Third Sunday of Lent – Year A

Today a very human picture is painted of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan Women at the well.  Jesus who was exhausted from his long walk in the heat of the sun, sat wearily down and asked a woman for a drink of water.  By doing so, he dismissed a century’s old Jewish tradition.  Since Jews did not talk to Samaritan’s because of an old feud during the time when Israel was divided into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.

Jesus begins the conversation with what seems like weakness: “Give me a drink.”  God comes to us as one who thirsts.  This is not only physical thirst; it symbolises His longing for us.  St. Augustine famously said, “God thirsts, to be thirsted for.”  In Jesus, God reveals that He desires a relationship with us more deeply than we often desire Him.  He takes the first step, initiating conversation, breaking boundaries, crossing lines that humans have drawn.

The woman taking Jesus literally, and was astonished to hear that he could provide her with water that would last forever.  As the conversation deepens the woman came to realise that her problem was not the lack of water, but an inner thirst that no earthly water could satisfy.  A thirst that was caused by the absence of God in her life.  Jesus led her to look deeply into her troubled life and helped unburdened her soul.  Jesus accepted her as she came to terms with everything she ever did wrong, and was released from her guilt.  Jesus gave her hope and offered her nothing less than the living waters of friendship and the Holy Spirit of God which leads to eternal life.

It took five husbands to teach the Samaritan Woman from her mistakes.  Jesus’ conversation gives her great hope, because a worthwhile life seemed to be beyond her.  However, Jesus won her over by gently leading her out of herself and raising her mind and heart to higher things.  This conversation at the well restored this woman’s dignity and changed her life.

Notice what happens next. She leaves her water jar behind. The very symbol of her old routine, her old thirsts, her old patterns, she abandons it. When Christ truly enters a life, something must be left behind.  Conversion means letting go not only of sin, but of the illusions we cling to, those false wells from which we keep drawing.

Then something remarkable happens:  she becomes an evangelist. The woman who came alone, avoiding others, now runs to the town to tell them about Jesus. Grace does not merely soothe wounds; it sends us out.

She becomes a witness not because she has all the answers, but because she has encountered the One who knows her completely and loves her still.

Many believed in Jesus because of her testimony. The one who felt least worthy, becomes the means by which others meet the Saviour. That is the pattern of the Gospel. God chooses the unlikely. He works through the broken. He builds His kingdom with people who know their thirst and have discovered where the true water is found.

The people eventually say, “We no longer believe because of your word; we have heard for ourselves.”  Evangelisation always leads to this. Our task is not to convert others ourselves, but to lead them to the One who speaks to their hearts more deeply than we ever could.

The Lord sits today beside the well of our own lives. He meets us in our routines, our hidden wounds, our unspoken loneliness. He comes not to judge but to draw out our thirst so that He may fill it.

Let us bring to Him the jars we carry, our burdens, our disappointments, our sins, our desires, and let us ask Him for the living water only He can give.

May we, like the Samaritan woman, allow ourselves to be known, to be healed, and to be sent. And may we discover in Jesus the One who satisfies every thirst.

Second Sunday of Lent – Year A

In the first reading from Genesis, we hear the new covenant being made between God and Abraham, where his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the night sky. 

Like Abraham we are also called to journey into the unknown, to test our limits, to go that extra mile, and to respond to God’s call at all times.  In our moments of crisis or when life is clouded with despair, it is important to keep on trusting God in his Word.  As Christians we walk by faith, since Jesus is the ‘Word of God’, and he is almighty and powerful, he will always walk along with us. 

In the gospel, we hear the story of that amazing event of the Transfiguration.  I had the privilege to visit Mount Tabor, while on pilgrimage at Seminary college.  Time to contemplated the bible scene in my head, which was an overwhelming and humbling experience. 

We hear that the three apostles were also completely overwhelmed when they saw Christ, in all his Divine Glory.

This event came soon after the announcement from Jesus, about his coming Passion and Death.  This Transfiguration is the visible anticipation of what Jesus had revealed to the apostles about his Resurrection and future Glory.  For a brief moment, three of his closest apostles, had the privilege to see Jesus as he really is, human and divine, full of Power and Glory.  It was to establish beyond all doubt that Jesus was the Son of God. 

It was a blessing for these three Apostles, because it gave them the steadfastness of faith they needed, to accompany the Lord through the darkness of Jesus’ arrest at Gethsemane and the humiliation of his Passion and Death.

