Sunday Obligation
This weekend the following message from the Bishop's Conference of England and Wales was read out in all Churches.
It discusses the 'identity' of the church; participating in the Eucharist, whilst enabling us to worship God together and support each other on our journey in faith.
Attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days is the greatest privilege of all... known as the "Sunday Obligation", which was lifted due to the pandemic.
So, from the feast of Pentecost, all Catholics are now invited to attend Mass in person once again as the pressing challenges of the pandemic have lessened significantly.
Please see the full details in the letter below.
CAFOD is running a Fix the Food System Campaign - Look it up at cafod.org.uk/food.
Around ONE-THIRD of all food produced globally is lost or wasted. That’s 1.3 billion tonnes of food every year being thrown away globally.
The land it takes to provide just the food that we throw away is bigger than the size of India, and the water it takes is equivalent to 300 million Olympic swimming pools.
One study found that, in the UK, 9 per cent of strawberries and 19 per cent of lettuces grown ended up as waste.
To feed the current global population, we need to produce 3.7 billion tonnes of food per year. We are currently producing 4 billion tonnes per year.
Truly food for thought!
Thanks to Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for 5th Sunday in Easter Year C
1st Reading from the Acts of the Apostles 14:21-27.
This passage follows directly behind an incident where Paul had been stoned and the perpetrators thought he was dead, but the disciples gathered around him, and he stood up and so we enter this passage. He seems to have been re-energised by his experience, and even goes back into the city the next day, then they travel on to churches they had already visited only this time they set up the ecclesial structures to maintain, educate and attract new disciples. Paul illustrates his organisational skills in setting up whole new communities of faith to function without his presence. They, then return to Antioch to recount their mission so far and relate the great things God had done with them, and how the door of faith had been opened for the Gentiles. This tells us that great things can be achieved, but that there is always a cost and a risk to life and limb in preaching the Word. We should always remember our former priests and teachers who have passed on the faith to us.
Psalm144: 8-13.
This song rings out the goodness and greatness of God. We sometimes forget to ring out our thanks and appreciation of all that God does for us, day in and day out. The great miracles he achieves through his Holy Spirit enlightening specialists, doctors and nurses. We should always be thankful.
2nd Reading from the book of the Apocalypse (Revelations) 21: 1-5.
A truly beautiful vision of God with his people in a very intimate relationship and a whole new creation where all that threatens is removed. A tranquil new creation in harmony with God. It is one for us to ponder over. We sometimes forget the great good things that await those who are loyal and struggle along the Gospel Way. We are a truly Blessed people who follow the Lord to the Father, helped by His Holy Spirit.
The Holy Gospel according to John 13: 31-35.
The departure of Judas into the night, signals the glorification of Jesus. His glorification is interpreted in his absence from them, and they are to survive this traumatic absence by loving one another. It is in this love for one another that we will be known as disciples of Jesus. This is indeed a part of our life that we tend to skip over far too lightly. Jesus tells us quite emphatically that it is by our love for each other that his Gospel will be preached. St. Francis always used to say “Preach the Gospel day in and day out and if necessary use words.” This is a profound truth that we need to dwell on more and more and educate ourselves to really live out the Gospel message of “Love”; love for our neighbour as for ourselves.
This was Jesus’ answer to the greatest commandment “Love God above all things, and our neighbour as ourselves for his sake. On these two commandments hangs the whole of the Law.” So let us begin anew, with these words ringing in our ears.
God Bless us in this New Creation.
Deacon Vincent
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