Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary time Year B 25th August 2024. Lectionary readings: Joshua 24 v1-2a, 14-18; Psalm 34 v15-22; Ephesians 6 v10-20; John 6 v56-69. Eternal Life and Salvation In the reading from John’s gospel, Simon Peter says “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life.…
The Prayer Handbook points out that today is kept, in the Catholic Church particularly, as the Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the day when the mother of Jesus ‘fell asleep’ and of her bodily assumption into heaven. That language is outside my comfort zone and for years would have deterred me from…
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B 18th August 2024. Lectionary Readings: Proverbs 9 v1-6; Psalm 34 v9-14; Ephesians 5 v15-20; John 6 v51-58. ‘Life giving bread’ Jesus said “I am the bread that gives life!” (John 6 v48). Jesus offers us food for our hearts, our minds, and our souls. “Everyone who eats…
In the Ipswich Round this week the Climate Action Group’s tip for ways to be green says, “Plant wild flower seeds. Not only will you enjoy the flowers, you can also enjoy a wider variety of wildlife enjoying them too.” I was watching the news last week and there was an article about using dogs…
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B 11th August 2024. Lectionary Readings: 1 Kings 19 v4-8; Psalm 34 v1-8; Ephesians 4 v25-5v2; John 6 v35, 41-51. Living with fear, despair and doubt. In order to understand the depth of Elijah’s despair recorded in today’s Old Testament reading, we need to recap on the story so…
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B 4th August 2024. Lectionary Readings: Exodus 16 v2-4, 9-15; Psalm 78 v23-29; Ephesians 4 v1-16; John 6 v24-35. God’s response to our hunger. The people complain to Moses, their leader (and God’s representative), that they have been rescued from slavery in Egypt, only to starve in…
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B 28th July 2024 Lectionary Readings: 2 kings 4 v42-44; Psalm 145 v10-18; Ephesians 3 v14-21; John 6 v1-21. Caring and sharing. ‘One boy brought loaves and fishes no other food was there,but Jesus fed the thousands and still had bread to spare.The miracle of plenty soon spread…
News on the ministerial situation in the Ipswich Circuit going into the new connexional year..
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B 21st July 2024. Lectionary Readings: Jeremiah 23 v1-6; Psalm 23; Ephesians 2 v11-22; Mark 6 v30-34, 53-56. Meeting the needs of the people. Mark says, “When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd. He felt sorry for…
A week ago, we elected a new Government; but writing this over the weekend before the election I am at a disadvantage. I have a shrewd idea of the outcome but not its detail. Of one thing I am sure, however confident our new leadership may appear to us, there will be things they must…