Thoughts and Reflections

Wisdom 6:12-16/ Ps 63(62)/1 Thessalonians 4:13-14/ Matthew 25:1-13 We live in a time that sometimes feels obsessed with health and safety. While some of the rules and the signs that get put up may seem condescending, leaving little room for common sense, there are good intentions behind most of them. These rules and guidelines should be based upon properly considered risk assessments. A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying potential hazards, evaluating the l

Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14/ Ps 24(23)/1 John 3:1-3/ Matthew 5:1-12a Looking around the world today it can be easy to become despondent. Belief in God, holiness, and faith appears to be apparent in so few. The gods of the material world are calling people to their pleasures, fleeting moments that do not last, rather than to the eternal joy of life with the one true God. The reading from Revelation today encourages us to look again, there is a great multitude, too many to count, fr

Exodus 22:21-27/ Ps 18(17)/1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10/ Matthew 22:34-40 I have recently been on holiday in Europe and visiting various cities I called into several cathedrals. At the doorway to most of them were beggars looking for a few coins from those coming and going. Do we sidestep or ignore these unfortunates, or do we see Jesus in them? It is easy to make excuses to ignore them, but we must take notice of those who are less fortunate than ourselves. We not only have a dut

Isaiah 45:1, 4-6/ Ps 96(95) 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b/ Matthew 22:15-21 When I was at primary school, a very long time ago now, we were taken to see a film called A Man for All Seasons. It is the story of Saint Thomas More. As Lord Chancellor of England, appointed by King Henry VIII, Thomas was the second most powerful man in the country but this did not save him from arrest, imprisonment and execution. A husband and father languishing in the Tower of London, all he had to do wa

Isaiah 25:6-10a/ Ps 23(22)/ Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20/ Matthew 22:1-14 I often suggest the first reading and the psalm today for funerals. In our darkest hours these words speak of a future beyond death. The prophet Isaiah gives us a glimpse of heaven. On the mountain, the Lord of hosts prepares a feast of rich food and fine wine for all peoples, he will remove the mourning veil, overcome death and wipe away tears from every face. The psalm, so familiar to us as the hymn The