Author: Jacky

Deacon John Writes

I noticed a headline on the internet about a Swedish Artist – Geert van der Vossen. He has created a floral tribute to Sweden’s coronavirus patients. He has ‘planted’ over 6000 metal ‘flowers’, which he has created himself, in a field as a memorial to the victims of the virus in the area in which he lives. This has obviously given him a lot of personal satisfaction and a feeling that he is really doing something to remember those who have died.

Sunday, Jan 10th, is the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord and reminds us of our identity. The liturgical season of Christmas is concluded with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. By Baptism, we become sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of his Church, heirs of Heaven, and temples of the Holy Spirit. It is a day to thank God for the graces we have received in Baptism, to renew our Baptismal promises and to preach Christ’s “Good News” by our transparent Christian lives of love, mercy, service and forgiveness.

The Gospel today describes Jesus’ baptism, and identifies with God’s chosen people who in their turn became aware of their sinful lives and their need for God’s forgiveness. The Baptism of the Lord Jesus is the great event celebrated by the Eastern churches on the feast of Epiphany because it is the occasion of the first public revelation of all the Three Persons in the Holy Trinity, and the official revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the world by God the Father. Today marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.  

Fr.Kadavil is a recently retired priest and is now chaplain of the Sacred Heart Nursing Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor in the USA. He writes: “It is worth noting that neither John nor Jesus invented baptism.  It had been practiced for centuries among the Jews as a ritual equivalent to our Confession.  Until the fall of the Temple in 70 A.D., it was common for Jewish people to use a special pool called a Mikveh — literally a “collection of water” – as a means of spiritual cleansing, to remove spiritual impurity and sin.  Men took this bath weekly on the eve of the Sabbath, women, monthly.  Converts were also expected to take this bath before entering Judaism.  The Orthodox Jews still retain the rite. John preached that such a bath was a necessary preparation for the cataclysm that would be wrought by the coming Messiah.  Jesus transformed this continuing ritual into the one single, definitive act (receiving Baptism),  by which we begin our life of faith.

Fr Rory Writes

Here we go again, a New Year.  In my homily on Sunday I presented what I thought were two powerful images.  The darkest night following the shortest day, followed by the image when the tide has gone out to its furthest distance.  Since then I was introduced by a friend to a more pertinent and purposeful image when he spoke of his garden.  This has been very much confirmed with proper care and attention; already even in the harshest cold, new signs of life are ready to break forth.  Even now the occasional flower is scattered throughout the emerging bulbs.  Life is always getting ready for its opportunity to come to life and to bear fruit.

The Prime Minister spelt out the reality of the moment, with the virus and the numbers affected by it spiralling, with the instruction, stay safe and stay at home.  That is central to our attention.  At the same time we have essential needs, and shopping for food expresses one of our needs.  Other needs surface as life has a multi purpose agenda to it, part of it work.  For us in our Catholic faith there is also a wider agenda and spiritual nourishment is a true reality.

Unlike the spring lockdown, churches can remain open for worship and prayer.  This has its risks and responsibilities, and a reality for me was having to isolate just when we were ready to celebrate our Christmas Masses.  I really know what it is to be in the dark.  Indeed  quite a difficult dark year –  but also receiving a lot of kindness, help and support.  A last moment opportunity to stream a Christmas morning mass, and like the new buds, signs of life to come.

First, the challenge.  We are very short of stewards and cleaners, and we have to really, really appeal for help.  For us to return to our masses will not be easy, but with fresh help, like the buds, life gets ready to begin. 

Please God, days lengthening, tides turning and new life in abundance will come again.

Today I want to tell you a story about the Christmas story. I expect all of us know the Christmas story, but do you ever stop to think about how that story got to us? I think you probably know some of the words of of the song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” The song starts with the wind whispering to a lamb:

“Do you see what I see Way up in the sky little lamb Do you see what I see A star, a star Dancing in the night With a tail as big as a kite.”

The lamb then tells the shepherd, the shepherd tells the king and the king tells everyone!  His message is that Christ is born! 

            Mary and Joseph know what’s going on because an angel told them – that’s rather like the wind whispering to you.  The angels also told the shepherds who came to see.  Later on there were thee wise men, or maybe kings who heard about Jesus somehow and came following the light of a star!

            You see there is only this handful of people who knew what was really happening in that little stable in Bethlehem. We don’t really hear much about Jesus as a child, but then Jesus’ story gets interesting! More people hear about Jesus as a teacher and healer, they tell their friends and neighbours, who tell their friends and their neighbours.  The word of God is spread all over the world now, churches spring up everywhere, books are written, songs are written, there are paintings and sculptures made, plays are performed, people are fed, baptised, blessed with God’s Word all over the world and this has been happening for about 2000 years. 

            How did it all start? It all started with an angel telling people to “Come and see.” Jesus, give us the courage to tell the story, and to invite others to “come and see”! 

            May God richly bless you all. May your celebration of His Holy Birth inspire and unite us into one family of Faith!

            May the Light that is Christ shine upon you, and the peace of the Christ Child be yours this Christmas. Fr.Rory and I, wish you all a happy and holy Christmas, and may God bless everyone here, your families and your friends. Amen.

Deacon John Writes

I recently found this prayer from Saint John Henry Newman which speaks of the real grace we receive in the miracle of Christmas.

              “Dear Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly, that my life may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus! Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you; none of it will be mine. It will be you, shining on others through me. Let me thus praise you the way you love best, by shining on those around me. Let me preach you without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to you. Amen.”

