Category: Saint George’s latest news

Have you ever said about something you have been asked to do: ‘What’s the point what difference will it make?’ Well, read the following story think about it, and perhaps take it to your heart!  May we try to bring joy and hope to everyone in need.  Help us to share not only our food and drink but also our joy and compassion.  May we always do what we can, even when we think our efforts add up to so little. One day in the middle of winter a robin and a dove were sheltering from the snow in a fir tree. There had been so much snow that the tree was almost completely covered.  After a while, the robin said to the dove: “Do you know how much a snowflake weighs?” The dove replied: “Almost nothing.” Then the robin said to the dove: “Earlier today, l was sitting on the branch of another fir tree when the snow started to fall. It wasn’t a violent blizzard, just gently falling snow. I had nowhere to go, and nothing better to do, so I decided to count the snowflakes that fell on the twigs and needles of my branch. I had counted up to 3,741,952, and then, when the next snowflake gently landed on the branch, a snowflake that as you say weighs almost nothing the total weight was so much that the branch broke.” Having said that, the robin flew away. The dove thought about this for a while, and then said to herself: “Perhaps there is only one person’s voice lacking for peace to come about in the world.”

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the foodbank team in Hailsham.  The role is part-time (15 hours a week) looking after the operations side of the foodbank.  If you would like to find out more please find the application pack on our website https://hailsham.foodbank.org.uk/news/

News

Saint George’s church is open now for masses to be said, (Weeks of planning had occurred before this went ahead !)

Let’s hope parishioners realise the work by parish teams.  To get the church open again (not as easy as it seems)

Please listen to the ushers then and hope we’ll all keep clear.  Advice and sense should help us all, the VIRUS maybe near!!

So let us thank the volunteers who’ve kept the church on track,  and maybe soon with Gods dear help ,the FAMILY will be back

Rosalie Burke

Poet Laureate Polegate!

Recently we have had several readings from the prophet Jeremiah. On Tuesday he talked about the destruction around him including dead bodies, starving people and sin. We see plenty of this nowadays in the world and like us he weeps but at the same time he does not despair. He turns to God. The psalm on Tuesday when the psalmist sings “O Lord, deliver us” must be our prayer too. We have all seen the news and heard our friends describing one tragedy or sad story from their world. These cause much pain and distress to us and to others and we should all heed Jeremiah’s advice and turn to God. In doing this we are accepting in ourselves our need for God. If we listen we might get a message from Him telling us not to cry tears but instead to carry out some acts of love and kindness to someone in need.

The next day we were reminded in Luke’s story of Martha and Mary to keep things in balance, to play our part in what we do and not look down on those who don’t appear to be doing anything. On Friday we heard of three stories of rejection, which was appropriate for the feast of St.Ignatius of Loyola as he repeatedly told those around him to “find God in all things“ – In beauty as well as in loss and rejection. Let us pray that we will listen to God speaking to us through everything we do and say, thereby speaking His word to all. Next Sunday we hear Paul answer the question “What will separate us from the love of Christ?” The answer is, of course – “Nothing”. The same statement that is, of course, true for everyone – saint and sinner alike – and we must love them all.

With my love for you all.

CAFOD – DEC CORONAVIRUS APPEAL:

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched a nationwide Coronavirus appeal on Tuesday 14 July. CAFOD is an active member of the Committee and are currently giving support to communities in 26 countries with the £1.6 million they have raised so far, to help prevent the spread of the virus and limit the impact of hunger that lockdowns have caused.    The need is immense, particularly in countries where there is conflict and displacement of whole communities. 

If you would like to know more about the response to coronavirus that they are making globally on behalf of the Catholic community please visit https://cafod.org.uk/News/Emergencies-news.

Joke of the Week:

The rich businessman Raymond goes to meet his new son-in-law to be, Ben. He says to Ben, “So, tell me Ben, my boy, what you do?” “I study Theology,” he replies. “But Ben, you are going to marry my daughter! How are going to feed and house her?” “No problem,” says Ben, “I study Theology, and it says God will provide.” “But you will have children! How will you educate them?” asks Raymond. “No problem,” says Ben, “I study Theology, and it says God will provide.” When Raymond returns home, his wife anxiously asks him what Ben is like. “Well,” says Raymond, “he’s a lovely boy. I only just met him, and he already thinks I’m God.”

