in today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers how God reaches out to us in love and helps us when we are in need.

Readings for Saturday of the 1st week of Advent: Isaiah 30.19-21, 23-26; Psalm 146.2-4, 5-6; Matthew 9.35-10.1, 5a, 6-8. Text of readings can be found here.

I remember once going through a particularly difficult time in my life, when it felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. A dear friend seemed to sense when I was feeling particularly low, and would invite me round for dinner. That kindly act didn’t take away all my troubles, but it did make the world seem a slightly brighter place.

In our readings today we see a God who, in a similar way, reaches out in love and compassion to those who are in need, but he is able to transform the fortunes of those who are suffering. Isaiah says this about God’s response to the people of Jerusalem: “He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you”. But God doesn’t just offer words of comfort, he acts as well. First, he tells the people the direction they should be going, and then promises that the land will be fertile. In the Gospel, Jesus has compassion on the crowd, “because they were harassed and helpless”. He too acts, by sending out the twelve to proclaim the kingdom, and bring healing in his name.

We know that whenever we are suffering or in need, God reaches out to us in love, but also brings the healing only he can offer. Likewise the church is called upon to carry out God’s work in the world, and so our mission ought to be seeking out the contemporary lost sheep, those harassed and helpless, weighed down by worries, problems and concerns. Yes, we can offer them compassion, a listening ear and a place of refuge. But we can also offer them the healing, restoration and salvation that comes only from God.

In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers how we can trust in God’s promises revealed to us in the Bible.

Readings for Friday of the 1st week of Advent: Isaiah 29.17-24; Psalm 27.1, 4, 13-14; Matthew 9.27-31. Text of readings can be found here.

Fans of a lower-league sports team need to have a special kind of hope or optimism. Most weeks they see their team getting beaten, and they know deep down that they will never win any trophies. And yet they keep turning up, week after week, to cheer on their players and hope that one day they might somehow do something amazing. Is that dedication to be commended, or is it naive foolishness?

The cynic might ask the same question in relation to our first reading today. Isaiah seems to offer an impossible vision of the future where the deaf will be deaf no more, the blind will see and ruthless tyrants will be cut off. Yet we know from the rest of the Old Testament that God keeps his promises of renewal and restoration, such as rescuing his people from slavery in Egypt or bringing them back from Exile in Babylon. Isaiah’s vision, then, is one that we can trust in. And we see this vision beginning to be realised in and through the life of Jesus in today’s Gospel, as he heals the two blind men. Here, the key is faith – the blind men trusted in Jesus. But their faith was also about encountering Jesus – we are told they follow Jesus and cry out to him for help.

Our faith, then, is not simply wishful thinking, like those sports fans hoping something will turn up. We are able to trust in a God who always keeps his promises of transformation and renewal, and we are able to encounter Jesus, not least here in the Mass, who always responds to us when we cry out to him, and who, through our faith, is always ready to continue that work of building a new creation, his Kingdom.

In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers the relationship between our words and actions. Which is harder, and which is more effective?

Readings for Thursday of the 1st week of Advent: Isaiah 26.1-6; Psalm 118,1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a; Matthew 7.21, 24-27. Text of readings can be found here.

Whenever a game of football or rugby is in full flow, especially when the Welsh national team are playing, you can be certain that those watching will offer their opinions, often forcefully, about the performance of the team. The spectators will often comment about a shot on goal that was missed, poor defensive work, or a badly executed line-out. The language used can frequently be interesting. One wonders, however, how well many of these people watching would fare if they actually entered the field of play themselves!

“Actions speak louder than words”, so the saying goes. It’s also true that taking action is a lot harder than just talking about something. This is the essence of Jesus’ message in today’s Gospel. What counts, he says, is not just speaking a form of words but actually doing the will of his Father. Acting on the Father’s commands, entering the field of play, is likened to the wise man who builds his house on the rock. Digging into solid earth is hard work indeed, but Jesus declares that it will be worth it when the storms come and the house is still standing afterwards.

