There is a hunger in the human heart to know where we come from — whose son we are, whose daughter, whose line we continue.

The deeper question is not only where we come from, but who God says we are when he calls us by name. Not the identity we construct for ourselves, but the name Jesus already speaks over us.

Homily for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary

We can fall into the trap of thinking that God has gone silent. Really, we have been listening for a shout, while God often chooses to whisper. The question is not whether God is speaking. It’s whether we've made room to hear him. The step of faith doesn't have to be perfect. It only has to be taken.

We are a people made for the heart of God and our true purpose is a heart relationship with God. In the Eucharist the Lord of the universe so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under a morsel of bread and invites us back to the bread which truly satisfies so that it is the food we are asked today to become for others.

We discover we have found something infinitely valuable in a personal relationship with Jesus, a relationship that is our treasure and pearl and alone can give us the joy and satisfaction we yearn for in the depths of our hearts.

Small kindnesses — a smile, a phone call, a prayer for someone in need, a small offering for the work of the poor — all contribute to the growth of the Kingdom.

Soil is not prepared by better methods of sowing, but by a life visibly changed by the Gospel. When people see what Christians are like, then they want to be Christians themselves

All of us have our burdens and our worries, and Jesus invites us to come to him and find rest in him. It is true that we might find that in coming to Jesus with our burdens that they are not automatically taken away, but they will be easier to bear with the love and help of God.

Christian discipleship is not for the faint-hearted, and belonging to Jesus and sharing in his mission involves deliberate choice and sacrifice. Yet love is its own reward, and by putting Christ first we become human beings in the likeness of the God who is generous to all.

Let’s allow the word of God to comfort, challenge, bring about growth, and give us hope. Jesus calls on us to fear not. Our hope is kindled in contemplating this love of God for each of us.

The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift God can give us. He even prays within us: each time we lift our hearts and minds to God, the Spirit prays in us and with us; and when we do not know how to pray, St Paul tells us the Spirit himself prays in us with sighs and groans too deep for words.

The Ascension is not Jesus going away but coming infinitely closer

William Barclay wrote, "The Holy Spirit gate-crashes no one's heart; he waits to be received." In these days before Pentecost, we can pray for a new and greater appreciation of who the Holy Spirit is and what he does in our lives, and for receiving him again at Pentecost.

Jesus is the Truth. There is a hunger in every human being for truth. This longing for truth is part of our spiritual DNA. As the Son of God among us, he is the reference point and yardstick by which all knowledge and truth can be measured. His teaching is the truth about himself, about God, about human beings and the world, and about the meaning of our existence. Knowing by faith calls for a trust on our part — it is rather like the beautiful truth in poetry and literature, or the love between two people. It is deeply true.

We, as sheep, are called to a wholehearted recognition of the call of the Shepherd and a total trust in his love and care for us. Our Christian lives are a journey of making a conscious effort to listen to the voice of our Shepherd and to harmonise our lives with his call. This Sunday we are invited to be good sheep—to enter into an intimate Easter relationship with the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for us.

"Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32)

As Jesus stands before the disciples, we see that he is God's mercy to us - the wounds of love extended to us, forever fixed in the act of love in which he died.

Let the risen Jesus enter your life. Trust him, go to him. He welcomes you with open arms. Let him dispel the doubt and fear from your lives.

With this Palm Sunday celebration, we begin Holy Week, the most sacred time in our liturgical year. It will be a week filled with human and spiritual drama. Let's pray for an invasion of grace that breaks through our defences, our distractions, and our indifference, and reaches the places in us that we thought were closed to God.

Jesus calls us out of death and into new life, offering us abundant life through faith in him. This Lent, let us say yes to his call and embrace the fullness of life he gives.