Immaculate Conception, Clevedon

29/05/2026

Based on the gospel for Sunday 31 May, The Most Holy Trinity

John 3:16-18
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

Raise your hand (I am typing this with one hand as the other is raised) if you have recently judged or condemned someone else.

I am often struck by the use of language around "us" and "them" to describe different groups - people living in poverty, people with disabilities - as well as the prevalence of inaccessibility and unkindness in everyday life. How often are the words "stupid", "idiotic" or "dumb" thrown around when someone doesn't immediately understand what is being said, or holds a different view?

Even the more positive reflections can be dehumanising ones. "They" are acceptable when "they" teach me about joy; "they" are still different from me; "they" are ultimately always separate from me, and so I can't enter into a real relationship with "them".

God, in the Trinity, is pure relationship, pure communion: love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which we are called to participate in. In today's gospel, we are shown how Jesus orients himself towards the world and towards others. In this time of increasing conflict and political polarisation, may we pause to reflect on how the small actions we take lean towards either condemnation or community.

Prayer
God of life, one in three,
fill us with your grace,
that we may truly embrace the
special way that God calls each of us
to blossom in the garden of life.
Amen.

www.CAFOD.org.uk

23/05/2026

Prayer to invoke the Holy Spirit during this Solemn Feast of Pentecost

22/05/2026

Based on the gospel for
Sunday 24 May, Pentecost:
John 20:19-23
“And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'"

The disciples could not make sense of the apparent death of the Messiah, whom they had hoped would change the world. So they hid away behind locked doors. Fear was keeping them trapped: fear of retribution, fear of pain, fear of hurt.

I wonder what keeps us behind locked doors? What fears keep our hearts and souls locked away? What will it take for us to break down those barriers to begin to live life to the full?

For the apostles it was Jesus walking through a locked door and showing them the signs of the wounds in his hands and his side, the signs of the crucifixion.

Not only was he present amongst them, but he also breathed life into them. His Holy Spirit gave them renewed strength, energy and purpose. His words, "as the Father sent me, I am sending you", commissioned them to carry on his work in the world. The work of building a just and fair world where all can peacefully but passionately enjoy life to the full. "Peace be with you," said Jesus.

Can I allow myself to stand in his presence, to feel his breath upon me, to feel his peace invading me, a peace that passes all understanding?

Holy Spirit, may I be filled with you. May your love, joy and peace pervade my being. May I feel revived to live my mission of sharing your love in my community, so that you peace may spread far and wide, bringing glory to you.
Amen.

Www.cafod.org.uk

08/05/2026

Based on the gospel for
Sunday 10 May,
Sixth Sunday of Easter:
John 14:15-21
"I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

Pope Leo XIV in his Urbi et Orbi message this Easter said, "Christ's resurrection is the beginning of a new humanity; it is the entrance into the true promised land, where justice, freedom, and peace reign, where all recognise one another as brothers and sisters." Through the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, life is transformed and Christians are called to live in God's kingdom here and now, witnessing to Christ present in our world.

It is not always easy and it can be daunting, but we can have hope as our Gospel passage this week assures us that we are not alone. We are promised "another Helper, to be with you for ever", and if we love Jesus, we will be loved by the Father.

Empowered in this way, we can strive to be leaven in our society and keep Jesus' commandment to love one another. Can we find concrete ways to put this into action this week? Perhaps we can find more time to pray for peace or raise our voices to call for change to improve the lives of our sisters and brothers throughout the world.

Prayer
Risen Lord,
come to us and transform us
so that we may reveal your love
in our world
by the way we live our lives.
Amen.

Www.cafod.org.uk

01/05/2026

Based on the gospel for
Sunday 3 May, Fifth Sunday of Easter:

John 14:1-12
"Let not your hearts be troubled.”

In Eastertide I sometimes feel unsure about how to move forwards. It can be hard to keep the good habits I've built during Lent and to stay close to God without the structure of the season.

But just as Jesus comforts the disciples in this passage, I feel he also comforts me. He reminds us to trust him when things feel uncertain. He encourages us to keep doing his works. It shows me that my goals don't end with Easter, but they continue and grow.

Because of this, the passage helps me to look at my path and the world around me differently. Jesus tells the disciples that his work will carry on through them, and that speaks to us now too.

When I see conflict, injustice or fear in the news, I remember that God is still present in those places. With this, I'm encouraged to bring the peace and courage I've been practising throughout Lent into the everyday situations around me. In this way, the spirit of Lent becomes something steady in my daily life.

Prayer
Lord,
help me to trust in you
when my heart feels troubled.
Guide me in your way each day.
Amen.

The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) is the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and part of Caritas International.

26/04/2026

Based on the gospel for
Sunday 26 April,
Fourth Sunday of Easter:
John 10:1-10
"I am the door of the sheep... If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”

In the gospel reading this Sunday, Jesus calls himself the door for the sheep - an image of safety, welcome and protection. The gate is not a barrier but leads to life in all its fullness. This promise of abundant life is not only spiritual - it is deeply practical and communal. The risen Christ stands against poverty, injustice and systems that deny human dignity. His voice calls us to recognise one another as brothers and sisters.

Through the work of CAFOD, we see this shepherding love in action. By supporting communities facing climate injustice, conflict and inequality, we help to ensure that people are not treated as voiceless, but as part of our global family. In a world where many are excluded or exploited, Jesus invites us to become gatekeepers of justice - creating paths to safety, opportunity and peace.