A cloud covered them and a voice from Heaven saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” 

Clouds have a profound significance for the people of Israel, since it was the means by which God visibly manifested his presence during their wanderings in the desert.  The cloud symbolises the Mystery of God, and it is also a sign of the Holy Spirit, who overshadowed the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation, and dwells in the hearts of all believers.  At the Transfiguration the cloud reveals that God’s new and eternal dwelling place, where heaven and earth meet, is Jesus Christ himself.

For us today and during this Lenten season, we should not be spectators of this wonderful event of the Transfiguration, but like the apostles, we should be encouraged to climb the mountain and to reflect upon his message. 

It is only through his Passion and Death that Christ came to the Glory of his Resurrection.  If he is to transfigure our sinful bodies, to make them copies of his own glorious body, then the road we should take, is also one of suffering, travelling with Christ, along our own pilgrimage journey here on earth. 

Lent provides us with an excellent opportunity, through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, to put our hearts in order.  It teaches us that the road to heaven is by the sweat of our brow, through our daily frustrations and disappointments.  However, by working through these problems we are able to meet people with kindness, with love and with compassion. 

May this season, help us to overcome our weakness’ and to grow in maturity, through God’s grace and patience.  Because nothing in this world, that is worthwhile or worth waiting for, is ever simple or straightforward. 

May we all grow brighter, the more we turn towards God, since we are created in his image and likeness. Furthermore we are meant to reflect his Glory, through our Baptism, being beacons of God’s divine light, for the whole world to see.

Then one day, when we are finally called from this life, we may have the greatest of all privileges to see the Lord’s Glory, by seeing God face to face, with all the Angels and Saints in his Heavenly Kingdom.

First Sunday of Lent – Year A

APPOINTED TO BE READ AT ALL PUBLIC MASSES IN ALL CHURCHES AND CHAPELS IN THE DIOCESE OF LANCASTER ON THE WEEKEND OF 21st/22nd FEBRUARY 2026

Pastoral Letter First Sunday of Lent 2026

My dear people,

The simple invitation of Jesus to each of us is, ‘Follow me’.  But we dither and pause and fall behind and lose our way.  We have given in to temptation and lost heart and spoilt life not only for ourselves but for others too, and we have lost our Guide and don’t know what to do. Each Lent Jesus tells us to rise up and follow Him.  He has not given up on us; nor should we give up on ourselves or on each other, no matter what catastrophes have befallen us.  He enters the wilderness in search of Adam and Eve who were expelled from Eden when they sinned, but with hope that they might be found and forgiven and restored.

Jesus also sends His disciples out to search for the fallen. In two weeks’ time we will hear the Gospel telling us about the woman Jesus met at the well.  I would like us to reflect on that woman today, in advance.  She is sent to us by Christ and is a helpful companion for us on our Lenten journey.  There may be much in her story that we share.

It is usual for the girls and women to walk together to the well, normally in the cool of early morning or in the evening after the heat. Some suggest that this woman is out of favour with the others. Perhaps she has a bad reputation, given the tragic life she has suffered, and finds it easier to avoid the company of others.  But there is another way of understanding her.  She wants the best water she can find for her family and for herself.  After all that has happened and all the failures, deep within her heart she still has the desire for something good.  She wants the best water.  It makes me think of prisoners who still hope for a better life, or people whose lives have been devastated by war, daring to hope for something better.  I think of those who have been abused but will not let the memories rob them of a better future.

Let us picture the group of girls going for water at dawn.  Chatting, laughing, gossiping, enjoying one another’s company.  The chatter continues as buckets are thrown down the well, one after the other. They hit the sides of the well going down, knocking earth into the water.  Hitting the water, the buckets stir up the sediment.  Pulled up, one after the other, they knock against the sides of the well, and the water level drops because so many buckets have to be filled.  A price is paid for following the crowd – dirty water.

Now let us notice this woman, approaching the well alone at the hottest time of the day.  The dirt has had hours to settle. The aquifers have fed fresh water into the well, and the water levels has risen.  With care she can draw up the best water the well can offer.  The loneliness and the heat are worth the trouble.  This woman can be a model of encouragement for us.  

The efforts we see her make encourage each of us to search for the best life, the Life Jesus offers us.  Our religious practice will often mean we live differently from those around us, but see the reward!

