Reflection –
The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle found in all four gospels. Only Matthew’s account refers to 5,000 men, women and children! There is nothing in any of the accounts to support the view that the miracle was really people sharing their food with each other. This miracle is entirely the work of God, performed by Jesus. It recalls how God alone fed the Israelites with manna in the desert.
Mass readings.
18th Sunday of the Year – A, 1st & 2nd August 2026
1st Reading: Isaiah 55:1-3
Responsorial Psalm. You open your hand and fulfil us, O Lord.
Second Reading: Romans 8: 35, 37-39
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia …One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God ………… Alleluia
Gospel: Matthew 4: 4b
Important Note: Please scroll within the below window to have access to daily readings for the Holy Catholic Mass. To keep scrolling down Our Lady’s newsletter, just scroll outside the window.
PARISH UPDATES:
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. Please state the church you want mass said and the date. A week’s notice is advised.
Monthly Standing Orders – There are still a small number of parishioners paying a monthly standing order to the Bank of Scotland. As this account is closing this year, it’s important that you transfer your standing order across to the church’s Royal Bank of Scotland account. If you don’t have the details, please contact George, Parish Administrator on office.stcuthbertsedinburgh@staned.org.uk.
Publications – There are some back copies of the International Catholic Weekly, (The Tablet) in the porch. Feel free to help yourself to a copy. There are also a small number of Mass cards in the porch for sale.
Happy birthday Fr Malachy Okonkwo SMMM. We congratulate our dear priest, Fr Malachy as he marks his birthday on the 4th of August. We pray for him and wish him well in all his endeavours. Your prayers and kind thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
The Late Canon Leo Glancey (RIP): We announce the recent death of the late Fr Leo Glancey who was the Parish Priest Our Lady Mother of The Church, Currie, St Joseph’s Balerno, St Mary’s Ratho from 1980-1986. He organised parish renewal weekends. He was gentle missionary who loved and cared for his parishioners.
He also signed for the deaf and hard of hearing and was missionary in Nigeria for some years. Altogether, he was a holy priest! May God bless and grant him the rewards of his earthly labours. May his soul rest in peace, amen.
The Late Allen Nicholls RIP: We announce the demise of the Late Allen Nicholls (RIP). Allen was one of our dedicated parishioners and has sadly died recently. His funeral is on Friday the 7th of August at 11.30am.
ARCHDIOCESAN UPDATES
National Youth Pilgrimage – The National Youth Pilgrimage (for ages 18–35) will take place on Saturday 26 September 2026 at Pluscarden Abbey. This year’s pilgrimage will focus on religious and monastic life and will include a tour of the Abbey, a Q&A with the monks, talks on vocation, and a Vigil Mass with Archbishop Cushley. Young people are invited to travel with the Archdiocese. To register or enquire, please contact youth.office@staned.org.uk.
Altar Servers – The Annual Day for Altar Servers takes place on Saturday 5 September from 10:30am to 3:00pm at The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh. Please speak to Fr [NAME] for details.
March for Life – travel offer – Travel to the March for Life in London for just £40 return. March for Life is the UK’s largest pro-life event, bringing together thousands of people for Mass, inspiring speakers, family and youth activities, and a peaceful march through central London. The Archdiocesan Pro-Life Office is offering a limited number of big-discount return train tickets to this year’s event on Saturday 5 September. Book early to secure your discounted ticket. Go to bit.ly/archtravel
Venerable Margaret Sinclair Pilgrimage – This year’s pilgrimage takes place on Sunday 20 September at St Patrick’s Church in The Cowgate, Edinburgh. It’s the annual opportunity to come together to pray for the Beatification of the Venerable Margaret Sinclair, entombed in the Sacred Heart chapel at St Patrick’s. Schedule: 12:30pm – Sale of candles & goods, refreshments; 1:30pm – Holy Hour (exposition and benediction); 3:00pm – Reflection from Canon Jock Dalrymple; 4:30pm – Mass celebrated by Archbishop Cushley (Homilist: Fr Michael John Galbraith).