Easter reminds all of us that new life breaks through even in the darkest places. When we follow Christ, we stand with those on the margins, to listen to their stories, and to work together so that all may truly live.

Prayer
Risen Lord,
you call us each by name.
Open our ears to hear your voice
in the cries of those
who are poor or wounded.
Guide us to act
with courage and compassion,
​​​​​​​sharing hope and fullness of life.
Amen.
www.cafod.org.uk

04/04/2026

Based on the gospel for Sunday 5 April, Easter Sunday:

John 20:1-9
"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.”

In this gospel we join Mary in the resurrection garden as she finds the empty tomb. Soon she will see the risen Christ, whom she mistakes for the gardener. The symbolism is rich. The resurrected Jesus is the new Adam, who has turned the wood of the cross into the Tree of Life.

This Lent, we have seen signs of the new life of the resurrection in the stories of our neighbours around the world. We've seen them creating flourishing gardens in places of drought and flood. We've heard stories of courageous peacemakers, faithful stewards of God's creation and dedicated advocates standing against injustice.

As we celebrate Easter on Sunday, we can rejoice that God's love is stronger than heavy stones, stronger than hatred or division, stronger than our fears and failures and stronger even than death.

May we enter this Easter season with joy, ready to share our hope that, through God's grace, a better world for all people is possible.

Prayer
Risen Jesus,
plant us in your presence,
and root us in your love.
May your risen life grow within us
so that, filled with your abundant love,
we may renew the face of the earth.
Amen.

Www.cafod.org.uk

20/03/2026

Based on the gospel for Sunday 22 March,
Fifth Sunday of Lent:
John 11:1-45

Jesus said, "Take away the stone."
"Water is life,” says Reason Mupanga simply. Reason works for Caritas Zimbabwe and has seen first-hand the problems that lack of water can bring.

This Sunday’s readings focus on the new life that God brings – Ezekiel tells of the dry bones coming to life, Paul reflects on the Spirit dwelling within us, and in the gospel Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

Water is indeed life. “Providing water changes a place, its people, and their mindset. It makes everything around it bloom,” says Fr Johanes of Caritas Zimbabwe. Thanks to CAFOD supporters like you, many more communities where Reason and Fr Johanes work can now access safe water.

Parched land has truly begun to bloom, as innovative techniques such as drought-resistant crops and solar-powered water pumps are enabling communities to grow food.

This Sunday is World Water Day. As we celebrate the gift of water, we remember communities who face life-threatening water scarcity. God wants all people to have life in abundance. Can we roll away the stones of injustice and ecological destruction and so participate in building a world where all people have safe access to water?

Prayer
Fountain of life,
we pray for those who thirst
for water and for justice.
Pour your love into our hearts,
and strengthen us to work for a world
where all people have fullness of life.
Amen.

www.cafod.org.uk

13/03/2026

Based on the gospel for Sunday 15 March,
Fourth Sunday of Lent:
John 9:1-41
"As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth"

This Sunday the Church celebrates Laetare Sunday and, in the United Kingdom, it is also Mothering Sunday. Laetare from the Latin means ‘to rejoice’ and it seems a fitting occasion to share the story of Rejoice, a mother from South Sudan.

Rejoice and her three children fled when the ferocious conflict engulfing South Sudan reached her village. Her husband was on a business trip. She still doesn’t know what happened to him. After a dangerous journey, she and her children reached relative safety in neighbouring Sudan, but when war broke out there too, they were forced to return home.

On arrival, however, Rejoice found her village submerged by widespread floods. She had no proper shelter and very little food for her family. At last a lifeline came, when she was offered training from CAFOD’s partner in techniques for growing food in floating gardens.

She tells us: “This has improved my life. The yields from the garden help me feed my family.”

As we reflect on the story of Jesus healing the man who was blind from birth, let’s pray that we will not be blind to the needs of others. Instead, like Jesus, may we seek to be a source of healing and love.

Let’s also pray for all mothers, especially those who, like Rejoice, face painful and challenging circumstances.

Prayer
Dear God,
we thank you for mothers
throughout the world.
Be close to those who are struggling
because of violence or poverty,
and fill every home with your love.
Amen.

Www.cafod.org.uk

27/02/2026

Based on the gospel for
Sunday 1 March
Second Sunday of Lent:

Matthew 17:1-9
"He was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light."
“There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun,” wrote the monk and mystic, Thomas Merton, who on an ordinary day in an unremarkable shopping district in Louisville, had a profound experience of the glory and solidarity of the human family. “It was as if I could suddenly see the secret beauty of their hearts,” he wrote.

In this Sunday's gospel the disciples witness Jesus transfigured. Has he changed or have their eyes been opened to see him as he truly is? Here is an invitation for us to see the world in a new light.

What if we could, like Thomas Merton, suddenly recognise the belovedness of every person? Or if we could see the signs of God’s power to bring new life, just as the digging, weeding and pruning of a patient gardener is rewarded by glimpses of beauty as shoots sprout and buds open?

In this season of Lent, as we seek to listen more deeply to Jesus, may we strive to see each person through God’s eyes, recognising the beauty in our sisters and brothers.

Prayer:
Glorious God,
we give you thanks
for glimpses of grace,
for your abundant generosity
and for the strength of your love.
May we reflect your glory
as we walk in your way.
Amen.

Www.CAFOD.org.uk