Five Precious Wounds Catholic Church, Stonebridge

22/02/2026

YOUR IDENTITY IS YOUR STRENGTH
Even the holiest people face temptation. Pope Francis was admired all over the world for his compassion and humility – and yet even he was tempted. It may seem a small thing, but he once admitted: “I too have been tempted… to gossip. [Gossip] is a daily temptation for me.”

If Pope Francis struggled with temptation, we shouldn’t be surprised when we get tempted too. Temptation is normal. We’re called to resist our temptations – it’s been said that the greatest saints are those who fought temptation and won – but we don’t do it by gritting our teeth and trying harder. We do it by remembering our true identity: that we are beloved sons and daughters of God.

In the face of temptation, your identity is your strength.

In today’s Gospel, the devil tempts Jesus three times. And he’s very clever about how he goes about it. The devil doesn’t start by asking Jesus to do something wrong. First, he questions Jesus’ identity, saying, “If you are the Son of God…”

Just before today’s Gospel, Jesus had been baptised in the River Jordan. There, the Father declared: “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Before he preached a single sermon or performed his first miracle, Jesus knew exactly who he was in the eyes of God.

The devil’s tactic is simple: to get Jesus to forget his identity.

The first temptation is to numb discomfort. Jesus has been in the wilderness for days, and he’s hungry. The devil says, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

The temptation here is immediate relief – to fix the discomfort now. Many of us experience this in our own lives. When we’re anxious, we scroll endlessly on our phones. When we’re bored, we eat or shop to distract ourselves. When we feel lonely, we fill the silence with podcasts or music. Anything to take the edge off our feelings.

But Jesus refuses to numb the discomfort. He replies, “Man shall not live by bread alone.” Even when he’s hungry, he trusts the Father. He doesn’t need to escape discomfort because he knows he’s loved.

The second temptation is to test God. The devil says, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you.’”

The pull here is subtle: to demand proof of God’s love, to manipulate rather than trust him. This happens when we expect God to act on our timetable, or wonder where he is when prayers seem unanswered.

But Jesus answers strongly: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” He trusts the Father’s love and stands secure in who he is.

The third temptation is to prove his worth. The Devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth and says, “All [these] will be yours if you bow down to me.” In other words, let everyone see how great and powerful you are.

The trap here is chasing approval – measuring our worth by status or recognition. We might know this temptation too: the desire to be noticed at work, to earn people’s approval, to get likes and shares on social media.

Again, Jesus refuses. “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him alone shall you serve.” His identity isn’t based on recognition or popularity. Before anything else, he knows he is loved.

We notice the pattern in this Gospel. Three times the devil casts doubt on Jesus’ identity. Then he tempts him to numb his hunger, test God, and prove his worth – instead of living as the beloved Son he is.

Our own temptations might not feel as dramatic, but we can see ourselves in them. Each time we’re tempted, we face the same choice. We can react from fear, craving, or doubt – or, like Jesus, pause and remember who we are.

Our identity is our strength. We are God’s beloved.

So, here’s a simple practice for Lent. When we feel the pull to distract ourselves, demand proof, or chase approval, we pause. We remind ourselves, “I am God’s beloved,” and respond from that identity.

Remember: your identity is your strength.

We know that temptation is real. But God’s love is even deeper. Lent is an invitation to live out of that love – as beloved sons and daughters.

When we do, we gain strength to face temptation, and to live the life God calls us to.

So, let’s pray.
Father, thank you that before we do anything,
you call us your beloved.
When we are tempted to numb our pain,
test your love, or prove our worth,
remind us who we are.
Help us to trust you at all times
and live each day secure in your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

17/02/2026

17/02/2026

LENT BIBLE STUDY
During Lent, we will meet at 5.45pm on Fridays in the hall for a Bible Study. Catholic speaker and evangelist Mauro Ianniceli will break open each Lenten Sunday Gospel. The Holy Mass will come
alive in a new way! Those attending the Bible Study
can stay on afterwards for Stations of the Cross. All welcome!

