Author: Jacky

Deacon John Writes

Deacon John Writes:

Recently I spoke about ‘Love’ in a homily as it has been the subject of several of the readings at Mass during Eastertide. Love is Christ’s great message to his followers – “As the Father loves me, so I also love you.” Jesus followed that statement with a challenge to all of us: “Love one another, as I have loved you.” In other words: We are to love one another as deeply as God loves His son, and as powerfully as Jesus then loves us. That is how we are to love one another. Christ is asking us to do nothing less than to love the world the way that God does. It is a love that says to each of us: “Whatever happens, I will be there.”

We should always remember this statement of Jesus: “Love one another, as I have loved you.” Despite your differences, love one another. Despite the hurt someone has caused you, love one another. Despite the angers you are nursing or the grudge you can’t let go of…love one another. That is what Christian love is all about – literally loving like Christ.

So – there we have our challenge: – look at the world around us, the people around us — all those we like and those we don’t – those we care for and those we don’t – those we respect and those we don’t — and love them as Jesus said: “Love one another as I have loved you.” This is what we have to do. It is Christ’s great commandment.

Joan Chittister wrote this: “God sends angels into every life to help us understand the present, and to enable us to bear the future. We are one another’s lifeline to God. We are here to hold one another up, and to help one another see the presence of God”.

I leave you with this question to think about: Are we courageous enough – generous enough, selfless enough, sacrificial enough — to not only keep that commandment, but to actually live it?

With my love for you all. 

St Wilfrid’s First Holy Communion Day

St Wilfrid’s First Holy Communion Day:  Our church certainly had “the wow” factor as we entered.  All the balloons, streamers etc., so tastefully arranged by Annette, Sophie and Teresa (our teachers and instructors for the First Holy Communion Children).  Flowers were beautifully arranged on the special pedestals, under the Altar and on the window sills by Maeve, Loretta and Leslie.  All paid for from the donations from our table sales over a period of weeks.  Our four candidates, William, Freddie, Kiera and Carlos enjoyed their special ceremony with the help of Fr Kieran and their instructors.

This Sunday after Mass is their Communion Breakfast in the Hall.  We are all invited to celebrate with them, so do please come and enjoy the food and company. In true St Wilfrid’s custom we have three Birthdays to celebrate on the same day.  One 70 year old, one 13 year old and a popular older gentleman!  Plenty of cakes etc.

Pentecost Vigil Mass with New Catholics

Pentecost Vigil Mass with New Catholics:  Bishop Richard     invites you to join him in celebrating the Pentecost Vigil Mass with new Catholics – adults recently baptised or received into the Church – on Saturday 8th June at 5pm in Arundel Cathedral.   ALL are  welcome – families, friends, Godparents, sponsors, catechists and parishioners. New Catholics are also invited to an afternoon of  prayer and reflection with Bishop Richard preceding the Mass. If you have not yet received your invitation please contact [email protected] or telephone (01293) 651164.

Deacon John Writes

Deacon John Writes:

Last Thursday was the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord into heaven. In the Gospel for this feast Jesus gave this mission to all of us: “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” This means that we need to be both proclaimers and evangelizers. This mission is not given to a select few but to all believers. To be a Christian is to be a proclaimer and an evangelizer. There is a difference between preaching and proclaiming. “We preach with words but we proclaim with our lives.” As we celebrated the Lord’s return to His Father in Heaven we were being commissioned to go out into the world and proclaim the Gospel of life and love, of hope and peace, by the witness of our lives. With this in mind let us renew our commitment to be true disciples everywhere we go, beginning with our family and our parish, “living in a manner worthy of the call we have received.” With my love and prayers for you all