About Today
Thursday 26 February 2026
Thursday of the 1st week of Lent
Christ the Lord was tempted and suffered for us. Come, let us adore him.
Or: O that today you would listen to his voice: harden not your hearts.
Year: A(II). Psalm week: 1. Liturgical Colour: Violet.
Other saints: St Alexander of Alexandria (250 - 328)
Kenya, Southern Africa
Alexander played an important role in the growth of the catechetical school at Alexandria. When he was made bishop, he continued in his efforts to educate the faithful in the faith. He encountered serious challenges especially from Arius, a priest who was teaching that Jesus was only human and not divine. Alexander called bishops together to deal with Arius, who remained incorrigible in his position even after being excommunicated. Alexander died in 328, at the age of seventy-eight.
Build your house on rock
Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12, 24-27
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.’
'Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.'
Reflection on the London City Skyline
The parable of the two builders brings the long Sermon on the Mount to its conclusion. Throughout that sermon, Jesus offers teaching that has shaped Christian life for centuries. For two thousand years the Sermon on the Mount has been studied, analysed, written about and of course treasured by believers across the ages. Yet Jesus' very final message on the Mount is our parable today and its message is clear: it is not enough simply to admire His teachings or to listen with interest. The true test lies in living them! Those who hear his words but fail to act are like builders who place their house upon sand; those who allow his teaching to shape their choices, their relationships, and their daily lives are like builders who set their foundations firmly upon rock.
In recent times, we have become acutely aware of the consequences of poor construction in our own cities, where shortcuts or neglect can lead to instability and loss. Especially here in London so many building are built only to last a few decades and then get knocked down for a new building to take its place. Few buildings are built nowadays to last. Yet it is this lasting, solid building that Jesus is referring to. While only a few of us work in the building trade, all of us are engaged in a deeper kind of construction: the building of our lives according to God’s vision. Jesus shows us that the sure foundation is attentive listening that must lead to action.
Our photograph simply depicts the City of London Skyline, The Square Mile. On the left we see the '20 Fenchurch Street' building, popularly known as the “Walkie Talkie” because of its distinctive top-heavy shape. It was designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly. Construction began in 2009 and the building was completed in 2014, rising to about 160 metres (525 ft) over the City of London. Its curved glass façade maximises office space at the upper levels, while the top floors house a public Sky Garden, offering panoramic views across the capital. The building became famous (and briefly controversial) when sunlight reflecting from its concave exterior created intense heat at street level, earning it the nickname “the Walkie-Scorchie,” before design adjustments were made. Looking at this photograph of the London skyline, we cannot help but wonder how many of these gleaming towers will still stand a century from now. What seems permanent today may one day fade or be replaced, reminding us how fragile even our greatest human achievements can be.
City of London Skyline, The Square Mile, UK,
Including the Leadenhall building and the Walkie Talkie building
© Alamy Images
Thursday of the 1st week of Lent
Christ the Lord was tempted and suffered for us. Come, let us adore him.
Or: O that today you would listen to his voice: harden not your hearts.
Year: A(II). Psalm week: 1. Liturgical Colour: Violet.
Other saints: St Alexander of Alexandria (250 - 328)
Kenya, Southern Africa
Alexander played an important role in the growth of the catechetical school at Alexandria. When he was made bishop, he continued in his efforts to educate the faithful in the faith. He encountered serious challenges especially from Arius, a priest who was teaching that Jesus was only human and not divine. Alexander called bishops together to deal with Arius, who remained incorrigible in his position even after being excommunicated. Alexander died in 328, at the age of seventy-eight.
Build your house on rock
Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12, 24-27
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.’
'Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.'
Reflection on the London City Skyline
The parable of the two builders brings the long Sermon on the Mount to its conclusion. Throughout that sermon, Jesus offers teaching that has shaped Christian life for centuries. For two thousand years the Sermon on the Mount has been studied, analysed, written about and of course treasured by believers across the ages. Yet Jesus' very final message on the Mount is our parable today and its message is clear: it is not enough simply to admire His teachings or to listen with interest. The true test lies in living them! Those who hear his words but fail to act are like builders who place their house upon sand; those who allow his teaching to shape their choices, their relationships, and their daily lives are like builders who set their foundations firmly upon rock.
In recent times, we have become acutely aware of the consequences of poor construction in our own cities, where shortcuts or neglect can lead to instability and loss. Especially here in London so many building are built only to last a few decades and then get knocked down for a new building to take its place. Few buildings are built nowadays to last. Yet it is this lasting, solid building that Jesus is referring to. While only a few of us work in the building trade, all of us are engaged in a deeper kind of construction: the building of our lives according to God’s vision. Jesus shows us that the sure foundation is attentive listening that must lead to action.
Our photograph simply depicts the City of London Skyline, The Square Mile. On the left we see the '20 Fenchurch Street' building, popularly known as the “Walkie Talkie” because of its distinctive top-heavy shape. It was designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly. Construction began in 2009 and the building was completed in 2014, rising to about 160 metres (525 ft) over the City of London. Its curved glass façade maximises office space at the upper levels, while the top floors house a public Sky Garden, offering panoramic views across the capital. The building became famous (and briefly controversial) when sunlight reflecting from its concave exterior created intense heat at street level, earning it the nickname “the Walkie-Scorchie,” before design adjustments were made. Looking at this photograph of the London skyline, we cannot help but wonder how many of these gleaming towers will still stand a century from now. What seems permanent today may one day fade or be replaced, reminding us how fragile even our greatest human achievements can be.
City of London Skyline, The Square Mile, UK,
Including the Leadenhall building and the Walkie Talkie building
© Alamy Images