We might liken this to a church which takes time to engage with its community, works to support the marginalised, and campaigns for social justice. It’s hard work, it takes effort, and often the results are not obvious. It would be much easier to stand on the side-lines and mouth platitudes, but this would be to build our house on sand. Doing the real work of the Gospel, carrying out the will of the Father, is challenging and never easy, but it represents that firm foundation which, with his grace supporting us, will endure and bear fruit.

Living on the Streets

We often talk about people “living on the streets,” those who occupy shop doorways, sheltered walkways, perhaps seen begging in town, carrying their belongings with them, and a whole lot more.

What contributes to someone ending up homeless is many and varied.

For some, their lives may emerge from a difficult childhood, moving through the care system, or it could happen later in life when something happens which begins a spiral of other events, maybe compounded by mental heath problems, addictions or dependencies of some kind.

For some people, the streets feel a safer place than than that which they once called home.

There are, of course, many expressions of homelessness, including those who live in temporary accommodation, residing in supportive living and hostels, or staying with friends.

There are individuals and families on the verge of homelessness because of financial problems or breakdown in a relationship.

For those of us who have never had to experience any of this, we can only imagine the challenges and difficulties, and listen to the experiences of others.

Dying in Homelessness

Sadly, there are many people who not only live in homelessness but die when they are homeless.

Once again, on Thursday 4 December, St Mary’s Church is privileged to work with the Salvation Army’s Ty Gobaith and The Choir with No Name (CWNN) to provide a space to remember all those who have died whilst homeless.

A space to remember

John Stark, the Chaplain at Ty Gobaith will be sharing some reflections, and inviting those present to place a star on the Christmas Tree with a name, message or memory of someone who has died.

Tŷ Gobaith is a 24 hour, 7 days a week, supported residential Lifehouse based in Cardiff for single adults over the age of eighteen years

It offers a safe, supportive environment for individuals, helping them to make positive choices about their current circumstances. It is a 24 hour, 7 days a week, supported residential Lifehouse based in Cardiff for single adults over the age of eighteen years.

The CWNN Cardiff will be sharing three songs from their repertoire. The choir is run in partnership with The Wallich, a leading homelessness and rough sleeping charity offering services across the majority of Wales.

The choir meets every Tuesday at 6pm at Butetown Community Centre for a cuppa, a sing, and a hot meal. There is no need to register – just turn up!

All Welcome

The Memorial Service has now become an annual event in Cardiff providing a welcoming and gentle space to recall and remember.

All are welcome to join us at St Mary’s Church, Bute Street on Thursday December 4th at 2pm. The service is followed by Tea, coffee and cake.

In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers how we can have faith in God’s vision for a world where all of nature is at peace and in harmony.

Readings for Tuesday of the 1st week of Advent: Isaiah 11.1-10; Psalm 72.1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Luke 10.21-24. Text of readings can be found here.

It was that great commentator on the Scriptures, Woody Allen, who once offered an interesting take on today’s famous passage from Isaiah. “The leopard shall lie down with the young goat”, said Allen, “but the goat won’t get much sleep!”. That comment perhaps points to a certain degree of cynicism that the sophisticated reader might bring to this passage. It seems so far-fetched, that these pairs of animals, one of which would normally want to devour the other, could ever dwell together in harmony. Just as unlikely would be the prospect of a child playing happily near a venomous snake or the emergence of a leader to take on the mantle of King David, possessed of all the wonderful qualities of which Isaiah speaks.

In the Gospel, however, Jesus rejects the notion that it is the so-called wise and learned, those perhaps endowed with scepticism and cynicism, who have a monopoly on understanding the world. Indeed, he says that the Father has hidden the truth from such people, and instead revealed it to “little children”, no doubt meaning those regarded as uneducated or unsophisticated. They have an openness to the things of God which the wise and learned sometimes find harder. This was certainly true of the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day, while the ordinary folk embraced his message.

