Homilies

Homily for the Assumption, Sunday 16 August 2026

A couple of months ago I spoke at Mass here about the Holy Eucharist, based on a book I’d recently read by an American scholar called Brant Petre. That book was called “Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist”.

Homily for Sunday 15A, 12 July 2026: Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 13:1-23

“As the rain and snow come down from heaven …and water the earth … so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me empty.”

Our brief first reading today, from Isaiah Chapter 55, is familiar as part of a longer passage we have in the Easter Vigil.

Fr. Prior Simon’s Homily for the Nativity of St John the Baptist (Second Patronal Feast of Pluscarden Abbey)

24 June 2026

Isaiah 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66.80

Today we are celebrating the birthday of a great prophet, and more than a prophet – the Forerunner, the Precursor to Christ our Lord himself. The voice which would become “the voice crying out in the wilderness” cried out for the first time as little John emerged from his mother's womb.

Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, Sunday 11A, 14 June 2026: Romans 5:6-11

Today’s second reading gave us some verses from Romans Chapter 5. Romans Chapter 5 is one of those texts people build their lives on. This is a passage with an inbuilt potential really to hit you between the eyes. Paul’s message is so thrilling that if you would only allow its impact to sink in, you’d be dancing about and singing.

Homily for Corpus Christi, Sunday 7 June 2026: Dt 8:2-3,14-16; 1 Cor 10:16-17; John 6:51-58

I’ve recently read a book called “Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist”. The author is an American scholar called Brant Petre: you’ve maybe heard of him? This book stands on Petre’s study not only of our Scriptures, but also of the tradition of Jewish Rabbinical exegesis and commentary.

Homily for Pentecost Sunday, Year A: 24 May 2026

Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13; John 20:19-23

Fr. Prior Simon

We know about the humility of God's only Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Over the past six months the Liturgy has been teaching us about his self-emptying: how he took flesh from the Virgin Mary; how “he learned obedience through what he suffered”; how he died and was buried, then descended into the lower parts of the earth, for our sake and for our salvation.

Fr. Prior Simon’s Homily for the Ascension of the Lord, Year A Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20

Early on the first day of the week, the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee all the way to Jerusalem, went to the tomb, “but they did not find the body of the Lord”. And “while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel” and said to them: “why do you seek the living among the dead?