Matthew 9:14-17 No one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old garment

Parisian Rag-Picker, Painting by Vasily Perov (1834-1882), Painted in 1864, Oil on canvas © Alamy

Gospel Reading

At that time: The disciples of John came to Jesus, saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.’

Reflection on the painting

Compared to decades past, our attitude towards clothing has changed dramatically. Today, clothes are often bought cheaply, worn briefly and discarded without a second thought. The culture of cheap, fast fashion encourages constant consumption rather than care or repair. Mending a torn sleeve or patching worn knees has become a lost habit. In contrast, our painting, Perov’s Parisian Ragpicker captures a time when nothing was wasted, and even discarded scraps were gathered with purpose. His dignified figure reminds us of a slower, more respectful relationship with material things, one that echoes deeper spiritual truths: that what the world throws away, God can still redeem. Repairing clothing used to be an ordinary part of life. A hole in a coat or a tear in a jumper didn’t signal the end of a garment’s usefulness. Instead, it was an opportunity for mending. Sewing on a patch, darning a sleeve, or reweaving worn fibres. This is what the old man in our painting is doing: collecting rags and pieces of clothes in his basket to mend, and sell on. We encounter a solitary man in tattered but neatly layered clothes, standing with quiet dignity. His role in society may seem humble, sorting through others’ waste, but his bearing is noble. Behind him, a widow dressed in black, veiled in sorrow, with the foggy Parisian streets in the background. She reminds us that grief, hardship, and dignity often walk hand in hand. Perov, a Russian realist, painted this scene not with irony but with deep compassion. His ragpicker is not a caricature of poverty, but a man of strength, resilience, and grace. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus warns against “putting a piece of unshrunken cloth onto an old cloak.” It is a striking image. He is challenging us to ask: is our faith merely a patch, added onto an old way of life we’re reluctant to let go of? Or are we allowing Christ to weave something entirely new in us? The ragpicker, making a living from the discarded and the torn, becomes a metaphor for what Christ does with us: he takes the broken, the overlooked, and gives us purpose and value. But unlike patching old clothes, Jesus doesn’t simply repair; he transforms. He does not offer a quick fix or a tidy overlay to hide the worn-out parts of our lives. Instead, he gives us a whole new garment: the seamless robe of grace, the cloak of discipleship. The question is: are we willing to take off the old and let him clothe us in the new?

by Father Patrick van der Vorst

 

Trans books removed from children's library section, Reform council says

Image source,Getty Images

Image caption,

Kent County Council says it has removed all transgender-related books from the children's sections of its libraries

Michael Keohan

BBC Kent, Political Reporter

Published
4 July 2025, 06:12 BST

Updated 1 hour ago

A council has removed all transgender-related books from the children's sections of its libraries, its leader has said.

In a post on social media, Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran said the books were to be removed with immediate effect in a "victory for common sense in Kent".

Paul Webb, Reform UK's communities portfolio holder who oversees libraries, said the move came after a "concerned member of the public" contacted him.

The BBC has contacted the council and Webb to find out which books have been removed. Both are yet to respond.

The Liberal Democrat leader of the opposition, Antony Hook, said: "It is bizarre that the leader of the council is making announcements on social media, rather than to the council."

It is unknown how many books are to be removed or how the council will classify transgender-related books.

The authority runs 99 community libraries and five mobile library vans.

, external

End of X post by Councillor Paul Webb

Defending the decision, Webb said: "In our society, children are quite rightly and properly protected from items and actions that could cause them harm – for example alcohol, cigarettes and gambling.

"My fellow Reform members and I believe that our young people should be protected from exposure to potentially harmful ideologies and beliefs such as those held by the trans lobbyists."

When the BBC asked if Reform UK had carried out an assessment to understand the impact of removing the books, Webb said: "As far as impact assessments are concerned, I would have thought that question should have been asked before these books were placed in the children's section to begin with."

Ms Kemkaran added: "Telling children they're in the wrong body is wrong and simply unacceptable."

Hook said he had written to the head of Kent library services to ask for an update on what books were to be removed.

He said: "The announcement made by Ms Kemkaran is vague. She does not specify what books she is referring to. This needs to be properly explained."

Meanwhile, Labour MP for Chatham and Aylesford Tristian Osbourne has called the decision "unedifying gender baiting of the LGBT community".

'Unsafe, unwelcome and silenced'

Steven Pullen, founder and director of Swale Pride, described the move as "deeply upsetting".

