In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard reflects on how God uses the flawed and the fallible to further his purposes.

Readings for Friday in the third week of Ordinary Time can be found here.

The popular press, and nowadays the internet, loves a scandal. Especially if it involves a political or religious leader who comes unstuck because of a sexual indiscretion. The public, of course, say it is terrible to see such filth in the papers, but then rush to the shops or switch on their phone so they can find out all about it!

The Biblical equivalent of a tabloid scandal is today’s reading from 2 Samuel. The great King David is shown to be a reprehensible character on three counts. First, he sends others out to battle while he stays at home. Second, David decides he wants to have another man’s wife, Bathsheba, and so he does just this, and makes her pregnant. And then, worst of all, he arranges for Bathsheba’s husband Uriah to be killed so he may take her for his own wife. It’s a grim tale indeed. But … David is still revered as the father of the Israelite nation, and as the ancestor of Jesus. For Bathsheba’s part, she later bore David another son who would become his great successor Solomon.

The truth is that God can work through the most unlikely, the most flawed, and the most fallible people in order to further his purposes. In the Gospel, Jesus indicates that this principle can be applied to the Kingdom of God itself. The mustard seed is so small, so insignificant, so seemingly unpromising. And yet, from those beginnings, thanks to God’s grace, something amazing and transformative can emerge. The church can often feel small, marginalised, broken and struggling. As individuals we might be all too aware of our flaws and inadequacies. Be that as it may, let us thank God that he can even use us to build his Kingdom of justice and peace.

In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers the importance of nurturing and growing our faith so that we might be a blessing to others

Readings for Thursday of the third week of Ordinary Time can be found here.

The great Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Pederewski, who also briefly served as his country’s prime minister after World War One, said this about his art: “If I miss one day of practice, I notice it. If I miss two days, the critics notice it. If I miss three days, the audience notices it.” Even a superb talent such as his needed daily nurturing if he was to continue to give of his very best.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is saying something similar about our faith. He uses these two phrases: “The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given”; and “for the man who has will be given more.” This is not quite as crude as saying “you get out what you put in”. Faith is not as transactional as that, and of course salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, not obtained by our own efforts. Nevertheless, our faith needs nurturing, no matter how long we have been at it, just like Pederewski and his piano playing. When we pay more attention to our prayer life, we will indeed find ourselves growing closer to God. When we spend a bit longer reading and studying the Scriptures, we find that we come to know him a little bit better. 

And what is all this for? Great musicians do not spend hours in practice to play alone in a room. They fill concert halls and give pleasure to hundreds. Jesus says that a lamp should not be hidden but put on the lampstand for all to see. We are called to grow and develop in our faith so that we might be that lamp on a stand, shining for all to see, and bringing others to know the love of God.

In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers what it means to be part of God’s family

Readings for mass can be found here

Recently I was sorting out my father’s house in Somerset following his move to a care home here in Cardiff. I unearthed a trove of photographs, including the house where he lived being built back in 1968; him and my late mum moving in; and me and my brother as babies. Those photos documented a family establishing itself and growing, as so many do all of the time, all around the world.

Our readings today are also about a different sort of family taking root, the family of God’s people. In our first reading King David triumphantly brings the Ark of the Covenant to his new capital of Jerusalem. The Ark contained the tablets of the law given to Moses and represented God’s presence with his people. David had already established a political kingdom; by returning the Ark, he also began a religious or spiritual one. The Israelites are united as one family under one earthly king, and with God in their midst.

In the Gospel, Jesus reimagines what it means to be family. Membership is no longer defined by blood ties but rather by those who are in union with God and ready to do his will. That means there is a place for everyone. Let us always remember that we are part of this wonderful, mysterious, enriching family which is God’s people. Let us seek always to do his will, remembering that he is with us, not as the Ark of the Covenant but through his Son Jesus. And let us always make room at the table of God’s family for others to come and join us, so that they too may know the joy of being his brother or sister or mother.

Mass tonight is in St Mary’s at 6.30pm.