Some thoughts about life after death by Cardinal Leo Suenens:

“If nothing was to be expected after death, for me life would have lost sense and meaning. I cannot understand either suffering or love if I cannot see both in the light of eternity. Suffering cannot be without meaning. Suffering cannot be just nonsense. Let us imagine a child in the womb of his mother. Let us suppose for a moment that that unborn child should become conscious before birth. What a chaos of impressions that child would have. It would all seem so meaningless. But all that apparent nonsense receives a meaning on the day the little child is born, and sees the sunlight. Then it appears clearly that every moment of his growing was a novitiate for life, preparation for the future.

If life here on earth is a preparation, then I come out of darkness, and see a ray of sunshine in all that happens to me. In the same way, I cannot understand real love without the perspective of eternity. True love involves, in the heart of each of us, that love will last for ever and ever. Every song of love will have some way of expressing that ‘I will love you always’.

But, of course, we wish to have at least a glimpse of that future, and to get some idea about where we go from here.

The question was put to a philosopher when he was dying: ‘what do you feel now?’ His answer was: ‘An immense curiosity.’

I hope my answer will be: ‘An immense confidence in God’s love.’ I meditate very often upon the words of Saint Theresa: ‘in Heaven everybody will smile at each other.’ Think of that. Go into the streets of any city, go to any airport or any railway station, and look for a while at the faces of the people running through those places. Look at the faces. It is so rare to see a smile. Everybody is in a hurry. Everybody is busy with his own business. Nobody has time to really look at each other. We are millions who live in the same city or the same street, but without any human communication.

Life after death, for a Christian, means rest and peace with God, rest and peace with all our brothers and sisters, known and unknown”.

Last Sunday was Fathers’ Day and I found in a little book of daily prayer this prayer for Fathers:

Creator of All Life, as we honour the good, righteous and untiring efforts of fathers, we pray for the men who gave us life and those who served as father figures, extending their love to us. We thank you for fathers who have served as examples of how to live the faith, and we pray also for fathers who have left this earthly life, that they may dwell in heaven with you forever. Amen.  (Terence Hegarty)

The common theme of today’s readings is the work God gives us to do as the followers of Jesus and can be summed up through our love of God and for our brothers and sisters through hospitality, generosity, commitment, and charity.

In the first reading, we see, the welcome given to the prophet Elijah by an elderly, childless woman and her husband who lived in Shunem. Shunem or Shunaam was a small village mentioned in the Bible in the possession of the Tribe of Issachar. It was located near the Jezreel Valley, north of Mount Gilboa. Shunaam is where the Philistines camped when they fought Saul, the first king of Israel. It was the hometown of Abishag, King David’s companion in his old age.

In the Gospel Jesus assures his disciples that whoever shows them hospitality will be blessed. Those who receive Jesus receive the One who sent him. Also, those who help the “little ones,” (believers) and the poor, the sick, and the needy will be amply rewarded. We, as individuals and as a community, should actively look for opportunities to be hospitable.  Maybe hospitality is offered through a kind word to a stranger – or even a smile. A kind smile or a “hello” to someone waiting with us in a supermarket queue may be the only kindness that person encounters all day. We become fully alive as Christians through the generous giving of ourselves. The most important action we can do is that of giving of ourselves to people, first and foremost, in the way we think about them, for from that will flow the ways we speak to them and about them, forgive their failings, encourage them, show them respect, console them, and offer them help. Such generosity reflects warmth radiating from the very love of God.

The following story is adapted from a story found on the Internet at snopes.com. 

The special joy of nature-loving boy Howard Kelly was hiking great distances and studying animals in the wild. On a walking trip, up through Northern Pennsylvania one spring, young Kelly stopped by a small farmhouse for a drink of cool spring water. A little girl answered his knock at the door, and instead of water, she brought him a glass of fresh milk. He thanked her profusely and went on his way. After years of medical studies, he became Dr. Kelly. Dr. Howard Kelly (1858-1943) was a distinguished physician who was one of the four founding doctors of Johns Hopkins, the first medical research university in the U.S. and, arguably, one of the finest hospitals

anywhere. In 1895, he established in that school the department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. Over the course of his career, Doctor Kelly advanced the sciences of gynaecology and surgery, both as a teacher and as a practitioner. Some years later, that same little girl from Northern Pennsylvania who had given him that glass of milk years ago, came to him for an operation. Just before she left for home, fearful of a huge bill, her bill was brought into the room and across its face was written in a bold hand, “Paid in full for one glass of milk.” That was Dr. Kelly’s style of showing gratitude and hospitality. While he charged the rich patients substantial fees, he provided his services free-of-charge to the less fortunate. By his conservative estimate, in 75% of his cases he neither sought nor received a fee. 

