Reflection –
Matthew’s ancient audience would be familiar with the physical suffering involved in crucifixion and so he tweaks the Marcan (or pre-Marcan) Passion Narrative to stress repeatedly that this Jesus is King of the Jews and his violent death is to fulfil scripture. As Jesus dies on the Cross, already there are portents of resurrection and the power of God.
Mass readings.
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, 28th & 29th March, 2026
Entrance; Matthew 21:1-11
1st Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7
Responsorial Psalm. My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me
Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel Acclamation: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory. Christ became for us obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
Gospel: Matthew 26:14-27:66
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PARISH UPDATES:
Easter Services – the following are the planned services for Lent & the Easter Period
| Holy Thursday 2nd April | Good Friday 3rd April | Easter Vigil 4th April | Easter Sunday 5th April |
St Cuthbert’s | 7pm | 3pm | 8pm | 10am |
Our Lady’s | 6pm | 3pm | 8pm | 11.30am |
IMPORTANT – Stations of the Cross will take place at 7pm every Friday in Lent.
Gift Aid – Gift Aid envelopes for the new tax year will be available from Sunday at the back of the church. We are very grateful for your contributions to the Parish of Our Lady Mother of the Church. The Church can claim back a significant amount of money when your gift aid envelopes are used, including the “special collection” and “Christmas and Easter” offerings. We ask, if possible, you continue to use these extra envelopes. If you wish to set up a standing order our bank details are as follows-
‘Our Lady Mother of the Church, sort code: 83-06-08, Acc no: 21271708 and then you only need to put in an envelope if there is a special collection.
Save the Date – The national St Margaret Pilgrimage will take place in Dunfermline on Sunday 14 June 2026. Save the date, details to follow.
Rachel’s Vineyard – A Rachel’s Vineyard retreat for spiritual and emotional healing after abortion will be held in Glasgow on Friday, 24 to Sunday 26 April. This confidential, supportive retreat is helpful to anyone who has been affected by their own or someone else’s abortion experience. For more information, please call or text Sr Andrea on 07816 942824 or email at sisterandrea@rachelsvineyard.org.uk. For more details, visit www.rachelsvineyard.org.uk
Catholic Conversations for Women – All women are welcome to this event with the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma on Saturday 28 March, 3:45pm-4:45pm in St Andrew’s Parish rooms at 77 Belford Rd, Edinburgh, EH4 3DS, for a faith-focused discussion on Holy Week. Join us for a Holy Hour following with Adoration & Vespers from 5:10pm. Register at edinburgh@almamercy.org or call 0131 343 3380.
John Henry Newman – An introduction to the life and thoughts of St John Henry Newman takes place at Mayfield Salisbury Church 18 West Mayfield, Edinburgh EH9 1TQ on Thursday 16 April, 7:30pm-9:00pm with Monsignor Rod Strange, leading scholar of the life of the saint. Entrance by donation. Event organised by the Edinburgh Circle of the Newman Association.
Our Lady’s Offertory Collections.
Last Sunday’s collection: £200
Month total collections (Bank & Cash) £1094
Special Collections: £254
Bank Total (month) £778
Mass Bookings.
We are reminded that the booking of mass for our special intentions, wedding anniversaries, Birthday thanksgiving, Death anniversaries of our loved ones and general prayers is highly recommended. The mass stipends (Donations) are part of our contribution towards the good of the church and support of our priest.
MASS TIMINGS
MASS INTENTIONS
MASS DONOR
Wednesday, April 1st, 10.00am
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Thursday April 2nd 6pm, Friday April 3rd, 3pm
- Souls of Gibson & Chichi Ndodo
- Alice
Saturday, April 4th, 8pm & Sunday, April 5th, 11.30am
- Panashie
- Alice
Blessings to you, your families and those who are dear to you in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Wednesday of Holy Week – Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus
Matthew 26: 14-25
One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?’ They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment he looked for an opportunity to betray him.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied ‘and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.”’ The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.
When evening came he was at table with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.
Reflection on the Fresco Painting
Our reading tells us of how Judas Iscariot plotted to betray Christ. A very painful truth. The greatest damage was done to Jesus by his own inner circle, by someone who had received so much from him. Jesus was betrayed by someone who dipped his hand into the dish with Jesus, someone who broke bread with Jesus. We shall never know what really motivated Judas’ betrayal. Our Gospel suggests that money might have been a big factor, but I would imagine it was about much more than that: jealousy, ambition, power….
The gospel reading tells us that when Jesus announced that one of those sharing table with him would betray him, everyone present was ‘greatly distressed’. To be betrayed by someone you trust is very distressing both for the one betrayed and for all those associated with that person. But today’s story of Judas reminds us that we are all capable of betraying Jesus. We betray him each time we are unkind to each other. That is the basic, simple truth really. And that thought should indeed distress us.
One of the most celebrated artworks within the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua is The Betrayal of Christ, commonly known as The Kiss of Judas, painted by Florentine master Giotto di Bondone in 1305. This chapel, privately owned by the Scrovegni family, who amassed wealth through banking and lending, was constructed on a site in Padua, once a Roman arena, leading to its alternative name, the Arena Chapel. Enrico Scrovegni (son of Reginaldo, whom Dante in his Inferno locates in hell), the family patriarch, secured this land for the chapel and, in 1300, enlisted Giotto to enhance its walls with a sequence of frescoes. These works are now heralded as one of the most important works illustrating the transition from the Byzantine style that dominated medieval European art to the innovative aesthetic that would flourish in the Florentine Renaissance, around 1400-1490.
The dramatic scene depicting the betrayal of Christ shows the moment when Judas Iscariot identifies him to the watching authorities with a kiss, and at the same time, envelopes him in his cloak. Christ calmly stares at him without flinching. Even though it is a highly dramatic scene, it is rich with serenity, beauty and calmness.
