May 2025 – For the fainthearted . . .

A Sermon for Sunday, 25th May 2025

‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you.’ John 14:25

Professor Sean Freyne, the New Testament lecturer at Trinity College, Dublin used to divide the Gospel of John into two books: the book of Works (Chapters 1-11) and the book of Words (Chapter 12-21).

The miracles that John recounts in Chapter 1-11, are seen from John’s perspective not just as incidents in a story, but as deliberate signs pointing to the glory of Jesus. After the turning of the water into wine in John Chapter …

A Sermon for Sunday, 18th May 2025

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13:35

The letters of the word “glory” provide a useful acrostic to help us think thinking about the Gospel reading: “G” for “God;” “L” for “little children;” “O” for “one another;” “R” from the middle of the word “are;” and “Y” for “you.”

“G” for “God.”

There is sometimes a tendency to read the Gospel account as only a human story, to read accounts of incidents as though they were just part …

A Sermon for Sunday, 11th May 2025

“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Four verbs used by Jesus in the Gospel reading can help thinking about the sheep and the shepherd.

“Belong” from Saint John Chapter 10 Verse 26; “hear” and “follow” from Verse 27; and “never perish” from Verse 28. Belong, hear, follow, never perish: four steps in faith.

Jesus is in the Temple in Jerusalem and he is surrounded his opponents. They are in a confrontational mood, Verse 24 …

A Sermon for Sunday, 4th May 2025

“Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.'” John 21:17

The word “feed” can be used as an acrostic to help thinking about Peter and the disciples, and to help reflection on personal faith: “F” for “fearful“; “E” for “excited“; “E” for “encouraged;” and “D” for “destined.”

Peter and the disciples are fearful.

Jesus has appeared to them twice in Jerusalem, and on both occasions the doors have been locked for fear of what might happen and now they have returned to …