ decrees, which you think are ridiculous, you still need to be sensitive to those who don’t.
 
That idea of tempering the law with the eyes of love, allowing for human weakness, is very much in keeping with the way Jesus lived his life. Take today’s gospel about the leper. As far as I know, people aren’t born with leprosy, and I believe it takes quite a few years to develop, which means lepers weren’t always lepers. So, if you caught it and knew that the only remedy was to deny all social contact with the healthy, can you imagine, not just the physical but the mental toil of having to leave your house, your family, live outside town, and rely on people to leave food out for you. And if that wasn’t bad enough, a religious law banning you from the synagogue was added to strengthen the social one. Generally speaking, if you were a leper you were a dead man walking.
 
What compounded the error, so to speak, was the widespread belief among the Jews, that illness was a punishment for sin, committed either by you or an ancestor. Even the apostles believed that. When they saw the man born blind, they asked Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” “Neither” said Jesus; not a view shared by the Pharisees, who declared the blind man had obviously been a sinner since birth. From that belief they considered that of all the punishments doled out by God for sin, leprosy was by far the worst. It was seen as the most vivid symbol of the effects of sin because, as we saw, it’s a disease which cuts a person off from the community, carries the risk of infection and, over time, gradually destroys a person’s body. Sin has a similar effect. Over time it gradually becomes infectious, destroys human decency, and has a corrupting effect on society, by isolating a person in their self-centredness, and thereby making them less interested in the Common Good.
 
The difference between sin and leprosy, is that the leper is fully aware, at all times, of the effect of the disease on his life and the lives of others, so is constantly seeking a way of re-entry into the community. The sinner, on the other hand, lacks a similar sense of urgency, because he is often not aware of the inner disease holding him back from re-entry to God’s Kingdom. That’s why, as I said last week, Jesus made a point of forgiving people their sins before he cures their illness. Our leper is so desperate for a cure, that he breaks all the hygiene laws to approach Jesus. For most people this would have caused a major problem, but for Jesus, love and mercy trumps the law and so, to the shock of all watching, like the shock people felt when Princess Diana, back in the 80s, held an Aids patient’s hand, he stretched out his hand and touched him. He will, of course do the same for anyone who seeks forgiveness with the same powerful desire. We know what the touch of Christ has done to heal and change self-confessed great sinners like John Pridmore. Few of us would consider ourselves in the same league as John, but we know, as St Paul says, that we’ve all sinned and fallen short of the grace of God, and that we each need the healing touch of Christ for whatever wrongs we’ve done.
 
Lent begins on Wednesday, an annual seasonal gift, to reflect on our own mortality, take stock of where we are in our spiritual life and to feel the loving, healing touch of Christ in the sacrament of reconciliation, which is available not just here, but in all our parishes, if you feel more comfortable going to a priest you don’t know. Either way, it’s very good for the soul, and all is forgiven.


04.02.24 ~ 5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




Some years ago, a group of us from the parish went to see Rod Stewart at BFC. We got talking to a superfan who’d already seen him 3 times. She told us he didn’t do encores. True enough, he played his set, kicked a few footballs into the crowd, and was gone. He was good and we wanted more. In last week’s gospel, the people of Capernaum marveled at the new and authoritative teaching of Jesus, which caused his reputation to spread rapidly all over the Galilean countryside. He must have been feeling quite pleased that things had gone well, as he made his way to Peter’s house for lunch. But Peter’s mother-in-law was ill, and unable to cook, so Jesus cured her. No surprise, then, once the Sabbath was over, that the whole town came crowding round the door, bringing him all who were sick or possessed. Next morning, they were back again, like us at Rod Stewart’s concert, wanting more, but, by then, he’d slipped off to be alone and pray, and possibly to re-evaluate his tactics.
 
Many of those who came to be cured, got what they wanted and left. They weren’t interested in what he had to say, or what he wanted from them. Although he clearly did want to cure people, his real purpose for coming, was to give life to the full, not just to dispense temporary healings. A healthy soul is far more important than a healthy body. That’s why he spoke often of sin and forgiveness. Miracles are merely testimonials to the authenticity of his message, like the healing of the paralytic. He first forgave his sins, then demonstrated his power to do so, by telling him to pick up his bed and walk. So, when the apostles say everyone’s looking for him, he reminds them of why he came. What really matters is the Word of God, and like the Sower, he must scatter its seed wherever he can. So, he didn’t go back to town, and, no doubt, left a lot of disappointed people standing at Peter’s door.
 