Let us turn now to the classic exercises of Lent, given to us by Christ Himself; these are Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.  I note how Jesus speaks to His disciples assuming they do these things.  He says, ‘When you pray, when you fast, when you give alms. . .’  The first question I must ask myself is – if I wish to be counted as a disciple of Christ, do I pray, do I fast, do I give alms?  Jesus Himself waits for my honest answer, not waiting to condemn me but telling me to choose these exercises if I want to be His disciple.

So, why do they matter?  Prayer acknowledges that God is the source of all that is good.  God is the life and love we long for and He offers us eternal life.  Prayer engages the spirit, reminding us that we are spiritual beings, made in God’s image and likeness.  Fasting acknowledges that we are also flesh, we have bodies and bodily appetites.  Created by God, we must somehow find ways of showing who we belong to, body and soul, where we come from, and where our ultimate loyalty lies.  Fasting also enables us to admit that we have done wrong and must do penance as an expression of our guilt, shame and sorrow for the hurt and damage caused.  Almsgiving acknowledges that my life – even my spiritual life – is not just a private affair.  I am part of a body of people, and part of the Body of Christ.  I must have a concern for the well-being of others, both spiritually and materially.

Almsgiving makes this real, and as well as being a matter of justice it is a clear expression of generosity inspired by my awareness of the Father’s generosity.  Almsgiving prevents my prayer and fasting becoming selfish.

Practically I encourage us all to renew or refresh our prayer life, especially parents with young children.  Establish habits of simple prayer.  I commend the School of Prayer promoted through the parishes this Lent.  May it give you more confidence in your prayer lives.  Many of you may have your own favourite charities, but I encourage you to support the work of CAFOD, Aid to the Church in Need and MISSIO (the Pontifical Mission Societies).  (I do understand many have limited budgets.  You aren’t expected to give to everything!)  I also encourage you to make a strong effort to pray the Stations of the Cross this Lent either at home or in your parishes.  See what Christ has done for us and what He wants for us.  I also ask you to pray for the many people who are preparing to be Baptised and received into Full Communion this coming Easter.  

Have a serious but joyful Lent!

With my blessing,

+ Right Rev Paul Swarbrick

Bishop of Lancaster

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

“You are the light of the world and salt of the earth.”  This is an unusual sentence to comprehend.  What does scripture mean about being the salt of the earth?  Salt is used to flavour and preserve food.  So, Jesus is explaining to us, that by living out the beatitudes that we heard last week, His followers, which were the early Christians, and us to, will help to preserve ‘goodness’ in the world.  Salt also adds taste to food.  I bet all of us at some point, have had ‘salt and vinegar’ added onto their fish and chips as we walked through town or along the sea coast.  Salt brings out the taste that we all enjoy and love, as we remember happy times from our childhood, having fish and chips with our parents or friends. 

We can start to understand that being a Christian adds flavour to our daily lives.  It gives us joy, inspiration, love and hope that we need to carry on with our duties, this flavour of saltiness of being a Christian, rubs onto others, which helps them to, keep society wholesome and upright.

In the book of Genesis, we hear in the creation account, that God’s first act was to dispel darkness and bring order out of chaos by producing his divine light.  Today’s gospel reminds us of our noble calling to bring Jesus’ light into our world.  The brightness we receive in our lives is the result of following Christ closely in his divine footsteps. 

To reflect God, our hearts must be a mirror, clear as glass, bright as light, without spot or stain, in order to reflect God’s love and mercy. 

When I was a Seminarian, I asked a priest whom I was on placement with:  Why do priests seem to go to confession very regularly?  To me, it seemed that they went every couple of weeks, while I was only going every couple of months or sometimes even longer.  The priest said to me in reply:  When looking in a mirror from a distance, you can only see the really large imperfections on the mirror, which are blocking your view of yourself.  The closer you get to the mirror, the smaller details of imperfections start to appear.  If you relate these imperfections to sin on your heart, the closer to get to God, the more imperfections you notice in the mirror of your soul.  The light reflecting from it, becomes dull and it needs a good clean, through the Sacrament of Confession. 

Living a Holy life will produce the deepest impression on people around you.  Take the example of a lighthouse, it shines out, showing people away from disaster and rocks.  We can use our light in the same way, to show people away from sin and evil, bringing goodness, joy and happiness into people’s lives. 

There is a warmth and attractiveness about reflecting the image of Jesus, this genuine presence of God in our hearts enriches the whole community and enables the best in others.  We can celebrate the presence of God either at home or at work, without going out of our comfort zone, or doing anything exceptional. 

