Category: Fr Rory Writes

Hail Mary full of grace, The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, Blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

We represent last weeks window because it is so fit for purpose.  Why the Hail Mary? Because it is absolutely important to realise that salvation has come down from heaven, that the Kingdom of darkness has a prevailing effect in our world.  So the Son of God, Jesus, came down from heaven to restore fallen mankind, that is why Deacon John’s presentation last week is so helpful, so important.  Nourishment, that is so important for our bodies;  is vitally          important for our spiritual life.

Let us have the courage of our Christian convictions to share our Faith as St Thomas did, and to recognize the “nail marks.”  We are not to keep the gift of Faith locked in our hearts, but to share it with our children, our families and our neighbours, always remembering the words,: “Every believer in this world must become a spark of Christ’s light,” spoken by Pope St. John XXIII. “We all have scars from our own Good    Fridays that remain, long after our own experiences of resurrection.  Our ‘nail marks’ remind us that all pain and grief, all ridicule and suffering, are transformed into healing and peace in the love of God that we          receive  from, and extend to others. The “nail marks” of Jesus are all around us in the lives of those living out their own Calvary’s.  Jesus calls us to be willing to place ourselves in the pain and struggle of others and bring the joy and peace of Easter into hearts, entombed in winter cold and darkness.”

Hail Mary full of grace, The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, Blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.

Having celebrated the event of Easter we look forward to experiencing the fruits of the Holy Spirit when we celebrate Pentecost.

Deacon John has provided a focus for our preparations:-

Let us have the courage of our Christian convictions to share our Faith as St Thomas did, and to recognize the “nail marks.”  We are not to keep the gift of Faith locked in our hearts, but to share it with our children, our families and our neighbours, always remembering the words,: “Every believer in this world must become a spark of Christ’s light,” spoken by Pope St. John XXIII. “We all have scars from our own Good Fridays that remain, long after our own experiences of resurrection.  Our ‘nail marks’ remind us that all pain and grief, all   ridicule and suffering, are transformed into healing and peace in the love of God that we receive  from, and   extend to others. The “nail marks” of Jesus are all around us in the lives of those living out their own Calvary’s.  Jesus calls us to be willing to place ourselves in the pain and struggle of others and bring the joy and peace of Easter into hearts, entombed in winter cold and darkness.”

Looking forward to and preparing for Holy Week,

actions speak louder than words.

Deacon John Writes:

Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday and I suggest a special activity for the last days of Lent – Holy Week:

Palm Sunday: Come to Stations of the Cross and Benediction today – St George’s 3pm.

Monday: Determine one way that you will help the poor this week.

Tuesday: Spend the day offering positive compliments and thoughts.

Wednesday: What have you been putting off during Lent? Do it today.

Thursday: Decide in what small way you will serve others.

Good Friday: Attend a Good Friday service.

Holy Saturday: Before sleeping tonight offer a prayer of gratitude for the gift of eternal life.

Easter Sunday: Do at least one act of kindness today.

Easter blessings in abundance to you all. Deacon John and Fr Rory.

I suspect that many of you do not see an item that our Bishop writes every week on the Diocesan internet site. I have, therefore, included some of it in our newsletter this week as Fr Rory has asked me to write for a couple of weeks.

Last week Bishop Richard wrote in his weekly E-bulletin on the Internet that Pope Francis inaugurated a Year of Prayer last Sunday calling on the faithful “to pray more fervently… and to experience the power of hope in God.” The Year of Prayer aims to help Catholics prepare for the 2025 Jubilee – which has the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” – and is dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer in our personal lives, in the life of the Church, and throughout the world. 

The Jubilee Year in 2025 will be a special time to pause and reflect; a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. People across our community of faith can learn more about the       upcoming Jubilee Year at the Jubilee website: www.iubilaeum2025.va.

“Jesus show us the way to the Father”

Bishop Richard has presented to us the outcome of the process of consultation to provide a pastoral plan for the future of our diocese.  This is now on the website and is available to all, and we are encouraged to study it.

I return to the most important focus of all “Jesus show us the way to the Father”.  I am greatly sad, and when I return to the sharing’s that were made at the beginning of the consultation concerning the life of the church after the 2nd Vatican Council.  Our responsibility to be aware of nearly all our seminaries closing, with a resulting shortage of priests, and our responsibility to God.   Jesus show us the way to the Father.  God our Father knows what is best.

A body is made up of many parts working together and very good work is being done to serve this.  Our celebrations over Christmas and our expectation for our future plans for working together is exactly what is needed.  Stephen and Martin are giving great leadership, and a most important date when we make our first step to meet our challenge is now announced for Sunday 21st January, 2pm to 4pm in St Wilfrid’s Church.  A very special and important date for our future.

