GOSPEL REFLECTION Our Lord didn’t come to change or “abolish” the law (the Old Testament Law) but He came to complete or fulfil it. The Old Testament Law is You shall not… i.e. You shall ‘not’ kill. You shall ‘not’ commit adultery.  You shall ‘not’ bear false witness, etc.   Jesus now teaches it is not enough to try not to break the law, we must try to achieve its perfection. Hence, Jesus said (Mt 5:48): “You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect and be holy as I

THE APPARITION OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES   I felt inspired to talk about Our Lady’s apparition at Lourdes, as her feast day is February 11.  Also, this parish is named after St Bernadette.   February 11 th  1858, 14-year-old Bernadette of Lourdes in France witnessed the first of 18 Apparitions of Our Lady.  White dress.  Blue sash.  Rosary in hand.    At the first Apparition Our Lady prayed the Rosary in silence.     On another Apparition she asked for prayer and penance for the

GOSPEL REFLECTION (By Fr Doug Harris) In the first reading, Our Lord says through the Prophet Zephaniah that what He wants is people who are humble.  In the second reading St Paul writes: “If anyone want to boast, let them boast about the Lord.”  Today’s Gospel theme is the Beatitudes.  The first beatitude is: “Happy the poor in spirit, theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” A person “poor in spirit” is aware they are utterly hopeless or spiritually poverty stricken without God’s

Gospel Reflection: The first reading is a prophecy from the prophet Isaiah.  It says “In days past the Lord humbled the lands of Zebulan and Naphtali, but in days to come He will confer glory” on them.  In the time of Isaiah almost 800 years before Christ the towns of Zebulan and Naphtali were the first to be occupied and oppressed by the Assyrians.  The prophecy of Isaiah continued: “The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light, on those who live in a land of de

Gospel Reflection: St John the Baptist when he saw Jesus said: “Look, there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”  Just as the Jewish priests offered the sacrifice of a lamb to take away the sins of the Jews, Jesus is the ‘New Lamb’ of sacrifice that takes away “the sins of the world.”  In the Old Testament, especially the Book of Leviticus, God gave specific instructions for a Lamb Sacrifice to be valid.  Jesus fulfilled all these instructions.  God said