If Mark had written this gospel story in our time, it would read like a Sunday supplement: an account of ‘A day in the life of Jesus - Messiah, Healer and Preacher’. He seems to be all over the place, with boundless energy and activity - so many people, so much to do, so little time to do it: a bit like St Paul, making himself all things to all men, in order to save some at least. But we also see in his early days in ministry, that he often gets worn out from the constant demands of people, and, like today, needs time out from constant activity, to draw strength from God for his work. As with all of us, he couldn’t keep that pace without it. Who could? During the week, I met a mum I hadn’t seen for quite some time. She told me she’s got so much going on she hasn’t time to come to Mass. I promised her that if she makes time for God, even if it’s only one hour a week, he will make time for her.
 
One little detail, we could easily miss in the story, is that Peter’s mother-in-law began to cook the meal as soon as the fever left her. Once restored to her former health, she didn’t hang around, but concentrated her energies on what she probably did best, in the process, giving back to Jesus some of the care he had given her. Perhaps we can learn from her, that giving back to God, or paying in kind, is the perfect response Jesus is looking for, from anyone aware of all he has done for us. Even more pleasing to him, is if we consider ourselves partners, in his work of sowing the seeds of faith.
.
Prayer is the main engine, or driving force, of our partnership. St Augustine says, "Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not". When we pray to God for the sick, for example, we are also making ourselves available to be used by God, to answer the prayer, as our Eucharistic Ministers do every Friday. If we pray that children may not die of starvation, we are already thinking of raising money to help, as our wonderful parishioners do on a regular basis. In other words, we are active not passive partners in what’s being prayed for. Our prayers won’t meet with success by eradicating world poverty or sickness, but they will be fruitful, if put into action in our own little sphere of influence. As a well-loved spiritual writer wrote, “We have been called to be fruitful, not successful”, and we will be if, as Jesus teaches us today, we prioritise the way we go about our Father’s business. First, love God by spending time in silent prayer. Then love your neighbour by putting it into action.
 

28.01.24 ~ 4th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




There’s a joke about a businessman driving round and round trying to find a parking space, when in sheer frustration, he prays “God, If you find me a space I’ll start coming to church”. Seconds later one miraculously appears. Delighted, he says to God, “Don’t bother. I’ve found one myself”. There’s a similar sort of attitude amongst the Israelites who are about to enter the Promised Land, after 40 years in the desert, where Moses had made known to them the Word of God. Knowing he’s about to die, they tell him how terrified they are of encountering God directly again, in a crashing thunder and  lightning storm, as they did on Mount Sinai. “Don’t let us look on that fire again, or we will die”. So, Moses assures them that God has promised he will continue to communicate with them, but through human messengers. “I will raise up a prophet like yourself for them”. So far, so good!

However, once safely settled in the Promised Land, enjoying the fruits of the land, and making a life among other nations, many feel, like the man who found the parking space, that they don’t really need God anymore. This doesn’t go unnoticed by God, and, throughout the OT, we see the prophets make his will and displeasure known to them. But they pay little attention, except when things are not going well, until eventually, they are defeated in battle and carted off to exile in Babylon. There, they lived under the authority of an absolute monarch, King Nebuchadnezzar, who, flushed with power, destroyed God’s temple and used its sacred vessels for feasting and drinking, as did his son, Belshazzar, who ignored the writing on the wall. Both met a sticky end, but not before inflicting utter misery on their Israelite slaves. It could all have been so different, if they had heeded the prophets’ message, “Oh, that today you would listen to his voice. Harden not your hearts”. Living under God’s authority, rather than man’s, would have brought them protection and many blessings.

