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RELIGION LITURGY AND LIFE

Archive for the month “February, 2026”

28 Feb 2026

Second Sunday of Lent

This weekend we continue our Lenten journey and hopefully the various aspects of penance, alms giving and fasting that we are undertaking are not too hard. The readings for the 2nd Sunday of Lent show us how God calls people to trust Him. In each reading, we see someone stepping forward with faith. Abram leaves his home. The disciples follow Jesus up the mountain. Paul tells Timothy to keep going even when life is hard. These readings help us see that Lent is a time to listen and follow God. We are not meant to stay in one place. Just like Abram and the disciples, we are called to move forward with hope.

 In the First Reading the Lord commands Abram to leave his homeland and go to a new land that God will show him. God promises to bless Abram and make him the father of a great nation, and Abram obeys, leaving his home as directed.  In the Second Reading Paul encourages Timothy to join in suffering for the gospel, reminding him that God has saved and called them to a holy life, not because of their own deeds, but because of God’s grace. In the Gospel, we get further advice for the journey when we hear the voice of the father saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!”. On the mountain, Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of the glory of God. As they approach the summit, the three suddenly notice a change in the garments Jesus is wearing. They become dazzlingly white. The disciples then recognize Moses the Lawgiver, and Elijah the Prophet. They are both discussing something with Jesus. Then their joy is turned to fear when suddenly a cloud comes between them and the sun, and the Voice of the father thunders out, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!”

As the disciples fall to the ground, Jesus calms them and tells them not to be afraid. The glory fades and then they proceed down the mountain as they continue their spiritual journey. What does all this mean for us on our own spiritual journeys? If we’re really serious about Lent, we’ll take the Transfiguration experience as Jesus intended. As He taught a lesson in patience and hope to Peter, James, and John, so he teaches us to listen and wait, to listen intently to Jesus and His message and wait and see where God will lead us.  We have the advantage of knowing and believing in the Resurrection.  The Transfiguration reminds us that there is more to the story of Jesus on the mountain. Just as Jesus rose from the dead, we are called to a new life with Him as we continue the story of faith as Jesus leads us through the suffering of Holy Week to the resurrection of easter Sunday. Lent is a time to prepare our hearts for Easter, remembering that no matter what we face, God’s plan leads to new life as he tells us, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!”.

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21 Feb 2026

First Sunday of Lent 2026

With the ashes of Ash Wednesday and the call to repent and believe the gospel ringing in our ears we now come to the 1st Sunday of Lent.  In the same way that Jesus went out into the dessert God asks us to go out into the dessert during the 40 days of Lent to undertake a time of renewal. So why Lent? Lent is the time for seeing and correcting our faults and raising our minds and hearts to God. Lent is a time for personal and community conversion of heart and renewal! A time for coming face-to-face with God – our origin, our purpose and our destiny it is also the time to be changed for the better by that encounter!  The main thing for all of us to do during Lent is that we should try to get to know God better by works of faith and charity so that those lines separating good and evil will become more apparent to all of us.

In the First Reading we hear that God formed man and placed him in the Garden of Eden. The serpent deceived the woman into eating the forbidden fruit. She and her husband ate it and realized they were naked.  in the Second Reading: St Paul in this extract from his letter to the Romans tells us that one man’s sin brought death to all, but God’s grace through Jesus brings life and righteousness to many. Christ’s obedience will make many righteous the gospel for this weekend was first addressed to the Church as it coped with divisions, weakening of faith and scandals. The image of the wilderness evoked many memories for them. In the time of Moses God had led his people out if Egypt to begin a long and trying wilderness experience. Our own experience of Church today is, in ways, very similar. God is leading us. We continue to be humbled and tested. What is crucial is the hope that we have from dealing with events through eyes of faith. The Church teaches that prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are significant ways to become closer to God.  The decision for each of us is to determine what form of those three things to make our own Lent. The temptations, to which our Lord submitted himself, are a source of encouragement and consolation for all of us. If our Lord and master underwent temptation, we cannot and must not expect to live a Christian life without experiencing temptations and trials.

