Welcome
Welcome to St Bede Catholic Church
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
And the love of God
And the communion of The Holy Spirit
Be with you all
Who is my Neighbour?
Our gospel this Sunday is a story that we have heard many times. The parable of the Good Samaritan. It is part of a conversation between Jesus and a Jewish lawyer who came to test Jesus’ knowledge of the law. The lawyer asks Jesus how to live forever. Jesus asks the lawyer to share what the law says about oving God and the neighbours. The lawyer answers correctly, and Jesus tells him to follow the law.
The Parable of The Good Samaritan, as we read it in the gospel of Luke, is a masterpiece of storytelling. It is not just a story about a moral lesson, but a complex story with deep meanings. The characters in the parable convey very important message about our lives as Christians in the world today.
The Priest and the Levite in the parable represent religious leaders who fail to show love and compassion for the neighbour. Their actions, or lack of actions, show their failure to meet their spiritual duties. By ignoring the wounded man, they show lack of empathy and a gap between their religious duties and true human care.
The Samaritan, seen as an outcast by the Jews, shows unexpected compassion. His action symbolizes the mercy and kindness Jesus teaches as important element to follow him. The Samaritan’s action challenges societal norms and religious expectations, showing true righteousness is about loving and caring for those in need, no matter their background.
The wounded man, left by the roadside represents the universal human vulnerability. His situation makes us think about how we would react in similar situations. This character reminds us of our shared experience of suffering and the need for compassion. On the other hand, the Innkeeper, who takes the wounded man in and cares for him, symbolizes community support. His willingness to help, even after the Samaritan’s initial kindness, shows the value of ongoing care. It highlights the role of the community in healing and supporting those in need.
The different characters in the parable of The Good Samaritan teach us about compassion, religious duty, and the role of the community towards those in need. Through their actions, Jesus teaches us the importance of showing love and kindness to everyone, no matter their situation or background. This parable teaches us that true religion is about practical compassion. It is not about following rituals and traditions. It is about showing kindness, love and compassion to everyone, no matter who they are. Love your neighbour as yourself.
God bless you all. Fr. Henry
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Embrace the marvelous adventure of following Christ more closely.
Pope Leo XIV gave this exhortation to religious men and women on Saturday morning in Castel Gandolfo, where he is staying for his summer vacation.
Gaza’s Christian community persevering amid hardship and hope
The Parish priest of Gaza's small Christian community says his flock is exhausted by war and a severe lack of food. Speaking to Vatican Radio, he asks not to be forgotten and for continued prayers: an unending source of hope.
"The price of flour is around 18 euros per kilo, tomatoes about 23, a single onion between 12 and 15 euros. A kilo of sugar costs at least 100 euros. But coffee, bitter or not, is out of reach entirely: it goes for no less than 250 euros per kilo."
Nigeria: Orlu Diocese celebrates God's special VIPs with a banquet
Nigeria: Orlu Diocese celebrates God's special VIPs with a banquet
On 10 July 2025, in Orlu Diocese, Nigeria, a grand banquet was held to honour the poorest of the poor—referred to as God's Special VIPs—as part of the Jubilee of Hope celebrations. The event was organized by Gratia Vobis Ministries Inc. (GVM), founded by Fr. Maurice Nkem Emelu, a priest of Orlu Diocese and a Professor of Digital Media and Communication at John Carroll University, USA.
ABOUT SAINT BEDE...
St Bede 673-735AD
Bede was born in 673 AD in the northeast of England. From the age of seven, he received a Benedictine education at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Wearmouth, today part of Sunderland. Bede spent his whole life within the twin monasteries of St Peter at Wearmouth and St Paul in Jarrow, where he became a Benedictine monk and continued his studies using the fine libraries established by the monastery's founder, St Benedict Biscop, Bede's first teacher, and under the guidance of Abbot Ceolfrith (Ceolwulf).
Bede wrote on many topics. His most famous work, Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (the Ecclesiastical History of the English People), earned Bede the title "The Father of English History". His works revealed not only Bede's qualities as a scholar and historian but also the qualities of modesty and humility which make his works so memorable. However, Bede's work shows that he had at his command all the learning of his time. Bede's writings included papers and articles on scientific, historical, theological, and mathematical matters, as well as poetry and literature. St Bede is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. His sainthood was generally recognized around fifty years after his death on 25th May 735 AD. His bones were later elevated from St Paul's in Jarrow to Durham, where they lie in the Galilee Chapel at Durham Cathedral. Bede's scholarship and importance to Catholicism were recognized on 13th November 1899 when Pope Leo XIII decreed the title of Doctor Ecclesiae to St Bede the Venerable, making him the only English Doctor of the Church.
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