Living a Holy live doesn’t need to be over complicated, we can incorporate it easily in ordinary things, like selfless love, loyalty to each other, dedication to your children.  This provides an environment where Christ can be seen, loved, and cherished.  This is what being ‘salt of the earth’ looks like, it gives flavour and sparkle to our daily lives and lets the light of Christ shine forth for the world to see.

Let us take Jesus’ teachings to our hearts today, allowing the world to see our good works, our good examples as Christian people.  This will enable the world to come closer to the Lord Jesus and to give Glory and Praise to our Heavenly Father in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

‘Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’  By Jesus’ announcement of the Kingdom of Heaven, he has been drawing up a large crowd from Galilee and around the surrounding regions.  In this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains what it means to live under God’s reign.  It shows the fundamental attitudes that his disciples should have in order to have a loving relationship with God the Father, towards Jesus who is Lord, to one another as brothers and sisters, and even to our enemies.  We as God’s children are to live differently from others in the world, following a standard that is nothing less than being ‘perfect’, as our Heavenly Father is perfect.  As we all know, we are sinful people, and you may think this bar seems too high to reach, but we have to try and keep trying again and again, allowing the Lord to help us and mould us through his love and mercy.

This Sermon on the Mount compels the listener to ask themselves, who is this man?  Who is Jesus?  With Christ’s radical demands and unique claims of authority, Jesus asserts himself as the key interpreter of the Torah, (which is the Jewish Bible) and is superseding all previous understandings of the Law of Moses.  Jesus is making his own teaching the new standard for righteousness, making the claim that he is on the same exalted level as the Lawgiver, God himself.  With Jesus making these claims, it is no wonder that the crowds are astonished at his authority. 

Jesus teaches on a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee, a place where I have visited and stayed on pilgrimage.  It is a beautiful setting and well worth a visit. 

Hills and mountains are often a place of divine revelation.  We often hear in the scriptures Jesus walking up the mountain to pray.  Also, in the Old Testament we hear Moses going up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments.  So, in this way, when Jesus went up the hillside of the Sea of Galilee, it shows to the Jewish people that he is the New Moses, not to receive the Law this time, but to teach it with loving compassion and zeal.         

In the beatitudes Jesus puts a high value on mercy, forgiveness and gentleness.  He rejects wealth and the freedom to do as we like, because this gives us the impression that we can manage on our own, without taking God into consideration. 

Everything the world values, is absent from what Jesus teaches in the beatitudes. What the world rejects as bad, Jesus counts as a blessing.  The beatitudes give us a cause to reflect, since they turn our normal values upside down.  Let us ask ourselves, are we guided by the secular society around us or by the moral values of the Gospel, founded on Jesus Christ?

What can we do to share God’s love in the world?  As Christians we are called to be a beacon of light for the world, setting an example for others to follow.  When we imitate Christ’s love, mercy and charity, the world  sees our good deeds and will glorify Our Heavenly Father.  Rejoice and be glad then, that we are follows of Christ Jesus, a witness to the Good News, and happy to boast in zeal about God Our Father, and your reward will be great in Heaven.

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday of the ‘Word of God’.

“Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”  Today we hear how Jesus moves to his new home at Capernaum, a thriving busy fishing town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.  This became a good base for Jesus starting his ministry.  Then he builds up a group of disciples, starting with four men, Peter and Andrew, then later James and John.  Remarkably without deliberation or hesitation they dropped everything and followed him.  I wished it was all that easy for me when I first heard my calling for the Priesthood.  I had so many barriers to overcome, with mountains of problems to deal with that I felt I couldn’t cope.  So, here is a little of my vocational story.

It was around 2008 when I started thinking more deeply about my life’s direction.  My occupation at that time was working at Preston Hospital in the Computer department, fixing and maintaining their computer systems.  But I felt something was missing, I wasn’t being fulfilled in my work any longer, I was longing to help in God’s mission of spreading the Good News, but unsure exactly how to do it.   

I was a regular church goer every Sunday’s, but all of a sudden, I felt one hour per week didn’t feel adequate to me anymore.  So, I made the effort to go more regularly.  The more I prayed, especially in front of the Blessed Sacrament during Holy Hour, the more Jesus was speaking to me, and I was being pulled towards the idea of the Priesthood.

