iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 4h

Forgot to mention St Therese of Lisieux yesterday. Like her we must realise we are part of the power of love working everywhere. Remember what she said when she found an answer to what her vocation was. “O Jesus, my love, at last I have found my calling: my call is love…

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Isaiah describes the Vineyard as God’s song reminding us we're not just part of dull ordinary life but part of the great love-song that is the work of creation, probably easiest to felt when tending am imperfect garden. All that we do that is an attempt to be good is like that

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

When people tell me how beautiful my garden is, all I can see are the things that are wrong with it, all that I am not satisfied with. A garden, like my life or yours, is a constantly changing thing, so we are foolish to think we have ever reached some kind of perfection.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

God does not look for perfection in us but loves us in our inevitable imperfection. So Jesus says "The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone." Our imperfect struggles to serve him are what matters. We are all ugly ducklings that will turn into swans.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I was wondering why I rarely practised when I played the Cello as a teenager, and have come to the conclusion that I didn't like failing to play well. I wanted it all to be easy. To practise means to fail many times and keep at it. As with the Cello so in life in general.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Here is my Homily/Sermon for this weekend about listening to other points of viewiIf we’re trying to persuade someone to become a Catholic Christian,You can see me give this Homily on Youtube youtube.com/watch?v=IK2E... Text on website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil...

youtube.com

Homily/Sermon for 26th Ordinary Sunday

YouTube video by Father Martin Flatman

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

St Paul says. “Look…to the interests of others.” He backs it up by pointing out that this approach is the one God took when he emptied himself and became like a slave amongst us. That's why Jesus, is exalted & why we too can hope for glory when we attempt to behave like he did.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

“He became humbler yet by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross” means that God will work in our lives in unexpected ways. Sometimes stooping down to serve people as God stooped down to save us is a far more effective way of sharing the Gospel than words

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Then, of course, there are people who do not want children at Mass because they are disturbed by them. I certainly think very noisy and disruptive children should not be left in church screaming, but some background children’s noise should be welcomed as a sign that the church has a future.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It's a great mistake to write off a whole group of people rather than thinking of each of them as an individual. Jesus never does this. Think St Matthew whose day we celebrated yesterday. Jesus astonishes everyone by calling a hated tax gatherers to be one of his disciples.

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Reposted by Father Martin Flatman

Scott Nover @scottnover.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

BREAKING: TV pool will not be providing coverage of presidential events until further notice b/c of CNN's ban, pool chair and FOX News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton said. It's effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

If we disagree with someone, the best approach is to try and understand why they take the opposing view. Getting to know them better is far more productive than outright attack. Mind you there are some people it is very difficult to understand.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Many forget women were disciples of Jesus. "The Twelve were with him & also some women ... Mary called Magdalene... and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager & Susanna & many others, who provided for them out of their means." (Luke 8:1-3)

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

God is beyond our understanding, but there's something else much nearer home that we can never fully understand. Our own minds. Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote: O the mind, mind has mountains; cliffs of fall Frightful, sheer, no-man-fathomed. Hold them cheap May who ne'er hung there.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

God is beyond our ways of thinking & turns our ideas upside down. We say God is infinite, but that's beyond our thinking & only expressed by a symbol. Nature has no favourites. Whatever we're like we face the same weather ! Mind you, when the rain fell in August we all rejoiced.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Infinity and Zero. Two things that are real and yet cannot be proved to exist. Indeed you could argue neither does exist and yet they are very real. Then there is Nature. Does Nature exist. So when people argue God does not exist, it depends what one means by God.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

2 things are God’s : receiving confession & granting forgiveness. Confession is what we make to him & forgiveness is what we must hope to receive from him. ... The Church can forgive nothing without Christ & it is Christ’s will to forgive nothing except with the Church.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

In our attempts to reach high standards, we must never turn this into a grim struggle. What matters is that “Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (St Paul) This makes our efforts worthwhile, and we can laugh at our efforts, rather than getting hung up about them

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

A joke from Jesus is lost on us because we have no idea how much ten thousand talents is. Take it from me, it's a lot. After I am sure a pause for effect he says, “And since he could not pay” They would have roared with laughter. Of course he couldn’t pay. No-one could.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

When we speak of Mary as full of grace, some describe it almost as if it were a virtue, but it isn't. It's about God working in her as in a lesser way God works in us. It is his grace, his presence, that gives us the power to be good and kind and forgiving.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Here is a little present Dot gave me for looking after her garden. She had lots of these. A good memory now in my garden

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

There are so many bad things going on in our world that we could wear ourselves out challenging people who do awful things. You can see me give my Homily for this weekend on Youtube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcjq... Text on website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil....

thebibleatmass.com

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

When we disagree with someone we need find out what is behind their action or their opinion. If we understand them better than just getting annoyed with them then we are loving our neighbour as ourselves; then we are treating them the way we would want to be treated.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

How easily we get angry with the person who doesn't understand our complaint. To love we must separate the person from the company that has wronged us. To say “I know it is not your fault, but can’t you see how angry this is making me.” gets one further than getting angry.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Power cut last night stopped us watching Ludwig which we love, so instead we sat by candlelight and listened to a programme about the kind of music Jane Austen would have played and sung. Power only off for an hour so not too disruptive!

