St Brigid, Abbess, Secondary Patron of Ireland
1 February 2026 • Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Each of the beatitudes describes an aspect of Jesus. Jesus is poor in spirit. He was born in a stable to poor, humble parents (cf. Luke 2). Jesus mourns when his friend Lazarus dies (cf. John 11:35). Jesus is ‘meek and humble of heart’ (Matthew 11:29). Jesus hungers and thirsts for righteousness when he cleanses the temple (Matthew 21:12). Jesus is mercy itself: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice’ (Matthew 9:13). Jesus is clean of heart, conceived immaculately, and born of an immaculate mother (cf. Luke 1:26-36). He undoes Adam’s sin with his own sinlessness (cf. Romans 5:12-21). Jesus is peace itself, and he offers us his peace, which the world cannot give us (cf. John 14:27). Jesus was and is still persecuted, and many evil and false accusations were made against him at his trial (cf. Mark 14:56). He was persecuted until death, ‘even death on a cross’ (Philippians 2:8). We who are his disciples are called to imitate the beatitudes in imitation of him, the example par excellence of all virtues. Jesus is the source of all virtues. When we practice imitating Christ and pray to the Holy Spirit to bless us with his gifts, we will joyfully bear fruit and glorify God (cf. John 15:8). The things that will make us happy are the things that will bring us closer to God. What Jesus is teaching us is that holiness will lead to our happiness.
Carey Boyzuck
epriest.com
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Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
8 February 2026 • International Day of Prayer & Awareness against Human Trafficking
Christian witness is meant to edify others and not to serve as path to self-promotion. Christians are called to provide simple, habitual witness to Jesus; ‘everyday holiness.’ Christian witness can mean giving one’s life in martyrdom, after Jesus’ example. But another path is to point to Christ in our everyday actions, when we wake, work, and go to bed.
It seems like such a small thing, but miracles are done through small things.
Christian witness must be grounded in humility, which means being simple salt and light for others. Salt for others; light for others: Because salt does not give flavour to itself but serves others. Light does not illuminate itself but serves others. Supermarkets sell salt in small quantities, not by the ton. And salt does not promote itself because it doesn’t serve itself. It exists to serve others, by conserving things and giving flavour. This is simple witness.
Daily Christian witness means being light for others, ‘to help them in their darkest hour. ‘The Lord says: ‘You are salt; you are light. ‘But do so in order that others see and glorify God. You will not even receive any merit. When we eat, we don’t compliment the salt. No, we say the pasta or meat is good. When we go to sleep at night, we don’t say the light is good. We ignore the light, but we live illuminated by light. This impels Christians to be anonymous witnesses.
Do not act like the Pharisee who thanks the Lord for his holiness. We are not the authors of our own merits. Everyday holiness means being salt and light for others.
Pope Francis
Holy Mass Santa Marta, 12 August 2018
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Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
15 February 2026 • Day of Prayer for Temperance
Many of Jesus’ contemporaries whose dedication to keeping every dot and title of the law can only be described as admirable. However, their sense of satisfaction was severely challenged when Jesus indicated that the law was not enough. He did not abolish the law; rather he used it as a launching pad to propel his followers beyond the mere letter of the law to the spirit that lay behind it. Jesus challenged his disciples to a holiness that reached far beyond the law – perfect legal observance would not be enough but rather a good start. No doubt many were disappointed and even angry. But there were others who were able to look with Jesus beyond the law to the loving God who inspired it. Those who accepted Jesus’ challenge would begin to frame their lives with new questions – what more can I do? What more can I become? Some responses to these questions are answered in today’s Gospel by a series of listed obligations of the law. For instance, the law against murder must also include hatred, anger and scorn. The law against false oaths would also include integrity, so that our ‘yes’ is really yes and our ‘no’ is really no. This is to show that people are valued more than legal observance and that our friendship with God hinges heavily upon our bonding with other people. Our offering of a gift to God is insincere if we withhold forgiveness from one another. Until the reign of God is established and acknowledged in every human heart, Jesus challenges us to move beyond the mere letter of the law to that area of grace where love knows no limits.
Blessingtonparish.ie
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First Sunday of Lent
22 February 2026
The story of sirens in Greek mythology describes the negative and positive ways of fighting temptations. The Sirens are creatures with the heads of beautiful women and the bodies of attractive birds. They lived on an island (Sirenum scopuli – a group of three small rocky islands). With the irresistible charm of their song, they lured mariners to their destruction on the rocks surrounding their island They sang so sweetly that all who sailed near their home in the sea were fascinated and drawn to the shore only to be destroyed. When Odysseus, the hero of the Odyssey, passed that enchanted spot he escaped the temptation from sirens by ordering himself to be tied to the mast and ordering his sailor comrades to put wax in their ears, so that they might not hear the luring and bewitching strains. But King Tharsius chose a better and positive way of conquering Sirens’ temptations. He took the great Greek singer and lyrist Orpheus along with him. Orpheus took out his lyre and sang a song so clear and ringing that it drowned the sound of those lovely, fatal voices of the Sirens. Today’s readings advise us that the best way to break the charm of this world’s alluring voices during Lent is not trying to shut out the music by plugging our ears, but to have our hearts and lives filled with the sweeter music of prayer, penance, the word of God, self-control, and acts of charity. Then temptations will have no power over us.
Fr Antony Kadavil
www.frtonyshomilies.com
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