Advent Moment: Short Reflection for Tuesday 23rd December in the 4th Week of Advent with Br Michael Moore OMI.  In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Good morning and welcome. Thank you for joining us for our morning prayer with the Oblate Family Having lost his voice when he was told that he would have a son, Zechariah now finds it, and loudly shouts, his name is John. John is called by his name and set apart for a special purpose and mission by God. He is called and then he sent. He is the messenger who prepares a way for Jesus. We are each given a name; a name by which God knows us personally. We too are called and sent out for mission. Today, may we each hear these words from God, Do not be afraid, I have called you by your name, you are mine. Our Father... Lord, we thank you for these final days before we celebrate the Nativity of Jesus. Guide and lead as we prepare to welcome Jesus into our hearts, homes and families. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you for being with us this today for our morning prayer.

Advent Moment: Short Reflection for Monday 22nd December, 4th Week of Advent with Br Michael Moore OMI.   We reflect on Luke Chapter 1 46-56: The Lord has done great things for me. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Good morning and welcome. Thank you for joining us for our morning prayer with the Oblate Family  In the gospel we call the Annunciation, filled with the holy spirit, Mary said ‘yes’ to what God asked of her. While visiting Elizabeth and sharing her good news with her, Mary prays aloud, if not sings out to God. In this prayer called the Magnificat, Mary calls God her Saviour and recognises the great and wonderous things the Lord has done for her. At this his time of the year, can we take some time to recognise God as our Saviour? Can we also prayer in thankfulness and gratitude for all the great things the Lord has done for us over the last year. Our Father.. Lord, we thank you for these final days before we celebrate the Nativity of Jesus. Guide and lead as we prepare to welcome Jesus into our hearts, homes and families. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you for being with us this today for our morning prayer.  

Good morning and welcome to today’s Advent Moment reflection with the Oblate Family on Sunday December 21st, the 4th Sunday of Advent, by Veronica Conlon. We reflect on Matthew 1:18-24. Joseph was contemplating divorcing Mary because of her pregnancy until an angel appeared to him in a dream and announced ‘ Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’  And we are told that when he woke from his dream he did what he was asked. Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us.  As Christmas approaches let us consider the faith of Mary and Joseph in the light of our own lives. Let us enter wholeheartedly into the Chrtmas story as it enfolds. A prayer by Joyce Rupp God of hope, come!  Be the Morning Star in our midst, the Light that can never go out, the Beacon of Hope guiding our way to you.  Come into our midst and make of our lives a home, where your everlasting goodness resonates with assuring love and vigorous hope.  Amen. (Taken from Out of the Ordinary 2000 by Joyce Rupp. Used by permission of Ave Maria Press.  All rights reserved) Thank you for joining us this morning.   

Good morning and welcome to today’s Advent Moment reflection with the Oblate Family on Saturday December 20th by Veronica Conlon. We reflect on the Gospel of Luke 1:26-38. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced that she was chosen to be the mother of God. Mary was initially surprised but after being reassured by the angel she readily agreed to what was being asked of her.  Whatever her dreams and hopes were before that ‘yes’ were completely overturned.  Nothing in her life would ever be the same again. She was willing to do God’s will even if it seemed difficult and impossible. By saying yes Mary is a model of faith for us all.  This attitude of Mary’s is the attitude that we are called to have.  One of trust and of openness and receptiveness to the will of God in our lives.   Let us pray:  Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Thank you for joining us this morning. 

Good morning and welcome to today’s Advent Moment reflection with the Oblate Family on Friday December 19th by Veronica Conlon. Today we have the well-known account of the visit of an angel to the priest Zechariah, husband of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth. Zechariah is informed by the angel that his wife will give birth to a son and they should name him John.  This was an answer to their prayer. However Zechariah was struck dumb and would not regain his voice until the birth of the baby. He was compelled to wait in silence.  Angels appear at very significant moments in people’s lives as we shall see in the readings of the next two days. They are messengers from God. Angels remind us of the spiritual part of our lives where God wants to be heard. As we wait for Christmas let us be open to the many ways that God wishes to enter into our lives. Maybe between now and Christmas  we can make an effort to take some time in silent contemplation in front of the crib. A prayer by Joyce Rupp God of hope, come!  Enter into the lives all of those I hold dear, the ones whose lives are marked with pain, struggle and anxiety… Come and gift them with a deep belief about you and your never-ending faithfulness and companionship. Amen. Thank you for joining us this morning.  (Taken from Out of the Ordinary 2000 by Joyce Rupp.  Used by permission of Ave Maria Press. All rights reserved.)  