Most people don’t relish authority, especially if it’s exercised by bullies throwing their weight about, but it’s amazing how well people respond, if it is used properly.  When I was chaplain at Sandhurst I asked a Senior Officer, a Major General, to be my guest speaker for the Catholic Students’ dinner. The topic he chose was, “The onset of senility in Senior Army Officers”. It was a very tongue-in-cheek presentation, but it taught the students a good lesson, which was that, with all the fuss that surrounds when you achieve high rank, you can start to believe your own publicity, thinking it’s you that’s really important, not the Office you hold. Once that happens, your exercise of authority can become coloured by self-interest, instead of being used for the service of those underneath you.

This is something Jesus was well aware of, as he began his preaching ministry. Usually, scribes merely commented on the Law of Moses, interpreting it with lots of ‘ifs’ ‘buts’ and ‘maybes’, in a ‘same old, same old’ sort of  way. But now the promised new Moses has arrived. Moses had made known to the people the word of God, but Jesus is the Word of God. As such, he expresses himself with the authority of someone who knows what he’s talking about from personal experience. It was an authority the people of Capernaum instantly recognised. They found his new teaching liberating, because it taught that the Law is something to serve the people, not a set of rules to enslave them.   

Because the scriptures are so familiar to us, there could be an echo of ‘same old, same old’ in our own churches too. But what a difference when they are proclaimed with authority and real feeling. As a student, I remember an old priest visitor being asked to read the gospel. It was about the man who pleads with Jesus to heal his epileptic son. 7am, and not being long out of bed, is probably not the best time for listening, but the way that priest read it has stayed with me ever since. “Lord, if you want to, you can cure my son”. “If I want to? (Pause) Of course, I want to, that’s why I came”. The thing about the Word of God is that, even if we’ve heard it a thousand times before, it always has  something new to say. It is, after all, the living word, not a history book, and, as people don’t change, it will always be relevant to what’s going on in the world, and a sure-fire help for dealing with it.  


21.01.24 ~ 3rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




One of my favourite Charities is Medecins sans Frontiers, Doctors without Borders. These are Medics  from all over the world who give a few months of their time to work anywhere they’re needed in any emergency that crops up, be it in a War Zone, somewhere a natural catastrophe has occurred, or on the frontline dealing with pandemics. No questions asked and regardless of politics – they’re brilliant.

They came into my mind on reading today’s small extract from the Book of Jonah. You may know that before he gave his message to the Ninevites he had run away, firstly because, as just an ordinary little bloke, he was far too scared to go to the seat of power. Secondly, why should he, a member of the Chosen Race, bother to warn the Ninevites of the disaster about to befall them, seeing as they had once been their enemies, so probably deserved all they were going to get? But as you know from the story of the whale, God brought him back and insisted he gave the message. What the story shows is that, by bringing about the conversion of the Ninevites, Divine mercy, like
MSF, has no borders. God never made any, but, sadly, we did, and we have become very jealous of preserving them, resulting in wars, unfair distribution of wealth, and selfish misuse of the world’s resources. 

Even in the church, among people who all worshipped the same God, something similar happened at the Reformation. GK Chesterton likened it to a huge crowd admiring the beauty of a complete and unique stained-glass window. Suddenly, a stone was thrown which shattered it into pieces. Everyone rushed forward to grab a little piece, telling everyone how beautiful their particular piece was. So it was, that the unity for which Christ prayed at the Last Supper, was shattered, everyone preserving their own little piece of the truth, forgetting the overall beauty of the complete picture when all the pieces fitted together. Thankfully, these days, most Christian Denominations are doing as much as they can to pray and work together, highlighted by this annual week of Christian Unity, so, hopefully, with lots of good will, barriers and borders will continue to fall in favour of Gospel solidarity. 

To achieve unity, not just in church, but life in general, a lot depends on our attitude to the material ties that bind us to this world. As a person or as a Nation, the question is– do we want to keep everything for ourselves, or do we want to share? Paul’s message, echoing that of Jesus, “The time has come, and the kingdom of heaven is close at hand”, is that, as none of us is going to live on this earth for ever, instead of being possessive, we should be generous. “The world as we know it is passing away”, so don’t get too wrapped up in it. Time is short and, as some of us know all too well, when you get to a certain age, getting shorter all the time! So, whilst enjoying our good fortune, if we can also cultivate an awareness of the needs of our fellow man, regardless of race, colour or creed, and do what we can to help, we are truly an answer to Our Lord’s prayer “That they may all be one!”

