In this passage from John’s Gospel (15: 18-21), Jesus says to the disciples, ‘If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own’.Fr Paul says at this point in his life, Jesus knew that his time was [...]
As Fr Paul is away this week for the Annual Clergy Retreat, we are revisiting his Gospel readings and reflections for the 5th Week of Easter last year. The 50 days of the Easter season are so important that the Church uses the same readings each year for this period (unless it is [...]
Fr Paul reads from John’s Gospel (15: 9-11) in which Jesus tells his disciples, ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. [...]
Fr Paul reads from John’s Gospel (15: 1-8) in which Jesus says ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in them, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing’.The vine was a long and loved symbol of Israel. It has been [...]
Fr Paul reads from John’s Gospel (14: 27-31) in which the Jesus gives the gift of peace to his disciples saying, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid’.Fr Paul says, today, we continue to read from the farewell discourse of Jesus. As we hear, he is preparing his disciples for when [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (14: 21-26) in which Jesus says to his disciples, ‘The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you’.Fr Paul says this Gospel reading we hear today [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (15: 9-17) in which Jesus says, ‘As the Father has loved me so I have loved you. Remain in my love’. After reading the Gospel, Fr Paul shares a little about St Matthias, whose memorial we celebrate today.Fr Paul says Matthias was not one of [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (14: 1-6) in which Jesus says, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled; trust in God still and trust in me’.Fr Paul says this Gospel reading today comes from the beginning of Jesus’ talk after the Last Supper. In reality, he says, it is a speech [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (13: 16-20) in which Jesus says, no servant is greater than his master; no messenger is greater than the one who sent them.Fr Paul says this is the only Gospel reading about the Last Supper that is used in our Easter Season. The first act [...]
Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (12: 44-50) in which Jesus declared publicly ‘Whoever believes in me believes not in me, but in the one who sent me’. Fr Paul says the whole of the Gospel of John can be broken in to two halves. One you would call the Book of [...]