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Archive for the tag “lent”

27 Mar 2026

Palm Sunday

On Ash Wednesday we placed the ashes on our foreheads as a sign of our humility as we began our Journey for Lent. Today on Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey as the people raised their voices in joyful acclamation as they sang hosanna to the Son of David. We stop and reflect for a moment on how we began our journey on Ash Wednesday and where we are now as we approach the life changing and life-giving events of Holy Week.  The first reading from Isaiah, speaks of a courageous and obedient messiah-figure, who says, “I have set my face like flint” against the beatings and scourging that lie ahead, “knowing that I shall not be put to shame.” The second reading from Philippians reminds us of Jesus’ total emptying of His divinity in order that He might identify Himself with the lowest criminal being led to His execution, “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” And the reading continues but God raised him high and gave him the name above all other names.

The entrance into Jerusalem is one of the very few events in Jesus’ life which is mentioned in all four gospels.  It is the only time that Jesus accepts and encourages public acclaim as Messiah.  He even goes as far as organising his entrance by telling the disciples to go and fetch the donkey.  The key moment in God’s plan of salvation is about to begin, and Jesus knows exactly how it will unfold as he understood what the will of the father would mean for him. The full drama of the Gospel begins with the crowd’s fickle acclamation of Jesus as King. It reminds us of our own fickle responses and our lack of courage as we respond to His love and truth. Palm Sunday is about Jesus’s suffering for our inadequacies and our own sins. Our journey during Holy Week is a journey about god’s love for all of us that is manifest in the cross of Good Friday.  In just three years of his public ministry, Jesus set in motion a change in the hearts of many people. Just three years of walking around healing the broken, freeing person’s enslaved spirits, bringing hope, purpose, and meaning to the poor. Those “poor” included people with wealth, with power, with influence.  As we enter Holy Week, let us pause from the rush of daily life and open our hearts to the transformative power of Christ’s example. In doing so, we honour the journey Jesus made for us on the first Good Friday and allow ourselves to be renewed in faith, hope, and love. The Church leaves us in no doubt on Palm Sunday that we have now set out on the solemn journey of Holy Week.

How will we mark this journey in the coming days? Will we let it pass by with little interruption to our normal routines? Or will we walk prayerfully with Jesus through Holy Thursday to the cross of Good Friday and then to the Feast of the resurrection at Easter. We move towards the heavenly Jerusalem because Christ himself made the journey to the Cross for us and now he offers to make it with us here and now in 2026.   May the passion story inspire all of us to try to imitate in some small way the all loving all forgiving Jesus who went through betrayal to the cross and finally came to the resurrection for us so that we will have life and have it to the full. Over the next few days let us prepare well as we walk through Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday and then we will really be able to enjoy the Easter feast which we have been preparing for since Ash Wednesday.

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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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15 Mar 2025

2nd Sunday of Lent

This weekend on the 2nd Sunday of Lent we think about how God is working in our lives and how we can let ourselves be transformed by the presence of . In the First Reading God promised Abram countless descendants and the land from Egypt to the Euphrates. Abram believed, and God made a covenant with him, marked by a ritual with animal sacrifices. The responsorial Psalm tells us that The Lord is our  light and salvation. We seek His presence and help, trusting we will see His goodness in the land of the living. In the second reading: we are told to Imitate those who follow Christ. Many focus on earthly things and face destruction. Our citizenship is in heaven, and Jesus will transform us.   Those who Stand firm in the Lord will not be shamed.

In the Gospel reading we hear about Jesus going up the mountain taking Peter James and John, with him and there they hear the voice of the Father identifying  Jesus as “my beloved Son.”  During Lent Jesus invites us to make a journey in  fact our lives if lived in faith should be an exciting journey from the moment we arrive in the world until we get to the pearly gates when we die. During Lent we explore the great depths of God’s love for us as we try to move and live in God’s Spirit as we climb the mountain of the Lord.  Every Lent our prayer and hope is to rise again from the ashes of our sins. Every year we take a journey through penance, self-discipline, prayer, and  good works that lead all of us to the refreshing baptismal waters of Easter. For many members of the RCIA their journey began last Sunday in the cathedral churches and they continue the journey to their Baptism at Easter as Catechumens over the next few weeks. The  Catechumens are led to the sacraments of initiation by means of the rite of election and enrolment  that took place on the first Sunday of Lent then the scrutinies and catechesis follow on the Sundays of lent.

The faithful, listening more intently to the word of God and devoting themselves to prayer accompany them on their journey. Then all of us the baptised who are continuing our own faith journeys renew our baptismal promises at the Easter Masses and bless ourselves with the Easter holy water.This Sunday’s Gospel completes the ‘little parable’ formed by the Gospels of the first two Sundays of Lent. These Gospel readings tell us what Lent and the Christian life is about: that is a journey from temptation and doubt to transfiguration and faith. This is a journey that takes us away from being tempted to allowing ourselves to do good by the action of God’s Holy Spirit within us.  The god who spoke to the disciples on the mountain also speaks to us and directs all of us to Jesus. The voice of the Father also  instructs us  to “listen to him” may we listen and take note of what he is saying and not be afraid to do what he asks of us especially during this Holy Year when we journey together as pilgrims of hope.

