Creation display
Last Sunday there was a gathering of the Jesus Caritas Lay Fraternity of Charles de Foucauld, who helped create the amazing display for our Season of Creation Mass.
Some amazing pictures were painted by Shahid using recycled materials, showing the beauty of the world, and really enhanced the display. Then after, we were able to replace them with lovely pictures painted by our Girl Guiding units so it looked even more colourful!Thank you to the Flower Group and Bella who helped make such a beautiful focus for the end of the Season of Creation.
We are delighted to launch this year's COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS EVENT!
On Saturday 16th November our annual community afternoon is back!
Join us from 12noon-3pm in the school for festive fun
~ come & have lunch, enjoy mulled wine, Irish coffees & delicious cakes,
~ get some Christmas shopping done at our amazing stalls, (more info on who is joining us, very soon!)
~ play fun games & ‘try your luck’ on the bottle stall & tombola,
~ have your face painted, decorate biscuits or try some crafts,
~ listen to some talented musicians,
~ have something mended at Bella’s ‘stitch it’ stall
~ & more.
There’ll even be an early visit from the big guy in red! (We've booked him before he gets too busy!)
Invite your friends and family and come along for a lovely afternoon, celebrating our wonderful community together, all whilst raising money for our School/PTFA, our Pre-school, our Parish and the Guiding units and other charities ❤️
(If you would like to help with the event please contact the office.
If you can donate a bottle or new gift for the tombola stalls please bring items to the presbytery. We’d also love donations of cakes on the day (please label ingredients))
We'd love to highlight some of the local traders who will be there for your Christmas Shopping delights on the day.
Today, please check out Daisydebs Glass Gifts whose handmade stained glass gifts are made with love, and it shows! They are really beautiful!
We are so pleased to have Karen from Mustard Cuts with us again for her amazing cards, pictures and gifts - hand made / bespoke / individual / designed from her clever mind! Always so much to see on her stall. (Her beautiful wooden tree decorations are very much worth a visit!)
Better Housing Better Health is a longstanding, not for profit service working to reduce fuel poverty, ensuring warm, safe homes.
Run by the National Energy Foundation it has recently opened in South Gloucestershire working to help residents living in or at risk of living in fuel poverty to access advice and support.
Visit their website or call them to get impartial expert advice to help improve the energy efficiency of your home, save money and improve comfort.
They have recently reopened their Emergency Fuel Voucher Scheme, which means they can now issue vouchers worth £49 to anyone on a prepayment meter with any supplier. There are no eligibility requirements and to qualify for an Emergency Fuel Voucher, a resident only needs to be low on credit on their prepayment meter.
https://www.bhbh.org.uk/
Run by the National Energy Foundation it has recently opened in South Gloucestershire working to help residents living in or at risk of living in fuel poverty to access advice and support.
Visit their website or call them to get impartial expert advice to help improve the energy efficiency of your home, save money and improve comfort.
They have recently reopened their Emergency Fuel Voucher Scheme, which means they can now issue vouchers worth £49 to anyone on a prepayment meter with any supplier. There are no eligibility requirements and to qualify for an Emergency Fuel Voucher, a resident only needs to be low on credit on their prepayment meter.
https://www.bhbh.org.uk/
Thanks to Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
1st Reading from the book of Wisdom 7: 7-11. What kind of God does the book of Wisdom paint for us? Chapters (1-5) commences with exhortations to kings and rulers of the earth. Chapters 6-10, implies that it is written by King Solomon, because he is viewed as an ideal king, whilst chapters 11-19 are addressed to God. It illustrates a profound acquaintance with biblical texts but is also acquainted with Greek philosophical traditions. It was most probably written for Greek speaking Jews living in Alexandria in Egypt, to re-assure them that their religious traditions were quite as good as this dynamic Greek culture. Our text today is taken from Solomon’s implied input. Solomon is saying that having prayed for Wisdom it was given to him and he treasured that gift above all earthly riches and acclaim. In the company of Wisdom all good things come to him, because it is in tune with God and God’s law. It is reckoned to have been written about 100-50 BC, so is quite a late edition to scripture. In studying this book, we become aware that it is the first Old Testament book to proclaim a belief in personal immortality. Wisdom insists that despite appearances, virtue is rewarded, and that God is indeed in charge of the world. It is something we need to remind ourselves about, particularly in these troubled times.
Psalm 89: 12-17. An implied prayer of Moses expounding the shortness of life, and a heartfelt cry to God, “Give us Joy to balance our affliction”. And that beautiful phrase, “Let the favour of the Lord be upon us.” It is a lovely song to accompany the joy and hope of the first reading.
