Author: Jacky

St Wilfrid’s Memorial Plaque:  If anyone would like any names put on our second memorial plaque, please could they be forwarded by email to [email protected] or phone 01323 841504.  Thank you.

Mary Frances Marshall Hogan Maura, passed away peacefully after a long illness on 7th May 2021, aged 91 years.  Widow of Ronald Marshall.  She will be greatly missed by her daughter Jane, son John and all the grandchildren and great grandchildren.  A private family committal will be held at Hailsham Cemetery.

In Loving Memory ‘Stephen Robson’ 1st RIP Anniversary 7th-June

Fri 18^th-Sun 20^th June (Online) :  COME DINE WITH ME: Feasting with Moses and Jesus

Led by Viv Randles and Michael Woodward (both Lay Community of St Benedict)

Hanuka, Shavout, Rosh Hashana – come and learn some fresh angles on these festivals and others, which go so far to explain our own. . .

Further information and to book your place online: https://worth.co.uk/retreats/online-retreats For enquiries, please email: [email protected]

Fighting Modern Slavery – Steering Group:    The latest edition of the Fighting Modern Slavery Newsletter is available to download here Modern Slavery Newsletter Issue 3 (website-files.com) and also from the diocesan website www.abdiocese.org.uk

The Steering Group is seeking individuals to be parish/deanery Modern Slavey Awareness Ambassadors.  More information on what this voluntary role entails from Rosie Read at [email protected]

Are you aged 18-30? CAFOD offers a gap year programme called Step into the Gap.  As part of the 10-month programme, you will be based in either a youth retreat centre, university chaplaincy or a secondary school chaplaincy team gaining new skills, developing as a leader and gaining work experience. Accommodation and travel expenses are included. Full time placements include stipends. Find out more information including how to apply at www.cafod.org.uk/gapyear

This Sunday is the Feast of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ and celebrates the last two precious gifts given to us by Jesus:- the Holy Eucharist as our spiritual food on Holy Thursday and Jesus’ mother Mary as our spiritual mother on Good Friday 2) Corpus Christi is the celebration of the abiding presence of a loving God as Emmanuel – God with us – in order to give collective thanks to our Lord for his living with us in the Eucharist. 3) The feast also gives us an occasion to learn more about the importance and value of the “Real Presence” so that we may appreciate the Sacrament better and receive maximum benefit from the Eucharist.

We believe in the “Real Presence” of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist because 1) Jesus promised it after miraculously feeding the 5000. 2) Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist during his Last Supper. 3) Jesus commanded his disciples to repeat it in his memory. 4) “Nothing is impossible for God.”

There are several messages for us in this feast day. Three of these are examples of really good Life messages: 1) Let us appreciate the “Real Presence” of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, by receiving him with true repentance for our sins, due preparation and reverence. 2) Let us be Christ-bearers and conveyers: By receiving Holy Communion, we become Christ-bearers as Mary was, with the duty of conveying Christ to others at home and in the workplace, through love, mercy, forgiveness and humble and sacrificial service. 3) Let us offer our lives on the altar along with Jesus’ sacrifice, asking pardon for our sins, expressing gratitude for the blessings we have received and presenting our needs and petitions on the altar.

A priest called Fr. Denis likes to tell a story about an American paratrooper in World War II who got entangled in a tree and couldn’t get down. He was terribly afraid that he had come down behind enemy lines and would be killed. Then two men dressed in civilian clothes came by so the GI quickly called out, “Can you tell me where I am?” “Indeed we can,” said one – “You are up in a tree.” There was a long pause, and then the paratrooper asked suspiciously, “Are you guys Dominicans?” “Yes, but how could you tell?” The GI replied, “I knew because what you say is perfectly true – but it doesn’t help me to get out of this tree!” Likewise, to describe Catholic belief about the Holy Eucharist by saying that it is the Body and Blood of Christ is true, but not very helpful unless we are convinced of this truth, appreciate this great gift and experience it in our lives.

St.Augustine has an important message for all of us when he wrote: ‘Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not.’ 

“Your Attention” It is one of God’s most special gifts.  Sometimes things may demand our attention, one of them being this pandemic.  How we exercise this attention brings us to another gift “Our Responsibility”.  When confronted with many different things demanding our attention, priority becomes an important factor.  Our hope that we can move on from this pandemic must be treated with caution and care with making responsible choices.  Even though I thought with my periodical visits to care homes provided me with sufficient testing, a person got home to me that I should go to the chemist shop and get the means provided free, and to make two tests a week.

Because the need to move forward with caution, it  is right that we do this.  Priorities are most important.  So a special important need is for our parish finance committee to meet.  A meeting with six members is being established, and I am most grateful to Gerry Palmer for offering his services and progressing this.  I have been encouraged along the way to raise the need to appeal for more contributions to our Sunday collections.  So our gratitude to all those who attend and who contribute.  The parish finance committee is an essential requirement, constituted in Canon Law and now with Health and Safety, also Child and Vulnerable Adults Protection, it is essential to get back on our way.

We are blessed with those who have committed themselves to our Children’s Liturgy and preparation for the sacraments, and this please God, will develop and grow.  We will be truly blessed when it flourishes.  Obviously a large question mark remains over how we can continue to progress the returning to normal life and so remaining cautious, but at the same time becoming more prepared is essential.  Proposed events will be cautiously prepared for and with the help of God may be well celebrated.  So does anybody remember my final note last week?  Well please God, we will begin with it again next week.

Also next week we have a most important event on Saturday 12th June at 5pm, when our children preparing for their First Holy Communion will make their First confession.  Today it will take the form of a Pentecost Service on Saturday.  This is a supreme gift of Jesus, “your sins are forgiven”.  All through the ages this has a key role to play in our lives.  In the early church to deal with this people began to postpone their baptism until their death bed.  Through the centuries this sacrament has evolved, and an excellent experience of it is our Penitential Service, and we will do our very best to celebrate this in the best way we can.  If we are getting enough response we will have another priest with us to help us with our celebration of this great sacrament.

When she was about a year and a half old,
she had an illness that left her deaf and blind.
She couldn’t hear anyone’s voice to copy,
so she couldn’t learn to speak.

She was eventually taught to do so
by a teacher called Annie Sullivan.
Helen Keller graduated from college with honours,
and later visited many countries,
speaking about winning through,
despite difficulties and physical handicaps.

She once said:
“Most of us take life for granted.
Only the deaf appreciate hearing;
only the blind appreciate being able to see.

It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have
until we lose it,
of not being conscious of health
until we are ill.

Use your eyes
as if tomorrow you would be blind.

Hear the music of voices, the song of the birds,
as if tomorrow you would be deaf.

Touch each object
as if tomorrow your sense of touch would fail.

Smell the perfume of flowers, and taste your food
as if tomorrow
you would never be able to smell or taste again.

Make every sense glory in the pleasure and beauty
which the world reveals.Then you will really see,
and a new world of beauty will open up before you.

Someone to help Lulu with our Church garden.  Just a few hours here and there.  Its a very rewarding job.  Lulu and David have done marvellous but now David is in heaven, God rest his soul, its too much for one person.  If you feel you would like to help keep our beautiful garden – please get in touch with Lulu (01323846509) or Joan (07873390944).  Thank you.