It wasn’t until the Late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI visit to the UK in 2010 for the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman when I decided that enough time had been spent thinking about the Priesthood, and I needed to start getting the ball rolling.  So, I contacted the vocations director and started my many monthly meetings. 

My discernment process didn’t go smoothly, I was rejected twice at the interview stages, that made me depressed.  But with perseverance, over the next few years, I was given a twelve month placement opportunity within the diocese.   

Finally, I was accepted by the Bishop, to study at St. Mary’s College, Oscott in Birmingham for my Seminary training.  It was a six-year course, studying for a double degree in Theology.  As you can imagine living at Seminary is not the easiest thing to do.  Living with 60 other seminaries, day in, day out, you really looked forward to your day off.  Like most communities there were arguments and disagreements that had to be worked through.  But you keep saying to yourself, its not a monastery you’re not here forever. 

It was important not to dwell too much on work or exams, even though at times, it was very stressful.  What was key is my relationship with the Lord, keeping up my prayer life, being open to change, which would mould me into a better person, allowing me to become a good priest for the future.

As you can imagine there were many dropouts at college, people you didn’t expect, thinking that they would become great priests.  But through the grace of God, I made it to Priestly Ordination.  It was all worthwhile, but it was a long and challenging time of training and discernment.  The Lord must have thought I needed it.

So, today, as we celebrate ‘Sunday of the Word of God’ may we too be open to God’s Word, God’s call in our lives, whatever it may be.  Either at home, or at work, helping with Church duties, or joining Church groups. 

Give yourself time to listen to His voice in the silence of your hearts.  You maybe being prompted to help as a Reader or an Altar server.  Or maybe the religious life of being a Sister, Deacon or Priest.  Whatever it may be, take that step, full of confidence, and the Lord will reward you with so many blessings for your faith, love and charity.

The Lord calls everybody in some shape or form.  May we too become ‘fishers of men’ ready to drop everything at His ‘Word’ to build up the Kingdom of Heaven, and to change the world.

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A

“I will make you the light of the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”  Today we are reminded of Jesus’ baptism, the start of Jesus’ ministry to gather all people into the one family of God.  It also points forward to Jesus’ Passion and Dead as we read in scripture ‘when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all nations to myself.’

When we are baptised in Christ, we are anointed Priest, Prophet and King.  The Holy Spirit descended upon us, giving us the light of Christ.  When the Pascal candle is lit, it is in remembrance of Jesus’ Resurrection, bringing light into the world, conquering all sin and darkness.  Our personal baptismal candle was originally lit from the Pascal candle to be kept burning as the light of Christ shining brightly in our lives.  The priest says during the rite of baptism, ‘We are to walk always as children of the light, and to keep this flame of faith burning brightly within our hearts.’  

Our seed of faith takes a lifetime to grow in the love of God.  It needs to mature and blossom.  As we live as God’s Children, we have responsibilities to keep.  We are asked to lead good holy lives, and to follow Jesus’ example in all that we do.  But we are only human after all, and temptation is always close at hand.  If we ever feel down, depressed, feeling lost, or have a sense of darkness coming over us, then ‘switch on’ the light of our hearts. 

God’s power shines out where we least expect it, and in the most unlikely of places.  The Holy Spirit is always at work, in the very depths of our hearts, through good times and bad. 

With this free gift of the Holy Spirit given to us at our Baptism, we are called to continue the saving work of Christ Jesus.  Spreading the Good News, so that God’s salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.  John the Baptist in today’s Gospel, highlights this Good News, ‘Look, there is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.’  Through the Sacraments of the Church, especially in the Eucharist, we are able to see Jesus face to face.  What a real privilege we have been given.  Seeing Jesus’ Body and Blood shed during His  sacrifice on the Cross.  Jesus’ finest hour of Exaltation and Glorification.  Through our baptism we have become witnesses to this Good News, and it is too good, too glorious not to spread it, especially when we are a joyful Easter people, and ‘Alleluia’ is our song. 

Everyone is called to be with the Lord, to have a personal relationship with him.  We are called to be beacons of God’s light, pointing the way to Jesus.  This is our role, this is our common vocation.  To shine out like stars, allowing people to follow our good example as Christians and witnesses in the Lord Jesus.

St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians sees the community as a consecrated and holy people, set apart and distinct. 

This holiness being shared openly, brings new members into God’s family, expanding the community of Christians, allowing it to increase, in hope, love and charity.