This is not to denigrate the role of education or learning. But it is to say that these things should not become a barrier to accepting the amazing possibilities that faith offers. Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus; and so we can trust that his wonderful vision of a world at peace and in harmony will also one day come to pass.

In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers what happens when someone usually considered an outsider shows profound insights and is welcomed in. How can we learn from such people?

Readings for Monday of the 1st week of Advent: Isaiah 4.2-6; Psalm 122.1-4, 8-8; Matthew 8.5-11. Text of readings can be found here.

For those old enough to remember, the 1990s was a decade of dramatic change following many years of a static world order or seemingly intractable conflicts. The Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc collapsed; the Good Friday agreement paved the way for peace in Northern Ireland; and in South Africa, Nelson Mandela was released from the prison, and then went on to become the country’s first black president. For 27 years Mandela had been the outsider, kept out of public view but very much a symbol of the struggle against apartheid. And then, following the first multi-racial elections of 1994, he suddenly became the insider, the leader charged with bringing his country into a new era.

Today’s Gospel features someone who would have been considered an outsider by the Jews of Jesus’ day. The centurion is a foreigner; most likely a Gentile; and a representative of the oppressive Roman Empire. And yet, regarding his faith, Jesus declares him to be an insider: “nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this”. The centurion’s great faith, trusting that Jesus’ word rather than his physical presence will heal his servant, prompts Jesus to announce that all those previously considered outsiders from Israel will have a place in God’s kingdom: “… many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob…”

As Advent begins, let us take to heart the message of today’s Gospel. Let us seek to build a truly inclusive society and church, where all have an honoured place, regardless of background. And let us be on the look out for those usually considered outsiders. You never know, like the centurion, they might be able to offer us a powerful example of faith, or profound insights, which might just end up changing our life. 

“How do we recognise the kingdom of God in our own lives? In what ways can we become signs that God’s kingdom is coming into the world?”. Today’s reflection from the daily Mass.

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BIBLE READINGS: You can find the readings for Thursday of Week 34 here (Universalis Website)

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Proverbs such as “Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight, fine day tomorrow” and “Red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning,” are well known, even if they are just a remnant of our childhood.

In reality, perhaps many people today are in danger of becoming distanced from the natural world. We may not notice which birds leave our shores in winter, and which one arrive from other countries. We may not be able to read the signs of the seasons, apart from a change in temperature.

Jesus’image of the fig tree is a simple one. When leaves begin to bud, we know that summer is on its way. But Jesus, of course, is not giving us a horticultural lesson. His eyes are fixed on the kingdom of God. Just as we have the ability to read the seasons and the weather and predict what is to come, so the kingdom of God is revealed by signs, if only we are alert to them.

How do we recognise the kingdom of God in our own lives? In what ways can we become signs that God’s kingdom is coming into the world? As members of the church, we are called to reveal the kingdom of God through lives filled with love of God and our neighbour. We are to seek God’s way and allow Jesus to be preeminent in our lives.

As we approach Advent and Christmas, and the celebration of the Incarnation, that God is with us, how can we—as a church and as individuals—be a sign to others that the Kingdom of God is very near?

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MASS TODAY

Mass today on Friday 28 November is at S 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.

 

“It can feel impossible to stand straight and raise our heads. But even in the midst of difficulties, God is with us”. Today’s reflection from the daily Mass.

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BIBLE READINGS: You can find the readings for Thursday of Week 34 here (Universalis Website)

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Albert Einstein famously said, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”

Each of us works and lives to various degrees of tidiness and chaos. Some people can’t cope with a thing out of place, their house like a show home. Whilst others are happy to leave the bowl of dirty dishes until the morning.  It all depends on our personality. Sadly, some people’s lives are so genuinely chaotic that their lives may unravel and become out our control. They may have begun life with a troubled childhood, or been affected by difficult times or trauma throughout their lives. Some people may become dependant on drugs or experience very poor mental health. The world too at times may seem chaotic. Wars, violence, struggles and injustice, tough times and challenges.

