The use of holy water in preparation for Mass

The font, which dates to pre-penal times is outside the Church of the Annunciation in Rathfarnham, County Dublin, where I brought to mass every Sunday as a young infant. My parents would have blessed me on the forehead with holy water on the way into the church.

The present heatwave is taking its toll on humans, animals, and the natural world—on land, sea, plants, buildings, and machinery alike. The conservation, purification and responsible use of water within the cycle of nature are vital to human life. That precious gift we can so easily take for granted – clean, safe and drinkable water - now seems scarce or hugely valued.

It is customary to bless ourselves with holy water when entering a church. This is a reminder of our baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The baptistry – the large font where infants and adults are baptised - is often deliberately located near the entrance of the church, highlighting the central importance of baptism at the beginning of the Christian journey—a journey along which we are nourished by the Eucharist.

Welcoming those not like us

Sunday 28 June 2026

Lectio Divina:*

Picture sourced here 2 Kings 4:8-16 Psalm 89

Romans 6:3-11 Matthew 10:37-42

Meditatio:

‘..whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me’ (Matthew 10:37)

Commentary:

There is so much to be thankful for: family, friends, good weather, and - if we are fortunate - health. Yet suffering knocks on the door of everyone at some stage. There are the ordinary, everyday sufferings arising from physical discomfort or pain, as well as the trials of making ends meet, holding down a job, dealing with difficult people, facing ourselves as we are, and not knowing what tomorrow may bring.

Our own story

The early Christians were reputed to engage in cannibalism by eating the flesh of their Lord and drinking his blood. Moreover, they were despised for holding to and teaching the resurrection of the body.

Beginning with the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, Christians proclaimed the resurrection of the body (1 Corinthians 15:37):

And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.

Unless we are seized by the love of Christ, which opens our hearts to faith, we cannot enter into the mystery of the resurrection. When we do, our perspective is transformed. Death is no longer the end; hope beckons, and our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit await a real and glorious transformation (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Behold the Lamb!

Saint John the Baptist,
Painting by Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519),
Painted between 1513 until 1516,
Oil on Panel
© Musée du Louvre, Paris

We are more or less at mid-summer here in the Northern hemisphere. There used to be a custom of lighting a fire on ‘St John’s night’ on the 23^rd of June – the vigil of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.  The custom seemed to mirror ancient pagan customs associated with the worship of the sun and the significance of this moment in the seasonal calendar for primitive peoples across Europe.

Be careful what you love

Over the weekend I attended a ‘seed bomb’ workshop at a local arts festival. I had no idea, beforehand, what it was about. It consisted of a talk and demonstration with hands-on practice of taking tiny seeds (yarrow, dandelion, etc.) and kneading them with some soil and moss into  small balls.  These may be simply ‘thrown’ into a garden space. Instead of bombs that kill these were little bombs that give life to wonderful wild flowers.

Given up for all

St Thomas More (1478–1535), whose feast day we mark today, was a martyr of the English Reformation. He is the patron saint of lawyers, statesmen and politicians. His memory was powerfully brought to life for a modern audience in the celebrated 1960s film A Man for All Seasons, in which he was portrayed by Paul Scofield.

Courage

12^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

21 June 2026

Lectio Divina:

Jeremiah 20:10-13 Psalm 69

Romans 5:12-15 Matthew 10:26-33

Meditatio:

‘..Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matthew 10:28)

Commentary:

This Sunday’s readings provide a rich set of resources.  I find them particularly apt for several reasons related to timing as well as the recent political context.  Let me ‘proclaim from the house-tops’ what I have heard in whispers. Let me ‘proclaim from the housetops’ what I have heard in whispers: today is The Day for Life. And, it is Father’s Day at least in this part of the world. One sentence in the statement on the Day for Life caught my attention in particular:

This understanding, however, is not complete without the recognition that, from the beginning, every human being is not just a body but also an immortal soul, with a unique and eternal connection with God, our Creator.