O Adonai is today’s O Antiphon heard before the Gospel reading at Mass and the Magnificat at Evening Prayer. From now until 22 December there will be an O Antiphon as the Messiah is daily called by an Old Testament title. Today 18 December is known as the Expectation of Mary, or Our Lady of […]

St Lucy is the big focus this morning in Scandinavia, especially Sweden, as well as Siracusa, Naples and Venice. There will be outdoor processions in Sicily, Gran Canaria and Helsinki. The Lucia figure is appearing with her crown of lighted candles reminding us of how the saint lit the way helping persecuted Christians along secret tunnels […]

This weekend we have an opportunity to look back nine months to the Annunciation on Saturday 25 March. At the time we were all thinking about Mothering Sunday the next day. This December weekend sees the annual celebration at Loreto in Italy where the Virgin Mary’s Nazareth house is now found inside a basilica. The […]

Today is the Immaculate Conception when we focus on the VIrgin Mary who gave birth to Jesus. We are celebrating the conception of the Virgin  Mary by her parents Anne and Joachim. On 8 September in nine months, after the period of a pregnancy,  we celebrate Mary’s  birthday. Mary was immaculate because she was born […]

Today is St Ambrose Day when many will think of that great Italian city of Milan which is associated with this saint who was its bishop from 374 to 397. In Milan the Ambrosian Rite is the norm in church which not only means that the Mass is a little different but so is the […]

I am signing copies of my new book Keeping Advent & Christmas at Southwark Cathedral from 12.30pm on Sunday. The signing follows the 11am Advent Sunday Choral Eucharist and is part of The Friends Christmas Market. Also signing books at Sunday lunchtime will be Timothy West and Prunella Scales whose book Our Great Canal Journeys: […]