Third Sunday in Lent                                   Year A                                                 8th March 2026 Lectionary readings:  Exodus 17 v1-7;    Psalm 95;    Romans 5 v1-11;    John 4 v5-42. Hunger and thirst. All human beings need food and water in order to survive. Our readings today speak about hunger and thirst in two senses, physical and spiritual. The people of God…

Second Sunday in Lent                     Year A                                                 1st March 2026 Lectionary readings: Genesis 12 v1-4a;   Psalm 121;   Romans 4 v1-5, 13-17;   John 3 v1-17. Abraham’s example. Long ago and far away, (about 4000 years ago, in Southern Iraq), God spoke to man named Abram (later Abraham). Abram put his faith in God’s plans for himself,…

First Sunday in Lent                                     Year A                         22nd February 2026 Lectionary Readings: Genesis 2 v15-17, 3 v1-7; Psalm 32; Romans 5 v12-19; Matthew 4 v1-11. We are no longer alone. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert so that the devil could test him. (Matthew 4v1). And when the test was completed, The…

Sunday before Lent.                         Year A                                                 15th February 2026 Lectionary Readings: Exodus 24 v12-18;   Psalm 2;   2 Peter 1 v16-21;   Matthew 17 v1-9. Understanding, guided by the Spirit of God. Peter said,“But you need to realise that no one alone can understand the prophecies in the Scriptures. The prophets did not think these things up…

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time                   Year A                                     8th February 2026 Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 58 v1-9a; Psalm 112 v1-9; 1 Corinthians 2 v1-12; Matthew 5 v13-20 Understanding the mind of God. Jesus said, “Don’t suppose that I came to do away with the Law and the prophets. I did not come to do away with…

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time               Year A                                     1st February 2026. Lectionary Readings: Micah 6 v1-8; psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1 v18-31; Matthew 5 v1-12. The sermon on the mount. As we have seen before, Matthew echoes the life of Moses in the way he portrays Jesus. Jesus goes up a mountain and brings God’s…

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.                Year A                                    25th January 2026 Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 9 v1-4;             Psalm 27 v1, 4-9;       1 Corinthians 1 v10-18;        Matthew 4 v12-23. Pointers. In last week’s lectionary readings, John the Baptist was pointing to Jesus. This week, Paul is pointing away from himself, (or any other apostle) and towards…

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time               Year A                                                 18th January 2026 Lectionary Readings:  Isaiah 49 v1-7;  Psalm 40 v1-11;  1 Corinthians 1 v1-9;  John 1 v29-42. Partners with Jesus. God spoke to the people of Israel during their time in exile, through his prophet Isaiah. The Lord said to me; “Israel, you are my servant…

First Sunday in ordinary Time                    Year A                                                 11th January 2026 Lectionary readings:   Isaiah 42 v1-9;     Psalm 29;     Acts 10 v34-43;     Matthew 3 v13-17. The Lord God’s Servant. The (second) prophet Isaiah is addressing the people of Israel during their time of exile in Babylonia. I think that Isaiah’s reference to the Lord God’s servant…