Westminster Abbey

'Turn to the back of the book, read the last sentence too soon, and you spoil the story.  It is a mistake we can make at Easter. ‘The day of resurrection, earth tell it out abroad’.  That’s a marvellous beginning. Easter Day is a great proclamation, but then we’re tempted to rush headlong, up from earth into the sky. It’s Easter and we are all going to heaven. ‘from earth unto the sky, our Christ...

'To talk of ‘descent’ is, of course, a metaphor – the closest we can get to understanding what is going on.  But Holy Saturday is when this metaphor must yield to another; of rising, of being raised.  The descent into the human condition; into suffering and death and into the furthest alienation from love and life, reaches its limit today.' Listen to a reflection for Holy Saturday by the Reverend...

'Throughout Lent we have considered Jesus through his own statements of who he is: the I Am statements that fill us with metaphor and meaning as we contemplate Christ. But here, on Good Friday, we seem to gaze upon a frightening emptiness made more excruciatingly obvious by Pilate’s perhaps-ironic inscription: the King of the Jews. There are no loaves nor fishes here, no vine nor sheep, just a bro...

'Jesus kneels in front of them. This is the posture of an incarnate God; Jesus does not seek to control or coerce, there is no manipulation here. Simply the demonstration of loving, tender service, and a command to do as he does. That is the heart of the new commandment – the mandatum from which we get our word Maundy – to love one another, as Christ has loved us.' Listen to a reflection for Maund...

'It is often said, but if we just skip from Palm Sunday to Easter Day, we will have missed all the important bits.  We might be more inclined to think that this is some magical happily-ever-after story, rather than the deep Divine engagement in rejection and suffering and death that we discover through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.   These are the days that explore why the resurr...

'The keeping of passiontide, which we begin today, is a kind of spiritual marathon. And as with any marathon, we need to hold the end in our mind’s eye. It is not just that we will remember the events of Jesus’s passion, death and resurrection, over these next weeks. It is also that we will be re-membered by them. Our fragile humanity has been put back together by the death and resurrection of Jes...

'Jesus said: “I am the light of the world.” Sometimes, that light is pretty literal. At the Transfiguration, Jesus shone so brightly that the disciples had to look away. But Jesus is never just something to look at - to observe. Jesus is also the light by which we see. The light that shines in the darkness, so that we might see all that he has made. And that light is not always as flattering as we...

'Of course, ‘body ‘and ‘vine’ are both metaphors, used to help us imagine a truth, the depth of dependency on each other in Christ, that we would otherwise find impossible to grasp.  Precisely how we are one body, branches of the one true vine, is deeply mysterious to us, but it is like this; like a body, like a vine.  Baptism and Holy Communion enact this spiritual truth, not just as an idea, but...

'In John’s Gospel, we are reminded again and again that this Good Shepherd is not only a pastoral figure working with those in his immediate orbit around Galilee and Jerusalem – he is also the Eternal Word of the Father, the One through whom all creation came to be, whose life is the light of all people, and who shall come to be their judge. This shepherd reaches right into the heart of things, ga...

'Every Eucharist, we are brought face to face with this abundance that does not operate on our own terms. At the altar, we are not given what we want or a vision of God which conforms to our own devices and desires, but instead we are given the bread of life.' Listen to a reflection for the First Sunday of Lent by the The Reverend Helena Bickley-Percival, Sacrist and Minor Canon at Westminster Abb...

'Ash Wednesday, Lent begins and we think hard about our failings. Why do I keep going wrong? We think in fact about temptation and a pattern of failure. Why is it that I keep chasing after the wrong things?' Join us for a reflection on Ash Wednesday by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle.  Each week during Lent, the lectionary explores the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth f...

The Reverend James Hawkey explores the gifts the Magi brought to Jesus, and asks what we might lay at Christ's feet in this new year.     This reflection for the Feast of the Epiphany is the last of a series of reflections from the seasons of Advent and Christmas. To explore other reflections from the season, visit our website at www.westminster-abbey.org/christmas/

The Reverend Canon Mark Birch explores the story of the Holy Family's flight into Egypt, and God's welcome of all.    Join us during the Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and remember what this gift means for us and the world today. This year, clergy from Westminster Abbey have explored the 'great and mighty wonder' of God's promise through Advent and into Christmas. You're invi...