Good morning and welcome to today’s Advent Moment reflection with the Oblate Family on Thursday December 18th by Veronica Conlon. Jeremiah prophesied the birth of Jesus:  ‘he shall reign as king…..and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.’ He was also offering words of hope to the Israelites that they will be brought out of exodus to live in their own land. There is always room for hope.  To maintain hope in our world can be difficult in the face of wars, flood, famine, displacement, abuse, dishonesty - the list goes on. The message of Christmas reassures us that God is always with us with comfort and support.  A prayer of hope by Joyce Rupp: God of hope, come! Enter into every human heart that cries out for a glimpse of your love, for a sign of your welcoming presence, for a taste of your happiness.  Be the one who calms the restless and gentles the ache of the human journey. Amen. Thank you for joining us this morning. (Taken from Out of the Ordinary 2000 by Joyce Rupp.  Used by permission of Ave Maria Press.  All rights reserved.)

Good morning! Welcome to today's Advent Moment reflection with Veronica Conlin, on the gospel from today's mass, Matthew 1:1-17. Today’s reading begins with the verse - ‘The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David and the son of Abraham.’  It then continues by naming all Jesus’ ancestors ending with ‘Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.’ Genealogies are important. They give us our roots and help us understand our heritage. In the native American tradition they often begin their rituals by ‘calling in the ancestors’. We too particularly remember our ancestors during the month of November.  Today we can show our gratitude to God for the faith which was passed down to us by our ancestors. A faith which sustains us through difficult times. A prayer of hope by Joyce Rupp God of hope, come!  Stir up stories of how the ancestors hung on to your promises, how they stole hope from tiny glimmers about you, passed on from age to age.  Help me hear the loud, crying voices of the prophets who proclaimed that a new age would dawn.  (Taken from Out of the Ordinary 2000 by Joyce Rupp. Used by permission of Ave Maria Press.   All rights reserved) Thank you for joining us today!    

Dear friends, welcome to today's Advent Moment - our Advent Daily Reflection for Tuesday December 16th on Matthew 21:28-32 by Veronica Conlon.  Once more Jesus challenges the Pharisees who were seen as men who taught one thing and did something different themselves. Jesus told them, ‘The tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.’  In this reading we are asked to examine our lives and how we are living. Are we too much like the Pharisees? Are we calling ourselves Christian but not living a Gospel-led life?  Advent gives us the opportunity to answer these questions truthfully in the light of the hope which Christmas brings. A prayer of hope by Joyce Rupp God of hope, come! Enter into this heart of mine which often loses itself in self, missing the message of your encouragement because I am so entangled in the web of my own whirl of life.  Enable me not to lose sight of the power of your presence or the truth of your consolation.  (Taken from Out of the Ordinary 2000 by Joyce Rupp. Used by permission of Ave Maria Press. All rights reserved) #advent #advent2025 #christmas #faith #bible #catholic #jesus #gaudete #joy #sunday #showandtell #reflect #pray #timeout #peaceful #prayer #podcast #audio #praytogether

Dear friends, welcome to today's Advent Moment - our Advent Daily Reflection for Monday December 15th on Matthew 21:23-27 by Veronica Conlon.  In today’s gospel the chief priests and elders question Jesus’ authority when they pose the question: ‘By what authority are you doing all these things, and who gave you this authority?’  One of the cornerstones of our faith is that Jesus is the Son of God and is himself God and there is no greater authority than this. We are now in the third week of Advent, only a week and a bit away from the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, when we will celebrate the gift of his presence in our world.  In this season of hope we can bring ourselves to God with all our imperfections and ask to be made spiritually healthy in preparation for the great feast of Christmas.  Throughout the week I will share with you some prayers of hope  written by Joyce Rupp. God of hope, come! Enter into every human heart that cries out for a glimpse of your love, for a sign of your  welcoming presence, for a taste of your happiness.  Be the one who calms the restless and gentles the ache of the human journey. Amen.  (Taken from  Out of the Ordinary 2000 by Joyce Rupp. Used by permission of Ave Maria press. All rights reserved) #advent #advent2025 #christmas #faith #bible #catholic #jesus

