“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet. … Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes” (Gen 49:10-11).
Homily for the 5th Sunday in Lent Year “C”, 6 April 2025: Isaiah 43:16-21
Behold, I am doing a new thing, now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? (Is 43:19)
In today’s first reading we heard a brief passage from Isaiah, Chapter 43. Isaiah here speaks in the language of poetry. His words are evocative, musical, stirring: to be savoured and pondered slowly. Clearly they point beyond themselves. We take them very seriously, because we hold them also to be true, and from God.
Homily for the 5th Sunday in Lent Year “C”, 6 April 2025: Isaiah 43:16-21
Behold, I am doing a new thing, now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? (Is 43:19)
In today’s first reading we heard a brief passage from Isaiah, Chapter 43. Isaiah here speaks in the language of poetry. His words are evocative, musical, stirring: to be savoured and pondered slowly. Clearly they point beyond themselves. We take them very seriously, because we hold them also to be true, and from God.
Homily for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C Jeremiah 17:5-8 1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20 Luke 6:17,20-26
Day for the Religious of our Diocese
Pope St. John Paul II designated Candlemas, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, 2 February as a special World Day for the Consecrated Life. This year 2 February fell on a Sunday, making a special gathering on that day less convenient. So our Bishop Hugh decided to gather the Religious of his Diocese together, here at Pluscarden, on the Monday following.
Homily for the Feast of the Presentation, Candlemas, Sunday 2 February 2025
Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40
40 days after Christmas, the Lord comes to his Temple. In this way he fulfils the prophecy of Malachi, which we had in our first reading today. All lovers of Handle’s Messiah will instantly recognise these words: The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple... Who shall stand on the Day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire… And he shall purify the sons of Levi...
Homily for Sunday 3C, “Sunday of the Word of the Lord”, 26 January 2025
Jerusalem: probably around 80 years after the decree of Cyrus, allowing the Jewish exiles to return home from Babylon. A Second Temple, much inferior to the First, is more or less up and running. But the Jewish people remain dominated by enemies all about. If some of them inhabit the holy City, they do not possess it.
Homily of Prior Simon for the Feast of the Epiphany, 5 January 2025
The word “phenomenon” came into English from the Greek, and technically means a thing or fact perceived, the immediate object of actual perception. Today we are celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord. The word “epiphany” is related to the word “phenomenon” and denotes a manifestation of a supernatural being.