The Scriptures this weekend challenge us all to practice hospitality by seeing Christ in others.

It is with joy that we can now consider opening our churches for private, individual prayer.  The hope is that we will be able to welcome parishioners for one hour twice a week, in each of our two churches.  We are working out how we can do this with safety concerns in mind, as it may be months before we can celebrate a public Mass together.

Before we can go ahead and open the churches, we require the authorisation of the Diocese, to do so.  To facilitate this, we need to recruit stewards, or ushers, plus a team of cleaners to clean the church after each session of prayer.  Another requirement from the Diocese is that we provide the names of volunteers to them and they must have a current DBS Check in place.  Protective equipment will be provided, and safety measures put in place to protect us all. Guidelines, safety measures and details of restrictions will be shared with you all. 

You would always be working in pairs and we will always ensure you have full information and support before we open the churches. You would be asked to usher people into the church, help them use the one-way system, sit where allocated, and keep social distancing.

Could you spare an hour a week, perhaps every 2 weeks if we have plenty of volunteers, we are looking at opening one session on a weekday and possibly one on the Sunday afternoon?  There is one stipulation – you need to be under 70 years of age and have no underlying health issues.  

If you fit the above criteria, and are willing to do help as an usher or cleaner or would like more information,  please contact us at [email protected]

Deacon John Writes:

Our Scripture readings for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time challenge us to preach Christ through our words and lives without fear. The first reading relates how the prophet Jeremiah trusted in the power of God while he faced opposition for his prophetic ministry. He was intimidated by attacks upon his character, but he was unafraid to speak out in the name of the Lord. The psalmist trusts in God when he is misunderstood and ill-treated even by his relatives. In the second reading, Paul assures the Christians in Rome that they need not be afraid of opposition both because they share in the death of Jesus and because they are united with Christ, the new Adam, in his Resurrection. 

The Gospel passage is taken from the end of Jesus’ instruction to his disciples as he sends them out to carry on his mission of preaching and healing. He asks them to live simple lives and to expect opposition and rejection. After having foretold future opposition and persecution, Jesus encourages his disciples to stand firm. Three times they are urged, “Do not fear!” “Do not be afraid!” Instead of forgetting their task, they are to proclaim the Gospel boldly, because they will be protected just as Jeremiah was assured of God’s protection. The readings encourage us to persevere in doing the work of Jesus.  They assure us that we will be successful, despite the opposition we encounter.

Baptisms are typically joyous occasions. It’s a day of tremendous possibility and hope – even more so than weddings. A baptism is all about the baby. A new life being welcomed into the church. There is something very specific about the baptism ritual. It is in the words that are spoken. We call it the Trinitarian Formula, which is: I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It’s not considered a valid baptism unless those words are used.

We always begin mass with something that most of us probably take for granted, and hardly think about. We do it so often. It’s the sign of the cross. “In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” It’s not just a casual gesture. It’s not just a sign of our being catholic. It is actually a re-statement of our baptism.

Just think of what that simple gesture means.  We touch our heads for the Father – the one whose mere idea, whose smallest thought, created us. This is where we began, in the mind of God. We touch our hearts for the Son – the one whose love took him to the cross, and the one who taught us, as well, how to love through his own Sacred Heart.

We touch our shoulders for the Holy Spirit – the one who gives us strength, and who carries us on His shoulders and who enables us to be God’s messengers working on earth.

When we make the sign of the cross, and pray the sign of the cross with those words, we make both an offering, and a prayer. Surely as we go through life we attempt to bring that, with our lives and with our actions, to all those we meet. So let us all live in the Light of Christ – to always be drawn to it, and to always strive to give it to others. As Jesus says in the gospel for this weekend: “Do not fear. Do not be afraid.” In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.