Pastoral

Fr Paul reads from Mark’s Gospel (7: 1-13) in which the scribes and Pharisees take Jesus to task about how his disciples live out Jewish law and customs. Today in this Gospel, Fr Paul says, we hear debate about the difference between oral law and the written law.  The Pharisees, who Jesus is [...]

Fr Paul reads from Mark’s Gospel (6: 53-56) in which people laid the sick everywhere Jesus went in the hope they might touch the fringe of his cloak and be healed. Fr Paul says this reading sums up the activity of Jesus in this first part of his ministry in Galilee.  As [...]

Fr Paul reads from Mark’s Gospel (6: 30-34) in which Jesus tells the apostles to go away by themselves to a lonely place so they may have some rest, and shares a little about St Paul Miki and his companions, whose memorial we celebrate today. Fr Paul tells us that Paul Miki [...]

Fr Paul reads the Gospel from Mark (6: 14-29) about King Herod ordering the execution of John the Baptist. He then shares a little about St Agatha, whose life we celebrate today. A bit like St Agnes, Fr Paul says, we do not know all that much about the life of Agatha. [...]

Fr Paul reads the Gospel from Mark (6: 7-13), in which Jesus sends the twelve out to preach with nothing for the journey. Fr Paul says today in the Gospel we hear Jesus’s instructions for those who are going out on missionary journeys. We hear that they are to travel light. They [...]

Fr Paul reads the Gospel from Mark (6: 1-6), in which Jesus returns to his hometown, Nazareth, and speaks at the synagogue. What is interesting about today’s Gospel, says Fr Paul, is that in going home the people that know Jesus recognise him as an extraordinary person of Wisdom; they recognise him [...]

Fr Paul reads the Gospel from Luke (2: 22-40), which tells of Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to be presented at the temple. Fr Paul says, the celebration we have today, the Presentation of the Lord, has had several names down through history.  It has also been known as Candlemas and as [...]

Fr Paul reads the Gospel from Mark (5: 1-20) in which Jesus drives the demons out of the tormented man. The Gospel and story of the demoniac is special in several ways, says Fr Paul. Firstly, this is the only time that the writer of Mark’s Gospel tells of Jesus interacting with [...]

Fr Paul reads the Gospel from Mark (4: 35-41) in which Jesus, in a boat with his frightened disciples, calms the storm. When we read this Gospel, Fr Paul says, it seems Jesus has chosen a pretty dumb and unappreciative group of disciples. Even though they do call him ‘Master’, they still [...]