World Youth Day 2027 – World Youth Day takes place in Seoul, South Korea, from 1-9 August 2027. Young adults are invited to travel with the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh: Departure 1 August and return on 9 August 2027. For more information email youth.office@staned.org.uk
Music for the Homeless Jesus – On Monday 17 August with the Schola Cantorum choir of St Mary’s Cathedral. This concert is inspired by Timothy Schmlaz’s ‘Homeless Jesus’ sculpture, located outside St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral. Part of Edinburgh Festival of the Sacred Arts, the evening will contemplate homelessness and marginalisation through a programme of choral music that speaks of mercy, compassion, and hope. Tickets are £15 (£10 child) — book at bit.ly/4wttcCd
Brecbannoch Pilgrimage 2026 – A pilgrimage to pray for the renewal of the Faith in Scotland, from 31 July to 3 August, with a walk across the Isle of Mull, returning the relics of St Columba to Iona. Discounts are available for students and under-22s, and under-5s go free. Visit brecbannoch.co.uk
Season of Creation Conference – A day of inspiration, reflection and practical action to celebrate the Season of Creation. Saturday 5 September 2026, 10:00am – 3:00pm, Eyre Hall, Clyde Street, Glasgow, G1 4JY. The keynote speaker is Lorna Gold, Executive Director of the Laudato Si’ Movement. Register: bit.ly/SeasonofCreation26
Archdiocesan events – Events are listed at archedinburgh.org/events
Our Lady’s Offertory Collections.
Last Sunday’s collection: £140
Month total collections (Bank & Cash) £647
Special Collections: £358
Bank Total (month) £812
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, August 5th, 10.00am
- Paul McTweed
- Mary Cook
Friday August 7th, 10.00am
- Funeral mass for late Allen Nicholls RIP
-
Sunday, August 9th, 11.30am
- David Scott – 2nd anniversary
- Theresa
Blessings to you, your families and those who are dear to you in Jesus’ name, Amen.
He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples
Matthew 14:13-21
At that time: When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ But Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Reflection on the film poster
Food is one of God’s simplest and greatest gifts. Most of us rarely stop to think about it. We can walk into a supermarket, a café or a restaurant, choose what we would like to eat, and enjoy a meal with family or friends. Yet we know that this is not everyone’s reality. Many people struggle to put food on the table and depend on the generosity of charities, food banks and volunteers. Close to where I live at Westminster Cathedral there are countless homeless charities and food banks such as The Passage and the Cardinal Hume Centre, amongst many others.
Wherever a meal is lovingly served, something much greater than physical hunger is being satisfied. Alongside the food comes dignity, welcome, friendship and hope. A shared meal says to someone, “You matter. You are not forgotten.” Meals have always carried this deeper meaning than simply satisfying hunger. Around a table, relationships are formed, stories are exchanged, forgiveness is offered, and communities are strengthened. Hospitality is one of the Bible’s recurring themes. Again and again, God reveals himself through the sharing of food: Abraham welcoming the three visitors beneath the oak of Mamre, the Passover meal, the wedding feast at Cana, the meals Jesus shared with tax collectors and sinners, and ultimately the Last Supper. Every meal has the potential to become a small sacrament of love!
One of the most beautiful films ever made about such hospitality is Babette’s Feast. I was 17 years old when the film came out in 1987. Set in a small, austere religious community in nineteenth-century Denmark, it tells the story of Babette, a French refugee who finds shelter with two elderly sisters. For years she quietly serves them, preparing the plain meals to which they have grown accustomed. Then, unexpectedly, she wins a large sum of money in a lottery. Rather than returning to France or spending it on herself, she uses every penny to prepare an unforgettable banquet for the entire village. Unknown to her guests, Babette had once been one of Paris’ finest chefs. Her extraordinary feast becomes much more than a display of culinary brilliance. Old resentments melt away, friendships are restored, and joy slowly returns to a community that had forgotten how to celebrate. The meal becomes a work of art, revealing that generous hospitality has the power to heal hearts.
Today’s Gospel brings that same truth before us. Seeing the vast crowd gathered in a lonely place, the disciples’ first instinct is practical: “Send them away so they can buy themselves something to eat.” Jesus responds very differently. Rather than dismissing the hungry, he draws them closer. Before he feeds them with his teaching, he feeds them with bread. The miracle of the loaves is not simply about multiplying food; it is about revealing the boundless generosity of God’s Kingdom, where no one is turned away hungry.
