Is it right to fear God? What is the difference between a destructive fear and a “holy trepidation”? An Advent homily by Fr Stephen Wang: Look around you at the chapel walls. Look at the […]
Spirituality
St Patrick
St. Patrick of Ireland – whose feast we celebrate today – is one of the world’s best known saints. He was born around 385, perhaps in Scotland, near Kilpatrick. His parents were Calpurnius and […]
Daily Lenten reflections to your inbox from Fr Robert Barron
Take a look at the Lenten Reflections website, where you can sign up to receive a daily reflection by email from Fr Robert Barron.
Letting the heart be transformed this Lent
Ash Wednesday begins with an entreaty from God, one that has been heard down through the generations. It is an appeal from the very heart of God. He is calling his wayward children to […]
The vocation to love, part 3: God’s call in the Old Testament
The language of vocation, of being called to a way of life, has its origin in the Bible. The God of the Jews is both supremely Other – the sole origin and ruler of everything […]
Desert Island Priests at Brentwood Cathedral
In this series of interviews Fr Martin Boland will be speaking to six priests of the Brentwood Diocese about books which have influenced them in their spiritual journey. Thursday 6 March Fr Kevin Hale (Leigh-on-Sea) .. Journal […]
The vocation to love, part 1: an invitation
What is the best-kept secret of the Second Vatican Council? Many of the Council’s radical ideas are now so integrated into our lives that we forget how new they were. But some of its riches […]
The difficulty of communicating the inner experience of faith
Is it possible to communicate the inner experience of faith? Take a look at this article by David Brook’s of the New York Times. There is a strong vein of hostility against orthodox religious believers […]
The wisdom and continuing relevance of St Thomas Aquinas
The feastday of St Thomas Aquinas passed by unnoticed to most of the world last week, but for those who have come to know him as a steady guide in thinking about the biggest questions […]
The longing of the human heart for God
A homily by Fr Stephen Wang about the longing of the human heart for God, from the Garden of Eden to the End of Time; given at Newman House, 2 February 2014, on the Feast […]
Candlemas: The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Today we celebrate the feast of Candlemas which incorporates two feasts, the Presentation of Our Lord and the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. Both rites were obliged by Jewish law. You can read about them […]
St John Bosco – patron saint of young people
St John Bosco is one of those saints who can really appeal to children, especially boys. Born August 16th 1815 he was the youngest son of Francis and Margaret Bosco. He lived on a small […]
The art of patience: waiting while you wait
I just came across this lovely phrase from St Francis de Sales. In a letter to St Jane de Chantal, when there is a hitch and she can’t take a journey at the time she […]
Do Catholics really know their bibles?
Earlier this week, in our Catholic parish, we began ‘A Quick Journey through the Bible‘, the Great Adventure eight-session course; and we were maxed out with around 70 participants showing up. I was excited to […]
Traditions on the Feast of St Agnes
Agnes, a young Christian convert, is honored as one of the four great virgin martyrs of the Christian Church. She died for her faith in the early fourth century during the reign of Diocletian (284-305), […]
Christmas: sacred and profane
Happy Christmas from everyone at Jericho Tree! We are taking a Christmas break and will be back in the new year. The image above is from a shop window on Tottenham Court Road; the image […]
Christmas traditions: the breaking of the Oplatki bread
One of the loveliest traditions we started on Christmas Eve is one we took from our Polish friends, the breaking of the Oplatki bread. This tradition starts just before the evening meal. While the adults […]
Our Lady of Guadalupe, St Juan Diego, and the theology of the Mexican piñata
Down through the centuries there have been many reported sightings of Our Lady. But maybe none with such dramatic consequences as when she appeared in Mexico in 1531. A poor Aztec Indian named Juan Diego […]
The greatest Advent calendars of all time: Number 1
I was given this tiny Advent calendar as a gift on Sunday, all the way from Germany. It’s about 10cm x 5cm. I thought it was very sweet but a bit boring – until I […]
Student Cross – looking ahead to Holy Week 2014
Student Cross is a pilgrimage organised by and for students, young adults, and pilgrims of all ages, which has been running since 1948. Pilgrims experience Holy Week and the joy of the Resurrection as a […]
Nightfever comes to London again on Sat 7th December
Nightfever comes to St Patrick’s Church again, in Soho Square, on Saturday 7th December. See the London homepage here. This information is from their website: Welcome to Nighfever London We invite you to come and […]