17/02/2026

LENT AT FIVE PRECIOUS WOUNDS
Lent begins tomorrow, on Ash Wednesday. Masses with the imposition of ashes are at 10.00am and 7.00pm. Please join us.

15/02/2026

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: DIRECTIONS FOR LIFE
Last summer, a friend and I set out on a five-hour car journey in France. It was a great trip: beautiful scenery, good music, good conversation. Everything was going well.

But when we arrived, we realised we were in completely the wrong place! Somewhere along the way – probably through hurry or distraction – we’d put the wrong address into the sat-nav. We’d followed the directions exactly, but they weren’t taking us where we needed to be. So, there was only one thing to do: turn around and start again.

I think many of us are a bit like that – not only on holiday, but in life. Because we’re so busy, hurried, or distracted, we don’t always stop to ask: are we really heading in the right direction?

In the Sermon on the Mount, which continues in today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us accurate directions for a life well-lived. He doesn’t offer rules that weigh us down, but God’s directions for a life that is full, free, and truly human.

Jesus begins by saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” In other words, Jesus hasn’t come to lower moral standards or to soften the ten commandments. He’s come to show us what life looks like when we live it the way God intended.

And then Jesus offers us four simple directions for life.

First: pay attention to your words.

Jesus says, “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not murder’… whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire.” Jesus goes beneath our actions and looks at what’s really going on inside us. Anger, contempt, insults, a cutting comment – these things matter. Our words can wound others deeply. But they can also be used to heal and bring life.

That’s why Jesus links our worship of God with reconciliation with others. He continues: “If you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you… go and be reconciled first.”

God doesn’t care only about our prayers, but also about how well we treat one another.

This links to our second direction for life: pay attention to your relationships.

Jesus says, “Come to terms quickly with your accuser.” He means: don’t let resentment fester within you. Don’t let distance with your loved ones take root. Unhealed relationships slowly pull our lives off course. If we can, we should take the first step to put things right.

Jesus knows reconciliation is hard. But he also knows that holding on to anger costs us so much more.

The third direction for life is this: pay attention to your heart.

Jesus says, “Everyone who looks with lust has already committed adultery in his heart.” Jesus isn’t shaming anyone here. He’s just being honest: what we give our attention to shapes who we become.

That’s why Jesus speaks so strongly: “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out.” He’s not being literal, of course. He’s saying: take your inner life seriously. Be careful about what you view, especially online.

Protect your heart and choose what leads to life.

And finally Jesus says: pay attention to your integrity.

Jesus says, “Let what you say be simply “Yes” or “No”; anything more than this comes from evil.” In other words: be truthful. Be dependable. Let your words match your life.

Our integrity keeps us heading in the right direction.

At first glance, today’s Gospel might sound demanding. But the good news is this: it’s not about being perfect. It’s about direction.

When my friend and I realised we were in the wrong place in France, we didn’t give up. We simply put the right address into the sat-nav and started again.

Jesus does the same with us. He doesn’t give up on us. Again and again, he invites us to turn around make a fresh start.

The question isn’t: Is my life perfect?
It’s simply: Am I heading in the right direction?

Wherever we find ourselves today, Jesus is still offering us directions for a life well-lived: pay attention to your words, your relationships, your heart, and your integrity.

And when we go off course – as we all do – he always gives us the grace to turn around and start again.

Let’s pray.

Loving Father,
thank you that you love us and never give up on us.
When we’re busy, distracted, or off course, help us to hear your voice again.
Give us the grace to follow your direction, and lead us in the way that leads to life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

07/02/2026

BE WHO YOU ARE
The singer Adele has one of the most distinctive voices in music. She’s sold over 120 million records and won 15 Grammy Awards. Yet when she was growing up she spent years trying to sound like other singers she admired. She once said, “I just used to impersonate people.”

The turning point came when she stopped copying others and trusted her own voice. From then on she began to flourish. Today, people can hear just a few notes of one of her songs and know: that’s Adele. She became great not by trying to be someone else, but by being who she is.