The three temptations Satan put to our Lord were suggestions that he should forget his messianic mission of redemption. He was urged to get all the comforts of life, all the self-glory and all the possessions and power this world has to offer but that was not what it was about. In the same way all the comforts of life are put before us including the self-indulgence and glory which is the exact opposite of our calling as followers of Christ. During Lent we are called not to give in to the temptations of this life instead we are called to renewal of heart mind and Spirit so that we can live in God and God can live in us through faith so that others may see and believe. Jesus trusted the Spirit to take him into the desert to be tempted. Jesus knew the Father completely. As we begin Lent It is Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life that we seek. As we begin our six-week journey on the road to Holy Week and then the joy of the resurrection at Easter we pray that God may give us his grace to make a good Lent for 2026.

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16 Feb 2026

Ash Wednesday 2026

We begin our annual observance of Lent with the Ashes of Ash Wednesday and once again we take up our annual campaign of spiritual renewal. The cry of today is repent and believe the Good News as we prepare for Holy Week and Easter.  As we place the ashes on our foreheads and listen to the words repent and believe in the good news, we remember that the Church teaches that prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are significant ways to become closer to God.  In the First Reading the Lord urges a heartfelt return with fasting and repentance, highlighting his gracious and compassionate nature. A communal fast is called, involving all, with priests pleading for mercy, leading to God’s compassionate response to His people. in the Responsorial Psalm acknowledging our sins, we implore God’s mercy and cleansing. We seek a renewed heart and spirit, and then we will find God’s presence and the restoration of the joy found in His salvation.

In the Second Reading St Paul tells us We implore you on Christ’s behalf to reconcile with God. Christ bore our sins to make us righteous. Embrace God’s grace, for now is the time of salvation. In the reading from Matthews Gospel Jesus emphasizes the importance of sincerity in faith practices. He advises against performing acts of charity, prayer, and fasting for public admiration, as such actions lack true spiritual value. Instead, he encourages discreet and private expressions of faith, assuring that God, who sees what we do in secret, will duly reward genuine devotion. The question for each of us on Ash Wednesday is how we will celebrate Lent this year as individuals and as members of the local community. Over the next six weeks there will be a packed programme of activities providing many opportunities for spiritual renewal coupled with fasting and alms giving and I encourage you wherever you are reading this to try and take up some of the opportunities provided in your area for Lent. May God give us the grace to make a good Lent as we begin our journey on the road to Holy Week and Easter.

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14 Feb 2026

6th Sunday in ordinary Time

The readings for this Sunday remind us to follow God’s commandments with our heart’s minds and our souls.  In the First Reading we are told that You can choose to keep the commandments and trust in God. God sees everything and gives you the choice between life and death, good and evil. In the Second Reading We share God’s hidden wisdom, planned for our glory, which the rulers did not understand. God’s prepared blessings for those who love him are revealed to us through the Spirit who knows everything. The gospel shows Jesus explaining the law. He does not remove it but calls us to live it fully. It is not enough to follow rules on the outside. We must also have love and goodness in our hearts. When he introduced the New Law of the Kingdom of God Jesus said something that was absolutely shocking to those heard what he told them that the holiness of the people had to surpass that of the scribes and the Pharisees.

How could anyone be holier than the Pharisees who were supposed to be holy men”! They dressed well; they fasted said their prayers loudly for all to hear. But Jesus said that his followers had to be holier than the Pharisees. How could that be possible as they were the people that everyone held up as being good. Jesus explains, our external actions must reflect what we are really like. If what we do is not a reflection of who we are, then we are hypocrites. Hypocrite is the word that Jesus uses to describe the Pharisees. They were considered the righteous and holy ones who in truth were neither righteous nor holy in so many ways.  Jesus’ challenge was not only to his followers, but to the Pharisees and scribes as well. Their religious faith was to go deeper than exterior works the right motives were supposed to support right behaviour. His demands are high indeed! They seem impossible to achieve. The Pharisee spent a lot of time and energy fulfilling the Law like so many people today the law was more important than compassion.  They were of the middle class and unlike the desperately poor, who were most of Jesus’s followers, the Pharisees had the education and leisure to pursue purity of observance. What chance did the illiterate, overworked and burdened poor followers of Jesus have? For that matter, what chance do we have in fulfilling these teachings? And yet, Jesus calls for a holiness that surpasses those people who stuck by the letter of the law instead of the compassion of God! Jesus’ demands are more radical; his vision sharper; his expectations greater.

