Category: Fr Rory Writes

Special Visitors

Each year we have special and interesting visitors attending our mass during the summer time.  From the very gifted man, who sings in concerts at Glyndebourne, others having very interesting stories from our past, leaving us enriched treasured memories remembered of celebrations and sorrows for sad losses.  Please God, all strengthening and supporting us on our journey.

This year we now have a visit from the National Relic Tour, Wednesday 27th August.  Organised by the Knights of St Columba, bringing the relics of three Saints; St Andrew – Apostle, Patron of Scotland, St Columba of Iona and St Margaret of Scotland.  Hoping that it will be a profitable, enjoyable and memorable occasion.  Please give it your best attention and response.

Deacon John Writes:

On Monday we heard the parable of the mustard seed and yeast. Jesus explains how the Kingdom of God grows within us by the power of the Word we hear and power of the Holy Spirit. When we allow his Word to take root in our hearts, we are transformed and made holy by the power of the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us. The life-principle in a small mustard seed enables it to grow into a large bush by a slow but steady process. The microscopic yeasts within a small piece of dough transform it into soft and spongy bread- yum!   hristianity had a small beginning, like a mustard seed or yeast, with Jesus and a band of twelve apostles in a remote corner of the world. But through the power of the Holy Spirit living in individual Christians, Christianity has become the largest religion in the world, spreading in all countries taking in all races of people. We need to act like yeast, influencing the lives of others around us in a similar way that  Christianity in the past transformed the treatment of women, children, slaves, the sick, and the poor by the power of the  Gospel. We Christians, in our time, have the duty to transform the lives of people around us by our  lives, led according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Deacon John Writes:

This week brings me to the last instalment of the Deacon John writes about food:

We have had three examples recently where meals have been the feature. The first was in May when we had the wonderful party celebrating my 90th Birthday.  So many came to the celebration and the food was scrumptious – a       memorable occasion. The second special event was the party for Canon Paul Jennings on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his ordination as priest – a real example of Service to the Lord.  The third was what has become a regular   party after Mass on the last Sunday of the month. Each month it is for a different charity and is much appreciated both by those who attend it and by the recipient of the proceeds.  These are just three examples of the benefits of meals in the life of the church. I hope that in the coming weeks and months there will be many more events where we show hospitality to the world around us. This is a very important part of our being in this world.   

Deacon John Writes:

Last week I used an article from a diocesan newsletter. This week is a follow-up on that:

Luke’s Gospel in particular, has many accounts of Jesus and his disciples visiting the homes of the people they met and eating with them. In Luke 5 you will find the story of Jesus eating in Levi’s home and sharing it with his friends – tax collectors and sinners. In Luke 7 a sinful woman anointed the feet of Jesus at the dinner table so showing the host, a    Pharisee, up for his lack of hospitality. There is another occasion in Luke 10 where Martha and Mary show us the importance of spending time with our guests, not rushing around being the busy host. In Luke 11 we hear about Jesus dining with the Pharisees and lawyers and he rebukes them for their hypocrisy. There are more examples in Luke 14, 15, 19, 22 and 24 which I will leave you to look up for yourselves. They are all well-known examples involving a meal.

Deacon John Writes:

The following is based on an article found in the diocesan newsletter last week:

The kitchens in our homes are surely the centres of our family lives. They are where we prepare the meals that we eat and in many cases they are where we sit down to eat. I am sure you have had many conversations with family by the oven door or during the    clearing up and washing up or stacking the dishwasher. They are frequently where the events of the day are recalled and discussed. They are also the place where treats and night drinks are prepared. Think for a moment about all the meals that have been prepared there, plus of course the snacks in between the main meals. Do we realise that the Bible has much to say about food and fellowship as so many events happen around food and the building of communities. Both the Old and New Testaments frequently describe the food we need to eat for our living as well as the spiritual food we also need for our well-being. Jesus regularly ate with his followers both before and after his death and resurrection. It was, of course, through the Last Supper event with his chosen disciples that he set up the meal that is still celebrated here in this community and in all the communities all over the world – the Eucharist.

