Fr John Writes: ““Paul and Barnabas urged them to remain faithful to the grace God had given them.” (Acts 13:43)

In our first reading today Paul and Barnabas are continuing their missionary journey which has taken in Cyprus, Paphos and Perga. In Antioch they tell the Jews that they had the privilege of hearing...

Fr. John writes: “That Christ is truly risen from the dead we know. Victorious King, thy mercy show!” (Easter Sequence)

This Sunday is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. During the 1930’s, Sr Maria Faustina Kowolska, a nun living in the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy in Poland received a series of visions or...

Fr John Writes:“I am no longer trying for perfection by my own efforts, the perfection that comes from the Law, but I want only the perfection that comes through faith in Christ” (Philippians 3:9).

For anyone who has been struggling through Lent to give something up, or to take up some new devotion of prayer or charitable work, it might appear that St Paul is calling those endeavours...

Fr John Writes; “Grant pardon and you will be pardoned”

Last week we heard teaching from Jesus in Luke’s gospel which challenged the normal way of looking at things when he told his disciples that the poor, the hungry and those who wept were...

Fr John writes: “If you say so, I will pay out the nets”

In our Gospel story today, Jesus has used Simon Peter’s boat to address the people gathered on the shore of lake Galilee, probably using one of the inlets of the lake as a natural...

Fr John writes: I, in my turn, have decided to write an ordered account for you

” I, in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you.” (Luke 1:3) The opening chapter of Luke’s gospel is described...

Fr John writes: “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all people will see it.” (Isaiah 40:5)

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord brings Christmas Time to a conclusion and we will begin Ordinary Time in the Church’s liturgical calendar – so called because we “order” our weeks as...

Fr John Writes: O come, O come, Emmanuel!

As we light our final purple candle this week, we enter the last week of Advent. At evening prayer in the latter days of Advent, from very early times the Church has prepared with...

Fr John Writes: “All who are on the side of truth listen to my voice”

The Church’s year concludes this weekend with our Solemnity dedicated to Christ the King. This celebration was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, who was at that time concerned about increasing secularism and...