When we set our own record of doing good against the demands of Jesus in the Gospel, we can all come away feeling helpless. Our own efforts look so shabby against the clear unambiguous demands of the larger vision. May we be courageous in taking up the challenge that Jesus gives each one of us today that is the call to holiness living our lives so that people will see that we are faith filled people who live our lives with the compassion of God in our hearts. As we prepare for Lent, let us remember that God’s grace is always available to help us rise above our limitations. Through prayer, self-examination, and acts of charity, we are given the opportunity to draw closer to God and to one another. Let us approach this season of renewal with openness and humility, trusting that, with God’s help, we can grow in holiness and compassion, becoming true witnesses to his love in our world.

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07 Feb 2026

5th Sunday of ORdinary Time

This weekend we pray for the sick as we celebrate the World Day of the Sick next Wednesday, we also pray for all those who care for the sick in our hospitals and care facilities, Doctors, Nurses, Care assistants and Chaplains. We also pray in a particular way for the families who care for our Sick friends that God will bless all of them.  In the First Reading from Issiah, we are told share our bread with the hungry and shelter the homeless poor that means that by sharing with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed, and clothing the naked, one finds healing and God’s presence. Helping others brings light in darkness. In the Second Reading from St Pauls letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul tells us I came to you with fear and weakness, focusing only on Jesus Christ. My message showed the Spirit’s power, so your faith would be in God’s power, not human wisdom.

In our gospel reading this Sunday Jesus tells his disciples that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. He adds, “your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly father.”   If we were to witness the events of this passage being acted on stage, I think we would find them humorous: Jesus telling a motley group of puzzled followers, many illiterate, that they are the light of the world and when we hear the gospel passage in church on Sunday, we assume that Jesus is talking to those first disciples, surely not to us. But Jesus is talking to us in the same way he spoke the Disciples long ago. Jesus used salt as a metaphor to describe who his disciples are and how they are to be in the world. Just as salt draws out the flavour of food, so we as Jesus’ disciples we are asked to draw out goodness in the world.  As salt of the earth, we may even have to upset the way things are and how life is ordinarily carried on – the usual “salty taste” of daily life in the world these days can be so topsy turvy as recent events have shown in America and other places. Jesus tells his disciples, “You are the light of the world.” They are to be seen; not hidden away they are called to be the light overcoming the darkness of our world and its peoples. We in our own time are called to be the “light of the world,” each one of us a ray of light, dispelling darkness, living in charity toward all, including persecutors. This light is an inner light the light of faith. Its source is divine grace that becomes visible to others by our kind words, our gracious acts, our personal refusal to resort to oppression, false accusation or malicious speech that so many in the political world seem to be doing these days.

And thus, as Isaiah promised, the gloom of sin and death shall be overcome, and the psalmist declares, justice and mercy of the upright will be a light shining through the darkness. This Sunday we are invited to utilise our own special gifts and talents to inform our role of being a disciple who is the salt of the earth and the light for the world. Jesus tells us to be like salt and light. These are simple images, but they help us understand what it means to live as His followers. So let us turn to Jesus the light of life, let us pray that we might share in his life, so that we might be the salt of the earth, and light in the darkness for all the people in our world and there are many people still looking around for light in the darkness of their lives. Let us strive to be salt of the earth and beacons of light, shining brightly for those who walk in darkness, and may our faith inspire others to do the same.

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