Prepare for each Sunday of Lent with a reflection on the Sunday Gospel with Canon Hugh White.
This video series is available each Tuesday throughout Lent on our YouTube channel.
Reflection for Gospel for 5th Sunday of Lent (26 March)
Reflection for Gospel for 4th Sunday of Lent (19 March)
Reflection for Gospel for 3rd Sunday of Lent (12 March)
Reflection for Gospel for 2nd Sunday of Lent (5 March)
Reflection for Gospel for 1st Sunday of Lent (26 February)
Lent retreat with Fr Parys
A mini-Lent retreat entitled Encountering Jesus begins on Friday at St Kentigern’s Church, Barnton, Edinburgh.
It is led by Fr Bart Parys, a Divine Word Missionary based in Ireland and it will help you draw closer to Jesus in Lent.
He said: "This weekend retreat will help you enter into - or renew -a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and experience the love of God the Father.
"We will explore inspirational Gospel stories about people encountering Christ.
"There will be space for for private prayer in silence, time for fellowship and an opportunity to listen to testimonies and participate in the Eucharist. I look forward to welcoming you."
Encountering Jesus begins on Friday 24 March 7:30pm - 8:30pm. It continues on Sat 25 Mar from 10:00am to 3:00pm before concluding on Sunday 26 Mar 9:30am - 11:00am. All dates at St Kentigern's Church in Parkgrove Avenue, Barnton, Edinburgh. No registration required, simply turn up to any or all of the dates.
Bishops call for reform of asylum process.
The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland have issued the following statement in response to the UK Government’s Illegal Immigration Bill.
"People come to the UK for a multitude of reasons. Numerous are driven from their homes by persecution, conflict, poverty, natural disasters, or lack of opportunities. Many of them attempt the extremely dangerous journey across the Channel to reach the relative safety of the UK.
"Everyone would like to see the end of dangerous Channel crossings using small boats, however, the UK Government’s Illegal Immigration Bill, the stated purpose of which is to bring an end to these crossings, raises more questions than it provides answers.
"The Bill fails to provide sufficient detail on the establishment of more safe and legal routes for people seeking sanctuary in the UK.
"These routes, which are a lifeline to many desperate and vulnerable people, are essential if the Government is serious about ending perilous Channel crossings."
Vulnerability
"Due to their very vulnerability many refugees and asylum seekers cannot possibly have all the necessary documentation with them. This proposed Bill will automatically force their removal regardless of how or why they came here.
"There is also a pressing need for reform of the asylum process which currently has a backlog of hundreds of thousands of asylum applications. The Government must remember that behind each application is a human being.
"The establishment of asylum processing centres in France could help speed up the process and provide a safe, legal route for vulnerable people to come to the UK.
"We call on the UK Government to provide an assurance that it will respect the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Refugee Convention, and its obligations to victims of modern slavery.
"These people are our fellow human beings, our brothers and sisters, and regardless of their immigration status their intrinsic dignity must be upheld.”
Published by the Scottish Catholic Media Office on Monday 20 March 2023
GALLERY: Happy Feast Day of St Joseph!
Archbishop Cushley joined Fr Baji, Fr Shinto and parishioners at St Joseph's in Broomhouse yesterday to celebrate Mass ahead of the Feast of St Joseph.
He told them: "You are blessed to have St Joseph as your patron and intercessor in heaven. He is a wonderful example to us all, especially to men, of humility and a willingness to follow the will of God.
"Happy Feast Day to all parishes/churches who have St Joseph as their patron, in Bonnybridge, Burntisland, Kelty, Peebles, Selkirk and Whitburn.
Gallery
Supporting those in need worldwide
Archbishop Leo Cushley has called on people across the Archdiocese to support charities this weekend.
He has asked all parishes to share a letter from Bishop Brian McGee (below) and support the special collection this weekend for papal and episcopal charities, including SCIAF.
He said: "The money you donate is used to support much needed projects for people in need across the world.
"We pray for all those involved in charities of the Church, which help those in need across the world. Thank you for your generosity in almsgiving during Lent.”
To donate online to SCIAF, please visit the SCIAF website. Find out more about its work here.
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My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I write on this the fourth Sunday of Lent on behalf of the Bishops of Scotland to give thanks for your generosity and prayerful support of SCIAF – the official relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in Scotland – at what is an uncertain and difficult time for many of us.
Despite this, you continue to show compassion for those in need, particularly our sisters and brothers affected by the recent Earthquake in Syria- Türkiye, and those who are suffering because of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Why should you give to SCIAF's WEE BOX appeal?
Let @rickyaross and Lorraine McIntosh from Deacon Blue tell you how putting money in your WEE BOX makes a BIG DIFFERENCE.
Furthermore, during my recent visit to Ethiopia, I saw first-hand how countless lives have been transformed through your generosity.
With your loving support, SCIAF – the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund – continues to work in parts of the world where people are so dreadfully in need, to support people to build brighter futures.
In the Gospels, we hear of many occasions when Jesus heals the sick, reaching out with love and mercy to the most marginalised and the poorest people, both in action and in spirit. As Catholics we are called to follow his example to recognise that we are our sisters or brother’s keeper. To reach out to the poorest people with love.
SCIAF is the embodiment of the love of our Church in Scotland, reaching out to our most vulnerable sisters and brothers around the world. It is why, during Lent, we ask you to give generously to SCIAF’s WEE BOX appeal to support the vital work SCIAF does on our behalf.
