Remember Fagan? The old thief in Oliver Twist who trained boys to pickpocket! I remember a scene from the 1960’s film showing a pile of “loot” on a table in the hovel where he lived with the boys. Fagan and the boys were very happy, celebrating in dance and...
In February and March of 1972, the UK experienced power cuts up to as much as nine hours per day. I remember it well. My father had just retired as a docker from Ardrossan harbour and had received his “golden handshake.” My mother talked him into spending a good...
I’ve taken of an evening to watching old episodes of Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett as the man himself (there are 41 free episodes on YouTube!). Holmes is already a quirky character, but Jeremey Brett’s own quirkiness ups the ante quite considerably. He is annoyingly toffee-nosed but is all...
The Gospel of the “Good Thief” today places us squarely on Calvary. I’ve always noticed as a priest that the numbers who attend Good Friday services are considerably higher than those who attend the Easter Vigil. Some say it is “Catholic guilt”! But I think it’s because the Cross...
If Jesus were trying to market his own brand, he would be an abject failure by current standards, at least if we take today’s Gospel at face value. “Buy into my name and you will be hated by all men!” “Buy my brand and you will be persecuted and...
All that God has ever wanted for us is that we be free. His laws and teachings are given to us, not to hamper our freedom, but to guarantee its fulfilment. And its fulfilment is to be like God, with God and in God. The real enemy of freedom...
The name Jericho means “fragrant.” And, in fact, at the time of Jesus, there was in Jericho a very lucrative business in the production and export of balsam. This means that Zacchaeus, one of the chief tax collectors, will have been an important and wealthy figure. Even so, he...
On the first Sunday of this Extraordinary Mission Month convoked by Pope Francis, we looked at the first thing he wanted us to reflect on, i.e. the personal encounter with Jesus as the motivation for us to be missionaries. On the second Sunday, the second theme of the Pope...
Following the lead of Pope Francis, the second thing he invites us to consider in this Extraordinary Mission Month is this: to treasure and imitate the witness of those who have gone before us. He mentions especially the missionary martyrs, confessors of the faith and other saints. The martyr...
So, October has begun! It is the month of the Rosary, and so a time for us to renew our devotion and commitment to this powerful prayer, both personally and as families and parish. We have the Bishop visiting us on the third Sunday of the month, and so...