Merry Christmas from Westminster Abbey! In this reflection, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle explores the good news of Jesus' birth through the Gospel of John.     Join us during the Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and remember  what this gift means for us and the world today. This year, clergy from Westminster Abbey have explored the 'great and mighty...

The Abbey's Sacrist, the Reverend Helena Bickley-Percival, discusses the meaning of Zechariah's prophecy, and how God remains faithful to us even when we doubt.    Join us over the Advent season as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ at Christmas. This year, clergy from Westminster Abbey explore the 'great and mighty wonder' of God's promise through the prophet Isaiah and the Gospels. Yo...

The Reverend Dr James Hawkey, Canon Theologian at the Abbey, explores Mary's Magnificat and what her prophetic words tell us about the great and mighty wonder of God's love. Join us over the Advent season as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ at Christmas. This year, clergy from Westminster Abbey explore the 'great and mighty wonder' of God's promise through the prophet Isaiah and the G...

The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, talks about the traditional themes of Advent and how Isaiah helps us identify our hopes for God's future.    Join us over the Advent season as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ at Christmas. This year, clergy from Westminster Abbey explore the 'great and mighty wonder' of God's promise through the prophet Isaiah and the Gospels...

Listen as the Reverend Canon Mark Birch reflects on words from the Book of Isaiah, exploring how during Advent we look back at the life of Jesus and look forward to His coming again.  Join us over the Advent season as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ at Christmas. This year, clergy from Westminster Abbey explore the 'great and mighty wonder' of God's promise through the prophet Isaiah...

The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, reflects on the meaning of Easter, and how Jesus Christ's resurrection shows us what it means to be perfectly human. Join us in the observance of Easter Day, wherever you are, through online resources and streamed services. Find out more at: https://westminster-abbey.org/easter/

Today, the Church sits in silence, remembering Christ's body being laid in the tomb. The Reverend Catherine Williams considers the meaning of this day of prayer and reflection. We welcome Catherine Williams - an Anglican priest, spiritual director, and writer - as a guest contributor to our reflections throughout this season. Join us in the observance of Holy Week, wherever you are, through online...

Why is Good Friday good? The Reverend Dr Ishaya Anthony, Commonwealth Theologian at Westminster Abbey, reflects on Jesus' death. Join us in the observance of Holy Week, wherever you are, through online resources and streamed services. Find out more at: https://westminster-abbey.org/easter/

The Reverend Catherine Williams considers the meaning of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet on Maundy Thursday in this Holy Week reflection. We welcome Catherine Williams - an Anglican priest, spiritual director, and writer - as a guest contributor to our reflections throughout this season. The Reverend Helena Bickley-Percival, Minor Canon and Sacrist at the Abbey, reflects on the Arma Christi, the...

The Reverend Helena Bickley-Percival, Minor Canon and Sacrist at the Abbey, reflects on the Arma Christi, the symbols of Christ’s passion, on the High Altar’s Lenten array. Join us in the observance of Holy Week, wherever you are, through online resources and streamed services. Find out more at: https://westminster-abbey.org/e aster/

The Reverend Catherine Williams reflects on Jesus and Mary’s interaction at Bethany, as we move towards Holy Week and the events of Christ’s passion and death. We welcome Catherine Williams - an Anglican priest, spiritual director, and writer - as a guest contributor to our reflections throughout this season. Join us in the observance of the Lenten season, wherever you are, through online resource...

The Reverend Dr James Hawkey, Canon Theologian and Almoner at the Abbey, examines Jesus’ beloved parable of the prodigal son, with its reminder of the new life that repentance can bring. Join us in the observance of the Lenten season, wherever you are, through online resources and streamed services. Find out more at: https://westminster-abbey.org/lent   Receive these reflections and more in your i...