May the Light that is Christ shine upon you, and the peace of the Christ Child be yours this Christmas.  Fr Rory and I, wish you all a happy and holy Christmas, and may God bless everyone, your families and your friends. Amen.

Fr Rory Writes

Let us celebrate the Feast of Christmas this year, with the fruits of our journey through Advent.

Christmas comes just after the shortest, darkest and sometimes bleakest days of the year.  It celebrates God’s salvation, which has come into our world.  The coronavirus at this time has a particularly powerful hold on us, and does represent an awareness of the greater kingdom of evil that Jesus came down from heaven to redeem and save us from.  It is always important to keep our attention on the amount of goodness and people of great goodwill who are always at work among us.

At the moment life is very challenging and difficult.  So a simple, “thank God”, for the vaccine with the hope that it brings light at the end of the tunnel.   I remain with my old faults of communication, and particular difficulty with visiting in place, so I ask for patience and understanding.

I am grateful for all the help that is provided to our parish, helping with our celebration of Mass, providing the essential service of our parish, and help with streaming, which remains a particular challenge.  Thanks be to God and to you all that financially and administratively our parish is functioning very well.  I am very grateful to you for your gifts, greetings and donations to me this Christmas.

So sincerely, thanks be to God for Christmas and for salvation, for the fruits of our journey through the Sundays’ Advent Prayers.  The First Sunday with its focus upon ‘hope’, the second ‘peace’, the third ‘joy’ and last Sunday ’love’.  Let them be the fruits of our Christmas and Bishop Richard has presented us with a vision and a challenge for the next few years, so let us give it our full attention when we return in the new year.

Foodbanks

You are still able to donate non-perishable food and money to the foodbanks over the coming months.  There are opportunities to donate online, or our website to make this easier for people.  Immediate food needs will probably change week to week.  For more updates visit www.hailsham.foodbank.org.uk or www.eastbourne.foodbank.org.uk.  Thank you.

Deacon John Writes

The readings for the fourth Sunday of Advent concentrate on events leading up to the first coming of Jesus. The Gospel, in particular, relates the key role of Mary. It is full of surprises as are the other readings.  

The first reading surprises us by telling of God’s promise to David that he would have a long line of royal descendants culminating in a final King, Jesus Christ. In the Responsorial Psalm the Psalmist recalls all of God’s promises and surprises us, describing God’s promise to David and his descendants in terms of a Covenant.

The second reading surprises us with Paul’s explanation of the unveiling of God’s plan for our salvation through Jesus. 

In the Gospel, the Angel Gabriel surprises Mary with seven announcements. 

1) Even as a virgin betrothed to Joseph, she will become a mother. 

2) She will become a mother through “the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you.” 

3) The angel continues, “Therefore, the Child to be born will be called Holy, the Son of God.”

4) She is to “name the child Jesus,” which means Saviour. 

5) God will make Him a King and, as a descendant in the line of David, 

6) “He will rule over the House of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.”

7) As a Divine sign, Elizabeth, Mary’s aged barren cousin is six months pregnant, “for,” says Gabriel, “nothing shall be impossible with God!

The Gospel also surprises us by reminding us that God’s promise is best fulfilled not in buildings, or even in great kings like Solomon, but rather in humble souls like Mary who trusted in God’s promise. We must learn and understand that we are not here to do things for God, but to reflect and build on what God is doing for, and through us. That is our task for this week!

Fr Rory Writes

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in the old man’s hat.  If you have not a penny a halfpenny will do. If you have not a halfpenny, well God bless you. 

I just realised that in nearly seventy years I had not heard or said this rhyme coming up to Christmas.  When growing up as a child it was part of Christmas.  This Christmas is so different in many ways, but its reality is much more important.  For us to realise that salvation is coming into our world, and all the children’s plays at Christmas are about this most important message.  “A Saviour is born, this day in Bethlehem”.  The Gospel with its message is what should never be lost.  Reality the world over, from the reaction to the American Presidential Election, to the advice that is given on how to respond to the virus, the human response remains the same.  Jesus addressed this by “their fruits you shall know them”.

Family is a great blessing to life.  I have a nephew who is returning from Japan and a niece returning from France for Christmas.  Obviously they have taken into consideration the requirements to isolate and parents and family are happy with it.  The outcome will be the key factor when the final verdict is in place.  Certainly the challenge that the virus has presented, with the benefit of what hindsight will bring through the validation of decisions will give greater guidance for our future.  How to be more prepared, how to give appropriate value to human dignity.  How to care for those most vulnerable, the care for children, and the different needs of the young, people with mental issues and the importance of health and wellbeing are all very important factors in life.

What about us in the life of the church?  Please God, this has presented us with a learning curve.  The challenge for us is great, confronted with our age profile, many would say it is impossible.  With the age requirements that were needed to facilitate the use of our churches for prayer, masses and sacraments, we were very short of volunteers.  Exposing a  failure which is ours.  What can we do about it is our only hope.  What I see as a two fold failure of those in authority in the church.  First, the importance of baptism with its meaning for our lives, without it, it is like trying to build houses without foundations.  The second is ministry within the church.  What the ministry of the eucharist, readers, cantors and other ministries can bring.  How a body made of many parts working together, is the key to our future in the life of our church.

Justice & Peace Webinar 2021

The number of people experiencing food insecurity has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 19 crisis, with families in our diocese under increasing pressure.  Join our free Justice & Peace Webinar to find out what parishes can do to help on Saturday 16th January 2021:  10 am to 12.30 pm.  To book you free place and receive the Zoom link, contact Rosie Read, Social Action Secretary, at [email protected]