Congratulations to William Mawdsley (93), who has been awarded the Archdiocesan Medal, for Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh, in recognition of his outstanding service to the Church.

William has served as an altar server for an extraordinary 80 years and continues to serve faithfully.

Archbishop Cushley celebrated Mass at St John’s Church, Corstorphine, on Saturday, where he presented the medal to William. The weekend also marked a special personal milestone, as William and his wife Margaret celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

We give thanks for William’s remarkable witness of faith, dedication, and service to the Church.

Image (left to right): Fr Binu Palakapally IC (Parish Administrator, St John the Baptist & St Kentigern RC Parish, Edinburgh), William Mawdsley, Archbishop Cushley, Margaret Mawdsley, and Fr Paul Henderson (Assistant Priest).

Gospel of the day (Luke 2:22-35)

When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons’.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the Temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.’

And his father and his mother marvelled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed — and a sword will pierce through your own soul also — so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’

In a rare and significant moment of agreement, MSPs from Labour, the SNP and the Conservatives have raised serious concerns about the Assisted Dying Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament.

All parties agree on one thing: everyone deserves compassionate and dignified care at the end of life. However, they warn that the bill risks doing the opposite: entrenching injustice and inequality, particularly for the most vulnerable.

More than 100 reasonable amendments designed to improve safety have already been rejected by the Holyrood committee. These included proposals to:
• strengthen palliative care
• provide clear guidance if assisted suicide drugs fail or complications occur
• protect conscience rights for medical staff
• require training on the rights of people with disabilities
• ensure transparent reporting on complications and outcomes

Writing in The Times, former Scottish Chief Medical Officer Sir Harry Burns and Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, warn:

“Our experience of pastoral and medical care leaves us deeply troubled… particularly by the unwillingness of the bill’s proponents to consider any amendments improving palliative care services. As we face the real threat of palliative care beds being closed this year, the pressure to opt for assisted suicide could become immense.”

At a time when end-of-life care services are under real strain, the refusal to strengthen palliative care is deeply concerning.

This bill is not safe, and it risks harming far more people than it seeks to help. We urge MSPs to reject this legislation and instead begin a meaningful, compassionate debate about how Scotland truly cares for people at the end of life.

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Gospel of the day (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23)

When the Magi had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Gospel of the day (John 20:2-8)

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going towards the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on the head of Jesus, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.