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

My Homily this weekend will be preached on Sunday in Charlbury nr Oxford UK. It's on how we can work with God to transform our minds. You can see me give this Homily on Youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=acQp... Text on website . www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil....

youtube.com

Homily/Sermon for 22nd Ordinary Sunday

YouTube video by Father Martin Flatman

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Using the Internet to communicate with friends, to learn something new, or to share good thoughts or to have some quiet fun is all to the glory of God. But when it dominates our lives, and we endlessly scroll then we need to to draw the line, to say enough is enough.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Rain glorious rain at last. We will soon be moaning about too much rain and asking where the sun is. Moaning about things is very human but not very helpful.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Background to next Sunday's Bible Readings are on the website www.thebibleatmass.com/bible-backgr...

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

St Paul says we must be transformed by the renewal of our minds, but how do we do that? There are almost always areas in our lives & in our thinking we need to work on. We have to attempt the impossible, which in every area of our life, is to try to think the way God thinks

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Following the ways of God does not have to be solemn or dull. Have you seen the Film “Babettes Feast”? Very solemn Christian people accept the meal Babette offers. Their faces light up. They smile and they begin to talk to one another, and enjoy each other’s company. God at work.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

To set one's mind on the "things of God" does not mean that some things are of God & some of the world. It depends on how we think about all the things in the world. An entertaining programme on TV is not necessarily non-godly. God wants us to enjoy life and not just be solemn.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Here again is mjy Homily/Sermon for this Sunday on how God helps to free us from fear and guilt youtu.be/JdXvE1-MROE?... via @YouTube Text is on the website . www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil...

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Homily/Sermon for 21st Ordinary Sunday

YouTube video by Father Martin Flatman

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

My Homily/Sermon for this weekend is on how faith in God should free us rather than oppress us. We Christians are called to give this freedom to others. Text is on the website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil....

thebibleatmass.com

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

St Paul says that God is way beyond anything we can imagine, proclaiming “Oh, the depth of the riches & wisdom & knowledge of God!” So we can never think that we're all sorted out & perfect. God is always beyond where we are or even where we hope to be, because he is infinite.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Thinking of how so many people are stuck with fears, anxieties, obsessions and addictions, it is the last bit of our Gospel next weekend (Matt 16:13-20) that speaks most strongly to me. Jesus says “Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Forgiveness of others, in the hope that they forgive us, is a central plank of Jesus’ Teaching, as we see in the Lord’s Prayer. Yet though many say that prayer every day, when someone annoys or upsets us, how easily we revert to condemning them, instead of trying to forgive them.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

One of the things some rich people are obsessed by is money. I'm impressed by those who use large amounts of their money to help others. Cristiano Ronaldo has donated tens of millions of dollars to causes like Save the Children, UNICEF & disaster relief. He is at Mass every week.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Here is my Homily/Sermon for the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady which most of us in the UK celebrate on Sunday 16th August. You can see me give this Homily on Youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndag... The text is on the website www.thebibleatmass.com/latest-homil...

thebibleatmass.com

Latest Homilies

Martin's Youtube Channel Most Recent Blog Posts Recent Twitter/X Posts

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Reposted by Father Martin Flatman

Guy Thomas 〓〓 @guywrites.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

A little poem of mine from earlier this year. May your day be peaceful, my friends. 😊📖 #poem #poetry #writer #write #amwriting #peace #life #mindfulness

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Reposted by Father Martin Flatman

PEIPolitical 🇨🇦 @peipolitical.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

"Cuba is a threat to U.S. national security," says Rubio. Cuba is no threat to anyone. It has no drones, missiles or atomic bombs. Another lie to manufacture unilateral consent for an invasion. The world must put these terrorists in jail. #cdnpoli

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Early morning walk round our Estate before the sun gets over those trees!

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Every bowl of dirty water gets carried out into the garden to keep the plants alive as the drought gets worse.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Here is my Homily/Sermon for this weekend on how God is present to us especially when we are under stress:- You can see me give this Homily on Youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-C8...

youtube.com

Homily/Sermon for the19th Ordinary Sunday

YouTube video by Father Martin Flatman

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Be wary of outward signs of God’s presence, and look instead for the quiet ways he does & will work within us. Those who make a great hoo-haa about their visions need to be reminded that such experiences must be judged by their results.Let's get on with quietly serving others.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

We tend to think of God either as a power a long way away from us, or as a power deep within us, in effect of God as a thing separate from us. But God is not a thing, a power, outside us, and outside creation. He is better described as the power underlying creation, within nature

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Listening to others is at the heart of persuading others of our beliefs. It's no good spouting at people, or in the case of a priest preaching at people, if they don't think they are being listened to. To listen diligently is an example of love, and love is a powerful persuader.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Even in our busy modern world, most of us will offer at least a cup of tea or coffee if a visitor calls, whilst the moments when we sit down for a real meal with friends or family are very special indeed.

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Father Martin Flatman @frmartinf.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

This is a brilliant book that I wish I had written but he expresses in a much better way things about God that I try to put into my weekly Homilies/Sermons.

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