​Today the Church in England keeps the feast of All the Martyrs of England, referring to the Catholic martyrs of the Reformation. In Wales the feast of the Six Martyrs of Wales and their Companions is kept on 25th October. The Benedictine Calendar, which we keep at Belmont, refers to All the Martyrs of England and Wales. Now these do not include such famous English and Welsh martyrs as Alban, Julius and Aaron, Tydful, Issui, Cadoc, Ethelbert of Hereford, Edmund and so on, but only the martyrs of the Reformation, all of whom also have their own feast day which is kept locally, such as St John Kemble and Blessed Richard Cadwallador in Herefordshire and St David Lewis in Monmouthshire, or St Thomas More and St John Fisher nationally. It strikes me as being rather confusing. Even so, it’s good to celebrate our saints and martyrs and turn to them for their intercession, praying for the grace to follow their example of fidelity to Christ and his Church.​ We come to the end of another week and so get closer to the solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord, which we will celebrate this coming Thursday. The liturgy over the next few days builds up towards that great feast day and this includes the readings at Mass. Our Gospel today follows on from that part of the farewell discourse which we read yesterday, (Jn 15: 18-21). Jesus is preparing his disciples for what lies ahead. He has assured them of the Father’s love and has asked them to remain as close to him as branches are to a vine. If they wish to bear fruit to the glory of the Father, then they must remain part of the true vine, Jesus himself. Being a disciple is far from lying on a bed of roses! It means going against the current of popular thought and fashion. It means remaining true to Christ and his Gospel and obedient to his commandments, Jesus tells his disciples, and let us not forget that he is speaking to us too. The Gospel is not just some historic text. It is the living word of God speaking to us now. “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you do not belong to the world, because my choice withdrew you from the world, ​​​​therefore the world hates you.”​​ We should not be surprised if we are hated, disliked or mistrusted. Our decision, our fundamental option to follow Christ has put us on a collision course with the world, with those who do not share our faith and commitment. Because we are branches of the true vine, our world view will often be different to that of those around us. The same goes for our moral and ethical choices. There is much in the world today that contradicts the teaching of the Scriptures and the Moral Theology of the Church. The fact is that we have been chosen by Christ to be his disciples and we must be true to that calling. ​Jesus then reminds us that, “A servant is not greater than his master.” He asks us to remember that always, for whatever his enemies do to him, they will also do to us. Christianity isn’t a free ride, but, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer explains in his outstanding book The Cost of Discipleship, grace, though a gift, does not come cheap. “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they kept my word, they will keep yours as well. But it will be on my account that they will do all this, because they do not know the one who sent me.” Christianity thrives under persecution, for suffering ups the quality of our commitment to Christ and his Gospel. We need only look at the millions of Christian martyrs through the centuries. We should be prepared to suffer on account of our faith, of our allegiance to Jesus and his Church. In the light of Easter and the glory of the Resurrection and in the shadow of the Cross, all suffering is put into perspective, for the servant is no greater than his master. No matter where we have to walk, Jesus goes before us to lead the way and guide us from darkness into light, from sorrow into joy, from suffering to glory and from death to life. He is truly the Way, the Truth and the Life.

​Although we now celebrate the Apostles Philip and James on 3rd May, this was originally, and still is in Peru and many other countries, the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, here we continue our reading of that final discourse Jesus gave to his disciples at the Last Supper, as recorded in John, (Jn 15: 12-17), and we continue where we left off yesterday. Jesus is speaking of the Father’s love, that the love he has for Jesus is reflected in the love that Jesus has for his disciples. He says, “This is my commandment: ​​​​love one another, as I have loved you.” Now that love which Jesus has for us, must be reciprocated in the love we have for others. We are to love others in the same way as Jesus loves us. He goes on, “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I shall not call you servants any more, because a servant does not know his master’s business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.” But for Jesus, what does love mean, other than, ”to lay down ones life for ones friends’? Jesus proposes a sacrificial love than which no other love is greater. To love means to give oneself unconditionally to others, even to the shedding of our blood. That is how Jesus loves us and has given himself up for our forgiveness and salvation, that we might be reconciled with God through him. Not only are we loved and expected to love equally in return, but we are called, and truly are, friends of Jesus. We are friends with whom Jesus has shared everything the Father has taught the Son. Jesus opens up for us his knowledge of the Father’s heart. ​Jesus then reminds us that we have been called and chosen for a purpose. “You did not choose me: no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name. What I command you is to love one another.” Jesus chooses his disciples; they do not choose him, but we are commissioned for a special reason, to bear fruit that will last. That will be the proof of love for which God will give us anything we ask him in his name. The Christian life is born of love and leads to love, which is why Jesus repeats that commandment of love. We are to love one another with a perfect love, the love that casts out all fear, that unconditional love which comes to us from God. Lord, you have taught us many things. Teach us how to love according to your heart and mind Amen.

