There are moments in history when everything changes, yet almost no one realises it at the time. Life seems merely to continue—until, later on, we look back and see that a door had closed forever and another had opened, irreversibly. Saint Matthew presents just such a moment at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. “When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee” (Mt 4:12). At first glance, it seems like a simple narrative transition. In reality, it

The prophet Isaiah sees a new vocation for Israel. Having been the servant of God, Israel is now also to become the light of the nations. But what does that mean in practice? Does it mean that the remarkable perseverance of Israel will be held up for the nations to see and admire? Will the nations now at last pay attention to the tiny nation of Israel because it is now clear that they have the might of God on their side? These sectarian thoughts do not cohere with all els

The sight of a queue for confession can provoke exasperation and anxiety in a penitent. How long will I be waiting for? Will there be time for the priest to hear my confession, as well as the twenty people ahead of me in the queue? As a penitent, I am familiar with these emotions. As a confessor, though, I suggest that a queue for confession is one of the more edifying sights there is (certainly it’s one of the most edifying queues there is). It is an expression from the peni