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No direct evidence from the Bible that St Peter got to Rome, but Irenaeus a Greek priest, who ended up as Bishop of Lugdunum (130 – 202 AD) wrote in book III of Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies) that Peter and Paul founded and organised the Church in Rome.

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Clematis at the bottom of my garden in full flower. No fairies. Sorry!

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Here is my Homily/Sermon for Corpus Christi which we celebrate on Sunday in the UK. All I could think of was the need to sing! www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRnm.... The text is on my website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil...

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Look what Eric Southworth kindly lent me so I would be protected from the sun at the burial this afternoon. For those who do not know, it is a Biretta. For the real experts, I should point out it is a Hungarian one!

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We celebrate the first Martyr of England today. I wish St Alban was our Patron Saint. Meanwhile I will be conducting a Funeral which is something I have rarely done since I retired from running a Parish. I am not looking forward to being out for the burial in the midday sun.

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Cleaning day today but done by 8am before it gets too hot while I hum my tune to Author of Life Divine.

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It surprises some people when they hear that Catholics in Oxford and Oxfordshire UK look to Birmingham UK for their Cathedral. Today is the day we pray for St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham and its work for the whole Diocese not just for the Birmingham area.

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Blessed a house and a home today. Mum was visiting from Malawi so daughter Sarah and son in law Pete asked me to do this.

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My grandson Aurélien is working here at the Paris Air Show all week. Lucky fella. Memories of going to Farnborough as a 12 year old in 1958.

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As I begin my meditation on how to preach about Corpus Christi I felt the need to sing of the mystery of God's presence rather than to write about it. I am singing "Author of Life Divine" to a Tune that I am trying to find. I think it begins D E Fsharp G. Help please?

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Here again is my Homily/Sermon for this Sunday when we celebrate God as Trinity www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbd5... The text is on my website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil...

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Here is my Homily/Sermon for on God as Trinity. Of course the Trinity is beyond our understanding, but as it impinges on us it is very simple. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbd5... The text is on my website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil...

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I took the name Anthony when I was received into the Church. Clearly I aspire to be as good at preaching as St Anthony of Padua was & St Anthony's, Oxford was my Church & a Dominican priest called Anthony instructed me. St Anthony pray for all who are called to preach the Gospel.

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Easy to forget that I would never have found God in and through the man Jesus, nor through the beauty of the natural world, if God the Holy Spirit hadn't been working in me, opening my eyes.

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Stayed overnight with my friend FrDavid Hartley and his wife Pat. The Church of St Joseph’s, Whitnash. Leamington Uk doesn’t look much from outside but inside it is a pleasant surprise.

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God as Trinity is beyond our understanding but nonetheless our experience of the Trinity is simple. We experience God as Creator beyond us, God as the fully human Jesus beside us & God as the Holy Spirit within us & all things. Why people think this is difficult I do not know!

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Our communal flower meadow is looking good. Our house is straight ahead

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I am pleased that the Church now extends the celebration of Pentecost to today. We remember how the women & especially Mary the mother of the Lord, were part of the Pentecost experience. It is a pity the only images I could find include Mary but not the other women.

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My Homily for Pentecost points out that God the Holy Spirit is past, present and future at the same time. It is on the website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil... or watch me give it on Youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEs_...

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My Homily for Pentecost will be preached at Mass in Charlbury. UK on Sunday. You can watch it now on youtube.com/watch?v=AEs_... or the text is on the website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil...

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The anniversary of My mother’s death is 6 days away so she is on my mind. She loved flowers but not cut ones. Here is one she loved, not the rose but the Campanula in the background.

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We talk about God loving us but also say God is love, meaning that all love is God; but we also know that God is more than that. So when we experience & receive God’s love or mercy, we're receiving God in his fullness & yet we know that God is much much more, than what we receive

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"This little tree shall be your holy tree. It is the wood of peace. It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are ever green. Let this be called the tree of the Christ-child; gather about it, not in the wild wood, but in your own homes" St Boniface on the Christmas Tree

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The delicate white flowers of a Fuschia Hawkshead are a new feature in our garden this year in the shade corner.

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Some background to next Sunday's Readings from Frances is on our Website. www.thebibleatmass.com/bible-backgr...

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Off to Birmingham Cathedral today to see a friend of 40 years made a Canon. Many prayers today for FrDavid Hartley. This is a lovely window in the Cathedral. For more pictures see www.stchadscathedral.org.uk

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Never thought of integrating my early morning cup of tea into my time of mediation. Watched a TV programme which included a Chinese Buddhist monk doing this. What a good idea.

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To my surprise I am preaching this Sunday's Homily at Our Lady's Church, Cowley, Oxford UK at 11am (UK time) and there is live-streaming. See olhoccowley.co.uk/news/live-st... Text on website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil... or see www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBoh.... Phew! Too many choices !!

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Homily/Sermon for this weekend on different places to meet the glory of God. You can see me give this Homily on Youtube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBoh... The text is on the website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil...

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Jesus wants us to be aware & awake to the final inbreaking of God’s glory, but that never excludes finding the same glory in the here & now. He said “The kingdom of God is in your midst.” If we open our spiritual eyes then we will see his glory & proclaim it whatever the cost.

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A classic quote from St Augustine for today, which is Ascension Day, reminding us that talk of "going up" to heaven can be misleading. "He did not leave heaven when he came down to us; nor did he withdraw from us when he went up again into heaven."

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Called to anoint a dying man this morning. Being retired I Haven’t done this for years. I was glad to be of use.

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There is a tendency to think that we can only see God’s glory after we have died & need not look for his glory now. It is true that “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.” but that doesn't mean we have to live now in total darkness never catching a glimpse of God

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I once saw God's glory. It was soon after I became a consciously believing Christian as a teenager. I still remember dappled light on running water and an amazing sense of the presence of God. Mostly I rely on faith without any outward experience.

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Homily on the fact that some people reject the idea of God because they mistakenly think we Christians believe that God is some human-like figure up there somewhere. God is Spirit & can help us. See www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8cX... The text is on the website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil...

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Each of us does not have a hotline to God & can interpret the Bible any way that we want to. This doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit doesn't speak to us as individuals, but on important issues it is the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, who affirms any individual view or experience - e.g.St Francis.

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Jesus doesn't just ask us to love one another, he asks us to live in love. This surely requires much prayer - a dwelling in the love of God. "Unless you become as a little child you cannot enter the kingdom of God."

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The Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus are based on the memories of those who were with him. No-one wrote down what he said as he said it. The Church led by the Holy Spirit then chose 4 different accounts that were thought most authentic & they are the Gospels we now know.

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I claim that God grows my roses but the atheist says "That's not God, that's nature." The atheist is rejecting primitive images of God as if he were a man up there. Jesus says "God is spirit & his worshipers must worship in the Spirit & in truth.” (Jn 4:24) Sad misunderstanding

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I found this lovely Aquilegia round in my mini wild garden by my mini pond with my mini frog

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Here is my Homily for this weekend on finding Christian love for one another wherever we go to Mass. You can see me give this Homily on Youtube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEWE... The text is on my website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil...

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For those who couldn’t see the red in my last garden photo here is a shot in the other direction. Hope you can see the red now!

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"I always worry when I meet people who say they are searching for the right church, because there is no such thing." - so begins my Homily for this weekend. Towns are similar. Diss was rather dull but I found the place where our Clock was made which made the visit worthwhile.

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It is important to go to Mass wherever we happen to be. It's good for us and reminds us who we are. Here are the photos from Tuesday morning Mass in the Catholic Cathedral in Norwich. This thought features in next Sunday's Homily, partly inspired by this visit.

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments