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‘There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long, to live in the house of the Lord. I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.’ (Psalm 27)

‘We praise you, O God. The glorious band of apostles, the noble company of prophets, the white-robed army who shed their blood for Christ, all sing your praise.’ (Te Deum)

‘May God support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then may we gain a safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last.'

‘I shall do good, I shall do God’s work, I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth, if I do but keep God’s commandments.’ (St John Henry Newman to be declared Doctor of the Church on 1st November 2025)

‘With God on our side, who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, we may be certain he will not refuse anything he can give.’ (Romans 8)

‘We cannot truly call on God, the Father of all, if we refuse to treat in a brotherly or sisterly way any person created in the image of God. The Church reproves all discrimination or harassment because of race, colour, condition or religion.’ (Nostra Aetate 5)

‘The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in other faiths. She regards with reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which reflect a ray of the Truth which enlightens all.’ (Vatican II, Nostra Aetate, 28-10-1965)

‘Everyone moved by the Spirit is a child of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again. It is the spirit of sons and daughters making us cry out: Abba, Father!’ (Romans 8)

‘The tax-collector went home at rights with God; the Pharisee did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.’ (Luke 18)

‘The man replied: Sir, leave it one more year, and give me time to dig round it, and manure it. It may bear fruit next year. If not, then you can cut it down.’ (Luke 13)

‘The one who burns with the fire of divine love desires and works with all his strength to inflame all people with the fire of God’s love. He rejoices in poverty. He welcomes hardships. He laughs off false accusations.’ (St Anthony Mary Claret)

‘A light does not illuminate itself, but shines on everything in its view. The glowing lives of holy ones bring light and serenity to all who gaze upon them.’ (St John of Capestrano, patron of military chaplains)

‘Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. Open the boundaries of states, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilisation and development.’ (Pope St John Paul II)

‘May the Lord hear your prayers and be reconciled to you. May the Lord our God not abandon you in time of evil.’ (2 Maccabees 1)

‘To spend much time in prayer is to knock with a persistent and holy fervour at the door of the one whom we beseech. This task is generally accomplished more through sighs than words, more through weeping than speech.’ (St Augustine)

Peter To Rot catechist of Papua New Guinea killed by the Japanese occupiers in 1945 for proclaiming the Christian faith canonised in Rome today.

‘Lord God, you chose Saint Luke to reveal the mystery of your love for the poor. Grant that those who already acknowledge your name may continue to be one in mind and heart, and that all the nations may see your salvation.’ (Opening Prayer)

‘I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not stand in my way. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God.’ (St Ignatius of Antioch)

‘Above all preserve peace of heart. This is more valuable than any treasure. In order to preserve it there is nothing more useful than renouncing your own will and substituting for it the will of the divine heart.’ (St Margaret Mary Alacoque)

‘Unlike our friends in the world, the Lord will never abandon us when we are troubled or distressed. The great contemplatives took no other path: Francis, Anthony of Padua, Bernard, Catherine of Siena.’ (St Teresa of Avila)

‘What an honour, what happiness to depart joyfully from this world, to go forth in glory from the anguish and pain, in one moment to gaze on God and Christ!’ (St Cyprian)

‘Edward the Confessor became king of England in 1042. Renowned for his generosity to the Church and to the poor, he died on 5th January 1066.’ (Universalis)

‘If we have died with him, then we shall live with him. If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him. If we disown him, then he will disown us. We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful, for he cannot disown his own self.’ (2 Timothy 2)

The feast of St John XXIII is celebrated on 11th October, the day on which the Council opened in 1962. For Pope John it was an opportunity for offering to the world, all religions, all peoples, ‘the medicine of mercy’.

St Paulinus was sent by Gregory the Great in 601 to England. He evangelised Kent and Northumbria. He became archbishop of York, and finally bishop of Rochester. He died there in 644.

‘O God, you bestowed on your priest John Henry Newman the grace to follow your kindly light and to find peace in your Church. Grant that we may be led out of shadows and images into the fullness of your truth. Amen.’ (Opening Prayer)

‘The Church reproves as foreign to the mind of Christ any discrimination against people, or harassment because of race, colour, condition of life, or religion.’ (Vatican II Nostra Aetate)

What Good News What Good News is an archive of talks and study days about the Christian faith that is accessible to everyone. The Christian message is good news. That is essentially what ‘gospel’ means. Our reaction...

An edited recording of Vatican Two and its Popes now available on www.whatgoodnews.org
Unfortunately the event scheduled for Saturday 11th October has been cancelled due to illness. Apologies 🙏