The Exodus story is thought to have taken place in around 1250 BC, and the story enables Christians and Jews to understand a key facet of God’s nature – his intervention in human suffering and his ongoing will to save his people by providing them with freedom and a moral code for living … More The book of Exodus – and what it teaches contemporary Christians and Jews
The Oxford English Dictionary defines conscience as, “A person’s moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one’s behaviour”. In the context of the Christian faith, conscience is the voice of the Holy Spirit within us, however, the challenge for many in the modern day is whether we choose to accept this gift that God gives us. … More Christian Morality
I recently read a headline in The Telegraph which read, “British families don’t eat together – and, if they do, it’s often in front of the TV.” The article went on to report that “More than one in five families only sit down to eat a meal together once or twice a week, according to a new survey. And 40 per cent of families only sit down together to have a meal three times a week.” It is widely noted that “we live in a ‘fast food’ society”. This encouraged me to reflect on the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the importance and place of this Sacrament in a modern ‘fast food’ society … More The Sacraments
The Christian life is one of continuous conversions and crises as we deepen our faith. Throughout our life, we undergo a number of conversions with regard to our relationship with God. Spirituality is the process of allowing ourselves to grow in Christ through these conversions and ultimately, it allows us to grow in love by reflecting the divine. Spirituality focusses on how we live out our lives as Christians – it is something that cannot be seen as separate from our everyday lives. As Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words”. In other words, spirituality is a way of life … More Celtic Spirituality
The world in which the church now exists is radically different from that in which it was founded. Pope Francis went on to say, “The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently” – he clearly believes that the Church must speak to the hearts of individuals, as Jesus did, not to condemn, but to support and show all the way of salvation … More Ecclesiology
To my mind, anybody working with young people has the opportunity to be a leader of youth ministry. In faith schools, children and young people see the vision of Christ through the way we all interact and treat one another. As St. Francis of Assisi says, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words”. In this way, we are all youth ministry leaders … More How teachers in faith schools can help nurture a young person’s relationship with Jesus
The key to unlocking this painting ultimately lies in not perceiving it to be a historically accurate picture, but to view it as, “a sermon in a frame”. Ultimately, we should see it as a presentation of our relationship with Christ – He is the waiting one, it is us that have to answer the door to let Him in … More “The Light of the World” (William Holman Hunt, 1854)
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 