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​"And his name shall be called Emmanuel."But it wasn't! He was called Jesus. In his gospel​ St Matthew quotes the prophecy of Isaiah about the name Emmanuel within a few lines of saying that he would be called Jesus. Both names are very important. In the Bible it is the meaning of a name that is usually very significant. The name Emmanuel (sometime...

Greetings, brothers and sisters. I'm Fr. Peter Clarke, standing in for my brother Fr. Isidore who is not well enough to produce the weekly reflections on the Sunday Gospel. Kindly remember him in your prayers.In each of the four Gospels we read of the wild-looking man from the wilderness causing a sensation by his fiery preaching - his cajoling peo...

When someone is ill or in need we naturally have a strong desire to do something to help them.If there is something we can do, we feel much more satisfied, but that's not the point.Simply to be with them, to show them our support is the most important thing. That is real compassion.The compassion of God is Emmanuel - God is with us.God is with us a...

​Greetings Brothers and Sisters: I'm Fr. Peter Clarke. I continue to seek your prayers for my brother Fr. Isidore whose ill-health prevents him from writing these weekly reflections on the Sunday Gospel. Today, 2nd Sunday of Advent we reflect on Mark 1.1-8. Here we are introduced to John the Baptist – a rugged man, leading a rugged life in a d...

​St John the Baptist, whose whole life was a preparation for the coming of Christ, uses the imagery of the prophet Isaiah: "Make a straight highway for our God to cross the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill laid low – then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed."Christ is coming anyway. But for St John the Baptist unle...