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Fr Dominic’s Homily

Today’s Gospel of John comes from the last supper discourse. When Jesus was saying this people were in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. They would be visiting the temple for their sacrifices. On the archway leading to the temple were enormous images of vines plated in gold as icons of the Promised Land. So by calling himself the true vine Jesus indicates that he is the true vine of the true temple.

We are as closely connected to Him as the branches of a vine are connected to its stem. So, we depend on Jesus for everything, starting with our very life. “For in Him we live and move and have our being”

Jesus doesn’t say that we can do some things pretty well but you need me to help now and then. He said that no branch can even live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself. “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

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Fr Dominic’s Homily

Today we hear that Jesus compares himself to a shepherd and the church to sheep. The sheep hear him and know his voice. They follow him. This of course is a familiar scene in the ancient world and so would have created a clear image for his listeners. Perhaps not so familiar now with our more sophisticated lifestyles...

God is someone who knows us and calls us out of love. We are born to hear the voice of God and this is actually what ultimately defines us. We are the sheep born to recognise the voice of the shepherd. This is why our hearts burn within us when we hear his voice. Deep inside we recognise truth and beauty.

If you pluck a guitar string and hold it next to another one it begins to vibrate sympathetically with it. So, it is with us when we hear God's voice it makes our hearts resonate. We were born for it.

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Fr Dominic’s Homily

There is always a balance between sin and grace. It’s how it is in our Christian lives. And if we put too much emphasis on either side then things can easily go wrong. They get out of balance.

We hear in the first reading St Peter giving what is practically the first ever sermon: Peter and John are in the temple have just healed a crippled man and the crowd has gathered.

So Peter says that this healing came not from himself but from Jesus. Peter emphasises that it is Jesus risen from the dead who is the one who gives us healing. So he starts his proclamation with the good news.

We must always start our spiritual lives with the positive - the healing grace of Christ. We must never start with sin otherwise it’s too negative. We must begin with the grace of God.

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On Friday 5 April the Parish celebrated Kim Woolmer's retirement after 24½ years dedicated service as St Mary's Shrine Manager.

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Fr Dominic’s Homily

Thomas was one of the twelve disciples and wasn’t with the others when Jesus appeared. He was the only one absent; on his return he heard what had happened but he refused to believe it.

I think we can all identify with this. Unless we can actually see things happen we don’t believe them. In this world of today we need concrete proof and evidence.

The Easter message is all about Jesus rising from the dead but none of us were there when it happened. We didn’t see it so how can we believe it?

So Jesus appears a second time and this time he offers his side, his hands, and the scars of his wounds for examination by Thomas.

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Maggy has kindly provided some photos of the Easter Vigil.

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Fr Dominic’s Homily

On this this morning we exult. We exult as we recall how Christ rose from the dead, we exult as we witness the emptiness of the tomb; and we exult in the knowledge that he appeared to Mary Magdalen and the other disciples.

Of course, we also realise the consequences of his resurrection. We know that by his death and resurrection Christ has wiped clean the slate for us. He has washed away our sins; and, once our earthly existence is over, he invites us to join him in his heavenly Kingdom. This is a wonderful gift by a mightily loving Saviour, and is something that fills our hearts with joy and thanksgiving today.

And so this is a time of celebration, of joy; of thanksgiving. After 40 days of Lent we can now exult; exult that the victory over sin has been won and rejoice that the promises of God have been honoured.

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Fr Dominic’s Homily

Christ is risen! Alleluia! What a joy we have today as we celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection.

Jesus is the Lord of all! And we all need Him! On a regular basis, we need to receive the Sacrament of Confession and we need to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist which is the Living Bread that feeds our souls.

Mary Magdalene needed Jesus. She wept when she realized that His body was gone, believing that someone had stolen it. She was not the only one to have these feelings. All the disciples of Jesus felt that way.

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Fr Dominic’s Homily

Today we celebrate that he crucifix of death has become the means of our life. It has become the cross that saves rather than kills.

It’s strange when you think about it that we honour the cross which is really an instrument of torture to kill Jesus in a horrific way.

Yet the Cross becomes his throne which is why we honour it. We rejoice that something so terrible should have been transformed into a means of redemption for the whole human race. Through this cross our relationship with God the Father has been repaired forever…

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Fr Dominic’s Homily

Our Gospel today is John’s account of the Passion of Jesus. And of course the basic message is that because of our sinfulness instead of welcoming and following him we actually killed the very creator of Life.

Notice that right at the beginning Jesus says “I AM” in response to the soldiers sent to arrest him in the garden of Gethsemane. They are words in which Christ proclaims his divinity before the soldiers.

In saying “I AM” Jesus is using the same words that God used to describe himself to Moses on Mount Sinai. They are the words that describe the one who cannot be named, the one who cannot be controlled, the Creator of the universe.

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Fr Dominic’s Homily

There are many different images of Christ all around the world. If you think of all the paintings, they depict him in many different ways. From a tiny baby to the Good Shepherd to a crucified criminal.

But today we have one of the most striking images of Jesus – that of a humble servant washing the feet of his disciples. (Which covid stopped us doing for a while)

Here on his knees before others, his head lowered in humility and in love, doing the work of a slave – here is where you see the true image of Christ. Tonight, God gets down on his knees for us. He lowers himself and becomes a servant to the world — as humble as a slave.

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Fr Dominic’s Homily

Palms are used as a sign of welcoming a royal king. The people are hoping that Jesus is going to be a king like David and restore peace and justice. That he will use worldly power to fight off the Romans.

But he enters not as a warrior on a fine horse or a worldly king in his chariot. Instead he enters Jerusalem on a donkey.

He is the essence of humility and so is the exact opposite of worldly kings. He will be the true king of the world. But not in the way people expect.

Normally if somebody hurts us we sin in return. We retaliate. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This is the way of the world. But Jesus draws sin to himself so that he can take it away. He absorbs it and filters it.

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Our annual Easter Service was held at the Glastonbury Care Home. Although very few were present it was a very enjoyable and uplifting service. 

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Fr Dominic’s Homily

Today we hear about grains of wheat. If you think about them they are amazing packages of information. If protected they can last for hundreds of years. But unless it dies, in other words interacts with the soil and breaks open only then can it gives of itself. Only then can it yield its fruit.

In the first reading we have Jeremiah 31:31. It’s an easy reference to remember and central to the bible: “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. I will place my law within them and write it on their hearts.”

It’s a central passage because it speaks of a new covenant with the house of Israel. It says that the covenant will be written in our hearts. Our hearts become packages of Gods information.

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Today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has accepted the resignation of the Right Reverend Declan Lang as Bishop of Clifton. Bishop Declan was ordained the ninth Bishop of Clifton on 28th March 2001 and has served the Diocese for 23 years as its bishop.

The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Canon Bosco MacDonald, a priest of the Diocese of Clifton, until now Dean of the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Bristol, as the tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Clifton.

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