SS Leonard & Fergus and St Columba's

12/09/2026

I don't say who I am or tell people the type of person I am, my life shows who I am. If I am a good person, that goodness comes out in the way I live my life.

Gospel Luke 6:43-49
‘Why do you call me “Lord, Lord”, and not do what I tell you?’

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
‘Why do you call me “Lord, Lord”, and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.’

11/09/2026

𝗔 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲
Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, has written the following statement after today’s vote in the House of Commons, where MPs voted to reject the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill by 286 votes to 270:
“MPs can be confident that they have taken the correct and responsible course of action. Their vote serves to protect some of the UK’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.
Every human life possesses inherent value. Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life, but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognises their dignity. No life is without worth.
As a society, our responsibility is not to address suffering by eliminating the sufferer, but to surround each person with care, respect, and dignity until their natural end. Today’s decision, in conjunction with the decision of the Scottish Parliament in March, moves the UK further in that direction, and MPs should be commended for this.
However, we must continue to make progress. Government must now work hard to strengthen palliative care by ensuring that it is properly funded and accessible to all who require it.
I would like to express my gratitude to all MPs for their serious engagement with this issue and for the thoughtful and considered attention they have given to the bill. I am especially grateful to those who upheld the principle of human dignity and advocated on behalf of the vulnerable. Your principled commitment has not gone unnoticed.”

11/09/2026

Here is our newsletter for the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A.

11/09/2026

Jesus is not saying that we shouldn't correct others, he is saying that I should pay the same attention to myself to know myself first. It's very easy to excuse myself but Jesus is telling me that it's my way of life that makes the most impact, not just what I say.

Gospel
Luke 6:39-42
‘Can a blind man lead a blind man?’

At that time: Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.’

10/09/2026

Asking us to reassemble our Father is a right call. When I do what everybody does with ease because it appeals naturally to us, there isn't anything special about that. Jesus invites us to go the next step and do what is heroic, what we choose to do for the sake of Christ, not necessarily because it appeals to us naturally.

Gospel Luke 6:27-38
‘Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.’

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you; and from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
‘If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
‘Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.’

09/09/2026

Jesus says that the Poor, the hungry, those who weep and are hated by people are happy. Their endurance and persistence in righteousness even when it doesn't pay off now, is the seed of eternal happiness they sow. It's unwise to sacrifice this eternal happiness at the altar of momentary pleasure.

Gospel
Luke 6:20-26
Happy are you who are poor, who are hungry, who weep

Fixing his eyes on his disciples Jesus said:
‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.
Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.
‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.
‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’

08/09/2026

On this Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we recall the hope that her birth brought and her role the economy of our salvation. The fruit of her womb is the long awaited Emmanuel, "God with us".

Gospel
Matthew 1:18-23
‘That which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’
All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Emmanuel’ —
which means, God with us.

07/09/2026

Healing on a Sabbath becomes a reason to accuse Jesus. The people are so obsessed with Sabbath that they don't care about compassion and love. It's difficult to understand how I claim to do a service to God of love by hurting people, neglecting people and being loveless.

Gospel
Luke 6:6-11
‘They watched to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath.’

On a Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Come and stand here.’ And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?’ And after looking around at them all he said to him, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

06/09/2026

The goal should be clear here, and the goal is to gain my brother, to save a soul. To have a passion for saving a soul means that I exhaust every available means without ever giving up: going alone, getting another person who might have better skill and getting the whole community to pray for the soul. Not giving up might also come to the point of shielding the whole community from error and the goal is to save more souls.

Gospel
Matthew 18:15-20
‘If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.’

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.’

05/09/2026

'The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath'. The Sabbath and its laws were not just made for no reason, they were made to help the people have time for God, time to pray to God and to learn more about God. Jesus is that God for whom that Sabbath was made. He cannot break any Sabbath law because He is the Lord of the Sabbath. We need to always know the reason behind what we do.

Gospel
Luke 6:1-5
‘Why are you doing what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?’

On a Sabbath, while Jesus was going through the cornfields, his disciples plucked and ate some ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?’ And he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.’