One of the ways to do this is to have a radical rethink of how we practice our faith. Jean-Paul Sartre, a French philosopher, brought up in a traditional Christian setting, thought of his faith as part of a heritage of ‘truths’ handed down, without much individual input. The faith was common patrimony, accepted as a way of life, as in other “Catholic Countries” like Ireland, Spain, Poland. “The truths belonged to all, but no-one needed to lay hold of them for himself”. For the gospel to be good news and not just a cultural phenomenon, each of us has to lay hold of it for ourselves, as the two sets of brothers did in the gospel. They followed Christ because what he gave them was literally ‘Good News’. Watching him accept all comers, a Roman Centurion, a Syro Phoenician woman, Samaritans as well as lepers and the dregs of society, opened their eyes to see the tenderness of his loving Father who has no favourites, but offers the fullness of life to all who want it, not just the Chosen Few, living within the confines of their own man-made borders of territory, respectability and acceptance. To embrace Jesus’ call is the exact opposite of just inheriting truths passed on to us: it’s a call to Catholic action, in the true sense of the word Catholic ie universal – No borders to get in the way of goodness. 


14.01.24 ~ 2nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




A few years ago, at a wedding here at St Wulstan’s, the sister of the bride got up to read the very popular “Love is gentle, kind, generous” etc, from St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, but, by mistake, started to read the one next to it, which begins with, “The body is not meant for fornication”, today’s second reading, which caused a few raised eyebrows, and possibly, a little uncomfortable shuffling in some of the pews. So, I stopped her and said, “That indeed is very true and very relevant for our times, but I think that by getting married your sister and her fiancé have got the message”.

When Paul wrote that letter, it was to a highly sexualised and licentious society, a bit like our own today, but probably a lot worse. Corinth was renowned for its pagan sanctuaries serviced by thousands of ‘sacred’ prostitutes. In the midst of all this depravity, what Paul was trying to get across to his Christian converts, was the dignity of the human person, ennobled with an immortal soul and destined for eternal life. Within those who receive baptism, the Holy Spirit lives as in a temple, with all the reverence that implies, so the body should be used for the glory of God, not as a plaything. Through Christ’s sacrifice, as he puts it, “You are not your own property. You have been bought and paid for”. In gratitude it’s only right that we carry on his work, remembering, as St Teresa of Avila said, “Christ now has no body but yours. Yours are the hands he uses to bless the world, yours the eyes to look compassion on the world, yours the feet he walks with to do good”.

So, how do we use our bodies to glorify God? Well, it’s a very personal thing, because we are all different. St Paul tells us the Church is the Body of Christ: Christ the Head, we the members. Just as the many different parts of a human body work together for the good of the whole person, so each one of us should work together for the growth and wellbeing of Christ’s Body. What we do and how we contribute, depends on the gifts and talents we have been blessed with, and how we believe God wants us to use them, which will become very clear if we pray Samuel’s prayer, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening” and wait in silence for the answer. When I was thinking of the priesthood, I used to do that every day after school, in a church opposite the bus stop, while waiting for the school bus. And, look what happened!

We’re all called to do something good for God, not usually by a direct summons, as in the OT, like Abraham, Moses, or the young boy Samuel, but more often in a ‘dawning realisation’ kind of way. In today’s gospel we see the formal transition from the Old Covenant of God with the chosen people, to the New Covenant of God with the whole of mankind. John the Baptist, the last of the OT prophets, guides his two disciples to Christ, whom they recognise as the Messiah. So begins Jesus’ public ministry, in a style very different from the OT. Although he has many personal encounters with people, like the rich young man, the woman at the well, and the man born blind, he is more inclined to invite them to ‘Come and See’, spend time with him, then choose whether to stay. It’s the same call he has issued throughout the ages, and it’s for us who have answered it, to make it known to anyone we know who has not had the chance to hear it, as we try to do each time we run an Alpha Course, more especially when we offer an open welcome to anyone new who comes to our church.

