‘He took pity on them.’ In these few words St Mark explains Jesus’ reaction to seeing the arrival of people determined to see him. But this short phrase also describes in a nutshell Jesus’ deepest reason, cause and purpose behind his mission. He is driven by his concern for those who ‘were like sheep without a shepherd.’ Jesus, the Son…
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We now have two new priests in the diocese. We believe that these men have been chosen by God. Their personal discernment was carefully examined and tested by the Church authorities over a number of years during their training and was finally confirmed by the very act of their Priestly Ordination just a couple of weeks ago. It certainly represents…
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Fifteen young men, all in their late twenties, entered their local cathedral church on a beautiful Saturday morning. A couple of hours later they left the cathedral as fifteen newly-ordained young priests. That happened twenty-one years ago, and one of those fifteen was me. When we left, the seminary was full, with about a hundred young men studying to follow…
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The NHS is present in the news daily. Certainly, this has been true over the last couple of weeks because this year marks the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the NHS. That ought to be something to celebrate, but more often than not, the NHS news stories appearing on our screens concern its alleged failings or problems. Only the…
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For me it wasn’t a happy return from my recent holiday. I pulled a muscle in my back as I laid foot on my doorstep while shifting my suitcase. Then I learned that during my absence a number of parishioners had suddenly become seriously ill, and that one had passed away… So, you see, it really wasn’t a happy return.…