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08 Mar 2025

1St Sunday of Lent

On the First Sunday of Lent having placed the ashes on our heads on Ash Wednesday we have embarked on our annual time of renewal. In every area of our lives there is an ongoing need for mending, renewing and refocusing. Lent is the annual spring clean of our spiritual lives renewing our faith as a preparation for celebrating the faith giving events of Holy Week and Easter. In the first reading  Moses instructs the people to offer their first  fruits to God, remembering their ancestors’ journey, oppression in Egypt, and God’s deliverance and gift of the promised land. The Responsorial Psalm  tells us to Trust in God, Our refuge, our stronghold who protects and rescues those who call on Him. He commands His angels to guard us and promises to be with us in trouble. In the second  reading  we are told to  Confess that Jesus is Lord and believe God raised him, and we will be saved. There is no distinction; all who call on the Lord will be saved.  

In our Gospel the reading from Luke details the temptation of Jesus in the dessert.  Before Jesus set out to do his Fathers work he went out into the dessert for forty days of fasting and prayer and during this time he was tempted by the devil. The devil tempted him to use his power to take care of himself, prove his identity by performing astounding signs and make alliances with political and military powers to get himself and his message across. It is immediately after His time in the desert that Christ began His work, of proclaiming the kingdom of God. In proclaiming the message of the Kingdom Jesus gives all of us the good news of truth, hope, peace, and salvation and this enables us to live life to the full and conquer sin. As well as this there is great encouragement for all of us to know that Jesus not only shared our human nature but, like us, he was subject to temptation. In the course of our daily lives we too face temptations to put comfort and material possessions over the sacrifices involved in being a disciple.  As we begin Lent we ask ourselves how do we face the temptations of life? When times get rough and we feel alone, do we still trust in God? When our life just seems empty, do we still believe in the Father who loves us? Are we willing to risk everything for the sake of the Gospel, or do we settle for guarding our own security? These are questions that all of us need to ask ourselves and Lent gives us the opportunity to do this.

God’s desire for us on this first Sunday of Lent in the Holy Year of hope is that we Come back to him with all our heart. God does not want empty words but full hearts. Hearts full of remorse for things that we shouldn’t have done; hearts full of trust as we face the realities about ourselves and our world; hearts full of love as we realize how much we are loved by those around  us our families and friends, and especially loved by God; hearts full of joyful hope as we journey towards Easter. Over the next few weeks may we make good use of our Lenten journey so at the end of Lent we will be able to hear and understand the messages that Holy Week and Easter  have for us renewed in heart mind and spirit and then put them into action in our own lives in the times ahead.

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04 Mar 2025

ASH WEDNESDAY

We start our annual  journey of repentance and conversion for 2025 with the Ashes of Ash Wednesday. The readings and the ashes call on us to change our lives in the spirit of conversion and renewal. There is a big question for all of us as we begin lent will the ashes of today help us to realise that we should have a change of heart and mind as we seek spiritual renewal in Lent, each individual will have the answer to that question for themselves. All of us will have many opportunities to strengthen our spiritual lives during  the 6 weeks of lent as we ponder what our faith really means to us as individuals and as a community.  Ashes hold deep symbolism in the Church, representing both our mortality and the need for repentance. This powerful symbol finds its roots in the Scriptures, where ashes were used as a sign of mourning and repentance. In the Old Testament, ashes were often associated with expressions of grief and sorrow. Job, for example, sat in ashes as a sign of his deep mourning and repentance before God.

The prophet Daniel also fasted and covered himself in ashes as a way of seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness for the sins of his people. These practices served as a visible reminder of our need to turn away from sin and return to God. On Ash Wednesday, we receive ashes on our foreheads as a sign of our own personal need of conversion and renewal of heart  and spirit. As the priest or minister applies the ashes, they say the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This solemn reminder prompts us to reflect on the brevity of life and the importance of living in accordance with God’s will. The ashes are a call to return to god and let go of the things that hinder our relationship with God and embrace a life of holiness.

In the First Reading –Joel 2:12-18: The Lord urges a heartfelt return to him with fasting and repentance, highlighting His gracious and compassionate nature, Slow to anger abounding in love. A communal fast is called, involving everyone, with priests pleading for mercy, leading to God’s compassionate response as he had mercy on the people. In The Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 51  we hear that each person in acknowledging their own sinfulness, implores God’s mercy. As all of us seek a renewed heart and spirit, with God’s presence in our lives and the restoration of the joy found in salvation. The Second Reading  tells us that we are called to be reconciled with God. Christ bore our sins to make us righteous as we  Embrace God’s grace, for now is the time of salvation. As ambassadors of Christ we are called to be reconciled to him and through this reconciliation we are called to be reconciled to one another.

In the Gospel reading from  Matthew  Jesus emphasizes the importance of sincerity in the practice of faith. He advised against performing acts of charity, prayer, and fasting for public admiration, as such actions lack true spiritual value.  Instead, he encouraged discreet and private expressions of faith, assuring that God, who sees everything that is done  in a quiet prayerful way, will duly reward genuine devotion. Lent is all about moving forward in a spirit of conversion and prayerful return to god that is the spirit of metanoia. So the Church asks us at the beginning of Lent to renew our own lives through the great spiritual works of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and to listen to Jesus’ advice in today’s Gospel. On ash Wednesday the ashes are a call for us to change our lives and how we live them. We begin our journey for lent 2025 and we receive the ashes as a sign that we are willing to return to god who says return to me with all your heart and we do that in a special way during this holy  year of hope.

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