May we radiate God’s light today, pointing the way to Jesus, allowing our family and friends to see.  May we also celebrate our own baptism, our entry into the One Holy and Apostolic Church, which gives us daily access to all the Sacraments that the Lord has given to us, to strengthen us physically and spiritually in heart, mind and soul. 

May our mission in the Lord Jesus be fruitful in spreading the light to the nations, so that the salvation of the Lord may reach to the ends of the earth.  Amen.

The Feast day of the Baptism of the Lord

“It is I who need baptism from you, said John, and yet you come to me.”  After the infancy narratives the events move forward to the start of Jesus’ public ministry.  John the Baptist has begun his mission to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’ and now calls Israel to repent and be baptised at the River Jordan. 

Now Jesus having travelled from Galilee, joins the crowd of repentant sinners to be baptised.  John acknowledges his lesser role in relation to Christ since John’s baptism is only by water for repentance.  John sees himself needing to be baptised by Jesus, the One who will ‘Baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire.’

But why did Jesus have to be baptised at all?  He was sinless and had nothing to repent.  Nevertheless, at the beginning of his public ministry Jesus demonstrates his unity with sinful Israel by going into the same waters as the repentant crowd.  In this way Jesus shows that he has come to unite himself with sinners, and by doing so, he foreshadows how he will bear the sins of humanity at the climax of his mission on the cross.

So, Jesus being baptised by John becomes the occasion for his anointing as the Messiah-king and the confirmation of his Divine Sonship.  Jesus was being commissioned as a prophet like Ezekial of old, to the people of Israel.  The heavenly world being revealed to those on earth, God is now revealing who Jesus is. 

So far in the Gospel, an angel, the Magi, and John the Baptist have confirmed Christ’s identity and mission.  Now the heavens are opened and we encounter God’s own voice revealing who Jesus is by saying: ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.’

The Holy Spirit descending like a dove recalls Noah’s dove that signalled the end of the flood, and the beginning of the new world. 

It also recalls Genesis chapter one, when the Spirit of God came hovering over the waters like a bird.  With both these images in mind St. Matthew is pointing out that the event of Jesus’ baptism at the beginning of his public ministry, marks the beginning of a new world, a new creation, whereby he will redeem all of humanity.

There is a lot to take in, from this relatively short Gospel passage, Jesus allows himself to be numbered among sinners, since he is already ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world’.  Through his Baptism, he is already anticipating the baptism of his passion and death.   

Today’s feast reminds us of our own baptism, an important date to remember and celebrate.  It is a time of special importance because it marks our own spiritual birth in Christ Jesus, the beginning of the Lord reaching down and touching our lives, claiming us for his own adopted Children.  We are now part of God’s family, free from original sin and can call God ‘Abba Father’.  Obviously, being a member of God’s family involves obligations and responsibilities in which we should take seriously, in order to lead good holy lives. 

By our Baptism we are invited to answer God’s call to be holy, since it is everybody’s vocation to become ‘Saints’ in Heaven.

So, let us follow Jesus, by being a committed follower, spreading the Good News, and leading a life full of Happiness, Love, and Peace, as we celebrate today the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Epiphany of the Lord

“The sight of the star filled them with great joy and as they entered into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him.” 

The stars are so beautiful on a clear night, I often look up and ponder the greatness of God’s creation.  Three years ago I went to see the ‘Northen Lights’ in Reykjavik, in Iceland, but unfortunately they were not on display during my trip, so I saw nothing at all.  However, another awe-inspiring show was nearby while I was there, a volcano was currently erupting, causing havoc to the local people and businesses in that area.

Today we hear the Magi finally arriving to the manger, seeking out Jesus, King of the Jews, the one they had been waiting for.  They now see him clearly, wrapped in swaddling clothes, since he was hidden amongst the stars, all these years, before his birth in Bethlehem.

The Magi were deep in wonder at what they have seen.  Even though, they were the last to arrive, however, they became the first to believe, among the Gentile people.

The idea of a star signalling the birth of a great person or a king was popular in the ancient world.  There had been various explanations over recent years, to work out what this star might have been.  Was it a comet?  Or maybe a planet?  Was it a stellar explosion in space, or maybe an angel from God?  Some scientists think it was it a combination of two planets, Jupiter and Saturn side by side, making it extra bright in the night sky?  In the end, we do not actually know for certain what it was. 

However, this star led the Magi to Bethlehem, and it came to rest over the dwelling place where Jesus was.  Whatever the nature of this star, it was God intervening in an extraordinary way to lead the Magi to the Messiah. 

