This week's news

St Augustine's Feast Day

Join us this Sunday (26th May) as we celebrate our Patronal Feast together!

Come along at 2pm to the Parish hall as our gardening group will be hosting a Cream Tea afternoon for us all, and get as involved with the planting afternoon as you wish.

O God, who by the preaching
of the Bishop Saint Augustine of Canterbury
led the English peoples to the Gospel,
grant, we pray, that the fruits of his labours
may remain ever abundant in your Church.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Amen

Bishop Declan

James Abbott from the Bishops' Conference has been lucky enough to be able to record a video with Bishop Declan Lang.

It was the evening before his successor’s episcopal ordination, and we were fortunate to side-step all the intense planning and preparation for the day to come, in order to sit down in the garden of the retiring Bishop of Clifton as the Spring sun gave out its last.

Metaphorically, the sun was setting too on Bishop Declan’s years of ministry as the ninth Bishop of Clifton – it was just a matter of hours before his handover to the incoming Bishop Bosco MacDonald. So, for this video, it seemed apposite to take a stroll with Bishop Declan to look back over almost a quarter of a century shepherding the diocese.

https://cliftondiocese.com/news/in-conversation-with-bishop-declan/

Thanks to Deacon Vincent for his Reflections for Trinity Sunday Year B

1st Reading from the book of Deuteronomy 4: 32-34, 39-40.

The book of Deuteronomy is one of the most influential books of the entire Old Testament. The set up is a second reading of the Law, given by Moses, and happens just before the People of God enter the Promised Land. It could be argued that the text constitutes Israel as People of God. The format is that of a treaty drawn up in the Ancient Near East between a potentate and their vassals. The text we have before us is describing how God has made a special choice of Israel as his own people. We hear the proclamation that the “Lord your God is God, there is no other beside him.” “He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath, and there is no other.” Moses encourages the people to keep God’s laws and commandments, as Moses delivers them to the people, so that the people and their children may prosper and live long in the land that the Lord your God gives you for ever. This is the preamble to the setting out of the treaty or Covenant, as we best recognise it. It really is an amazing document, forming the foundation of the relationship of mutual respect between the Lord God, his people and each other.

Psalm 32: 4-6, 9, 18-20.
It is almost a hymn in praise of the Lord for establishing the people of God. It emphasises the greatness of God and his Divine Mercy and love for us. Then that beautiful exclamation, “May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.” Bishop Declan was always emphasising how we need to be a people of hope. Bishop Bosco calls us not to be afraid, and this psalm tells us exactly why we need not be afraid.

2nd Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans 8: 14-17.

St. Paul tells us exactly what the Spirit gives. It is a move out of slavery, fear and death, into freedom and adoption as sons and daughters of the Lord God. It stems from the Roman and Greek household whereby the eldest son usually inherited, but where there was no heir, the master could adopt a slave or a member of another family. Here we see Paul adapting that image to the Father, whose Spirit not only ransoms us but adopts us as heirs also. The Romans would have understood fully what Paul was trying to explain to them the function of this Holy Spirit moving through the Church.

The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 28: 16-20.
This is a very powerful scene with which to conclude this remarkable Gospel. It is noteworthy that there are only eleven disciples, a reminder that one of the intimate friends had betrayed the Lord. They follow the instructions and go to the mountain in Galilee, which has figured prominently throughout this Gospel. They show the proper response to the Lord and worship though like all disciples there is uncertainty. Jesus reveals a further clue as to his true identity, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Then we have the instruction to, “go out into the world and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” And teach them to keep everything that I have commanded you. Then we have this wonderful promise, “And look! I am with you always, yes, to the end of time.” What a wonderful way to conclude the Gospel of Life, with such an intimate presence of the Lord amongst us now and always.
May we never cease to thank the Lord for his Goodness to Us All. Deacon Vincent.

*I fully acknowledge the assist given me by Nicholas King’s Study Bible in this and all my reflections. For his insight into the books and writings of the Holy Bible. He has been my inspiration and insight into the wonders of Holy Scripture. *