I’ll finish with a quote Kim sent me from Pope Francis on church open-door policy and inclusivity for all who come: “We need saints without veils, without underwear. We need jeans and sneaker saints. We need saints who go to the movies, listen to music and hang out with their friends. We need saints who put God first and stand out in University. We need saints who find time to pray every day, and know how to fall in love with purity and chastity. We need modern day saints, 21^st century saints, with spirituality embedded in our time. We need saints committed to the poor and necessary social change. We need saints who sanctify themselves in the world and are not afraid to live in the world. We need saints who drink Coke and eat hot dogs, who are internet users, who listen to Ipod. We need saints who love the Eucharist and who are not ashamed to have a beer or eat pizza on the weekend with friends. We need saints who love cinema, theatre, music, dance, sports. We need sociable, open, normal, friendly, joyful fellow saints. We need saints who are in the world and know how to taste the pure and good things of the world, but without being worldly. That has to be us!”

07.01.24 ~ THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
(To hear audio file ~ click here)




A few days ago I was having a conversation about how we can improve the way we run the Foodbank, and one of the things which came up was the fact that different volunteers do things differently which can cause confusion. Obviously we need to establish a common modus operandi, based on all volunteers understanding the bigger picture of our overall mission which is not just to give out food, but to help people improve their lives. Once everybody gets the full picture, things should go more smoothly. While saying this, for some reason the thought of Christopher Columbus came into my head. He had a similar, but far more dramatic problem, on his 1492 journey to discover America. Many of the crew, who believed the world was flat, and that you could easily sail off the edge into oblivion, wanted him to turn back before it was too late. Columbus, however, knowing that knowledge dispels fear, decided to give them the full picture. He showed them how he directed their course by the stars, using a tiny instrument and calculations discovered in the East long before his time. He knew that some stars, like the Pole star, never change position, so can be used as a constant source of reference. The stars, became their symbol of hope and inspiration. They shone in the darkness, giving not only guidance but the courage to go on, and the rest, as they say, is history.
 
Long before Columbus, the Magi set off into the unknown, leaving behind everything that was comfortable and familiar, to follow their particular star, with a similar belief in their calculations. No doubt they would have experienced setbacks too, like the little hiccup in Jerusalem, when they stopped off for guidance from the experts. But they were again filled with delight when it reappeared to lead them to complete their mission successfully. The gospel goes on to say that "they returned to their country by a different way". I would suggest that they also returned in a different way. As kings themselves, used to a life of privilege, they must have been astonished at finding the new born king, not in a palace, but lying on a bed of straw, in a stable, and wondered what it could all mean.
 
Back up the road in Jerusalem, consternation reigns. They’ve certainly no idea what it all means. Why would the God of Israel reveal news of a new-born Jewish king to pagans? This is not what the chief priests and scribes of the people, called together by Herod, would have deduced from Isaiah’s words “Arise shine out Jerusalem, for your light has come”. As far as they were concerned this referred exclusively to Israel, when it returned from exile and was welcomed by the sight of the rebuilt temple lit up by hundreds of candles. But Isaiah sees beyond this narrow vision, to a city not of this earth, the Heavenly Jerusalem, lit by the glory of the Lord, and open to anyone, something echoed in Pauls’s letter to the Ephesians. “This mystery which has now been revealed through the Holy Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets, means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are part of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them in Jesus Christ”. The Magi were the first to fulfill today's prophecy from Isaiah, "The nations shall come to your light, and kings to your dawning brightness", and the first non Jews to experience the change of dynamics, from God’s particular relationship with Israel to an inclusive relationship with the whole of humanity
 
We often describe our own life as a journey, and here we all are, about to set off into the unknown territory of 2024. For some there may be a change of career, for others promotion or redundancy. For some a move with new people and new surroundings, for others marriage, a death in the family, or the birth of a child. Now, as we haven't got a clue what lies before us in this coming year, it makes sense to place our faith and hope in a guiding star, as did Columbus and the Magi. Our guiding star is, of course, Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life. However, as we’ve seen, to follow a star may mean we have to change, adapt, or leave familiar and comfortable ways behind. We may even have to face misunderstanding and rejection. But we’ll never be lost or wander aimlessly. With Christ as guide we'll always have the courage to persevere on our journey of discovery, each stage of which, through God’s love and mercy, takes us a little further down the road to heaven.


