Jesus returns to his hometown Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (4: 14-22) in which Jesus reads from scripture in the synagogue on the Sabbath at Nazara. In the Gospel we have just heard, Fr Paul says, Jesus explains his mission. Jesus unrolls the scroll and stops at the central [...]
Jesus walks on water Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (6: 45-52) in which Jesus tells his disciples, "Courage! It is I; do not be afraid”. Fr Paul says, like yesterday, we can read this Gospel two ways. One is that the disciples still do not fully trust Jesus. They [...]
Jesus feeds the Five Thousand Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Mark (6: 34-44) in which Jesus takes pity on the people because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Fr Paul says today’s Gospel can be read in a number of ways. We can look at it as a eucharist [...]
Jesus begins to preach and cure the sick Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (4: 12-17, 23-25) in which Jesus begins to preach and cure the sick. In today’s Gospel we hear the beginning of Jesus’s ministry and, Fr Paul says, Matthew does this by first introducing us to a [...]
St Basil and St Gregory Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (1: 19-28) in which John the Baptist declares he is not the Christ but rather a ‘voice that cries in the wilderness make a straight way for the Lord’. Today we celebrate the feasts of St Basil and St [...]
Solemnity of Mary Mother of God Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (2: 16-21) about the shepherds’ visit to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Fr Paul says we begin our New Year with the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, honouring Mary as the mother of God, which can be [...]
The Word became flesh On this last day of the year, Fr Paul reads from John (1: 1-18), which is the prologue of John’s Gospel and has a special place in Christian theology because it sums up the whole work of redemption. Fr Paul explains the concept of a parabolic movement using [...]
Anna meets Jesus in the Temple Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (2: 36-40) in which the Holy Family encounter Anna, the prophetess, in the temple. Yesterday, Fr Paul says, the Gospel was all about Simeon and today, as the presentation of our Lord continues, for balance and equality, the [...]
Jesus is presented at the Temple Fr Paul reads (from a special location) from the Gospel of Luke (2: 22-35) in which we hear about the presentation of the Lord in the temple. This Gospel, he says, is dominated by Simeon’s welcome and by his warning to Mary. Simeon’s message reiterates the [...]
Feast of the Holy Innocents As today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents, Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (2: 13-18) about the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt after an angel tells Joseph in a dream to do so. Fr Paul says this Feast remembers all [...]