A Moment to Pause - a short daily Christmas reflection

Good morning and thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Padraig Corcoran, Director of Oblate Youth Ministry for today's short 90 second podcast. In this Gospel, Jesus Christ meets the Samaritan woman at the well. At a time when social and cultural barriers separated people, Jesus begins a conversation with her — something that wo...

Good morning and thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Padraig Corcoran, Director of Oblate Youth Ministry for today's short 90 second podcast. Today is the very well-known parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus Christ tells the story of a father and his two sons. The younger son leaves home, wastes his inheritance, and eventually r...

Good morning and thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Padraig Corcoran, Director of Oblate Youth Ministry for today's short 90 second podcast. Jesus Christ tells the story of a landowner who planted a vineyard and entrusted it to tenants. When the time came to gather the fruit, the tenants refused to give the owner what was due...

Good morning and thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Padraig Corcoran, Director of Oblate Youth Ministry for today's short 90 second podcast on World Book Day 2026.  Jesus Christ tells of the rich man who ignored the poor Lazarus at his gate. His sin was not cruelty in action, but indifference in comfort. He saw suffering ever...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Padraig Corcoran, Director of Oblate Youth Ministry.  In this passage, Matthew 20:17–28, Jesus pulls his disciples to the side, He foretells His suffering, death, and resurrection. As He walks toward Jerusalem, He speaks plainly about the cross. Yet, in striking contrast, the m...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Padraig Corcoran, Director of Oblate Youth Ministry.  Jesus Christ speaks not only to the crowds but also to His disciples. He acknowledges that the scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat — they hold authority to teach — yet their lives contradict their words. They place heav...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Padraig Corcoran, Director of Oblate Youth Ministry.  Jesus calls His followers into a way of life that reflects the very heart of God: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Mercy is not presented as optional or occasional — it is the defining characteristic of those...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Pat Hughes. Welcome to Sunday’s gospel reading of the Transfiguration from Matthew 17:1-9 This reading is filled with Old Testament references: Moses , who references the Law, and Elijah, who references the Prophets.. this incident also takes place up a mountain and a cloud sym...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Pat Hughes. Hello and welcome to Saturday’s reflection on the gospel reading from Matthew 5:43-48 “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you “ and “ You must be perfect- just as your Father in heaven is perfect” . These are God’s commands. They are simply put ; but...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Pat Hughes. Today,Friday of the first week in Lent, has a gospel reading from Matthew 5:20-26. You are welcome to join me in a difficult reflection based on anger and reconciliation. Which of us has not had anger against someone close at some point?  Jesus says “Whoever is angr...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Pat Hughes. Welcome to this morning’s reflection on the Gospel from Matthew 7:7-12.“Ask, and you will receive; seek,and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. “  This is a very well known bible verse and it sounds brilliant! Just ask , seek and you will recei...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Pat Hughes. Hello and welcome to Wednesday’s reflection on Gospel reading from Luke 11:29-32.  Jesus seems here to almost despair at the people around him who ask for signs and miracles and says about himself, ‘there is something greater than Solomon here… there is something gr...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Pat Hughes. Hello and welcome to today’s reflection on the Gospel reading Matthew 6:7-12. Reflecting on this reading has given me a greater love for the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus talks about babbling prayers but says that sharing a heart with the Father who already cares and underst...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Pat Hughes. Hello and welcome to our reflection for this Monday from the Gospel reading Matthew 25:31-36. In these verses Jesus looks at the final judgement and He distinguishes the righteous( the sheep) from the unrighteous( the goats). So what makes you righteous? It is not t...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Mary Tyrrell. Hello and welcome to the Oblate reflection and prayer  based on Matthew 4:1-11 After his  baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, which left him at a very low ebb indeed both physically and mentally. Sata...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer during Lent with Mary Tyrrell. Hello and welcome to the Oblate reflection and prayer  based on Luke 5:27-32   We read about the calling of Levi, the tax collector. In those days tax collectors were considered immoral money-grabbers and religious outcasts. Probably not someone you or I might cho...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer today with Mary Tyrrell. Hello and welcome to the Oblate reflection and prayer based on Matthew 9:14-15. You might remember that the Pharisees and the disciples of John fasted at least a couple of times a week. So they questioned why Jesus and his disciples did not fast. But Jesus more or less...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer today with Mary Tyrrell. Hello, welcome to the Oblate reflection and prayer which today is based on the reading from Luke 9:22-25 This is not an easy gospel to hear. Jesus is predicting his own suffering and death for the redemption of all humanity. And at the same time, emphasising the cost of...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer today with Mary Tyrrell. Hello and welcome to todays’s Oblate reflection and prayer based on St Matthew gospel chap 6.  In verse 16 we read “And whenever you fast, do not look somber. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today as we celebrate our 200th Anniversary of our Oblate Constitutions and Rules, for our time of reflection and prayer today with Mary Tyrrell.  Hello and welcome to our Oblate Reflection and Prayer. Today is a special day and no I’m not referring to pancake Tuesday. It is an Oblate Feast Day. This year is very special indeed, because...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer today with Mary Tyrrell. Hello and welcome to today's Oblate reflection and prayer based on Mark's Gospel, chapter 8, 11 to 13. It is a very short reading in which we meet the Pharisees arguing yet again, and Jesus being frustrated by their lack of understanding. And I think Jesus is most sadde...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer today with Frankie Mac Donald. Let’s begin.. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Amen. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we f...

Good Morning. Thank you for joining all of the Oblate Family today for our time of reflection and prayer. We join Frank MacDonald for today's short episode. Lets begin.. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Amen. And lets say the Hail Mary while remembering all of those who are sick and infirm and commend them to the protection of Our Lady. Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord i...

Good Morning and thank you for joining us again for our time of Reflection and Prayer today. Today’s Gospel comes again from Chapter 7 of St Mark’s Gospel. Lets begin.. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Amen. And let’s say the Lord’s prayer together. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name , thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us...

Good Morning and thank you for joining us again for our time of Reflection and Prayer today. We join Frankie MacDonald, member of the Oblate Lourdes Hospitalite team for today’s short podcast. Today’s Gospel comes again from Chapter 7 of St Mark’s Gospel.  Lets begin.. in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Amen. And lets say the Lord’s prayer together. Our Father who art in hea...