31.12.23 ~ SOLEMNITY OF THE HOLY FAMILY
(To hear audio file ~ click here)

While I was looking for a book in the Green Hut to take on holiday, I came across a DVD of ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’ the story of Michaelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel, which he was forced to do by Pope Julius II, even though he insisted he was a sculptor, not a painter. The commission was to paint the twelve apostles, but after the first two, he abandoned the task and ran away to Carrera and worked as a labourer cutting blocks of marble. Then, one day he saw a particular cloud shaped like a finger,reaching out to another cloud, and suddenly he knew what he was going to do. He returned to Rome and painted one of the world’s greatest masterpieces, which millions of people still queue up to see, depicting not just the apostles, but a whole raft of salvation history.

In everyday speech, clouds often have a symbolic meaning, usually to do with hiding something, as they hide the sun when it’s raining.Living under a cloud means there’s something dark hanging over us, but, we also say, every cloud has a silver lining. His head’s up in the clouds means he’s a dreamer. Clouds feature a lot in the scruptures too. In Exodus, the cloud hovering over the Tent of Meeting was a visible sign of God’s presence, accompanying the the Israelites the move, and protecting them wherever they were. When King Solomon inaugurated the first Temple, the ‘Holy of Holies’ was completely covered by a cloud, meaning God was with them, but in a veiled way. However, at the Transfiguration,although the hidden voice of God the Father comes from a bright cloud, he is unveiled in the physical presence of Jesus among us, “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him”. What do we make of it all? 

Well, if we go back to Moses, you might remember that when he came down from Sinai with the 10 Commandments, his face was so radiant from being with God, that the people were afraid to go near him, so he had to cover it with a veil. Commenting on that fact, St Paul says their fear of God led them to draw a veil over their own faces, which has been there ever since, and preventsthem from really understanding, the love behind the Covenant God had made with Moses. But when Jesus came, the veil was removed, literally in the case of Peter, James and John. Paul goes on to say “With unveiled faces, we must all reflect the glory of the Lord, while we are transformed into his likeness by the action of the Holy Spirit”, which means we can be transfigured too. God can work a profound transformation in anyone, who openly presentsthemselves before him. Most of us know people to whom that has actually happened. On Thursday, Mother Elvira, the founder of the Cenaculo community died. Through her homes, one of which was in our Diocese, thousands of drug addicts have had their lives transformed, through  presenting themselves openly before Christ. 

Taking that first step of openly presenting yourself before Christremoves the veil, but it doesn’t mean you get to see God face to face. There’s still, what an anonymous 14th century English Mystic calls, ‘The Cloud of Unknowing’, whose underlying message is,that the way to glimpse the nature of God, is not to think thatwe’ve got him all worked out, or to keep him in a box of our own making from preconceived and unalterable ideas, but to humblyaccept the cloud of unknowing in a positive way. It’s the difference between deliberately placing a veil over our faces to avoid seeing and understanding and, being open to letting God slowly reveal himself to us over our lifetime. Even the apostles, after their fleeting glimpse of Jesus in glory, didn’t think they had him all worked out. There was so much more they had to learn. That’s whythe most important thing to take from today’s scriptures is “Listen to him”. Seeing him can wait until our death, or the end of time, if we’re still around then. Only perseverance in God's  service leads to the glory of the beatific vision, so beautifully described in the Book of Daniel today, when we will see “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, surrounded by men of all peoples, nations and languages”. To attain that vision what matters is the simplicity of a human life, transfigured by the Spirit, and a face shining with the love of God.

As a footnote, the last time the apostles saw Jesus on this earth it was as he was being taken up in a cloud to heaven. There’s clearly more to clouds than meets the eye! As Joni Mitchell sang “I’ve looked at things from both sides now, but still somehow, it’s clouds illusions I recall, I really don’t see clouds at all”.

23.07.23 ~ 16th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(To hear audio file ~ click here)