This week's news

St Augustine's Primary School

On Friday we held a special Mass for the start of the new School Year with Mr Hilliam, the school teachers and support staff and all the children, who wrote individual prayers for the year ahead on leaves and brought them up to the altar.

Please remember the children and the school in your prayers.

Visit the school website for more information on the open days, which are:
Open Day 1: Wednesday, 4th October – 9:30am, 11am, 2pm
Open day 2: Weds 11th October – 9:30am, 11am, 2pm
Open day 3: Weds 18th October – 6pm
Open day 4: Friday 10th November – 10am
Open day 5: Saturday 11th November – 10am
Open day 6: Monday 20th November – 6pm

Please contact the office on 01454 866690 to book a place on one of their tours.

The Countdown is on to our "Countdown to Christmas"!
With only 6 weeks to go we'd love to highlight details of our brilliant, community event for all to enjoy
Plus to let you know how you can help us make it a success for all the groups and charities involved.
Look out for more posts!

Season of Creation

At the weekend, a beautiful display was made of fresh fruit and vegetables at the altar and bags of imperishable food brought up. The fruit and vegetables were dismantled and shared among the congregation (before a photo could be taken) while the rest went to the food bank.
Many many thanks to all who were part of this harvest festival marking the end of the 'Season of Creation'.

SPECIAL APPEAL

With the aftermath of covid etc there’s a possibility that some of our Church members still don’t feel safe in attending Mass - In respect to this there’s “Good News” as we can offer them Holy Communion at home. This would also include any sick or elderly Parishioners, so if you know anyone that might like a visit, please let us know by contacting the parish office so we can arrange to go and see them.

Email: bristol.staugustine@cliftondiocese.com

*** Please email the information so it can be handled confidentially - please do not put any suggestions or details in the public comments - thank you ***

St. Nicholas of Tolentino RC Church, Bristol are holding their monthly Celebration of Mass for members of the LGBTQI+ community, friends, family and allies.

All are welcome - See poster for details.

Thanks to Deacon Vincent for these Reflections for Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

1st Reading from the prophet Isaiah 5: 1-7.
This is from Isaiah ben Amoz the first Isaiah; prophets are not here to give us good news but to explain where we are with a good God. The vine is used as an example of Israel’s infidelity. Isaiah is explaining why the disaster of the destruction of Israel has happened. God is not being unjust or deserted them, they have deserted im and because of that desertion, the Babylonians have carried them off into exile. In an earlier passage Isaiah holds out the hope for a holy remnant, so this passage is not the final statement, it is purely the explanation from a just God. God is a God of mercy and forgiveness and we all rely upon this Divine Mercy for our salvation, even the Jews of the Old Testament relied upon this Divine Mercy.

Psalm 79: 9, 12-16, 19-20.
This song might have been written as a result of Isaiah’s prophecy for it runs so close to what he has written about the House of Israel being the vineyard. A great cry of sorrow and desire for forgiveness. “Visit again this vine and protect it.”. It is a beautiful sigh from the heart to a forgiving God. He will relent if we but turn again and follow his ways.

2nd Reading from St. Paul to the Philippians 4: 6-9.
This is a beautiful encouragement for the community to focus on God, on prayer, on all that is good and proper for us to think of and all that we should do. It is almost poetic in its’ wording and briefness. He has struck at the heart of how to follow Jesus Christ of the Gospels. There is also what appears to be a poignant farewell to the community and through our reading to us also, “and the God of peace will be with you.” The God of peace dwells in the hearts of all those striving to follow the Gospel life. We are always seeking that peace which God alone can really restore to us. Paul has experienced God’s mercy and forgiveness and is anxious that we also will find that mercy and forgiveness that gives us God’s Peace.

The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 21: 33-43.
This is Jesus second response to the story last week about the religious leaders’ blindness and indeed evil intent. Many scholars believe that this second story of the vineyard sealed Jesus’ fate. There is no doubt that Jesus is referring to where Isaiah was referring to Israel as being God’s unsatisfactory vineyard. Jesus goes farther with illustrations of the way Israel treated the prophets, these are the servants sent by the king to try and get the workers to hand over the produce of the vine, but no they beat them and sent them packing. Now the king sends his only son. They will respect him, but no they kill him and try to seize the inheritance. It is an obvious reference to what they will do to Jesus, so that he does not disrupt their lives and they can carry on being self-serving labourers in the vineyard. The quotation about the stone rejected by the builders is a quote from Psalm 118. We read these parables that Jesus gave us, and we need to not just look at those who failed him in his lifetime, but at ourselves also, for we go off our own ways so many times, forgetting Jesus’ love and care for us. We should really put ourselves alongside the pharisees and scribes and realise just how blind we can be as well.

God open the eyes of our minds to follow you more closely. Deacon Vincent.