The instinct to imitate others runs deep in many of us. Psychologists call it social comparison: we often assess our own worth by measuring ourselves against other people. And when we see someone who seems better than us in some way, we start to feel less secure in our own gifts and abilities. It can trap us into thinking: if only I were more like them, I’d be enough.

Jesus addresses that tension in today’s Gospel.

We’ve just heard him tell his disciples, “You are a city built on a hill.” In other words, you’re meant to be my witnesses in the world. Your faith is meant to make a difference. But many of us push back against that. We might think: I’m not like others who are more gifted. I’m not strong enough. I’m not very good with words. I’m not an expert. How can God use me?

Jesus’ answer is simple: you don’t need to be someone else for God to work through you. You just need to be who you are.

Notice how Jesus speaks today. He doesn’t say, You will become the salt of the earth. He says, “You ARE the salt of the earth.” He doesn’t say, One day you might be the light of the world. He says, “You ARE the light of the world.” Not a future version of yourself, but you, already.

You’re already salt and light because you’ve already been seen, chosen, and redeemed by God. In baptism, you’ve already become God’s beloved son or daughter. When we live from that truth, that identity, we become “a city built on a hill” not by trying to be someone else, but by being who we are.

Still, we might have some objections. Let’s go through a few of them.

First: I’m not strong enough.

In the second reading, St Paul describes arriving in Corinth. What’s striking is how little he tries to impress. He says, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling.” Paul doesn’t hide his limitations. He acknowledges them, and God works through them.

Scripture tells us today that weakness doesn’t disqualify you. Fear doesn’t mean God can’t use you. Jesus doesn’t wait for you to grow strong; instead, he meets you in your weakness.

So, you don’t have to be strong for God to work through you. You just need to be who you are.

Second: I’m not eloquent enough.

Paul goes on to say that he didn’t preach with clever words or powerful arguments. Instead, he says “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” He didn’t try to sound impressive. He spoke about his own experience of Jesus.

Faith isn’t about having a perfect explanation. It’s about our witness. It’s about being able to say, in our own way: This is what the Jesus has done for me. This is where I’ve struggled, and this is where I’ve found life.

You don’t need the right words to be a witness. You just need the honesty to be who you are.

Third: I’m not an expert.

Paul is clear about this as well. He says that his preaching was “not with plausible words of wisdom.” In other words, he didn’t come as an expert with all the right answers.

That matters, because many of us assume that speaking about Jesus is for people who know more than we do. We think that once we understand things better, then we might be able to share our faith.

Paul says the opposite. He chose to speak simply, “so that your faith might rest not in the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” Effective witness isn’t about expertise but authenticity and God speaking through you.

So, you don’t have to be an expert for God to work through you. Just be who you are.

Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” God has never wanted a copy. He’s never asked you to become someone else before he could love you or work through you.

Like Adele, we flourish when we stop performing and start trusting the identity and gifts we’ve already been given. You are already salt. You are already light.

So today Jesus isn’t saying: Change who you are. Become someone else.

He’s saying: Be who you are already – unique, gifted, and loved – and let God do the rest.

06/02/2026

DON'T FORGET...
Youth Group tonight at 6.30! Calling all 13-18 year olds. Join us if you can!

29/01/2026

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Friday 13th February 7.30pm
PARISH KARAOKE

Friday 26th June 7.00pm
FR TONY'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY MASS AND RECEPTION

Sunday 26th July 1.00pm
PARISH FESTIVAL AND BARBEQUE

Sunday 20th September 1.00pm
INTERNATIONAL LUNCH

Sunday 29th November from 10.00am
ADVENT FAIR

Plus... we will be hosting a retirement Mass and party for Fr Patrick in the Spring. Watch out for further details!

29/01/2026

PARISH KARAOKE.
£10 adults, £2 children. Pay at the door. Please join us!

25/01/2026

4 SIGNS OF FOLLOWING JESUS
Our late Queen Elizabeth II was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. She spent seventy years on the throne and had 15 prime ministers. Her funeral was watched by half the world’s population and attended by monarchs and presidents from across the globe.

