From today’s Old Testament reading, continuing the story of the Exodus: ‘Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on […]

Today’s Old Testament reading contains these amazing words: ‘The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still’. They come in the context of the Exodus from Egypt, after Pharaoh had discovered the Israelites’ departure, and pursued them with a mighty army. ‘You have only to be still …’ The eighth century Sinaitic Abbot […]

‘For he is our peace …’ These words come from our New Testament reading for today, from Ephesians. St John Henry Newman wrote: ‘God is the God of peace, and in giving us peace He does but give Himself, He does but manifest Himself to us; for His presence is peace. Hence our Lord, in […]

From our Old Testament reading, from the book of Exodus: ‘And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any provisions’. Here is the origin of our […]

This feast was first celebrated in the late fourteenth century, and commemorates the giving of the ‘Brown Scapular’ to St Simon Stock, an Englishman, on this day in 1251. Our Lady said to him, ‘Receive, my beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that […]

Of this thirteenth century Franciscan saint, Pope Benedict XVI said: ‘What image of St Francis emerged from the heart and pen of his follower and successor, St Bonaventure? The key point: Francis is an alter Christus, a man who sought Christ passionately. In the love that impelled Francis to imitate Christ, he was entirely conformed to Christ. […]

Here is today’s Gospel, from St Matthew: ‘At that time Jesus declared, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and […]

From today’s Gospel reading, from Matthew: ‘Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent’. The mighty works are not spectacles to be viewed and then forgotten, they are meant to lead to repentance. May the action of God in our own lives, […]

‘Listen, my son …’ These opening words of the Holy Rule frame the content of the whole of Benedictine life: to listen, to incline the ear of the heart, to receive, and faithfully put into practice. There is not much left to say! May the warm, compassionate gaze of our Holy Father St Benedict be […]

Today would normally be, for us, the Solemnity of St Benedict, but this is being transferred to tomorrow. Here is part of our New Testament reading, from Ephesians: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he […]