Mass tonight is offered for all victims of the Holocaust, in advance of Holocaust Memorial Day tomorrow. Here Fr Richard offers a reflection on the Gospel to be used at mass, Matthew 5.1-12

The famous Gospel reading that we have just heard, the Beatitudes from Matthew, presents a topsy-turvy, back-to-front vision of the world. Those who are so often looked down upon, ignored, or regarded as nothing turn out to be blessed. The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the peacemakers, the persecuted. Not, you notice, the rich, the powerful or the mighty, those who so often call the shots. It’s a topsy-turvy, back-to-front vision indeed. Why does Jesus call those groups of people blessed? Because he recognises that true blessing, true holiness, true goodness, comes not from a place of domination and power, but from one of vulnerability. Those who have known deep grief and suffering can comfort the ones who mourn; those who have been persecuted are best placed to fight for justice. The poor in Spirit – those who know their own need of God – can point others towards his love.

Holocaust Memorial Day reminds us all too powerfully of what happens when this vision is rejected. When the dignity, identity, uniqueness and vulnerability of human beings is trampled upon by those who value power, domination, and hatred of the other above all else. It leads to the massacre of six million Jews, half a million Roma and Sinti, 300,000 disabled people, 15,000 LGBT folk, and tens of thousands of communists, trade unionists and clergy. It leads to a world where, today, the forces of hatred, discrimination and fear are being allowed to rise up once again.

So, what can we do in response to all this horror, both past and present? The first step is simply to do what we are doing tonight, which is to remember. The voices of the victims of the Holocaust (and indeed the survivors, growing fewer as the years go by) must continue to be heard in and through our remembrance here, and into the future. And then we must protest. Protest against that dark and dangerous vision which led to the Holocaust, by living out the values of the Beatitudes. It’s about reminding the world that every single life, no matter how weak, how vulnerable, no matter the race, religion or colour, no matter how small the minority they’re part of, is sacred in the sight of God. This is a truth seen throughout both the Hebrew and Christian Bible.

Tonight, we remember all the victims of the Holocaust. Let us pledge ourselves to protest and to work tirelessly for that topsy-turvy, back-to-front world to become a reality here and now. 

Mass tonight is in St Dyfrig & St Samon, Grangetown at 6.30pm

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus appoints the twelve apostles. Here’s our reflection from the Daily Mass.

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BIBLE READINGS: You can find the readings for Friday of the Second Week of Ordinary Time here (Universalis Website)

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It’s a well known saying that “History is written by the victors.”  Those who win conflicts, define the narrative. They tell their own story which often downplays the truths of the other side in favour of their own.

However, in every generation, history is rewritten, providing a more truthful narrative of the past. One such example is “Black History Month” which celebrates the contribution that black people have played in the life of our country.

Jesus was immersed in the history of the people of Israel and true to the heritage of which he was a part, and the prophecies which went before. From among the many people who followed Jesus, he chose the specific number of twelve to be his apostles—those he would send out to preach and who after his ascension into heaven would form the foundation and leadership of the infant church. The number is symbolic. As there were twelve tribes of Israel, so Jesus builds on the old covenant with Israel, renewing a people for his own. He is true to the past, and to God’s chosen people, to whom God first chose to reveal himself.

The church first began as a movement within Judaism, and what we know as the Old Testament continues today to be the holy book for the Jewish people. Judaism is the rock from which we were hewn.

We know of the many distressing and evil ways in which the Jewish people have been treated, and on Monday is Holocaust Memorial Day when we remember the millions of people murdered during the holocaust of the Nazi persecution. As the Jewish people were the first to be called, so we pledge ourselves anew to nurture loving and respectful relationships with them and people of all religions. 

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Mass today is at St Saviour’s Church at 10am

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DAY BY DAY

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer then check out our DAY BY DAY pages.

 

We are called to share God’s kingdom in a world crowded by so many voices and messages. Here’s today’s reflection from the Daily Mass.

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BIBLE READINGS: You can find the readings for Thursday of Second Week of Ordinary Time here (Universalis Website)

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Anyone who has been part of—or witnessed—a gathering crowd, will know the sense of excitement and also danger, particularly if the crowd is a protest gathering.

