De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

Perhaps this is the perfect antidote to my last post . 10 priests from the diocese of Arundel & Brighton, UK, speak of their JOY in priesthood as part of the diocesan Golden Jubilee celebrations. Their love for the priesthood is moving and inspiring. Particularly of note is what they have to say about the importance of Confession, both the humbling experience of hearing Confession and the way in which this leads them to their own Confession. This is the metanoia which is at the heart of the Gospel and which we seem to be missing from much of our experience of faith these days. This Greek word is associated with the English word "repentance", but in psychological terms, relates to the process of experiencing a "break down" and subsequent, positive psychological re-building or "healing". When we hear the Good News of Jesus, we "change our minds" and recognise our own need for healing. This awakening to our need for grace drives us to examine...

Today's Gospel deals with an issue we all experience in our lives because we are broken and scarred by sin. We all want perfect relationships, we seek love, communion and friendship by nature because these things are affirming and give life. The problems occur because sometimes we claim these goods on our terms only and refuse to consider any other perspective. Of course, it's hard to forgive someone if they aren't sorry too. The Gospel message seeks to change us; to change our hearts. Proximity to Christ, to the Sacraments, also facilitates grace which changes us ontologically and opens our lives to change and forgiveness. Afterall, if Heaven means perfect Communion, how can we be fit for Heaven if we still harbour resentment and bitterness in our own hearts? Part of the process relies on self knowledge. γνῶθι σεαυτόνis -- know thyself --is one of the Delphic maxims inscribed in the pronaos (forecourt) of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. In a Catholic context we...

Welcome to this, the twenty-first of my reflections on the theology of the Sunday readings at Mass. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I sincerely hope that this reflection will inspire you. You might find that it answers a few questions you may have, but most of all I hope that it will show you how fantastic Sacred Scripture is and perhaps enable you to share some of my love and passion for the Bible as you begin to comprehend how layered and multi-faceted it is, and what a carefully considered part of the Mass the readings are. If you want to know how these posts came about, please read my first post in this series  here . I would like to think this regular blog would be a great help to anyone who reads at Mass, to enable them to foster a deeper understanding of the message they are trying to impart to the congregation. There are several different ways to read this post. I would suggest the first thing to do is to look at the relevant...