Why take another look at Jesus Christ?
What is my life for?
Can the things I have done wrong really be forgiven?
Is there more to life than work, family, possessions and trying to get through each day?
Does God exist — and, if he does, can I actually know him?
What happens when we die?
You may have thought about questions like these many times. Perhaps hardly at all.
But sooner or later they touch every human life.
The Christian faith makes an extraordinary claim:
God has not remained distant from us. He has come to meet us in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God who became man. He entered our world, lived among us, taught us how to live, welcomed sinners, healed the broken and called people back to God.
He died on the Cross for our sins and rose from the dead.
And he is alive.
Christianity is not simply about trying to be a good person or keeping a set of religious rules. It begins with a person — Jesus Christ — and with his invitation to know him, receive his forgiveness and follow him.
If that is true, it changes everything.
It means that your life has a purpose.
It means that your failures do not have to have the final word.
It means that forgiveness and a new beginning are possible.
It means that death is not the end.
That is worth exploring.
You do not need to have everything worked out
Perhaps you were brought up Catholic but have been away from the Church for many years.
Perhaps you have never been particularly religious.
Perhaps you are unsure whether you even believe in God.
Perhaps you are here because you are looking into Baptism, First Holy Communion or another sacrament for your child — and it has made you wonder about your own faith.
Perhaps something has happened in your life which has made you begin asking deeper questions.
You are welcome.
You do not have to pretend that you believe something when you are uncertain.
Questions are welcome.
Doubts can be spoken about.
Faith begins with taking God seriously enough to seek him.
God made you for more
The Catholic faith teaches that you are not an accident.
God created you because he loves you and wants you to share his life.
We were made to know God, to love him and ultimately to live with him for ever.
But human beings turn away from God.
We see the consequences everywhere — selfishness, hatred, dishonesty, broken relationships, injustice — and we recognise them within ourselves too.
The Bible calls this sin.
Sin is not merely breaking an arbitrary rule. It damages our relationship with God and distorts the way we live.
We cannot save ourselves from it simply by trying a little harder.
That is why Christ came.
What has Jesus done for us?
Jesus did not come merely to give good advice.
He came to save us.
On the Cross, Jesus freely offered his life for our sins.
He took upon himself what separates us from God and opened the way to forgiveness and reconciliation.
On the third day he rose bodily from the dead.
His Resurrection is at the heart of Christianity.
Jesus has conquered sin and death.
And he invites us to share in his life.
That invitation requires a response.
Jesus calls us to believe in him, turn away from sin, receive his grace and learn to follow him.
None of us does this perfectly.
The Christian life is a lifelong journey of conversion.
But every journey begins somewhere.
Someone who simply wanted to see Jesus
One of the people who encountered Jesus was called Zacchaeus.
He was a wealthy tax collector and was not well regarded by the people around him.
At first, he simply wanted to see who Jesus was.
Luke 19:1–10
And entering in, he walked through Jericho. And behold, there was a man named Zacheus, who was the chief of the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was, and he could not for the crowd, because he was low of stature.
And running before, he climbed up into a sycamore tree, that he might see him; for he was to pass that way.
And when Jesus was come to the place, looking up, he saw him, and said to him: Zacheus, make haste and come down; for this day I must abide in thy house.
And he made haste and came down; and received him with joy.
And when all saw it, they murmured, saying, that he was gone to be a guest with a man that was a sinner.
But Zacheus standing, said to the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wronged any man of any thing, I restore him fourfold.
Jesus said to him: This day is salvation come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Zacchaeus began simply by wanting to see Jesus.
Then something happened.
Jesus called him personally.
Zacchaeus welcomed him.
And that encounter began to change the way he lived.
You do not need to begin with all the answers.
You can begin by wanting to see who Jesus really is.
You can speak to him
Prayer does not have to be complicated.
If you are unsure what you believe, you can even begin there.
You might pray:
Lord Jesus Christ,
if I do not know you, help me to know you.
Give me light to recognise what is true.
Show me what needs to change in my life.
Forgive what I have done wrong.
Give me courage to follow you.
Lead me closer to you.
Amen.
Then simply be quiet for a moment.
You may also like to read one of the Gospels, beginning with Mark or Luke, and ask one simple question:
Who is Jesus?
Come and see
Jesus did not leave us to follow him alone.
He founded his Church and continues to meet us through her teaching, prayer and sacraments.
The Catholic Church is not a club for people who have everything sorted out.
It is a community of people who need Christ.
You are welcome to come to Mass, even if you have not been for years or have never been before.
You do not need to know all the responses.
You do not need to know when to stand or kneel.
You do not need to receive Holy Communion.
You can simply come, listen and pray.
View Mass, Confession and Adoration Times
Speak to Fr John
I am Fr John, the parish priest.
If you would like to explore the Catholic faith, return to the Church, or simply talk about something you are struggling to believe, I would be very glad to hear from you.
You do not need to be ready to join a programme.
You do not need to promise anything.
You can simply begin with a conversation.
You might say:
“I’m not sure what I believe, but I would like to talk.”
That is enough to begin.
You are also very welcome to introduce yourself after Mass.
You can also find parish contact details, church addresses and other ways to get in touch on our Welcome and Contact page.
If you are here because of your child
Sometimes a child asking about Baptism, First Confession, First Holy Communion or Confirmation causes parents to think again about their own faith.
That can be a wonderful opportunity.
Sacramental preparation is not simply about getting a child ready for one special day.
The sacraments belong within a life with Christ and his Church.
If your child is asking questions, you are welcome to ask your own questions too.
You do not need to know all the answers before you begin.
We can help.
If you are looking for information about Baptism, First Confession, First Holy Communion, Confirmation or another sacrament, you can explore our sacramental pathways here.
Want to explore further?
If you would like to learn more about what Catholics believe and why, visit:
You can explore at your own pace and come back with any questions.
But do not feel that you have to read everything before speaking to someone.
If you were baptised Catholic but have been away from the Church, you may also find our Returning to the Faith page helpful.
If you have never been baptised and are beginning to wonder whether God may be calling you to become Catholic, see Becoming Catholic.
Christian faith begins with an encounter.
Perhaps your first step is simply this:
Come and see.
