We are delighted to welcome you all back to our weekly, free 'Community Cafe'.
Pop into the Parish hall anytime between 1.30-3.30 each Friday for cuppas and company!The return of the Community Cafe last Friday brought over 40 people together, so it looks like it has been missed!
Everyone is very welcome.
Everyone loved her beautiful and talented flower decorations and delicious cake - it was a sell out.
An amazing £80 profit was raised - so we thank you Saroj, and we thank you all for supporting her.
Thank you
We send our thanks to Saroj for holding a RosyBud Bakes 'pop up shop' on Sunday to raise money for the church, in memory of her husband, Candido.
Everyone loved her beautiful and talented flower decorations and delicious cake - it was a sell out.
An amazing £80 profit was raised - so we thank you Saroj, and we thank you all for supporting her.
The Season of Creation is coming to an end with a Harvest Mass of Thanksgiving this Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at 9.30am.
If you are able to, please bring some non perishable goods for distribution to the local food bank, &/or any perishable fruits or vegetables, even if just blackberries foraged from the hedge, for sharing.
We will invite you to bring your items up at the offertory.
Let’s make a big display of all the natural goods that come from the fruitfulness of the earth.
Thank you to Bella and the Pastoral Council for helping us enjoy this Season of Creation ~ promoting Rivers of Justice & Peace ~
*** Items most needed by the foodbank at this time are:
COFFEE, COOKING SAUCES, TINNNED VEGETABLES, TINNED FRUIT,
SPONGE PUDDINGS, INSTANT NOODLES, BISCUITS.
(Please, if possible, no pasta, beans, cereals or tea as they have massive stocks of those at present in their storage areas)
Reflections from Deacon Vincent for Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
1st Reading from the prophet Ezekiel 18: 25-28.
Ezekiel having been deported to Babylon with possibly Isaiah and Jeremiah, was a priest and like them had a strong sense of calling, which he describes by the River Chebar in Babylon. The thrust of his mission is to try and answer the question of “Where is God in all this mess?”
This extract is dealing with the theme that people can change and God accepts that change of heart. Despair had caused many to think that God had deserted them and were accepting Babylonian customs and gods. Ezekiel is addressed by God to relate that if they repent and return to the worship of their ancestors, God will forgive them and accept them. There is no need to remain in their despair. God does care for them and loves them.
It is very appropriate for our age, whereby we drift and think that we are beyond the pale, but God does love and want us to repent and return to him. He never turns us away.
Psalm 24: 4-9.
This song is asking God for forgiveness and help. This song supplements Ezekiel’s theme that God loves us and is there to help us return to the covenant which God made with our ancestors and was enhanced by Jesus Christ.
2nd Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 2: 1-11.
Paul is addressing a problem of disunity at Philippi. He tries to encourage them to think the same as each other, but even more than that to adopt the same attitude as his beloved Jesus Christ of self-emptying and regarding others as superior. This will help build unity and solidarity, which is the hall mark of the Christian community. It brings him to this beautiful hymn to Christ. We are not sure whether it is a hymn he composed or took from their liturgy, whichever, it is a very powerful hymn and has the power to transform lives, even today. One might ask oneself after reading that hymn, “That is what Jesus did for us, what are we doing for him?”
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 21: 28-32.
This is one of three stories Jesus relates against the Religious Authorities who were demanding to know by what authority Jesus was teaching. Jesus makes no concessions and claims to be engaged on the same task as John the Baptist. This first story indicates that his opponents commit the worst possible sin, that of refusing to do the Father’s will. Jesus is trying to point out the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven. Look at the fruits that Jesus is bearing rather than doubt what he is doing. It again is right for our day. We are forever asking by what right does the Church ask us to do this or that, particularly when it impinges on our freedom as we perceive it. It might do us good to remind ourselves how very similar some of our questions about the Church of Christ align with the behaviour of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
God enlighten us to find Jesus in our everyday life.
Deacon Vincent
1st Reading from the prophet Ezekiel 18: 25-28.
Ezekiel having been deported to Babylon with possibly Isaiah and Jeremiah, was a priest and like them had a strong sense of calling, which he describes by the River Chebar in Babylon. The thrust of his mission is to try and answer the question of “Where is God in all this mess?”
This extract is dealing with the theme that people can change and God accepts that change of heart. Despair had caused many to think that God had deserted them and were accepting Babylonian customs and gods. Ezekiel is addressed by God to relate that if they repent and return to the worship of their ancestors, God will forgive them and accept them. There is no need to remain in their despair. God does care for them and loves them.
It is very appropriate for our age, whereby we drift and think that we are beyond the pale, but God does love and want us to repent and return to him. He never turns us away.
Psalm 24: 4-9.
This song is asking God for forgiveness and help. This song supplements Ezekiel’s theme that God loves us and is there to help us return to the covenant which God made with our ancestors and was enhanced by Jesus Christ.
2nd Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 2: 1-11.
Paul is addressing a problem of disunity at Philippi. He tries to encourage them to think the same as each other, but even more than that to adopt the same attitude as his beloved Jesus Christ of self-emptying and regarding others as superior. This will help build unity and solidarity, which is the hall mark of the Christian community. It brings him to this beautiful hymn to Christ. We are not sure whether it is a hymn he composed or took from their liturgy, whichever, it is a very powerful hymn and has the power to transform lives, even today. One might ask oneself after reading that hymn, “That is what Jesus did for us, what are we doing for him?”
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 21: 28-32.
This is one of three stories Jesus relates against the Religious Authorities who were demanding to know by what authority Jesus was teaching. Jesus makes no concessions and claims to be engaged on the same task as John the Baptist. This first story indicates that his opponents commit the worst possible sin, that of refusing to do the Father’s will. Jesus is trying to point out the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven. Look at the fruits that Jesus is bearing rather than doubt what he is doing. It again is right for our day. We are forever asking by what right does the Church ask us to do this or that, particularly when it impinges on our freedom as we perceive it. It might do us good to remind ourselves how very similar some of our questions about the Church of Christ align with the behaviour of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
God enlighten us to find Jesus in our everyday life.
Deacon Vincent
No comments:
Post a Comment