De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

Listen to Bishop of Brentwood, The Rt Rvd Alan Williams SM reflect on true discipleship in the Year of Mercy. Below are a couple of pictures of the Holy Door at Brentwood Cathedral. Above the door you can see a sign written in Bishop Alan's own hand and recreated in neon. Pope Francis explains the meaning of the Holy Door thus:  "There is only one way that opens wide the entrance into the life of the communion with God: this is Jesus, the one and absolute way to salvation. To him alone can the words of the Psalmist be applied in full truth: "This is the door of the Lord where the just may enter" (Psalm 118:20)"  In a Jubilee Year we are all invited to pass through the Holy Door as a symbolic gesture of leaving the past behind and crossing the threshold from sin to grace, from slavery to freedom, and from darkness to light. The neon art outside the Holy Door has been created by Chris Mitchell of Neon Sign Store. The words are the motto for the...

Welcome to this, the thirty-third of my reflections on the theology of the Sunday readings at Mass. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I sincerely hope that this reflection will inspire you. You might find that it answers a few questions you may have, but most of all I hope that it will show you how fantastic Sacred Scripture is and perhaps enable you to share some of my love and passion for the Bible as you begin to comprehend how layered and multi-faceted it is, and what a carefully considered part of the Mass the readings are. If you want to know how these posts came about, please read my first post in this series  here . I would like to think this regular blog would be a great help to anyone who reads at Mass, to enable them to foster a deeper understanding of the message they are trying to impart to the congregation. There are several different ways to read this post. I would suggest the first thing to do is to look at the relevant...

James Tissot-  Prodigal Son, The Return (1882).  If you want to get the most out of this journey with me, you'll need your Bible. Go on, go and get it now. You'll be glad you did, because if you don't you'll just feel frustrated...No, no-- don't worry, I won't start until you come back. OK, ready? Got your Bible? Then I'll begin. As human beings, we exist in a web of relationships - links to nature, people and to God. These links can be traced out. Some links are strong and easy to follow. Some links are twisted or broken. As Aristotle pointed out 'Man is a social animal' and as such, cannot be happy without human love and friendship. However, it's not all a bed of roses. There are givers and takers in this life. People who, solely concerned with the happiness of those around them, give effortlessly and with great love, who radiate joy and enthusiasm and whose happiness is infectious. And people who consider that the world revol...