Around the world, 811 million people are facing hunger – and 60% of those living with chronic hunger are women and children. Every day, families wake up hungry, not knowing what they will be forced to do to survive, or how long their children will live.
This year's appeal
This year’s Lenten appeal focusses on the lives of Ruth (see above video), Juliet, Catherine, Savita and their families in Zambia.
We hear of how they are living and farming in the harshest of conditions; of the hardships they face when crops fail, and they are left without food.
Ruth was so hungry that she was too tired to work in the fields. Her crops failed and there was no food for her family.
She could not afford to send her children to school; they cried for food that she did not have. She feared that the children would become scavengers or turn to prostitution.
Juliet, Ruth’s 17-year-old daughter, dreams of being a nurse. Unable to concentrate at school because of hunger, she worried that she would have to leave school, like so many of her friends, and marry as a teenager to ensure her survival.
Hunger forced Catherine to search for mushrooms to feed her grandchildren. She mistakenly poisoned herself and her four grandchildren.
Savita boils roots and weeds to feed her young grandson – it is his only meal of the day.
The failed harvests have left nothing for Savita to sell at market, and she cannot afford a school uniform or to send her grandson to school.
Thank you for sharing and supporting this year's WEE BOX appeal - all donations truly make a difference to our sisters and brothers in some of the world's poorest places.
However, while hunger is the start of these stories, it does not have to be their end. Together, we can reach out in love and act against hunger.
Your donations make a real difference for so many of the people served by SCIAF and, so, for Ruth, Juliet and Catherine there is now hope.
With the love and compassion of Catholic people across Scotland, we have witnessed change for these women and their families that will last a lifetime.
Yet for Savita, and many others, the future is uncertain. I ask you to give generously to support projects like this one in Zambia so that there can be hope, and an end to hunger and poverty.
Your donations
Your donations will give families the ability to grow their own food by providing the training and tools they need. By ensuring they have the business skills they need to earn an income.
And by providing access to women’s groups and literacy classes so they can work themselves out of poverty.
When we act together – by giving to today’s special Lenten collection and filling up our WEE BOXES – we can reach out in love and act against hunger, supporting women like Savita and their families.
As Lent continues and we look forward to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, I ask you to remember SCIAF and everyone they work with in your prayers.
We thank you for the continued generosity of your donations; know that it goes towards good work and that a just and green world is possible.
May God bless you and your families during the Holy season of Lent and throughout the year,
Bishop Brian McGee Diocese of Argyll & the Isles Bishop President of SCIAF On behalf of the Bishop’s Conference of Scotland
Scotland’s Bishops congratulate Pope Francis
Scotland’s Catholic bishops have sent their congratulations to Pope Francis on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of his election.
Bishop Hugh Gilbert, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said: “We commemorate the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis and give thanks to God for the gift of his ministry.
"We are thankful to him for inviting the Church 'to embark on a new chapter of evangelism', for reminding us of the need for mercy and for urging us to care for our common home through the safe stewardship of our environment.
The Scottish Bishops are currently meeting at the Schoenstatt Retreat Centre outside Glasgow.
On Monday they were joined by Bishop Czeslaw Kozon of the Nordic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Bishop Paul Mason, Bishop of the Forces and Mar Joseph Srampickal Bishop for the Syro-Malabar faithful.
Bishop Gilbert added: "Together with them we offered Mass for our Holy Father and his intentions. On behalf of Scotland’s Catholic community we offer the Holy Father our warmest congratulations and the promise of our prayers.”
Praying for 'insight, courage and joy' in the Archdiocese
People gathered at St Margaret's Chapel at the Gillis Centre in Edinburgh yesterday (Sunday 12 March) to join Archbishop Cushley in Eucharistic Adoration.
It was the fourth and final Holy Hour in which the Archbishop invited people to join him to "pray for insight, courage, and joy in our mission as His followers", as a response to the Synod.
In his introduction to the Archdiocesan Synod Report, he said: "I am convinced that prayer must be the core of our response.
"Arising from the synodal process in this Archdiocese, there is, I believe, a real need to deepen the prayer life, the spirituality, and discernment of every individual in this Archdiocese.
"Together let us ask the Lord to bless our endeavours and raise up committed disciples in this Archdiocese."
We want you to support our postcard campaign to encourage people back to Mass atyour parish for Easter Sunday.
Each parish has received a delivery of postcards to fill out with details of Easter Sunday Mass times (as well as Holy Saturday and Good Friday times).
Archbishop Cushley wrote to priests: "The purpose is to share Mass times for Easter Sunday with those who are away from the Church or who haven’t attended in a while.
"In this small, practical way we can reach out and encourage people back to Mass at the most important time in the Liturgical year."
Completed postcards can be completed and popped through letterboxes or left at the back of the Church for people to pick one up to share with someone who may not have been to Mass in a while and who may appreciate an invite to Mass on Easter Sunday.
Guide
Here's a quick guide on how to make the most of the postcards.
Want more postcards?
We have a limited number available for collection from the Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1BB. Please contact matthew.meade@staned.org.uk
To print professionally
Send this file to a local printing firm. Decide how many you want printed and give them these details: Size - 148mm x 105mm, double-sided. Full colour 350gsm uncoated offset.
