In voluntate tua Domine universa sunt posita - all things are subject to your will, O Lord, and nothing can withstand your power: for you have made all that is, the heavens and the earth and all that they contain: you are Lord of the whole Universe.
Solemn Profession of Brother Benedict-Joseph Miller
Homily for St. Cecilia’s Abbey Ryde, Sunday 24A, 17 September 2023: Mt 18:21-35
“Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?”
Readiness to forgive is taught by many of the great philosophies and religions of the world. Why? Because you can’t be happy, or have any sort of inner peace, far less inner joy, if you refuse to forgive. Dwelling on past hurts, nurturing resentment, indulging simmering anger: these things can blight or embitter a person’s whole life.
Homily for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: Quarr Abbey Chant Forum Meeting; 14 September 2023: Numbers 21:4-9; (Phil 2:6-11), John 3:13-17
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
St. Paul speaks of God highly exalting Jesus in his Resurrection – Deus exaltavit illum – we just sang (Phil 2:9). For St. John, Jesus is already exalted on the Cross.
Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, 27 August 2023, Sunday 21A: Romans 11:33-36
I want to speak about our second reading today: 4 verses from the end of Romans Chapter 11. This is St. Paul’s outburst of wonder and awe and amazement; Paul’s bowing down in silent worship before the unspeakable greatness of God; Paul’s proclamation of his own invincible faith and confidence - even as he recognises the severe limits to what he can know and understand of the inexhaustible mystery of God.
Homily for Sunday 20A, 20 August 2023: Matthew 15:21-28
He answered her not a word.
St. Matthew doesn’t tell us why the Lord withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. St. Mark, in his slightly fuller account of the same incident, adds the detail that Jesus wanted to remain hidden there. At any rate, he certainly didn’t go to pagan territory in order to preach or teach or perform miracles. Why? Because Jesus was a faithful Jew, obedient to the law, as well as to his own mission from the Father. According to the law given to Israel, the Jews are a people set apart, a consecrated nation, a holy people of God. As the Psalm puts it: they are the sheep of God’s pasture, and the flock led by his hand (Ps 94/95:7).
Homily for the Feast of the Transfiguration, Year A: DSP
Daniel 7:9-10.13-14 2 Peter 1:16-19 Matthew 17:1-9
We know the basic meaning of today's feast. On Mt Tabor Peter, James, and John caught a glimpse of the light of Easter, of Christ's divinity and of the glory of heaven. All that to strengthen their faith and “to remove the scandal of the Cross”, as we heard in the martyrology yesterday. I'm not so sure that “the scandal” was in fact entirely removed. You have to stumble over the humiliation of Jesus, over His suffering and over the finality of His death, in some ways that's the whole point – and all disciples would in fact stumble over it. They would be left grief-stricken, confused and utterly humiliated themselves – as those who staked their very lives on Jesus being the Messiah.
Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, Sunday 16A: Romans 8:26-27
In today’s second reading we had just two verses from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 8. They concern how we pray in the Holy Spirit, or how the Holy Spirit prays in us.
Chapter 8 of Romans is all about Life in the Spirit, which is an essential aspect of Life in Christ. In Christ we have been redeemed, justified, adopted as Sons, sanctified and - at least incipiently - glorified. But as we’re painfully aware, we’re not yet in heaven.