The last verse of our New Testament reading, from the Apocalypse: ‘And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”’ In this time of Eucharistic deprivation for many in our world, these words […]

Here is part of our New Testament reading for today, from the Apocalypse: ‘And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their […]

From the seventeenth through to the nineteenth century, it is estimated that between 130,000 and 300,000 Vietnamese Catholics were martyred. Today’s saint, the priest Andrew Dung-Lac, was killed in hatred of the faith with 116 others. There are many Vietnamese nowadays in our own country, some of them priests, who serve with faithfulness and uncompromising […]

Today is also the commemoration of St Columban, or Columbanus, a sixth century Irish monk. He was educated in County Down and entered monastic life there. In about 590, he left Ireland with some twelve monks and went to Gaul. There, he founded several monasteries. He was indicted by a synod of French bishop for […]

Here is an extract from the Encyclical of Pope Pius XI, given in 1925, to establish the Feast of the Kingship of Christ: ‘It has long been a common custom to give to Christ the metaphorical title of “King,” because of the high degree of perfection whereby he excels all creatures. So he is said to […]

Here is part of the account of today’s commemoration, from the Protoevangelium of James: ‘When the child turned three, Joachim said, “Let us call the pure women of the Hebrews. Let them take up lamps and light them so that the child will not turn back and her heart will never be led away from […]

From today’s Gospel reading: ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’. This verse refers back to the prophet Isaiah: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples’. ‘My house’ can be a distinct place of worship, the Church, or indeed the individual soul. As St Paul wrote: ‘Do you not […]

This thirteenth century nun once said to her Sisters, ‘Let us all, full of holy desire, hasten to venerate the sweetest countenance of Our Lord, which will in Heaven be our All – all that a glorified soul can desire!’ As the psalmist said, ‘My heart has said of you, “Seek his Face”: your Face, […]

St Peter’s in Rome is the second-ranking patriarchal church in Rome, and it stands on the spot where St Peter was martyred. St Paul outside the Walls commemorates the great apostle, by tradition martyred on the very place where the church now stands. These two sites have been venerated by Christians from earliest times. May […]

Here is part of today’s New Testament reading, from the Apocalypse: ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me’. This recalls instantly George Herbert’s poem, ‘Love bade me welcome’: ‘Love bade […]