Lo & Behold

The Preaching of St John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-12)

Shortly before Christ began teaching in public, St John received God’s call while living in the desert. After this, he began to preach in the country near the River Jordan. St John told the people to repent of their sins, to be charitable, and to prepare for the coming of Christ. His mission is described in all four gospels. Crowds flocked from Jerusalem and the provinces to hear this new…

The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-31)

After being brutally whipped, the gospels say that Christ was victimised in the governor’s headquarters by a group of Roman soldiers. (Matthew 27:27-31; Mark 15:16-20; John 19:2-5) This humiliation took place in front of the whole battalion. St Matthew’s gospel puts it this way: “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his…

Malachi foretells the Mass (Malachi 1:10-11)

The book of Malachi was written in the 5th century BC, after the reconstruction of the Temple of Jerusalem by Zerubbabel. Malachi was the last of the Twelve Minor Prophets and his name means ‘messenger’. In his book, he wrote about acceptable worship, faithfulness in marriage, the coming of the Messiah and the Day of Judgment. Malachi may have been a priest, since he said that a priest is “the…

King Solomon asks for wisdom (1 Kings 3:1-15)

Solomon was the son of King David, the musical monarch of Israel. When his father died, he succeeded him as king. At the beginning of his reign, Solomon was a man of great faith. Naturally, therefore, he turned to God for guidance as to how he should rule. As Pope Benedict XVI observed: “Solomon inherited a very demanding task and the responsibility that lay heavily on his shoulders was great…

The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7)

In St Luke’s gospel, we read how Christ told three parables about God’s mercy towards sinners. The first was the Parable of the Lost Sheep. In this intriguing story, he spoke of a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine of his one hundred sheep in the desert to go in search of just one who had gone missing. As Pope Francis explained: “We are all familiar with the image of the Good Shepherd with the…

The Resurrection Collection: Easter 2022

To mark Easter 2022, here you’ll find eight images of the Risen Christ found in Catholic churches across Britain. This collection of stained glass windows, mosaic and paintings picture various scenes of the Resurrection of Jesus. You might explore one per day during the Easter Octave (Easter Sunday and the following week), or alternatively, dip in and out throughout the fifty days of Eastertide.…

8. St Thomas doubts Christ (John 20:24-29)

“Now Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with the rest when Jesus came. When the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord,” he replied, “Unless I see the mark of the nails on his hands and put my finger into the place where the nails pierced and insert my hand into his side, I will not believe.” “Eight days later, the disciples were again in the house, and on this…

7. Christ conquers death (Revelation 1:17-18)

St John said: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead, but he laid his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One. I was dead, but now I am alive forevermore, and I hold the keys to death and the netherworld.” Hardmans / Christ the Victor / Stained glass / St Werburgh’s, Chester

6. Christ appears to St Peter (John 21:15-19)

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” Jesus said to him again, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” Jesus said to him a third time, “Simon, son of…

5. Victimae Paschali Laudes: the Easter Sequence (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

“Christ, our Paschal Lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of depravity and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Christians, to the Paschal Victim offer sacrifice and praise. The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;and Christ, the undefiled, hath sinners to his Father reconciled. Death with life contended:…

4. The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)

“Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had occurred. While they were conversing and discussing these events, Jesus himself drew near and walked along with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” “He asked them, “What are you discussing with…

3. Christ appears to St Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18)

“Mary Magdalene remained weeping outside the tomb. And as she wept, she bent down to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting there where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answered, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him.” As she said this, she turned around…

2. The Women find an Empty Tomb (Matthew 28:1-10)

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit the sepulchre. And behold, there was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord, descended from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat upon it. His face shone like lightning, and his garments were as white as snow. The guards were so paralysed with fear of him that they became…

1. The Resurrection of Christ (Acts 10:37-43)

St Peter preached: “You are well aware of what was proclaimed all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism of John, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to everything he did in the Jewish countryside and in Jerusalem.” “They put him…

Jonah and the Whale (Jonah 2:1-10)

This story follows the adventures of the Prophet Jonah, who – like Christ – was from Galilee. Jonah lived during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel, in the 8th century BC (2 Kings 14:25). His story, which is found in the book named after him, has several themes – reluctance to serve God, forgiveness, God’s power over nature and his concern for nations other than Israel. The book may be a…

The Stations of the Cross for Lent 2022

The Stations of the Cross are a series of fourteen scenes that gradually tell the story of how Jesus carried the cross to his death. Sometimes, the devotion is known as the ‘Way of the Cross’ or the ‘Way of Sorrows’. For centuries, Catholics have prayerfully meditated on the Passion of Christ during Lent by contemplating the gospel scenes pictured in the Stations. This virtual set of Stations…

✙ 12th Station of the Cross: Christ dies on the cross

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you:R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Meditation: Love For the three hours Christ hung upon the cross, he was a model of love, duty and prayer. In the midst of almost unbearable sufferings, he pardoned his murderers, promised heaven to the good thief and…