Good morning! This is Kirk Jacob bringing you today's reflection on the 3rd Sunday of Advent.  We begin: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of theHoly Spirit. Amen.On this 3rd Sunday of Advent, the phrase that caught my eye wasfrom Matthew chapter 11: verses 2-11 was: ‘Go and tell Johnwhat you hear and see’. This Gospel value could easily bereplaced by ‘Show and Tell’, it’s that childlike simplicity in how welive our daily lives. Years ago, I had a go at being a TeachingAssistant in a Primary School with Special Needs kids. The lastlesson on a Friday was ‘Show and Tell’. Each kid broughtsomething special from their homes and shared it with their class.This object was almost inseparable from their lives.I wonder as Adults, if we look at our own lives and see the peoplethat we are today, how many of us practice ‘show and tell’ bysharing not just physical gifts at Christmas with loved ones, thoughreally sharing the unspoken thoughts in our hearts with them andtelling them: ‘I love you’ or ‘I’m truly sorry if I have hurt you’ andmeaning it! That’s the real gift of Christmas. I am reminded of asimple Carol taught my late Mum whose death anniversary istoday:Oh the real meaning of ChristmasIs the giving of love every day.Yes, the real meaning of ChristmasIs to do as the Master did say.And when you’re giving your presents.Just remember as you give them away.Cause the real meaning of Christmas.Is the giving of love every day.Thank you for joining us today. Amen.  #advent #advent2025 #christmas #faith #bible #catholic #jesus #gaudete #joy #sunday #showandtell #reflect #pray #timeout #peaceful #prayer #podcast #audio #praytogether   

A very good morning! Its Kirk Jacob once again.We begin: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Reflecting on today’s Gospel St. Matthew Chapter 17: verse 9a, I am drawn to the phrase ‘As they were coming down the mountain”.So, what does it mean for you and me to being on a mountain and then coming down from it?I see ‘being on the mountain’ as peak experiences that leave a deep mark on our souls. Surprisingly, it can even happen at Christmas when we are left on a real high with some life experiences. Maybe you could have been meeting up with family or friend after a very long time or just sitting at a beautiful setting and soaking in God’s creation. For me, it was my childhood Christmas carol singing in India when we went from house to house, sometimes the whole night when we collected funds for the SVP. Remembering memories can bring us inner healing.Nevertheless, we feel the pain when we need to come down from the mountain and experience the ordinariness of life. It can feel empty and boring with attempting to get back to our normal routines of life. Yes, there is a time and season for everything.We pray:Lord, thank you for being a blessing in my life and for providing me with joy filled memories when I least expected them. May I be a person of Joyful Hope to those I encounter each day. Amen. Thank you for joining us today. #advent #advent2025 #christmas #faith #bible #catholic #jesus   

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe A very good morning! Its Kirk Jacob.We begin: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I am proud to say that my home church St. Joseph’s in Bedford is the guardian of the miraculous relic image from Guadalupe, Mexico.Today’s Gospel in Matthew 11:16-19, I am drawn to the phrase “it is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates”. Bedford is an ancient 9th century market town. Everywhere I turn, I see there are fun activities like crazy golf for children to engage, play and have fun. Universal Studios going to build a world theme park! So, a lot more going to be on offer. As adults, we can have some quiet moments to reminisce on our childhood and notice areas of play that have helped shaped our lives today.A final thought from Paul Murray - a Dominican. There is a world within youNo one has ever seen.A voice no one has ever heard,Not even you.As yet unknown You are your own seer; Your own interpreter. And so, with eyes and ears grown sharp, for voice or sign, Listen well –Not to these wordsBut to that inward voice – To that impulse beating in your heart Like a far wave. Turn to that source, and you will find What no one has ever found,a ground within youNo one has ever seen, A world beyond the limits Of your dream’s horizon’. Thank you for joining us today.

