Good Friday homily at the Liturgy of the Passion
30 March 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have just meditated upon the death of our Saviour. Today Jesus’ favourite apostle proclaims his suffering; John who stood beneath the cross with the mother of God. He shows us the suffering Saviour as God and King. The only offering worthy of God, the one sacrifice that redeems the world and brings us back to God, is completed.
Tuesday 27 March 2018
With humble joy on this 17th occasion as Archbishop, I welcome my brother bishops, diocesan and religious priests, migrant chaplains and you, the people of God, to this Mass of the Chrism. The oils for use in the conferral of the sacraments will be blessed and the Sacred Chrism consecrated.
Each of us is anointed in baptism and again in confirmation. The special anointing with chrism for priesthood and episcopate commits us priests and bishops to be faithful witnesses of the salvation Jesus won for the world.
Sunday 25 March 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have just listened to the story of the infinite love of our God for us in Jesus.
We learn the secret of the resurrection when we learn the secret of the cross. And it is when we are called to share in some way in the suffering of Christ that we come to understand not only what he experienced but what this was leading to; for every cross leads to resurrection. I like to think of life as each day being prepared by God’s providence, and it is in many ways the road to the cross. But it leads to greater understanding of our Lord, a greater sharing in his resurrection.
Tuesday 20 March, 2018
My dear brother priests,
Welcome to this celebration when we as bishop and priests, totally given to being victims for the care of God’s people, come to receive this Sacrament in which our life as priests, our search for holiness and our readiness to be open and spent for our people is strengthened and nourished.
Together we are sharers in an apostolic mission for the good of souls, for teaching holiness and unity. Because our God has loved us first, we seek unity with him, as together we come to approach this wonderfully renewing Sacrament.
Sunday 18 March 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
From schooldays many of us are familiar with the image given in the Gospel. We planted a seed in a jar in soil, watered it, gave it light and heat and there sprouted the new life of a piece of wheat or an ear of grass. The seeming lifelessness of that seed shows that by death this seed will give new life.