Passion can easily turn into anger. An uncontrolled crowd can become uncontrollable. A peaceful protest can easily be sabotaged and become something it was never intended to be.

The diversity of the crowd attracted to Jesus is significant. He has drawn people together from all over the region and beyond. People from different counties and cultures come to him. Those who are sick reach out to him for healing. But he doesn’t take advantage of his fame. At times, he hides from them, and silences the unclean spirits who submit to him, instructing them not to make him known. The crowd was so large and passionate that he feared being crushed— we can imagine a sense of chaos, even hysteria, and certainly danger as Jesus prepares his getaway in a boat.

Jesus, it seems, refuses to be either a crowd pleaser or a crowd Marshall. The signs and wonders he performs are not about gaining popularity for himself but declaring that the Kingdom of God is very near. In a jostling, growing, pressing crowd, the message can be lost. We too are called to share God’s kingdom in a world crowded by so many voices and messages. We don’t need to shout. We simply need to continue being faithful witnesses, quietly serving God in our daily lives, often away from the crowd.

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Mass today is at St Dyfrig and St Samson’s Church at 10am

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DAY BY DAY

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer then check out our DAY BY DAY pages.

 

What’s the design for our life? God’s designs for our life are filled with love for us “to know him for clearly, love him more dearly, follow him more nearly, day by day.” Here’s today’s reflection from the Daily Mass.

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BIBLE READINGS: You can find the readings for Tuesday of Second Week of Ordinary Time here (Universalis Website)

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“A camel is a horse designed by a committee.” The saying is attributed to the person who designed the Mini car as he lamented team-based design. Any of us who have had to sit on certain committees will be able to share his frustration at times, when there is no unifying vision but many opinions. The outcome can be interesting.

In the gospel reading, the Pharisees have by design created the sabbath to be something that it is not. Rather than welcoming the sabbath to serve them, enrich their lives and bring them closer to God, they have become a slave to it—and they’ve got the hump! (Excuse the pun!) As they criticise Jesus for picking ears of corn, he gives them an example from the life of David when he was hungry and in need, whilst also confirming his own lordship over the Sabbath.

We can so often over confuse our faith. There is so much that is important, but all the obligations we feel are placed upon us, are simply opportunities to grow closer to God. They are intended to liberate not shackle us, change us not chain us. God’s designs for our life are filled with love and, to quote the prayer of St Richard of Chichester, “to know him for clearly, love him more dearly, follow him more nearly, day by day.”

 

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Mass today is at St Mary’s Church at 630pm

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DAY BY DAY

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer then check out our DAY BY DAY pages.

 

In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers how God is continually searching for us, but also how we have a role in searching out others whom he is calling to serve him.

Readings for Saturday of the first week of ordinary time (memorial of St Anthony, Bishop): 1 Samuel 9.1-4, 17-19, 10.1; Psalm 21.2-3, 4-5, 6-7; Mark 2.13-17. Text of readings can be found here.

You return home and there are several messages on the answering machine. Or you switch on your phone after a service or meeting and you see a number of texts or emails that have come through. Or even – unusually in this digital age – there’s a letter on the doormat with a handwritten envelope in writing you don’t recognise. All of these are examples of people searching us out, trying to make contact because they need us or want us for some reason or another. We are intrigued, perhaps, by the nature of the enquiry, and are keen to find out why we are being sought out.

Our readings today feature two people whom God is seeking for a particular role. Both of them are ordinary people, doing seemingly ordinary things, when the invitation comes. Saul, the son of Kish, is searching – unsuccessfully, as it turns out – for his father’s lost donkeys. But then he meets Samual, who has been looking for him, and who later anoints him as God’s chosen king for Israel. In the Gospel, Levi (also identified with Matthew) is having an ordinary day sitting at his tax booth. As a tax collector, he was someone that others looked down upon. And yet Jesus seeks him out, calls him to follow, and he responds without delay.