He said: "It emboldens anti-trans rhetoric and contributes to a culture where marginalised people feel unsafe, unwelcome, and silenced."

And Erin Strawbridge, the manager of the Folkestone Bookshop, an LGBTQ+ bookshop, told BBC Radio Kent: "Censorship does not stop people from learning information but it does send the message, and it's sending a message to the young people of Kent that they're not safe and they're not welcome if they're LGBT or trans.

"It just pushes kids into the closet, into worse mental health situations. It's just going to scare young people."

 

Vatican decision sparks big surge in Međugorje pilgrimages

• by croatiaweek
 
• June 26, 2025
 
• in News

Apparition Hill (Photo credit: Michał Maksymilian Gwozdek/Public domain license)

ZAGREB, 25 June  (Hina) – On the 44th anniversary of the reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary, the number of pilgrims gathering at the Catholic Marian shrine of Međugorje is on the rise, following the Vatican’s issuance of the so-called nihil obstat decision.

In September 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the assent of Pope Francis, granted approval for devotion linked to Međugorje, recognising the abundant spiritual fruits received at the Sanctuary of the Queen of Peace without making a declaration on the supernatural character of the Marian apparitions, the Holy See’s Vatican News website said then.

The parish priest in Međugorje, Fr. Zvonimir Pavičić, said today that a noticeable increase in pilgrim numbers has been observed since the Note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith was published last year.

“The only thing that has changed is that now people are coming who hadn’t come before,” said Fr. Pavičić. He added that many of the new pilgrims, who were previously sceptical, have now been encouraged by the Vatican’s stance, which has led to a rise in pilgrimage numbers.

According to the local tourist board, tens of thousands of pilgrims arrived for the 44th anniversary of the Marian apparitions.

According to its director, Ante Kozina, in addition to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, the largest organised pilgrimage groups came from Italy, France, the Republic of Ireland, Poland, Ukraine, Brazil, Spain, and the United States.

(Photo credit: gnuckx/CC BY 2.0

The Međugorje phenomenon is linked to the claims by six visionaries that Mary has been appearing to them in Međugorje, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, since 1981 and sending them messages of peace, which is why she is called the Queen of Peace. They reported the first apparition on 25 June 1981.

The Holy See has established a special commission which has submitted its report on the Međugorje phenomenon to Pope Francis. In the meantime, a special papal envoy has been appointed for this parish.

Since the start of this phenomenon, 50 million pilgrims have visited Međugorje.

 

Embracing St. Francis’ ‘Canticle of the Creatures’

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The Canticle of the Creatures

Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor
And all blessing.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy
To pronounce your name.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made,
And first my lord Brother Sun,
Who brings the day; and light you give to us through him.
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them, bright
And precious and fair.

All praise be yours, My Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all the weather’s moods,
By which you cherish all that you have made.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
So useful, lowly, precious and pure.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful is he, how gay! Full of power and strength.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother,
Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
Various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon
For love of you; through those who endure
Sickness and trial.
Happy those who endure in peace,
By you, Most High, they will be crowned.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
From whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those She finds doing your will!
The second death can do no harm to them.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.

—St. Francis of Assisi—

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Living the Canticle

“The Canticle of Creatures,” composed by Francis of Assisi, is having a moment, as the saying goes—or really a year—as we celebrate the 800th anniversary of its composition this year. Composed in increments between 1225 and 1226, in the last year of Francis’ life, the canticle begins most famously by turning to the natural world as reason to praise God, before then turning to peacemakers and finally to death, all as reminders to us to give praise to our God. Read more…

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All Creatures Great and Small

Francis of Assisi wrote his “Canticle of the Creatures” as a hymn of praise to God for all things great and small—and that includes us. Do you realize how fortunate you are to be a member of God’s menagerie of creatures? Read more…

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One Family of Creation

Will we see our pets and other creatures in the next life? Only God can answer a question like this. But because of his preaching to the birds and his growing respect for other creatures, St. Francis seemed to be developing the insight that God’s plan of salvation is perhaps larger than most of us have imagined. Read more…

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A Deep Dive into This Historic Poem of Praise

So Francis blessed his fruitful and beautiful existence. He blessed all nature and life, victorious over death and evil; he blessed the sun that illumines man’s joys and sorrows, his struggles and triumphs; he blessed the earth, where man may merit heaven; and he thanked God for having created him. Read more…