New Parish Update:

I want to update you on where we are in the journey towards becoming a New Parish, joining together all the 8 parishes of our Eastbourne – St Leonard’s Deanery. There have been, over the past 6 months, fruitful meetings of a Parish Leadership Group of the clergy and some lay reps from our parishes. There have also been plenty of meetings with the Diocese and those involved across the other Deaneries in this process. Our 11 Deaneries will become 11 large parishes in the coming months. We have realised as the months have passed that this is a “long haul” journey, not a sprint, that must not be rushed but instead, step by step and with everyone playing their part, we can build together a vibrant and mission centred “Community of Communities”. We are now ready for more concrete work to be done and will begin in July working in 2 X Hub Leadership Groups, at the 2 ends of what will be the New Parish (Eastbourne and St Leonards). These Hub Leadership Groups, clergy and lay reps from each church, will work with you all in implementing changes that will allow us to use our many good resources in a way that best serves everybody, and also reaches out to those many people who are searching for Christ and faith. The first 2 important areas we are working on, ready for the autumn, will be [1] coordinating a joined-up approach to our Sacramental Programmes (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, RCIA etc), and [2] working on coordinated new Hub Mass Schedules that provide all our churches with a better thought-out and sustainable range of Mass times. In the coming days we will be launching a New Parish Website that will provide lots of detail of what’s happening and how you can be involved [https://eastbourne-stleonards.org.uk]. Please continue to keep all this important work in your daily prayers.   Many thanks. Fr Kevin Dring (Moderator – on behalf of the Clergy Team)

“Most important thing for our future.

Sure foundations for what we build”.

This week I present you with a clean sheet.  It represents the space in which our future story will or maybe told.

So far so good, but now the most important time is here, and please God, we will have a great story to tell.

Most important, let us work and pray.

“Food for the journey and early guidance.

To fresh pastures to nourish and develop our communities of faith”.

I have collected all the left over newsletters from the past weeks. I believe our two communities have real foundations to build upon as we address the future.  Last weeks newsletter addressed this situation by saying:

“A certain parish priest frequently reminds his congregation that our God is community, friendship, love, unity: Three Persons who POPE FRANCIS’ ENCYCLICAL FRATELLI TUTTI are One. The human race is made in His image: made to be     community, love, friendship, unity. Because of the fall of Adam and its consequences, this has become a huge challenge, as we see in the war in Ukraine and as we have experienced so often in the past. Yet we do see signs of what should be, when we hear of or see, great acts of generosity or courage on the part of individuals or groups. Our God is not a God far off. As Moses put it, “What great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to Him?” It is something that Our Lord makes clear in today’s Gospel passage: the Spirit of Truth will “guide you into all truth”; and, “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine” and the Father’s, “and making it known to you.” “He will guide you.” We are not left alone. God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are there for us; invite and call us to put our faith and trust in Them.. They will renew in us, individually and as a people, the image of Themselves.”

Soon we will return to that journey as we again celebrate what we call “the ordinary”, the cycle leading us to our salvation and the fulness of life in God’s Kingdom.  It is through the ordinary cycle that we grow in faith and faithfulness; the great challenge .  As a priest it will be my fifty first cycle, and while on earth, sadness is part of our experience.  In my earliest years I was full of hope and purpose, it was shortly after the Second Vatican Council, and there was a great focus on it.  Our Professor of Theology, Fr Seamas Ryan, was truly inspirational, and continues to inspire me and I hope all of us, as we face the new challenges, our emphasis will be on communities of faith.

Trinity Sunday

Celebrates the end of our journey when we will experience the fullness of life in God’s Kingdom.

Having celebrated all the great feasts from the annunciation through the birth of Our Saviour, highlighting the response of the Kingdom of Darkness and the forced journey of the Holy Family into Egypt.  Then commencing with His baptism, Jesus begins the process that leads us to salvation and the fulness of life in God’s Kingdom.

Soon we will return to that journey as we again celebrate what we call “the ordinary”, the cycle leading us to our salvation and the fulness of life in God’s Kingdom.  It is through the ordinary cycle that we grow in faith and faithfulness; the great challenge .  As a priest it will be my fifty first cycle, and while on earth, sadness is part of our experience.  In my earliest years I was full of hope and purpose, it was shortly after the Second Vatican Council, and there was a great focus on it.  Our Professor of Theology, Fr Seamas Ryan, was truly inspirational, and continues to inspire me and I hope all of us, as we face the new challenges, our emphasis will be on communities of faith.

“When the day of Pentecost came”

When the day of Pentecost came to the early church it had a powerful impact upon the early Christians, giving them strength and inspiration to go out into the world to proclaim the good news.  It is equally important to us today and we must be more and more aware of our need, but above all of God’s faithfulness.  In the words of Jesus “without me you can do nothing”.

With the power of Him who loves us, we will grow in faith and faithfulness as we respond to the challenges of time. 

A life long friend of mine, Fr Dick Kelly, has died.  Over fifty years ago he fished me out of a swimming pool in Rome, nearly more dead than alive, and we have faithfully lived on in service to the church in Christ’s glory.

Eternal rest grant unto him O’ Lord and let his soul rest in peace.