Thursday, 17th July 2025

Gentle and Humble in Heart – Thursday Week 15 in Ordinary Time

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’ (Matthew 11:28-39)

I read these words, and I exhale. My heart rests in the tender, gentle love of Jesus that shares the load and never, ever leaves me alone..

Wednesday, 16th July 2025

Childlike Trust in God – Wednesday Week 15 in Ordinary Time

‘You have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants.’ (Matthew 11:25)

In today’s Gospel reading we have two statements from Jesus about the things of God being revealed, firstly to infants, and secondly, to whom the Son chooses to reveal the Father..

Tuesday, 15th July 2025

Searching for Deeds of Power – Memorial St Bonaventure, bishop, doctor

‘Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent.’ (Matthew 11:20)

Today is the memorial of St. Bonaventure, a 13th-century Franciscan friar and theologian, known for his profound insights into spirituality and faith. Some of his notable quotes emphasize the importance of humility, the connection between all creatures and God, and the transformative power of prayer. ‘As pride is the beginning of all sin, so humility is the foundation of all virtue. Learn to be really humble and not, as the hypocrite, humble merely in appearance.” (Holiness of Life)..

Monday, 14th July 2025

Being a Disciple – Monday Week 15 in Ordinary Time

‘whoever gives even a cup of cold water…’ (Matthew 10:42)

How uncompromising are Jesus’ instructions to the departing disciples? Yet, he leaves hope of consolations: ‘whoever welcomes you welcomes me and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me’ and the kindness of ‘a cup of cold water.’..

Sunday, 13th July 2025

The Good Samaritan – 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ (Luke 10:27)

In today’s Gospel, the lawyer correctly answers his own question of how he might inherit eternal life, answering that one must ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ In response, Jesus gives us a welcome confirmation that if one lives the Christian life in this way, ‘do this and you will live.’ This isn’t unexpected; the lawyer’s answer is taken from the Jewish laws..

Saturday, 12th July 2025

Outrageous Love – Saturday Week 14 in Ordinary Time

‘You are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Matthew 10:31)

It is easily to anthropomorphise God, that is to imagine God as an ordinary human, as capable or incapable as any of us. It is such a limiting way to view our God. Because it doesn’t even come close..

Friday, 11th July 2025

Beware of Dangers – Memorial St Benedict, abbot

‘I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.’ (Matthew 10:16)

Jesus was aware of the persecutions and trials that the apostles would face on their mission to proclaim the Good News. In some towns their message would be ignored or rejected while in other places they would be handed over to councils, flogged, betrayed, hated, and even put to death..

Thursday, 10th July 2025

How do you deal with rejection? – Thursday, Week 14 in Ordinary Time

‘If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.’ (Matthew 10:14)

We have all faced rejection at some point in our lives and highly likely we will all face it again. Whether it’s a job opportunity we missed out on, unrequited love, friendships we didn’t mesh with or a team we didn’t make – rejection hurts and if we’re not careful it can shape us..

Wednesday, 9th July 2025

Shepherd shoulders when we are lost or fail. – Wednesday Week 14 in Ordinary Time

‘As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ (Matthew 10:7)

Ah Matthew! To truly understand and appreciate today’s Gospel we need to remember that Matthew was writing to a Jewish audience, probably in Antioch. Hence the Gospel writer has Jesus instruct the disciples that they are not to take a road that might lead to a gentile community nor go into a Samaritan town. The mission of the twelve is very simple and very clear, they are to go to the ‘lost sheep’ of the House of Israel and they are to announce that the Kingdom of God is very near..

Tuesday, 8th July 2025

Who is Lord of the Harvest? – Tuesday Week 14 in Ordinary Time

‘ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest’ (Matthew 5:38)

In Matthew’s concise account of the healing of the mute demoniac, I can almost hear the thoughts of the Pharisees. Faced with Jesus’ undeniable power, which leaves the crowds amazed and exclaiming, ‘Never has anything like this been seen in Israel’, the Pharisees would no doubt be thinking that, as the official leaders of Israel, they have fallen short. Since they cannot deny what was happening in front of their eyes, they resort to questioning the authority of Jesus..