Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (4: 26-34) where Jesus shares the parables of the growing seed and mustard seed. Fr Paul begins the reflection by sharing that Jesus was from the country, from the rich agricultural plains of Galilee, where wheat and fruit-trees were plentiful. It was natural for him [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Mark (4: 21-25) in which Jesus shares the parables of the lamp and the measure. Fr Paul says this Gospel reading consists of two parables and their commentaries. In the parable of the lamp, we should picture a flickering oil-lamp being carried in, perhaps a [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Matthew (23: 8-12) in which Jesus says ‘The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, and anyone who humbles themselves will be exalted’. Afterwards, Fr Paul shares a little about the life of St Thomas Aquinas whose memorial [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (3: 31-35) in which, Jesus asks, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers and sisters?’. In this Gospel, Fr Paul says we hear that the mother, brothers and sisters of Jesus appear. They will appear again in the scene of the rejection of Jesus at [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Matthew (5: 1-12) in which Jesus goes up to the mountainside and his disciples come to him and he begins to teach them. Fr Paul says these eight blessings are at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, pointing out eight ways in which [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of John (15: 9-17) in which Jesus says, ‘This is my commandment: Love each other as I have loved you. A man can have no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (3: 13-19) in which Jesus went up on a mountainside and summoned those he wanted, so they came to him, and he appointed twelve as companions and to proclaim God’s Kingdom. Fr Paul says the names of the Twelve vary in different accounts of the [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Mark (3: 7-12) in which large crowds followed Jesus everywhere when they heard about all he was doing. Fr Paul says we hear today that Jesus withdraws to the lakeside where the great crowd gathers, which Matthew will use as the audience for his great [...]
Today, as we celebrate the memorial of our Parish’s patron saint, St Agnes, Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Matthew (13: 44-46) in which Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like finding a hidden treasure or a pearl of great value. After reading the Gospel, Fr Paul shares a little [...]
Fr Paul Gooley reads today’s Gospel from Mark (2: 23-28) in which Jesus says to the Pharisees, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, so the son of man is master even of the Sabbath”. Fr Paul says in Mark’s account this story is subtly different from the more [...]