2nd Reading from the letter to the Hebrews 4: 12-13. This is not a comfortable read, as we learn how the double-edged sword cuts one way on the way in and another way when coming out. It is an attempt to show how the Word of God examines our inmost thoughts and desires by imagining the way a creature being prepared for sacrifice has its’ complete body exposed for examination. It is not a very comfortable image for us to contemplate, nothing is hidden from God, God knows us inside out. We rely upon God’s mercy to receive us.
The Holy Gospel according to Mark 10: 17-30.
Jesus is confronted by an over-zealous person who is seeking the certitude of gaining heaven. The first thing Jesus says is a rebuttal of the man’s gratuitous greeting, “Good Master”. Jesus immediately puts him off balance with, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” Jesus then goes on with a typical rabbinical reply of keeping the Commandments. The young man replies that he has kept these all his life but feels something is missing. Jesus looked “steadily at him and loved him.” This is a wonderful picture of Jesus’ compassion; we hope he looks at us in the same way when we meet him. “There is one thing you lack” says Jesus. “Go and sell everything you own, give all your money away and come follow me.” Jesus is offering the young man the opportunity to be revered for ever in the hearts of future Christians and obtain with certitude the kingdom of heaven. The young man is very rich and enjoys all the prestige that his wealth gives him now and he cannot give that up for possible renown in the future. Jesus further shocks the disciples by saying how difficult it is for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. At that time Jewish thought was that riches were a blessing for being good. Jesus teaches that riches tie you down. Who can be saved then? They ask. “For men it is impossible, but not for God.” Jesus goes on to say whatever a person gives up for the sake of the Gospel will be re-paid 100 times over and achieve eternal life. This is a very important lesson from Jesus and one we need to contemplate at some length and see how it fits with us.
God grant us the grace of self-sacrifice for the Gospel.
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. *
1st Reading from the book of Wisdom 7: 7-11. What kind of God does the book of Wisdom paint for us? Chapters (1-5) commences with exhortations to kings and rulers of the earth. Chapters 6-10, implies that it is written by King Solomon, because he is viewed as an ideal king, whilst chapters 11-19 are addressed to God. It illustrates a profound acquaintance with biblical texts but is also acquainted with Greek philosophical traditions. It was most probably written for Greek speaking Jews living in Alexandria in Egypt, to re-assure them that their religious traditions were quite as good as this dynamic Greek culture. Our text today is taken from Solomon’s implied input. Solomon is saying that having prayed for Wisdom it was given to him and he treasured that gift above all earthly riches and acclaim. In the company of Wisdom all good things come to him, because it is in tune with God and God’s law. It is reckoned to have been written about 100-50 BC, so is quite a late edition to scripture. In studying this book, we become aware that it is the first Old Testament book to proclaim a belief in personal immortality. Wisdom insists that despite appearances, virtue is rewarded, and that God is indeed in charge of the world. It is something we need to remind ourselves about, particularly in these troubled times.
Psalm 89: 12-17. An implied prayer of Moses expounding the shortness of life, and a heartfelt cry to God, “Give us Joy to balance our affliction”. And that beautiful phrase, “Let the favour of the Lord be upon us.” It is a lovely song to accompany the joy and hope of the first reading.
2nd Reading from the letter to the Hebrews 4: 12-13. This is not a comfortable read, as we learn how the double-edged sword cuts one way on the way in and another way when coming out. It is an attempt to show how the Word of God examines our inmost thoughts and desires by imagining the way a creature being prepared for sacrifice has its’ complete body exposed for examination. It is not a very comfortable image for us to contemplate, nothing is hidden from God, God knows us inside out. We rely upon God’s mercy to receive us.
The Holy Gospel according to Mark 10: 17-30.
Jesus is confronted by an over-zealous person who is seeking the certitude of gaining heaven. The first thing Jesus says is a rebuttal of the man’s gratuitous greeting, “Good Master”. Jesus immediately puts him off balance with, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” Jesus then goes on with a typical rabbinical reply of keeping the Commandments. The young man replies that he has kept these all his life but feels something is missing. Jesus looked “steadily at him and loved him.” This is a wonderful picture of Jesus’ compassion; we hope he looks at us in the same way when we meet him. “There is one thing you lack” says Jesus. “Go and sell everything you own, give all your money away and come follow me.” Jesus is offering the young man the opportunity to be revered for ever in the hearts of future Christians and obtain with certitude the kingdom of heaven. The young man is very rich and enjoys all the prestige that his wealth gives him now and he cannot give that up for possible renown in the future. Jesus further shocks the disciples by saying how difficult it is for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. At that time Jewish thought was that riches were a blessing for being good. Jesus teaches that riches tie you down. Who can be saved then? They ask. “For men it is impossible, but not for God.” Jesus goes on to say whatever a person gives up for the sake of the Gospel will be re-paid 100 times over and achieve eternal life. This is a very important lesson from Jesus and one we need to contemplate at some length and see how it fits with us.
God grant us the grace of self-sacrifice for the Gospel.
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. *
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