The Bible begins with chaos, as we read in Genesis that God’s spirit hovered over the waters of chaos and began to create order and beauty from the formless void. The readings today are also filled with troubles and predictions of chaos. Daniel is plunged into the deathly lion’s den, and Jesus prophesies war and tumult and difficult times. He tells us not to be surprised, but to expect it but he ends with this moment of encouragement.  “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

When bowed down by the pressures and difficulties of life, it can often be difficult to find a way forward, to see the light in the darkness, the hope in the midst of despair. It can feel impossible to stand straight and raise our heads. But even in the midst of difficulties, God is with us. Our redemption is at hand.

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MASS TODAY

Mass today on Thursday 27 November is at S Dyfrig and S 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.

 

“Whilst we cling to stones and mortar and set places aside as holy and dedicated to God, we can easily be distracted and forget that we are temples of the Holy Spirit”. Today’s reflection from the daily Mass.

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BIBLE READINGS: You can find the readings for Tuesday of Week 34 here (Universalis Website)

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In a relatively young and rapidly growing city like Cardiff, one can always experience the demolition of one building and the rising of an another in its place. Over the last hundred years, Cardiff’s landscape has constantly changed—often losing some buildings of great historical and cultural interest along the way.

Meanwhile, those of us who are custodians of historic and important buildings know how difficult and costly it is to maintain them on limited budgets and capacity.

The fragility of the built landscape features in the gospel reading today. The temple at Jerusalem was a significant building, a focus for the Jewish people. It not only told the story of Gods people, but it was a place of encounter with God, an assurance of his presence. However, Jesus predicts that not a stone will be left standing. This would have been so difficult and outrageous for his listeners to hear. It was unimaginable and devastating.

Life is fragile, and what we once relied on as ‘given’ can often prove to be so passing. Our customs and traditions, our ways of life, our values and memories of what once were—they can all disappear, toppled like the temple walls.  However, Jesus turns our lives to that which is unchangeable and forever. The heavenly Jerusalem. Whilst we cling to stones and mortar and set places aside as holy and dedicated to God, we can easily be distracted and forget that we are temples of the Holy Spirit, the place where God dwells.

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MASS TODAY

Mass today on Tuesday 25 November is at S 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.

 

“No matter how small we think we are or how small our gift is, if we give of ourselves—and give ourselves wholeheartedly—then we will feel the loving look of Jesus, who accepts us as we are.”

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BIBLE READINGS: You can find the readings for Monday of Week 34 here (Universalis Website)

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The 2021 movie, Worth is based on the true story of a lawyer given the impossible job of determining the financial value of human lives lost in the September 11th attacks. The film explores the moral, ethical, and emotional complexities of attributing monetary value to victims’ lives through the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. It examines the balance and conflict between a formulaic approach to compensation and the human need for compassion and the recognition of individual worth.

In the gospel reading we have what could be dismissed as a minor character, easily overlooked. An old widow who quietly makes her way into the temple to make her financial offering. But Jesus sees her, and he acknowledges her worth for she has given everything she has. She holds nothing back from God. He compares this offering with those of the rich whose financial offering is far greater in monetary value but is far from sacrificial. Their offering is easy money.

We live in a society which often ranks people in order of importance. We may not do this consciously, but we still have the legacy of a class system, where the rich are powerful, and the powerful are rich.  Jesus, however, sees the value in every human life. No matter how small we think we are or how small our gift is, if we give of ourselves—and give ourselves wholeheartedly—then we will feel the loving look of Jesus, who accepts us as we are. With nothing else left to give, the old woman becomes a gift to us. Far from being overlooked, Jesus raises her eyes and acknowledges her worth.

 

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MASS TODAY

Mass today on Monday 24 November is at Ss Dyfrig and Samson 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.