Their long journey now reaches its climax, as they see the child Jesus in front of them.  Immediately they fell prostrated, lying on their faces in order to pay him homage. 

Prostration before kings was common in the ancient Near East, but we read in Matthew’s Gospel that prostration and homage is also associated with divine worship.  The Magi therefore, offered Christ the worship that Herod, the Chief Priests and the Scribes failed to offer. 

The Magi were gentiles, thus, making this Gospel account have a deeper meaning.  The Magi represents all of us, as gentiles.  Their journey through deserts and mountains following the star, reflects our own search for purpose and meaning in life, which is not possible unless we are guided by faith. 

During this festive season, it is the innocence of the new-born child, who is honoured by adoration, wonder and mystery.  Anyone who searches, will find him, and he will shed light into our darkness, making us anew.

The Magi acknowledged Jesus’ royal dignity by offering him gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.  These three gifts represent three aspects of the mystery of Christ. 

Gold points to Jesus’ kingship, the incense to his Divine Sonship, and the myrrh to the mystery of his Passion and Death. 

The Church Fathers marvelled over the faith of the Magi, as they fell down and worshipped God in human flesh and offered up their gifts.  This is the type of response that we should continue to make as we meet Jesus in the Eucharist today.  Through our senses we see bread and wine, but with eyes of faith we know it to be the very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Through the Magi’s example to all the nations of the world, may we keep the Lord in the centre of our lives, always seeking his love and mercy.  Through the Real Presence of Jesus, may we give him homage on bended knee, now, and in the years to come. 

Second Sunday of Christmas

Christmas is a season of reverence and wonder, a time when we come together to rejoice in the sweet mystery of the Incarnation: that God became flesh and dwelt among us.  Today’s readings deepen that mystery, inviting us to go beyond the crib’s simplicity and into the profound beauty of Christ’s presence and purpose.

In our first reading describes Wisdom as an em-bodied attribute of God.  Wisdom rests among the people of Israel, ministering in the holy temple.  In Jewish tradition, Wisdom represents God’s guiding principles, the divine blueprint through which creation comes into being.

When St. John writes in the Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God” John echoes that same profound link between divine Wisdom and the Incarnation of the Son of Man.  The Word, God’s creative wisdom, became flesh.  In Jesus Christ, the Eternal Wisdom descended into our world, and dwelt amongst us.

St. John tells us: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”.  This image is central:  Jesus Christ is that light, piercing through the shadow of fear, sin, suffering, loneliness, and doubt.  Darkness, no matter how deep it is, cannot quench this Divine Light from God’s power.

This message was radical in the first Christian communities, and it also resonates with us today.  We too live in a time of uncertainty, unrest, and disconnection.  

Yet Christ’s light persists, in a world filled with hurt and darkness, the Incarnation is God’s unyielding declaration: that nothing can extinguish God’s love for us.

St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians bursts with this praise:  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… he chose us in him before the foundation of the world… in love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ”.

Christmas isn’t just a story about a child born in a manger, it’s a revelation of who we are meant to be.  Through Christ, each one of us are invited into God’s family, not as servants but as His Sons and Daughters.

This invitation is personal: as long as we are called to allow our hearts to be opened by the Spirit.  In the midst of this Christmas season, God gives us the greatest gift, our eternal belonging and identity with Jesus Christ himself.

May we today:

Contemplate, just like Mary pondered these things in her heart.  As we are invited to marvel and rest in the wonder of the Incarnation of Jesus.

May we have a Conversion of heart, letting the Divine Light of God, guide our lives.  Where there is division, let us rebuild in unity.  Where there is suffering, offer kindness.  Where there is despair, let us share in hope.  Since we have become living symbols of the Word made flesh.  May we become Witnesses, of the Good News, since St Paul says:  “We, too, can be bearers of Good News through our hearts and our lives: by praying for one another, by showing compassion, by daring to believe in God’s goodness.”

So today, even though, the world has already moved on from Christmas, the season still continues.  Christ came not to depart, but to stay with us.  So, as we start to live out this new year, may our homes and hearts remain cradles of His presence and goodness.

Let Wisdom rest amongst us, and the ‘Word’ continue to dwell with us.  We are called into a deeper adoption, through our own personal mission by Baptism?  Let us allow Christ’s light to shine through every act of our lives, in mercy, kindness, forgiveness, and especially love.

Amen.