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Richard Rohr on St. Francis’ Love Song

Richard Rohr, OFM, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico, discusses the importance of Francis’ “Canticle” on Franciscan Media’s Off the Page podcast. Learn more…

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Simple and Sublime

We could simply say that Francis’ prayer life was, “My God and my all!” and stop at that. Everything that can be stated about prayer in the life of St. Francis of Assisi is expressed in those four little words. While the truth is contained in that brief and holy phrase, the way in which Francis reached that apex of prayer needs exploration. Read more…

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My Own Canticle

As the world became smaller, the world around me became larger. For more than two years, we have endured the changes that COVID-19 has brought: businesses shuttered, campuses emptied, travel slowed. We hunkered down in our homes to protect ourselves and our neighbors. Stay inside. Wash your hands. Socially distance. Wear a mask. Read more…

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St. Francis and His Canticle of the Creatures

As a Franciscan friar, I am very familiar with the stories of St. Francis of Assisi and animals. Many of you no doubt are familiar with the story of this brown-robed friar preaching to the birds. Or maybe that of his releasing Brother Rabbit from a trap, or letting Sister Raven serve as his “alarm clock” to awaken him for early morning prayers. Read more…

Will We See Our Pets in Heaven?

How do we answer children when they ask: “Will I see my dog in heaven?” As I see it, this question is not only an urgent concern for the children. I believe that most adults also have a deep desire to know if, in the next life, we will see our pets and all the other lovely creatures alongside whom we now inhabit this planet. Read more…

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St. Francis and the Animals

Francis was no stranger to walking great distances to share the Good news. One story tells us that Father Francis and his companions were making a trip through the Spoleto Valley near the town of Bevagna. Suddenly, Francis spotted a great number of birds of all varieties. There were doves, crows and all sorts of birds. Swept up in the moment, Francis left his friends in the road and ran after the birds, who patiently waited for him. Read more…

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I’d Like to Say: St. Francis Reminds Us of Our Place in Creation 

Francis of Assisi is an example of a religious person in the Christian tradition who stood rightly in creation. Francis was probably one of the first deep ecologists in the tradition without ever trying to be one. Deep ecology was a movement that arose in the 1970s in response to the environmental crisis. It highlighted the fact that we humans stand in the web of life and not above or beyond it.

  OVERHEARD IN HARRIS & HOOLE...

(An occasional feature)

20th June 2025

Absolutely beautiful morning in Uxbridge. Myself, Mary Winterbourne,  Sebastian D'Orsai and Tony of the Big Saloon got together this morning in Harris & Hoole. We were fortunate to be joined for the first time by two recently retired teachers from Uxbridge High School, Machinegun Kelly and Frances 'Fanny' Dango. The following conversation could be overheard:

Gene: Now folks I have got some news and I'm afraid it is not good. Dear old Detters appears to be on the way out. A number of former Tessers are regularly in contact with me (Inky, Wordsworth, Florian Gassmann, Scintillant, Jacob among them) and they all assert that the end appears nigh. Detterling faces the final curtain. It seems he will not live beyond this summer. How they know I do not know. 

Mary Winterbourne: Gene this is so sad. I did think that Detters was never the same since the publication of Granny Barkes Fell in Woolworth's.

Gene: Yes  Mary, Granny Barkes Fell in Woolworth's  being published knocked him for six - but there are other factors in his decline. Remember he is a very old man. Eighty-one by George! 

Tony of the Big Saloon: Detterling was also knocked for six with the revived outrage that the pinko-liberal Left had condoned the existence of the PIE back in the Seventies. And, by the way, did you know that both Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir wrote supporting paedophilia? The Left has a disgraceful history here.

Gene: I also feel that Swashbuckling Mulligan's devastating satire on Detterling's hypocrisy on LBGTQ+ issues had a most deleterious effect on the old boy.

Fanny Dango: My word! These chocolate eclairs are delicious!

Ducky Duckworth:  Detterling will be so missed at the Good Yarn Friday Night Club.

Sebastian D'Orsai: Undoubtedly!

Machinegun Kelly: We had so many great laughs about Detters at the Friday Night Club. Remember when he arranged to meet Gene at the Bloomsbury Crest Hotel and announced he would be wearing a blue denim jacket, lovat chinos and green woolen socks in open-toed sandals? How we laughed!

Tony of the Big Saloon: What about Detterling's memoirs? Any news of publication?

(Loud laughter from all)