In the Archdiocese of Birmingham, today is kept as the Feast of St Birinus, Bishop, who was sent by Pope Honorius I to England in the seventh century. He was a Benedictine monk of the monastery of St Andrew, on the Coelian Hill in Rome. Eventually on arrival in England he established his See at […]

This late seventh century Doctor of the Church was a monk of St Sabbas’ monastery, Jerusalem. His defence of the Faith was robust; he had also a strong devotion to Our Lady. Of the Holy Trinity, he said: ‘Think of the Father as a spring of life begetting the Son, like a river and the […]

This tireless missionary was one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus, with St Ignatius of Loyola. His field of endeavour was the East – India, Borneo, Indonesia and Japan. He died whilst on his way to China to evangelise there. His body rests now in Goa, in India, in the Basilica of […]

Here is part of today’s Old Testament reading, from Isaiah: ‘There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots’. This recalls another line from Isaiah: ‘In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be […]

This Jesuit Martyr died at Tyburn in 1581. Raised an Anglican, he became a Deacon in 1568, having studied at Oxford. Later, he travelled to Douai and was received into the full communion of the Catholic Church. He went for studies to Rome, and from there entered the Society of Jesus. After a time in […]

Known as ‘The First-Called’, this Apostle looks out at us with eyes of compassion – just like his Lord. At this time of pandemic, this compassion is sorely needed, and we receive it gratefully. The eyes of the Lord are upon us, and he knows each one of us and our particular need. St Andrew, […]

The keeping of Advent echoes down the centuries, as the ancient manuscripts remind us. It is a time to draw inwards, to set our hearts in love on a journey towards Bethlehem, the ‘House of Bread’, where One awaits us who will be the Saviour of the world. In these challenging times, the Lord still […]

Here is part of today’s New Testament reading, from the Apocalypse: ‘Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its […]

Jesus said: ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away’. In these times with everything in constant flux, we need to remember the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘He will be the stability of your times’. This word also does not pass away, for it is fulfilled, brought to completion […]

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 […]