A very good morning to you and thanks for joining us. Today’s reflection is by Kirk Jacob. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the HolySpirit. Amen.From today’s Gospel of St. Matthew 11: 11-15, the words thatspoke to me were: ‘The Kingdom of heaven has suffered violenceand the violent take it by force’.I wonder what you think as you process the causes of crime andwar on our streets or elsewhere. Do you ask yourself: ‘why doesmy senses have to tolerate so much violence? Can I ever beprotected from it?’ Unfortunately not!I live close enough to Huntingdon, England where recently a trainpulled up. Emergency services were called upon as 10 stabbingsoccurred within a few minutes in a train compartment which leftthese people seriously wounded. People were relaxing on their wayhome and one person with a huge knife went berserk to causeserious harm. The sad thing was that the same person injured aboy the previous week. So, how do we dare find reassurance inJesus’ words: ‘Be not afraid’ this Christmas.We may conclude: Violence starts from harmful exposure tothoughts present in the human heart. Then, it has the potential toreach our lips mightily quick through careless, harmful words andfinally, if unchecked, through our hands to reach out for weaponsto use in our immediate vicinity.This Advent we pray: ‘Lord, please use my hands to be a sourceof healing where seeds of violence are germinating’. We makeour prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.    

Advent Moment: Short Reflection Wednesday 10th December

Good morning and welcome to today’s Advent Moment on Tuesday 9th December 2025. Thanks Kirk Jacob for today’s reflection.  We begin in the name of the Fatherand of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.Today's gospel, Matthew 18:12-14focuses on sheep. I don't know much about sheep.All I recall was that sheep would constantly try to wander offand knock their heads against electric fences while grazing. They needed to be constantly keptin check by sheep dogs with regards to their direction of travel. Jesus, the good Shepherd focuses on the one sheep that went astray.It almost feels as if he's lesseningthe importance being given to the saved 99 sheep. Far from it.Jesus chooses to walk the extra milefor the lost and wounded soul on the tough mountain terrain. I'm reminded of the chorus of GrahamKendrick's song Beautiful Brokenness.God of the poor. Friend of the weak.Give us compassion.  We pray.Melt cold hearts,Let tears fall like rain. Come change our lovefrom a spark to a flame. Boy, as we struggle to look at newsthese days,we see how the poor and the weakare constantly being oppressed. We pray with Ignatius of Loyola: Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserveto give and not to count the cost to fight and notto heed the wounds, to toil and not toseek for rest, to labour not to ask for any rewardsave that of knowing that I do your will. Amen.   Thank you for joining us today. #advent #adventmoment #prayer #dailyprayer #catholic #christian #christmas #jesus #gospel #bible 

Good morning and welcome to today’s Advent Moment on Monday 8th December 2025, Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. Thanks to Kirk Jacob for today's reflection on the Gospel, Luke 1:26-38 "I am the handmaid of the Lord."Today's a special feast day of MaryImmaculate, the patroness of our oblatefamily, and under whose tender guidancewe seek to be missionary disciples.So what does it mean to be a servant in Mary's time?Mary, a Jewish woman growing up in Nazareth in first century Palestine,experienced many challenges and opportunitiesthrough living in a small village community where everyone knew each otherand almost too much, with the added risk of gossip and scandalalways being around the corner.Her engagement to Joseph would have been putat serious risk, with her choosing to say yes to God to carry Jesus in her wombwith the help of the Holy Spirit. For her to take full ownership of the Angel Gabriel's message and to let God shape her life, no doubt would have involved much loving sacrifice.Today's Nazareth is an Arab town in Israel.We think of all those who bear the name of Mary, Mariaor Miriam, be it the Jewish, Christian or Muslim traditions and how they aspired to followin her apostolic footsteps.The courage she took and the same invitation, is for each of us to dare to ‘leave nothing undared for the gospel’.We pray;Mary, help me to model your wayand to follow your “Let it be” for God's Kingdom. We make our prayer throughJesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen. Thank you for joining us today. #advent #adventmoment #feast #immaculateconception #marianfeast #ourlady #mary