​Today we keep the feast of St Athanasius of Alexandria, the great theologian and Doctor of the Church, who also wrote the life of St Antony of Egypt, the Father of Christian Monasticism. It was Athanasius who, while still a deacon, saved the Church from falling into generalised heresy by combatting and overcoming the Arians at the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. It was also Athanasius who, on one of his several exiles in Rome, brought monks from Egypt to Rome. These were soon followed by monk refugees from Syria, whom St Benedict met as a young boy in Nursia. The Universal Church owes a great debt to St Athanasius and we should get to know him better and venerate him more.​ ​One of the main differences between John and the three Synoptic Gospels is the number of long discourses given by Jesus, whether to his disciples, as after the feeding of the five thousand, or to the crowds in general. The only real parallel, in length at least, is the Sermon on the Mount, that we find in Matthew. The longest of the discourses in John is that of Jesus at the Last Supper, short sections of which we have been reading over the last ten days or so. Today we continue where we left off yesterday with the metaphor of the true vine. You will have noticed that in John the same words, phrases and ideas recur frequently. Jesus had been talking of the union that must exist between his disciples and himself and how this should reflect that union which exists between himself and the Father. As the branches are connected to the vine, so should we remain and make our home in him. Jesus now moves on to the theme of love. If God is love, as we read in John’s First Letter, (1 Jn 4: 7), then any relationship or union with him must be a loving one. “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” In the discourse Jesus says to his disciples (Jn 15: 9-11), “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.” What powerful words these are. That the love with which the Father loves the Son should be reflected in the love with which the Son loves us is an amazing thought. God raises us to his level. Jesus calls his disciples friends and, in the Old Testament, Abraham was known as the friend of God. Friendship and love make people equals and, in Christ, God raises us up to be his beloved daughters and sons. He invites us to remain in his love, asking us to keep his commandments, which we long to keep because we know that we are loved and our only wish is to love God in return. What greater joy could there be than to remain in God’s love, to live knowing that we are loved by God. In that way, as Jesus says, not only his joy, but our joy too, will be complete. What more could we ask?

​It’s somewhat difficult to write a short message on a Gospel text twice in one week. Today’s Gospel passage, (Jn 15: 1-8), was also read on Sunday. It’s that part of Jesus’ farewell discourse at the Last Supper, where he compares the union that must exist between his disciples and himself to a vine and its branches. It’s a beautiful image with a vivid metaphor to describe that most intimate union between God and ourselves in, through and with Christ Jesus. At key moments in his ministry, Christ emphasized his equality with God in the clearest possible terminology. The strongest affirmations of his divinity employed the name for God used when the Father first revealed himself to Moses, "I AM" or “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus has already said, "I am the Light of the world" (John 8:12); "I am the Bread of Life" (John 6:35); "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6); and "I am the Door" (John 10:9), “I am the Good Shepherd” (Jn 10:11) and, my favourite, “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jn 8: 58). Now, the night before his Passion and Death, he tells them, "I am the Vine." Like the other great "I am" passages recorded in the Gospel of John, it points to his divinity. Each one is a metaphor that elevates Jesus to the level of Creator, Sustainer, Saviour and Lord, all titles that can be claimed by God alone. ​“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more. You are pruned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you. Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.’” Jesus says that his disciples are like branches that bear fruit but need pruning. There is no such thing as a fruitless Christian. Every Christian bears some fruit. You may have to look hard to find even a small grape, but if you look hard enough, you will find something. It is the essence of the Christian life to bear fruit and, in Matthew, Jesus says, “By their fruits you will know them.” (Mt 7: 16). The Greek word Jesus uses for “to prune” also means “to cleanse”, so this gives us an indication of what pruning really means for Jesus, “who came to save his people from their sins.” Pruning is necessary in our spiritual lives. The Father removes our sins and all superfluous things that limit our fruitfulness. One of the best ways to cleanse us is to allow suffering to come into our lives. He prunes us with a vinedresser's knife, which is the word of God. Sometimes it hurts, and we question what he is doing. It may seem we are the only branch getting pruned, while other branches need it more. But the Vinedresser knows what he is doing. Spiritual pruning can take many forms. it may be sickness, hardships or loss of material possessions. It may be persecution or slander from non-Christians. For some it is the loss of a loved one or grief in a relationship. Or it may be a combination of some or all of these. Whatever the method, the effect is to narrow our focus and improve the quality of our fruit. Whatever the method of pruning God uses, we can be assured that he cares for us and wants us to bear much fruit. He wants to free us from what drains our life and energy. He continues his care throughout our lives to keep us spiritually healthy and productive. ​Above all, what is truly essential is that we remain united to Christ and “live in him”. Just as he is united with the Father and is one with him. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.” Jesus shares his very life with us by giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit, feeding us with his Body and Blood and instructing us with his Word. In this way, we will be united with Jesus and in him with the Father, whose greatest desire is that we should bear much fruit. God has no other desire than what is best for us.

