(For a reflection on The Ascension please click here – The Feast of the Ascension is celebrated on Sunday May 16th in Ireland) Jesus prays for us and sends us into the world The gospel for today is one in which it seems that Jesus is ‘doing’ nothing. He is not healing anyone or...

The end and the beginning While in some places, the Feast of the Ascension will be celebrated this coming Sunday, in more places it is being marked today, so in honour of the Feast we offer the following reflection. The saying nothing good lasts forever might be a good way to start reflecting on the...

Love of God and each other It is suggested that the theme and message of love is the basis for more plays, songs, novels, films and poems that any other human emotion! Traditionally leading up to Valentine’s Day, we see this everywhere, especially in florists and card shops. We try to express as best we...

Connected to Jesus and each other When Jesus spoke last week, he described himself as the Good Shepherd. This Sunday he uses another image that would have been very familiar to those who heard him. The gospel begins with Jesus saying, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.’ For most of...

Call and Response For many, if not all of us who live in tower blocks or housing estates, the chances of meeting a shepherd or seeing a flock of sheep are very rare! The language and image that Jesus offers us today in the gospel can seem a bit strange to us and may even...

Peace be with you Our gospel today begins after the two friends of Jesus had met him on the road to Emmaus; ‘the disciples told their story of what had happened to them on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of the bread.’ Having met Jesus they went back to...

Doubting Thomas Today we stand with Thomas, who sadly will forever be as known as the one who doubted in the resurrection. He refused to believe unless he could see Jesus himself. As well as being the disciple who doubted, he is also known the one who is often accused of having little or no...

Mary Magdalene meets the Risen Lord  Our journey through Lent which we began on Ash Wednesday is over. On the first Sunday of Lent we were in the dry and dangerous desert with Jesus. Today, with Mary Magdalene we stand at the empty tomb and experience the Resurrection as she did. Good Friday is never...

Gospel Reflection for 2nd April – Good Friday The opening prayer from Holy Thursday tells us that ‘we should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is our salvation, our life and resurrection; though him we are saved and made free.’ This is the central message of not only these three...

The events that begin on Palm Sunday and take place for the rest of Holy Week are basically the story of a human drama; it is the drama of Jesus and it is also our drama. As he enters into the dramatic events of his final week, he invites us to follow and stay with...