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MEMORIAL GARDEN

Ashes have been interred into plots within our Memorial garden for over 21 years, when it was created by Mgr Bernard as a lovely option to be able to offer parishioners.

The garden has now reached the point where we will not be able to take any further reservations for individual plots for some years and so we are researching what other options are available in the hope that we can continue to offer a burial alternative to our parishioners.

We may get the go ahead for a new smaller area to be created within the Church grounds which could be a special garden with communal plots - this type of arrangement is what a few other parishes offer as well as being common within most crematoriums. and cemeteries. 

We have communicated to all those who already have a reservation to let them know this does not affect their contracts – it just applies to any new cases.

Please bear with us whilst we research the best solution – it may take some time to finalise – but please contact us if you have any knowledge or experience to offer for an alternative plan. Many thanks.

Thank you, as ever, to Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

1st Reading from the Prophet Isaiah 62: 1-5.

The return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem will be a time of great delight and God will take possession again as a bridegroom takes his bride and God will delight in being worshipped in the Temple once more, by his people. Their time of trial is over, now is the time of resettlement and rebuilding, and the world will once again realise that God has returned to his people with delight. We will always have times of trial, but God loves us and wants what is best for us, we need to trust him and he will restore us, though we might fall away from him, he is always faithful. We can trust Him. With his help we can re-build our lives and find great joy in his company.

Psalm 95: 1-3, 7-10.

A song when the House (Temple) was being rebuilt after the Captivity in Babylon, they sing a new song to the Lord. It continues the theme of the first reading, of renewal, rebuilding and praise and joy in the Lord.

2nd Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 12: 4-11.

There was obviously trouble in the Corinthian community with people thinking they were better because they had certain charismatic gifts than others, but Paul spends a lot of time trying to illustrate to them that one gift is not greater than another. The gifts of the same Spirit are given to each of us in different and varied ways to build the whole body of the community embracing everybody. We are all special, with a special task allotted to us for the Good of the Whole Community. We are united in the same Spirit, sharing the same Body and Blood of Christ, so building up the whole body of the Community, united in its endeavours. It is a lesson for us, not to think one person has more worth than another and not to assume one is superior because one is intellectually superior to somebody else. All our various gifts are for a good purpose, at the disposal of the God’s Holy Spirit. We are all invaluable to God’s plan.

The Holy Gospel according to John 2: 1-11.

This is an amazing story, the lines preceding our reading state that on the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee, so the Christian readers, or hearers immediately reads it as a reference to the resurrection. It takes us deeper into the mystery of Jesus. We notice that the Mother of Jesus is mentioned first and she will appear a couple of more times in tis Gospel and each occasion is an important unfolding of Jesus’ story. Then there is their conversation. She only mentions to Jesus that they were running out of wine, and Jesus’ reply seems very abrupt to us, she does not take it like that, instead, she instructs the servants to do whatever he tells them, with every confidence and not a shadow of doubt. Next we discover that Jesus effortlessly changes the water in jars to wine, an enormous quantity in the region of 180 gallons of the very best wine to the astonishment of the master of the feast and no doubt the bridegroom also. The whole point of this story is revealed at the end of the story which is a “sign”, to reveal his “glory”. These are very important in this Gospel of John, then we note that his disciples “believed in Him”, but nothing is said of his mother, presumably she was already a believer. It is a very enlightening insight into Mary’s Faith and influence, which the Church has always taught, as well as signaling Jesus going out to proclaim the Gospel to the people and leaving his private life behind. It is an important story for us to ponder over and absorb this astonishing episode, which would become the springboard for the Gospel journey of Jesus. We might align ourselves with his disciples and re-new our belief and trust in Jesus at the start of yet another year in our Journey towards Jesus.

God Bless you all.

Deacon Vincent

Finance Vacancies

The Curia Finance department in Alexander House are currently recruiting an Accounting Officer and a Parish Finance Support Officer to replace two vacancies within the team. The Accounting Officer role is responsible for managing the purchase and sales ledgers and updating the nominal ledger and the Parish Finance Support Officer role is focussed on supporting the implementation of OPAS and providing administrator support for parish bank, credit card and PayPal accounts. Further information regarding the roles is available on the diocesan website: https://cliftondiocese.com/diocese/working-for-us/