“A saviour is born unto us, He is Christ Jesus our Lord”

As the psalm expresses;  “Though we walk through a valley of darkness, no evil should I fear.  You are there with your crook, your staff, with these you give me comfort”.  And we need that comfort.  We were fortunate in our seminary as I left full of hope that a new life of faith was possible.  My first introduction to parish life and the deanery meetings revealed how much of a challenge that was in store.  Yes, I could see signs that the writing was on the wall.  A sharp fall off in the numbers entering the seminary continued to take place.  A need to ask questions and to address the situation was required.

The focus of our celebration at Christmas is because our saviour Jesus has come into our world.  This brings light to our world, and we have been constantly blessed by the work that the children’s liturgy provides.  This work is            displayed in our windows and will hopefully find a good home on our website to provide the background to growth and development of the good news that they continue to present.  The parish carol service was a joyful experience, a  quality occasion.  The choir was remarkable and we were blessed by the quality of their performance.  The readings were very well presented by our younger generation and made for a memorable and special experience.  The hospitality in the hall is a continuing reflection of the efforts that are being made for us to grow together as communities.

Next year St George’s Church will be providing the hospitality for this event.  They will also facilitate our parish sponsored walk which has become very enjoyable and raises funds for good causes.  We hope to continue to support foodbank and the service that they provide, which is so important to many.  As we celebrate Christmas the essential is the news that has come into our world, and with the help of God it will bless our world and bless your Christmas, your home and your families this Christmas. 

I continue with my favourite focus; grace and peace, and please God, you may all have a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas.

“The Second Candle – The Candle of Peace”

Reader 1:  Light and peace, in Jesus Christ our Lord

All:  Thanks be to God

When I left our seminary the flame of hope was alive.  That hope has now became greatly tested.  In my heart I could then see the writing was on the wall for seminaries in Ireland.  My hope was established in team ministry.  In fact I was part of a team ministry at St Paul’s, Haywards Heath for a while.   We were well underway, focused upon Leaven Groups as part of each mass community and with the R.C.I.A. as an important guiding light to our liturgical year.  Then renew came and upset the apple cart.  As responsible priests we did our best.  We all gathered at the Brighton and Hove Godstone Football Grounds with Cormac our Bishop, for our diocesan celebration at the launch of Renew where we received an oak seed. We planted the oak sapling outside our church at St Paul’s, and it can now be seen as a thriving oak tree.  The secret is that the seed must be planted in order to grow.

Today our children’s liturgy remains on my radar as our greatest source of hope.  Sadly, especially in Ireland there are not many examples.  Once when in Dublin with my sister Mary and PJ, we went for the baptism of their grandchild. Their parish had a children’s liturgy, when I congratulated them as brave people, their response was in complete agreement.  Hope must go on.

This new year of Our Lord is now underway as we light the first candle “The Candle of Hope”.  We can accompany it with the thought “hope springs eternally”.  It’s on the foundations that we build; the value of life and the hope we have is dependant on the material that we build on.  A report which I read on the Synod has restored some real confidence in my heart ….. The Synod is a call for Catholics to become a new kind of church; a communion of baptised people walking together.

This has been at the heart of our work since we began to focus on our parish council.  So it is very appropriate following on the focus that Bob Waters has given us, that we put our best efforts into building up the ministries that will serve in the life of our church.  As we light the first candle, we begin with establishing the ministry of hospitality, as we will go on to grow a team of welcomers with again Bob’s experience as a Knight of St Columba, will be of benefit to help with its structure and service. 

We celebrate the Great Feast of Christ the King, which celebrates the end of our churches year, with the assurance that Christ will come again in great glory. 

The introduction to my sister Mary’s book “Love Speaks”:  Love Speaks is a timely book, appearing at a time when all God’s people are asked to embark on a spiritual journey marked by two important elements:  listening and sharing.  This journey is the synodal path that Pope Francis has proposed for our times so that the Church can listen profoundly to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us.  Please God, we will make this journey together in the coming years.

When God’s Glory is revealed our joy will be full.

It is the Glory of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.

As we celebrate this Great Feast, we will have a celebration of baptisms at St George’s Church.  This is very appropriate for them, as it bears fruit from their children’s liturgy.  A corresponding amount of work has provided us with our parish council.  Embedded in its foundation are the goals that are established to develop our ministries, our liturgies, our maintenance, and fundraising and social activities.

Early memories of this Feast Day in my time in the diocese was “Youth Gather”.  Memories of the weather favourable for a youth ramble and social activities, and made for a very successful event.  Memories of meeting people, and plans for the future.

It now leaves me on the eve of my Golden Jubilee as a priest.  Tempus Fugit.  So please God, as the new year unfolds we will lay out our plans for the future, focused upon the lighting of our advent candles, as expression of our plan for developing ministries.  So please God, our new year will present opportunities and challenges just as new formed plants do.