Monthly Archives: April 2016

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Today, the last Sunday before the Ascension of Our Lord, the lectionary prompts us to consider the way in which Jesus continues to be present in the community of believers. The Gospel (John 14:23-29) tells us that Jesus and his Father long to abide with us, to come to us and to make their home in us. They do this by means of the Word:  Jesus says: ‘If any one loves me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we shall come to him and make our home in him’.  So, if we really do love and revere Jesus, then we will ponder his word day and night, as did the Psalmist who wrote, ‘On my bed I remember you; on you I muse through the night …’(Ps 62) and then our triune God will dwell in us and we in God.

And there is more!  For those who welcome his word and keep his word, Jesus promises the gift of peace … a peace the world cannot give!  So, when surrounded by trouble, stressful situations and sadness, but also in the good moments in life, let us pray, because prayer – and praying the scriptures in particular – leads to peace. (See Hymn number 972 v.2 in Laudate)

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We begin our May Devotions by reminding you that each Tuesday there is Rosary in church from 6.45– 7.15pm and that on Saturday 7^th May at 11.00am there will be a Mothers Mass preceded by a Procession of Our Lady’s statue at 10.45am.  All mothers of all ages are welcome.

                                                                                            Fr Philip Sainter

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FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

In this diocese, the 5^th Sunday of Easter has been designated “Safeguarding Sunday”.   Today, we have been asked to promote the ministry of safeguarding, and to highlight our commitment to ensuring that all parish communities are safe places for the vulnerable.

Today we also respond to our parish commitment to “outreach”, as we heed and respond to Pope Francis’ humanitarian initiative for the people of Ukraine, in the form of a special collection to be taken in all Catholic churches in Europe on  Sunday 24th April 2016 – an initiative which has received Bishop Patrick’s endorsement.

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GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY

“In our relationship with the Lord we are called to listen to him in the same way that he listens to us, to know him as he knows us.  In today’s gospel reading Jesus states, ‘the sheep that belong to me listen to my voice’.  Earlier in that same chapter he had said, ‘I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me’.  It is only by listening to the Lord, as he listens to us, that we will come to know him, as he knows us.  Listening to the Lord, in that deep sense, is an important aspect of what it means to be his follower.  Prayerfully listening to the Lord is part of what we are called to do as his disciples”.  (Martin Hogan, ‘Reflections on the fourth Sunday of Easter’)

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In response to the Church’s call that we should pray for vocations to the Religious Life and Priesthood, let us ask the Lord to speak to us about what we individually and collectively should be doing to foster such vocations.

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THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Last week’s message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others.

The Divine Mercy message is one we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC:

A – Ask for His Mercy: God wants us to approach Him frequently in prayer, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy upon us and upon the whole world.
B – Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us. (See our Diocesan Jubilee of Mercy prayer)
C – Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

This message and devotion to Jesus is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy.

To view/download the complete newsletter, click here > Newsletter Sunday 10 April 2016

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SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

Throughout this Jubilee Year of Mercy we are being constantly reminded that just as God has been and IS merciful towards us, so, we too are to show and reflect God’s mercy towards others … just re-read our Diocesan Jubilee Year prayer for confirmation of that.  As disciples of Christ we are called to show mercy and the virtues of mercy in all we do and say, because that’s what Christ’s death, burial and resurrection were all about!  Our proclamation of the Easter message which says: “God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Rm 8:32″) “so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life” (John 3:15) is a proclamation of the mercy of God and ipso facto must also be our proclamation!

I am convinced that the way we celebrated the Easter Triduum this year and the way we allowed Christ’s sacred moments to touch our hearts and minds, has empowered us anew to become men and women who are now stronger in our faith and who, thanks to the power and activity of the Holy Spirit, are in a better position to bear witness to our faith.

Fr Philip Sainter

To view/download the complete newsletter, please click here > Newsletter Sunday 3 April 2016

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