And yet, behind all that, the Queen was very clear about what mattered to her most. In her Christmas message in 2016, she said:

“Billions of people now follow Christ’s teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them…”

That’s an impressive thing to say when you’re Queen: I am a follower of Jesus.

Today, many people struggle with an existential question: “What am I living for?” We have so much choice and so many opportunities for distraction – yet many of us still feel restless and unsure of our direction. We can be busy and still feel lost; we can be successful and still not know where we’re heading.

In our first reading, Isaiah speaks to people who know that feeling well. He describes them as “walking in darkness”: they’re worn down and not sure where to find hope. But then Isaiah says something dramatic: a great light has appeared. In other words: God will rescue you. The Messiah is coming.

In the Gospel, Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled. Jesus arrives in Galilee and sees two pairs of brothers: Simon and Andrew, James and John. He simply says to them, “Follow me.” And immediately, they leave their nets and follow him.

As Queen Elizabeth said, following Jesus means making him our guiding light. It’s about allowing him to give meaning and purpose to our whole lives. Today in our readings, we can see four signs of what it looks like to follow Jesus.

The first of these signs is direction

I don’t know about you, but I often feel pulled in ten directions at once. Most people experience pressures at work, family expectations, and anxiety around comparison and performance. Without a guiding light, our lives become reactive: driven more by urgency, habit, or fear than by anything meaningful.

Just before calling the first disciples, Jesus proclaims, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” That word repent doesn’t mean “feel bad”; it means turn around, change direction. Following Jesus is about that re-orientation. It doesn’t remove our worries and obligations, but it does give us a centre of gravity. With Jesus as our reference point, our lives slowly take on clarity, meaning, and purpose.

The second sign of following Jesus is availability.

When Jesus calls the fishermen, he interrupts an ordinary working day. He invites them beyond what’s familiar and manageable into new possibilities.

Letting Jesus interrupt us can feel uncomfortable. Often, we protect ourselves by keeping life busy, familiar, and under control. If nothing interrupts us, nothing can unsettle us – but nothing can really change us either. Following Jesus asks for the same availability we see in the disciples: a willingness to let God interrupt our plans and lead us into a life we can’t fully predict.

The third sign is freedom

In the Gospel, the disciples leave behind their nets. These represent security, identity, and livelihood. We all have versions of them: habits, or roles that give us stability but can also keep us stuck. The cost of clinging to our nets is a gradual narrowing of our lives.

So following Jesus means lightly loosening our grip. It means we hold onto our nets less tightly. Instead of letting routine lead us, following him makes us freer: less rigid, more alive, more able to respond to God’s call.

And the fourth sign of following Jesus is an outward focus.

Following Jesus is ultimately about others. When he calls his first disciples, he promises, “I will make you fishers of men.” Following Jesus isn’t just about our own spiritual growth. It’s about sharing the life we’ve found in Christ and wanting our family, friends, and communities to know him too.

In the second reading, Paul reminds us that our identity in Jesus is stronger than the things that divide us. When we’re centred on him, we can turn our focus outward. Sharing the good news isn’t just one more thing to do; it’s something that flows naturally from a life transformed by Christ. A follower of Jesus draws others into the joy of following him.

So, where does your life need more direction?
Where is God asking you to be freer and more available?
Who is Jesus calling you to reach out to?

When the first disciples left their nets, they didn’t know where Jesus would take them. They only knew what was at stake. They could stay where they were and keep life safe, or follow him and enter new possibilities.

That same choice is ours today. We can stay with what is familiar and safe, or we can follow Jesus a little more closely. What we ask for now is the courage to trust him, and to take the next step.

So, let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for calling us to follow Jesus.
Give us direction when we feel lost,
availability when we prefer to stay comfortable,
freedom when fear holds us back,
and an outward focus so we share your love with others.
May you guide us into life of meaning and purpose — for ourselves, and for those around us.
Through Christ our Lord.