St. Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Parish, Newport, Isle of Wight

12/09/2026

07/09/2026

Dear all, Fr Paul will celebrate Mass tomorrow Tuesday 8th September in Newport at 1200. 🙏🏻Please spread the word if you can, do come and welcome him.

22/08/2026

*_Sunday reflection!_*

_Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, August 23, 2026. And have a blessed & joyful weekend!_

*The key bearer*

By Rev’d Dr Emmanuel ODOEMENE

Identity and authority are key words that undergird our readings today. In the gospel reading (Matthew 16: 13-20), Jesus conducts an opinion poll to ascertain public perception of himself (long before companies like YouGov, Gallup, Pew Research Centre, etc, established themselves in the enterprise). At the region of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks his disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

There was unanimity in the responses he got that he is a prophetic figure. He was not done yet! Jesus narrows the question down to his disciples: “who do you say I am?”, and Peter got the answer correctly: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” With those 10 words that clearly revealed Jesus’ identity, Peter rose to stardom and was invested with new authority.

However, the title “Son of Man” Jesus referred to himself is curious. It connects with the book of the prophet Daniel, chapter 7 – to an ancient figure – a future Messiah, who is given everlasting dominion over the nations and whose power and sovereignty will be eternal (verses 13-14). His Jewish audience were suspicious of this title and concluded that Jesus had committed blasphemy, which ultimately got him into trouble.

By changing Peter’s name from Simon, Jesus assigned him new vocation and status: “You are Peter, and, on this rock, I will build my Church.” Peter and by extension his successor – the Pope – would be the visible leader of the new people of God, the Church. We are encouraged to pray regularly for Pope Leo XIV to be strengthened in faith and to lead the flock of Christ after the mind of the Lord and Master.

Peter received additional authority from Jesus: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16: 19). By giving those keys to Peter, Jesus fulfils Isaiah’s prophecy in the 1stR (22:19-23). Eliakim, a royal steward, was the figure, Peter, the new key bearer.

True to the meaning of his name “whom God will raise up,” Eliakim was elevated in the royal courts to replace Shebna as the prefect of the palace. Under king Hezekiah, Shebna had occupied this prestigious position, but he fell out of favour because of pride and ostentation in putting trust in human resources rather than God. Eliakim was invested with the insignia of that office – the robe, the sash, and the key. With the key to the house of David upon his shoulder, he shall open, and no one shall close; and he shall close, and no one shall open.

In Peter’s profession of faith, Jesus declared him a happy man because of the heavenly revelation he received. Jesus’ question takes on a particular significance when we consider that Caesarea Philippi was a city built to honour a Roman emperor (Caesar Augustus), and represented imperial power. Peter’s confession, therefore, was more than a statement of fact about Jesus; it was also a declaration of where the ultimate authority and allegiance reside. Jesus is establishing a kingdom far greater than that represented by the worldly power of an emperor.

In the quest for eternal bliss, we are not only challenged to make our own profession of faith, but also to put our faith into good works. It starts with your individual answer to the question: who is Jesus Christ to me and what image of him inspires me the most? Would you be confident to share your answer with someone?

_Whispering Hope:

*Now available on Spotify and Amazon music!Whispering Hope, writte...

31/07/2026

*_Sunday reflection!_*

_Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, August 2, 2026. Have a blessed & joyful weekend!_

*Bread that broke the limits*

By Rev’d Dr Emmanuel ODOEMENE

Tabgha, a tranquil town near Capernaum is the setting for the miracle of the multiplication of loaves in our gospel reading today (Matthew 14: 13-21). If you visit the Holy Land, the information board at that holy site gives an insight into the structural layout of the local Church which has a “holy rock” in its centre over which an altar is erected.

A fourth century pilgrim named Egeria was the first person who reported about this rock when she wrote: “The stone on which the Lord placed the bread has been made into an altar.” It seems, perhaps, that the practice of having an altar stone on our Churches’ altars took its origin from this episode.

At Tabgha’s seashore, a participatory miracle in which Jesus involved his disciples happened whereby Jesus exhibited his tripartite offices as a prophet, priest, and king. In an expression of his prophetic ministry, Jesus preached to the people – not just by words, but by his good works. As a priest, he had gone to a lonely place to pray and to reflect about the ex*****on of John the Baptist, his cousin, that had just occurred. He took pity on the people, healed the sick among them, blessed, multiplied and fed them with food; calling on his disciples to participate in the distribution.

And by instructing that everybody should sit down on the grass, he invoked his governing powers to ensure orderliness. Mere five loaves and two fish that were placed in the hands of Jesus broke the limits – feeding to their satisfaction five thousand men, besides women and children. In these tripartite functions Jesus demonstrates God’s caring love for his people. The feeding of the five thousand and the story of the resurrection appear in all four gospels.

The miracle points us in two directions: it looks backwards to Isaiah’s prophecy in the 1stR (55:1-3). Isaiah invites the exiled people to come [home] and receive food and drink without payment; a prophecy that is now being fulfilled in the new covenant Jesus is inaugurating. We find the classic Old Testament vision of this feast in Isaiah 25.

It also strikes a parallel with the figure of Moses through whom God led and fed the people of Israel with manna in the desert. But here, we have Jesus a new and greater Moses leading a new and greater exodus. Similarly, the miracle reminisces the story of Elisha who fed 100 men with 20 barley loaves (see 2 Kings 4: 42-44). Again, Someone greater than Elisha is here!

Looking forward, the miracle prefigures The Last Supper, when Jesus will offer his disciples bread and w**e as the sacrament of his body and blood. The sequence of the Eucharistic words is evident: Jesus takes the bread, blesses, breaks, gives it to be shared among the people.

Taken together, the words in today’s Psalm 144 are thrown into bold relief: “The eyes of all creatures look to you and you give them their food in due time.” The leftovers filled 12 baskets – corresponding to the twelve Apostles on whose foundations the Church is built (Revelation 21:14); and the twelve tribes of Israel. They also demonstrate the miraculous abundance that Jesus provides.

This miracle reminds us of the millions in our world today who are hungry, a situation exacerbated by man-made problems such as conflicts and displacements; and natural disasters such as storms, floods and droughts. It challenges us to take action on behalf of the poor and hungry, paying heed to Jesus' call: “Give them something to eat.” It also draws our attention to humanity’s deeper hunger for the food of eternal life which only Jesus can satisfy through his Word and the sacraments.

_Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer:_ _

"Arglwydd arwain trwy'r anialwch" was written by the Welsh hymn wri...