Could you be a School Governor?
Clifton Diocese is seeking to recruit people to serve on school governing bodies. If you believe in Catholic education, have enthusiasm and commitment, then you can make a valuable contribution to the governing body of a Catholic school. It also provides the opportunity to use your life/work skills and experience, for the benefit of the children in our schools. Please visit https://cliftondiocese.com/news/could-you-be-a-school-governor/ for more information and to complete an online nomination form or contact bill.mcentee@cliftondiocese.com or 07710094976 – he would be delighted to hear from you. Your support for our schools would be much appreciated.
Newsletters
We continue to produce newsletters with all the latest information for Mass times, prayer intentions and news. We publish them weekly and they can all be found under the 'Newsletter' section of this website - and are saved in date order, along with the Bulletin cover sheets from the Redemptorist publications co.
Thank you to Deacon Vincent for your Reflections
for Baptism of the Lord, Year B
1st Reading from the Prophet
Isaiah 55: 1-11.
This extract is taken from the final passage in what
is called Deutero-Isaiah (Second Isaiah), which covers the period after Cyrus
has decreed that the people of Israel can return to their homeland. This Isaiah
sees it as their new and better Exodus. It is full of the most beautiful poetry
of the Bible. It covers Chapter 40 to 55, so we are reading its final section.
Some think it is referring to the cry of the water sellers, others that the
hunger is for Wisdom, whichever you choose the message is the same, if you keep
close to the Lord and his covenant, all good things will come to you. There is
this lovely phrase, “Seek God, and when you find him, call upon him, and when
he comes near you,”, there is no doubt that when you call upon God, he will
come near to you. We need to remember that God is always listening for us and
seeking us out. Sinners need not fear to return to him, “God will abundantly
forgive your sins,”. This passage
concludes with the affirmation that God is in charge and will not rest until
his will is accomplished.
Responsorial Psalm is taken from one of
Isaiah’s Psalms 12: 2-6. This psalm is one of thanksgiving and praise, and it
is very noticeable that in this first section of Isaiah we come upon reference
to God’s proclamation is also for the Gentiles (Us), and this is a major move
in Judaism, to be reaching out to the Gentiles as part of God’s plan.
2nd Reading is from the 1st
Letter of St. John 5: 1-9. It is sometimes better to just sink into the
atmosphere of this letter, that try to follow his logic. Note his absolute
insistence on Jesus humanity, hence the insistence on blood and water, which
ensures his humanity and so emphasises exactly what a great gift Jesus, God
made man, means for us. For John it is summed up as eternal life. We can only realise what God has done for us when we accept not just
Jesus as God; but realise that he is God made truly man for our redemption. It
is truly awesome to come face to face with God’s great generosity in bestowing
himself to us as a vulnerable human being, so he can show us the way to Him.
Let us always be truly grateful for such a gift!!
Holy Gospel according to Mark 1: 7-11. John’s message is presented as being all about Jesus’
superiority, John poses himself as his slave, as dealing with sandals was the
task of a slave, also Mark has John telling us that Jesus will baptise with the
Holy Spirit, an idea that Mark has yet to explain to us. We must find it
puzzling that if Jesus is so superior to John, why does he come to be baptised
by John? We see the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descending onto Jesus,
and Jesus is publicly affirmed as God’s Son, so it is obviously God’s will that
Jesus comes to John. It also shows us how God himself establishes his
solidarity with us vulnerable humans in drawing close to God’s mercy. Jesus is
there right alongside us in our struggles. He is not a remote God. He is at one
with us, so we should not turn away from him in shame; but turn with confidence
for him to wash us clean. We see again just how God wants to be at one with us.
We can have confidence in his abundant love and care for us. Let us truly
rejoice and be glad that he has called us.
God Bless you all, particularly in these
difficult times. Deacon Vincent.
Photo of Nativity scene in St Andrew Bobola Church, London (c) Mazur
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