Sunday, 28 December 2025
Waiting for the Overflow – Feast The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
“Joseph . . . took the child and his mother” (Matthew 2:14)
As the head of the Holy Family, Joseph must have felt almost helpless at times: how could he, a simple carpenter, protect his wife and newborn son against the plots of kings? But Joseph did not let his fears cause him to despair: he remained open to the possibility that…
Saturday, 27 December 2025
The Breath before the Plunge – Feast St John, apostle, evangelist
“He saw and believed” (John 20:8)
St John the Evangelist was a fast runner, it seems! But though he beats Peter to the tomb, he doesn’t enter; something makes him pause, while Peter barges in to see what has happened. This difference is suggestive: in the Church’s tradition, John is frequently associated with the contemplative life…
Friday, 26 December 2025
Peace on Earth? – Feast St Stephen, the first martyr
“The one who endures to the end” (Matthew 10:22)
The Irish band, U2, once sang that “We hear it every Christmas time, but hope and history don’t rhyme, so what’s it worth? This Peace on Earth.” The implication is that the peace of Christmas is really a fairytale when we consider the brutal realities of the world around us….
Thursday, 25 December 2025
Room for Christ – Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord
The Word became flesh and lived among us. (John 1:14)
And now, the promise is fulfilled. The waiting gives way to wonder: Christ is born. God is with us. Today, we rejoice in the astonishing truth at the heart of our faith: God has become one of us. Christ is born, not in a palace, but in the humility of…
Wednesday, 24 December 2025
God is With Us – Wednesday Week 4 of Advent
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them.” (Luke 1:67-68)
On this most holy Christmas Eve, Zechariah’s voice returns, and his voice becomes a song of praise: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them.” This hymn of praise, known as the Benedictus, comes after months of silence. Zechariah, rendered…
Tuesday, 23 December 2025
The Work of Waiting – Tuesday Week 4 of Advent
“See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me…indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1)
As Advent draws near its end, these words from Malachi echo with urgency and hope, “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me…indeed, he is coming, says the Lord.” God is coming. A messenger is sent to prepare the way. In today’s gospel, we hear of…
Monday, 22 December 2025
Mary’s Song: A Heart Prepared – Monday Week 4 of Advent
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46-47)
In today’s gospel, we hear Mary’s song, the Magnificat, a hymn that overflows with joy, trust and the deep awareness of God’s faithfulness. Mary voices the joy and love stirring within her with the prayer, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” This is no ordinary prayer. It begins with the joy…
Sunday, 21 December 2025
Emmanuel: God With Us, Still – Fourth Sunday of Advent
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, ‘God is with us.'” ( Matthew 1:23)
As we arrive at the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we are offered one more invitation to prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming. Today, we hear the story of the birth of Jesus. The announcement comes quietly, in a dream given to Joseph, a man whose life had just been turned…
Saturday, 20 December 2025
Faith in the Unknown – Saturday Week 3 of Advent
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Mary speaks words that make the heart sing: “let it be with me according to your word.” With this simple sentence, Mary of Nazareth says yes, not to something she fully understands, but to someone she completely trusts. What a mystery this moment must have been for her. She was…
Friday, 19 December 2025
Silence and the Slow Work of Faith – Friday Week 3 of Advent
Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” (Luke 1:18)
Luke begins the infancy narratives in the silence of the temple. A priest named Zechariah, offers incense as prayers rise with the smoke. He is a man of faith and obedience, and yet, when the angel Gabriel appears and promises the impossible, Zechariah cannot help but ask: “How will I…