A Reminder

A reminder – The Easter Offerings are for our Parish Priest.  Please contribute through the church accounts in the normal way, so the Parish can benefit from Gift Aid.  Direct payments to him cannot accrue this benefit.

Dorothy Blake RIP

Dorothy Blake RIP. The Requiem Mass for Dorothy will be offered on Tuesday 13 April at 12 noon, preceded by the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 11.45. If you would like to attend please contact Jean 842824 or Bob 847014, as only 30 people can be present.  Burial afterwards at Hailsham Cemetery.

Deacon John Writes

The following is adapted from an article by Greg Kendra who is a Deacon in the States.

This Sunday is Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday and is a day in which we need to remember. Remember that the crowd that cheered Jesus also condemned him. Remember that the voices praising him also called for his death. Remember that those who loved him and promised loyalty also abandoned him, denied him, and betrayed him.

Christ’s Passion goes on today. Our betrayal of him continues, in ways large and small. How often do we praise God on Sunday…and cast Him aside on Monday? How often do we shrug Him off when things become too difficult or the rules too hard or the demands of the Christian life too taxing? How often do we treat love as just a sentiment for greeting cards, and not a command for living? How often do we see suffering in the faces of those in need, and simply turn away?

Christ continues to bleed and weep and cry out, “Why have you abandoned me?” He cries out today to us. Whatever you do to the least of these, he said, you do to me.

What do we do? We encounter him on the pavement, and go out of our way to avoid him. We ignore so many people who need us.

Remember: He is everywhere there is someone who is small, or neglected, or disrespected, or discarded. He is with the unwanted and unloved, the bullied and abused.

Remember: We have said, “Give us Barabbas.” 

Remember: We have said, in effect, “Crucify him.”

The palms today have a two fold purpose: First, they remind us that we are called to be heralds of Christ – to celebrate him the way they did that day in Jerusalem. Secondly, and importantly they challenge us to keep crying “Hosanna,” to keep proclaiming the Good News – even when the world tempts us to do otherwise, even when it seems like it would be easier to go with the crowd and simply choose Barabbas. The palms challenge us to not turn our back and walk away.  They challenge us not only to remember what we have done to him, but what he has done for us.

That is what Holy week is about.

White Flower Appeal

Please be a friend to unborn babies and their mothers.  In March 2020 the government used temporary Covid-19 rules to permit home abortion.  Both doses of abortion pills can now be taken at home without medical supervision.  This is very dangerous and traumatic for the mother.  The number of unborn babies killed under the DIY abortion scheme has risen.  Please support our campaign to ask the Prime Minister to stop home abortion in our country by filling in your White Flower postcard.  Thank you.

Deacon John Writes

The readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent concentrate on the approaching death of Jesus which Paul considers a priestly sacrifice and John considers the moment of Jesus’ “exaltation” and “glorification.” We are all offered a challenge by these readings. If we are to achieve our goal of heaven we must stop thinking of ourselves and instead live lives of giving of ourselves to others through our actions. Think for a moment of some everyday events such as lighting a candle – it will emit light from it’s burning wick until all the wax is consumed. Similarly salt does nothing until used in cooking to provide taste. Parents show their love for their children through sacrifice – home schooling during the Covid lockdown has called for a huge effort by parents, often in limited accommodation and trying to balance work with helping and supporting their children. Think of Mother Teresa who gave up her comfortable teaching career, and with just 5 rupees (13p) in her pocket began her challenging life for the “poorest of the poor” in the crowded slums of Calcutta. Let us do the same and think of others. Pick up the phone and call someone who is unable to go out and possibly lonely. Write a letter to someone, perhaps someone living alone or is unwell. Make a difference in the life of someone. 

There is story with the title: “I made a difference for that one.” (Adapted and condensed from “The Star Thrower” – a story by Loren Eiseley (1907-1977), from the book Unexpected Universe): One day, a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going down. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realise there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “See, I made a difference for that one.”  Surely that tells of the power within each one of us to make a difference in the lives of others. 

National Day of Reflection for COVID-19, Tuesday 23rd March 2021

We welcome the designation of Tuesday 23rd March as a National Day of Reflection to mark the anniversary of the first national lockdown with a minute’s silence at midday and doorstep vigils of light at 8pm.  A statement from the Presidency of the Bishops’ Conference can be found below.

Booking of Masses for Holy Week

Booking of Masses for Holy Week:

St Wilfrid’s Church                                                       St George’s Church

Palm Sunday       10.30am                                Palm Sunday                     9am

Holy Thursday                5pm                            Holy Thursday 7pm

Good Friday 3pm Good Friday 3pm

Saturday Easter Vigil 8pm Saturday Easter Vigil 6pm

Easter Sunday 10.30am Easter Sunday 9am

It is essential to book your place at Mass through the parish office on 841504 or email [email protected] for any of the above Masses.  The deadline for booking is Friday 19th March 2021.  We will try and accommodate everyone over this period to the best that we can during this difficult time, and will contact you by telephone or email to confirm your place.

Deacon John Writes

I am sure you all know that this Sunday is Mothering Sunday. Mothers, we honour you this day and every day. We thank you, and we thank God for giving you to us and for endowing you with the spirit of giving, caring, nurturing, loving, and (when necessary) letting go.

There is a prayer which is one you can say at any time, but, it is very appropriate for Mothering Sunday, while quietly giving thanks for your own mother. “God our Mother and Father, rid our hearts and minds of all feelings and attitudes which do not reflect your loving kindness. Bless all mothers. Reward them for their sacrifice and their faithfulness to your image. We thank you for our mothers and for that part of you we have received through them. Finally, we pray that you will never let us forget how much our mothers and wives have given us. We ask this, emboldened by your Holy Spirit, through Christ our Lord. Amen

How Live Simply helps Catholic communities to protect our Common Home while living more fully:

Tuesday, 9 March 11am-12pm

We have reached 85 livesimply awarded communities and there are a similar number of livesimply communities actively working on the Award in spite of the pandemic.
With Maria Elena Arana, livesimply Award Coordinator at CAFOD, Fr Rob Esdaile, parish priest at livesimply parish Our Lady of Lourdes Thames Ditton and Ellen Teague, livesimply Award assessor, learn more about how your parish or school could join us.Register to join us