OK, yes I know that Christmas is ‘sooo last year’, but when do you normally take your Christmas decorations down? Is it as soon as possible on St Stephen’s/Boxing Day? Do you stick with them until just after New Year? Maybe they sparkle until Epiphany, or………do they remain, pristine and glitzy until Candlemas? If so, you are being way more traditional than most, and in keeping with the Medieval calendar. For those traditionalists, Candlemas was the final deadline to take down Christmas...

Gaudete, Gaudete Christus est natus. Ex Maria Virgine, Gaudete. Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born of the Virgin Mary. Rejoice. Gaudete. Rejoice. The Messiah, the Christ is coming. He will come to be the light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of His people Israel. And as the Gaudete carol continues: Deus homo factus est natura Murante, mundus renovates est a Christo regnante. God has become man, with nature marvelling. The world has become renewed by the reigning Christ. Joy. Joy...

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, many of the readings encountered at Mass may seem rather apocalyptic, looking towards the end…..the end times; end of an era. The context of today’s gospel is that we are coming to the end of Jesus’ ministry. We are fast approaching the cross. Apocalyptic scripture may seem devastating; it is very often imagery based and yet while it seems to be very violent and full of suffering, there is also always a message of hope alongside the stern...