Good morning and welcome to today’s Advent Moment on Sunday 7th December 2025. Thank to Mary Tyrrell for today’s reflection on Matthew 3:1-12. Today we meet again, John the Baptist with his prophet’s message from God of repentance. Repentance not in just being sorry for the past but in a more accurate translation we are to experience a deep and radical change in our thinking and behaviour. John warns us of the danger of complacency. It’s not enough to say I’m a good enough follower of Jesus or a good enough person or generous enough. Enough is never enough. Advent means coming. As we prepare ourselves to celebrate Jesus coming into our hearts again this Christmas maybe it’s a good time to genuinely repent - to change our lives to live in a radical Christian way.  Let us Pray  Lord give me the courage to change my thinking and behaviour  this Advent. I want to be wholly ready to welcome to you into my heart again .Help me to abandon any  complacency  there is in me. Show me where I can be more or do more in my life. Amen. Thank you for joining us today. #advent #adventmoment

Good morning and welcome to our Advent moment podcast.  Thanks to Mary Tyrrell for sharing a short reflection on today’s Gospel, Matthew 9:36. The harvest is rich but the labourers are few This very small part of today’s reading really jumped off the page to me. The words "harassed" and "helpless" reminded me of the content of the last number of conversations I have enjoyed with friends. There is an underlying air of helplessness and concern about the situation of the world. Every day we are bombarded with hateful images of war, cruelty and destruction on TV or media and we are helpless to make our voices heard in powerful arenas where it might make a difference. From today’s reading we understand we are all labourers in in the field and therefore called to support each other with words of encouragement and hope. We have the power to make a difference with kindness, thoughtfulness and love.  Let us pray: Lord, May I live my life always hopeful in the thought that Jesus has saved the world. Let me be kind to everyone I meet, bring comfort to those who are overwhelmed with sadness or worries, and generous to those in need especially at this time of year.  Amen. Thank you for joining us today   #advent #podcast #reflection #religion #spirituality #faith #christmas    

Good morning and welcome to our Advent moment podcast.  Thanks to Mary Tyrrell for sharing a short reflection on today’s Gospel, Matthew, Chapter 9 verses 27 to 31.  have a friend who is a pastor, if people asked him to pray for them . He would say, ok, let’s do it now (it didn’t matter if it was in the middle of Tesco’s).But he found that it was most often people of faith who did not want him to do that  because they feared the  prayer ‘might not work.’ I’m not particularly talking about desperate needs like this story. Two desperate men shouting after Jesus “Take pity on us “. I must confess I stop here every time I read this scripture. Take pity. It’s such an impassioned plea. There’s no flannel or flatterery  just an honest earnest expression of their real need. Jesus didn’t say whether he would heal them, he asked, ‘Do you believe I can do this?’. So their healing was dependent on their faith. We know nothing about the practice  of their faith  but they had faith as they were healed and sent on their way with orders to keep the miracle to themselves. Two question come into my mind, Do I know my own desperate need? And how deep is my faith?       Let us pray:Lord, I believe in you. I love and believe that you what best is for me in all situations. I believe you always answer my prayers even if it is not in the way I expect. And when I doubt your love, forgive me. I pray for people with any desperate need especailly those whose lives are challenged  by poverty, unemployment, addictions and especially by the lack of love.  Amen. Thank you for joining us today   #advent #podcast #reflection #religion #spirituality #faith #christmas

Good morning and welcome to today's Advent moment episode on Thursday December 4th.  Thanks to Mary Tyrrell for sharing this short reflection on today's Gospel, Matthew chapter 7 verses 21, 24 to 27.  This is a strange gospel excerpt which sounds like a warning for all house builders or even a warning about the effects of climate change. But, in fact, it reminds us what true discipleship is. Do you remember seeing posters printed with challenging words? One I remember read it, ”How would you prove you were a Christian”. An interesting thought and there were lots of answers - go to mass on a Sunday or daily, daily prayer, fasting , pilgrimages, charity work and many more. I am not suggesting that any of those things  are unimportant but more is needed .What is the more , the answer is in this passage. “It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven”. We must do the will of God which means carrying on the mission of Jesus by making the kingdom a  compassionate presence of God real for others. That is the firm foundation by which our faith is strengthened then God will welcome us into eternal life.  Lets finish with a prayer adapted from the prayer of St Teresa of Calcutta  Loving God  help me to spread your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with your spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of you Shine through me and be so in me that every person I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. Amen.  #advent #podcast #reflection #religion #spirituality #faith #christmas