The first letter of John continues to speak to christian communities today. Every so often we find people who share our baptism and anointing go on to speak as if they are valid christians, but who do not speak the truth. John speaking of the end times may be an echo of the early christians (those in the first few years following Christ's resurrection) who believed that the end of all time was imminent, but by the time John was writing this letter it is perhaps more likely that John is simply reminding us that we each of us will face the judgement together at the end of time. So, those who have had every reason to believe the truth but have chosen to speak against it - they have made their own choice about their judgement. We can be sad about this, but must simply continue to be witnesses to the truth by the lives that we lead.

We hear from the first letter of St John today. There is much great advice and consolation in this letter, and it is best read as if it were a personal letter addressed to you individually. Take the advice, and let John bless you with his words.

The authorship of the letters of John is not fully clear, but since the letters seem to be addressed to established christian communities, who are not currently being persecuted, then they are likely to have been written in the 2nd Century AD.

The Gospel today, from Luke, tells us about Anna, a prophetess, and her biography. She is mentioned in the other gospel accounts of the birth and early life of Jesus, but ir is here, in Luke's Gospel, as with so many of the biblical women, that she seems to come to life as a real person. You probably know of an Anna or two of your own - people who quietly work away building up the church community without asking for explicit recognition. Thank God for them today, and if you get a chance, thank an 'Anna' that you know for their work.

St Thomas Becket and St Thomas More had strikingly similar personal histories, but one was in the time of Henry II and the other in Henry VIIIth's time.

Both faced the same dilemma - concede to a human power, or stick to what they knew was right. Let us pray that inspired by them both, we might always choose the path of truth.

He was born in London and became a close friend of King Henry II. He was only a deacon when he was appointed chancellor of England. When he was ordained as archbishop of Canterbury, he underwent an abrupt conversion of life and began to defend the Church’s rights against the king. He had to take refuge in a French monastery for six years, and when he returned to his diocese four knights, inspired by careless words from the king, assassinated him in his cathedral on 29 December 1170. He was immediately acknowledged as a martyr and the king later did penance and endowed his shrine. He is remembered for his courage in defence of the rights of the Church.