Sunday Gospel

Matthew 1: 18-24 Matthew opens his Gospel with a long, formal genealogy — a list of names that feels more like a legal document than a Christmas story. It all builds to Joseph, “son of David”. And then Matthew drops the twist: Joseph isn’t actually Jesus’ biological father. It feels odd. Why trace the family line through a man who isn’t the genetic link? But that question is the key to the whole story. Joseph matters not because of biology, power, or prestige — but because he

Whatever role you take up, their comes a point when your "apprentice" overtakes you, in wisdom, humour, academia, work, anything really. My son outplays me at FIFA every time. My daughter outsmarts my every discussion. The lads I brought into the workplace are now paid to travel the world The students of the past are now teaching far better than I ever could. There's something both amazing and difficult about the student becoming the master. We spend the first half of our

Let’s be honest: the word "repentance" has a branding problem. For most of us, it sounds unattractive. It conjures up images of sitting in a dark room, beating ourselves up over past failures, and wallowing in guilt. It feels like "morose brooding." And frankly, between the pressures of work, the chaos of parenting, and trying to be a decent partner, who has the energy for extra guilt? But here's the thing: that negative, heavy definition isn’t actually what the word means. A

If you're anything like me—a secondary school teacher, juggling marking deadlines with the domestic chaos of teenagers, and trying to be a half-decent husband—the idea of Advent feels less like a peaceful retreat and more like the final, frantic sprint before Christmas break. The wisdom we find in today's Gospel (Matthew 24) doesn't just ask us to slow down; it issues a far more urgent, bracing warning. Jesus doesn't warn us about outright evil; he warns us about the Lethal

The end of the liturgical year is upon us, and how fast did that arrive. It's the Feast of Christ the King, a great feast with some incredible depth for us everyday, run of the mill people, In fact, this feast is truly transformative if we look at it right! So this Sunday, reflecting on the Gospel reading, let's talk about Christ the King. For most of us, this solemnity is just the last big Sunday before we start prepping for Advent. You hear "King," and you probably thi

Reflection on the Gospel of Sunday 16th November 2025