All Posts

Jesus of Nazareth is murdered. His innocent blood flows freely in and over each one of us. Matthew 26-27 begins with a critical preamble. An unnamed woman anoints Jesus at Bethany (Matthew 26:6-13). The apostles are not happy, but Jesus ‘sets them straight’: Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a beautiful service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body, she has prepared me for burial. The

Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian. Is it any surprise he likes to quote St. Augustine? The pope recently visited the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Ponte Mammolo (Rome), and naturally enough he cited the saint: Saint Augustine, speaking about the face of God, of which we are called to be a mirror in the world, said to the Christians of his time: ‘What sort of face has love? What form has it? What stature? What feet? What hands has it?’ ‘It has feet, for these carry men to

Research affirms what makes great parishes: Good Community Good Teaching and Preaching Good Music. In other words, an experience of love, an experience of truth, an experience of beauty. With Christ at the centre of our community, teaching, music and art, we shall – with the help of Almighty God – create great parishes. Recently, the pope visited the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Rome. It was Pope Leo XIII who asked St. John Bosco to establish the parish near Termini T

The Gospel of John can be divided into the Book of Signs (John 1-12) and the Book of Glory (John 13-21). The first sign is given at Cana (John 2). The last sign is given at Bethany (John 11). We witness ‘water turned into wine,’ and now ‘death put to death.’ Lazarus has been dead for four days, but now finds himself resuscitated: Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a

200 Words: Soulful Sensitivity The Gospel of John has seven signs. John prefers to call them signs since all events are exterior and interior by nature. This accounts for the different reactions and responses people can, and do, have to them. The healing of the blind man from birth is earthy, tangible and dramatic: As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. Jesus spat on the ground, made a paste with spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and