​It’s interesting to note that, as we come to the end of Eastertide, we are still reading Jesus’ farewell discourse to his disciples given at the Last Supper, (Jn 14: 27-31). They can sense that things are coming to a head and Jesus is preparing them, as he has been doing all along, for his ultimate destiny, his Passion, Death and Resurrection. He says to his disciples, “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.” Jesus utters the word ‘peace’ three times; it is his gift to the disciples, which only he can give and is not a worldly peace. It is not the absence of conflict or of war, the absence of noise, disorder, or chaos. It is the peace that comes from a clear conscience, a living faith and the joy of the Holy Spirit. It is the peace of heart and mind that comes with forgiveness of sin and union with God in Christ. He continues, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return. If you loved me, you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe.” Reading their hearts, he is aware of their fear and confusion, their anxiety for the future. Without Jesus, what will become of them? Jesus comforts them, assuring them that he will return to be with them, even if beforehand he must leave them to return to the Father. It will be a test of their love for him. Nevertheless, he has warned them, so that they will not be taken by surprise when the time, which is at hand, comes. ​John presents the Passion of Christ as a conflict between good and evil, God and the powers of darkness. Jesus says, “I shall not talk with you any longer, because the prince of this world is on his way. He has no power over me, but the world must be brought to know that I love the Father and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me.” The prince of this world is more than Judas, the high priests and Pontius Pilate. They are simply agents, puppets of Satan, the source of evil, death and destruction, the lord of chaos. But he has no power over Jesus, who loves the Father and is doing the Father’s will. The disciples must understand that what is about to happen is all part of God’s plan for the salvation of the world. Although we love the Passion story, we still ask why God had to save us in this way, through sacrifice, suffering and death? The Byzantine Easter chant celebrates Christ’s Death and Resurrection in this way. “Χριστός ανέστη εκ νεκρών, θανάτω θάνατον πατήσας, και τοις εν τοις μνήμασι ζωήν χαρισάμενος.” Here is a translation, “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs, granting life.” Yes, in his Resurrection, Christ Jesus has trampled down death with death, thereby assuring us of eternal life. This faith gave the martyrs courage and peace to face the pain and desolation of martyrdom. May it give us the grace to live our faith boldly today, sharing God’s love and loving kindness with all we meet.

​Today we celebrate the feast of an extraordinary woman, St Catherine of Siena, who died on this day in the year 1380 aged just 33, exhausted by her vigorous fasting. Although always depicted in a Dominican habit, she wasn’t an enclosed nun but a lay associate of the Order. She was a mystic, a writer and a religious-cum-political activist, if that’s the right term. She was canonised on 29th June 1461 and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope St Paul VI in 1970. She is also a Patron of Europe. Catherine is one of the outstanding figures of medieval Catholicism, by the strong influence she had on the history of the papacy and her prolific writing. She was behind the return of the Pope from Avignon to Rome, and then carried out many missions entrusted to her by the Pope, something quite rare for a woman in the Middle Ages. Her Dialogue of Divine Providence, hundreds of letters, and dozens of prayers, also give her a prominent place in the history of spirituality as well as of Italian literature. She led a fascinating life from the moment of her birth until the Lord took her to himself. A good biography and immersion into her writings would be powerfully rewarding. She really is a most attractive figure. ​The short Gospel passage chosen for her feast comes from Matthew, (Mt 11: 25-30), those lovely words of Jesus addressed to his heavenly Father. “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Catherine was a mere child, just five years old, when she had her first mystical experience, a vision of Christ in glory. At the age of seven, she vowed to give her whole life to God. When in her teens, her parents wanted her to marry, but she refused, knowing that her vocation was to go beyond domestic duties and motherhood. Nor did she want to become a nun. She chose instead to live an active and prayerful life outside the convent walls following the model of the Dominicans. Just as the Father entrusted all things to Jesus, so she believed that God had entrusted her with an important mission, that of purifying and uniting the Church, and she wasn’t afraid to stand up and preach to the crowds or even to tell popes and princes what and what not to do. ​Jesus continues with words of encouragement and consolation, words that were the very basis of Catherine’s life of devotion and service. “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.” Jesus invites us all, as he did his beloved servant Catherine, to come to him for rest and support. We all get tired and overburdened, but Jesus is always with us to support and carry us. Our lives can be fruitful in weakness as well as in strength, but we must learn from Jesus to be both gentle and humble, opening our hearts to him and offering him our lives. Catherine was an exceptional woman, but in many ways, she was also quite ordinary, like you and me. Let us never lose courage or hope and let us ask her to pray for us and our loved ones. Catherine shines brightly among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. She remains a greatly respected figure for her writings and political boldness to "speak truth to power," it being exceptional for a woman, at that time, to have had such influence in politics and on world history. We pray for such women today.