God is continually searching for us, in the midst of the ordinariness of life, even if we think we aren’t worthy of his attention. We need at all times to be attentive to that call. But equally, we also need to be on the lookout for those whom God is calling, especially those who may not be the most obvious candidates, those on the margins. We can all be God’s messengers, seeking out those, like Saul, or Levi, whom he is calling to serve him.

Mass today is in St Mary’s at 11.30am

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer then check out our Day By Day pages.

In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers the things that we wish for and desire in life. What things will lead to lasting fulfilment, and what won’t?

Readings for Friday of the first week of ordinary time: 1 Samuel 8.4-7, 10-22; Psalm 89.16-17, 18-19; Mark 2.1-12. Text of readings can be found here.

Over 100 years ago, Communists took power in Russia as a result of the October 1917 revolution. For many who took part in that uprising, it had been a case of “if only…” – “If only we can get rid of the Tsar and the class system, life will be so much better”. In modern times, people often think “if only we can change the government; if only we can replace our voting system; if only we can abolish the monarchy and have a republic” then all our problems will be solved. The concept of “if only” doesn’t just apply to politics, of course. The football fan might think “if only we had a new manager…”. And in our personal lives, it’s often a case of “if only I can get a promotion, move to a nicer area, leave this relationship”, then all will be well.

The people of Israel are going down the road of “if only” in our first reading. For them, it was a case of “if only we can have a king like other nations, then we can defeat our enemies”. Samuel, the great leader of the people, warns them of the dangers of a monarchy, but they insist. For God, the people’s demand was a rejection of his kingship as they put their trust in earthly rulers. Subsequent centuries would prove Samuel right, as Israel’s kings proved to be sinful, or corrupt, or tyrannical, or all of those and more besides. Ultimately the monarchy and the nation would end in ruin.

There’s an “if only” at work in the Gospel, but of a very different sort. For the paralysed man and his friends, it’s a case of “if only we can get close to Jesus”, and they go to extraordinary lengths to make this happen. The man is rewarded with both healing and forgiveness. Ultimately, this is the one “if only” that counts. May we always be saying “if only I can be near Jesus; if only I can spend time with him in prayer; if only I can serve him in the poor and needy”. For that is where true salvation lies.

Mass today is in St Saviour’s at 10am.

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer then check out our Day By Day pages.

In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers how the essence of our faith is contained not in objects or rituals, but in the person of Jesus, who reaches out in love to those in need.

Readings for Thursday in the first week of Ordinary Time: 1 Samuel 4.1-11; Psalm 44.10-11, 14-15, 24-25; Mark 1.40-45. Text of readings can be found here.

Do you know where the origin of the phrase “touch wood” comes from? According to one theory, it originates from the middle ages, when people would often carry around a supposed relic of the True Cross. In times of peril, or when needing good luck, they would reach into their pocket and touch the wood. The phrase entered into everyday parlance, and has survived even when the custom of carrying the wood ceased.

In our first reading today, both the Philistines and the Israelites viewed the Ark of the Covenant as some sort of good luck charm for Israel. This was the chest which contained the tablets upon which God had written the Ten Commandments for Moses about 200 years before. Both sides believed that the very presence of the Ark on the battlefield would ensure victory for Israel. The outcome of the battle, however, was about something much deeper. It was about the corruption and lack of faith at the heart of Israel, represented especially by the behaviour of the two sons of Eli the priest.

The external rituals and customs of faith are something that Jesus doesn’t allow to stand in the way of doing good in our Gospel reading. A faithful Jew would normally have avoided physical contact with a leper, since it would have made him unclean according to the law. And yet Jesus does precisely this in order to bring healing to the man who needs it. Our traditions and rituals are important, but they are not the beginning and ending of faith. This, rather, is to be found in a personal encounter with God made flesh, Jesus Christ, the one who crosses traditional boundaries. Strengthened by our encounter with him in this and every mass, may we have the courage to reach out in faith and love to the untouchables of our own day.

Mass today is in St Dyfrig & St Samson at 10am.

If you’d like more resources for daily prayer then check out our Day By Day pages.