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Fr Rory Writes

Our destination:  When God’s glory is revealed, then our joy will be full.  This is the true hope that is within us.  Now we are on a daily journey with the prayer Jesus left us “give us this day our daily bread”.  As we continue to live our lives with the virus having a major impact, it is important that we are careful even cautious, as we respond to the guidelines that are given.  But we must also be positive and hopeful placing proper trust and confidence in God’s providence.  I am deeply aware of the injury and damage that has been done to mental health and the barriers placed to compassion.  Please God, a return to the sacraments, especially to the mass, and events that support our community will now be positive. 

The celebration of First Holy Communions, Reconciliation and Confirmation have been moments like a silver lining on the clouds.  A profound witness has been lighting of baptismal candles.  It is the expression of faith “this light has been entrusted to you to be kept burning bright, your child has been enlightened by Christ to walk in the light of Christ”.  The occasional request to celebrate marriage and baptism our hope that the life of faith will go on.  Initial suggestion, meetings, outings for meals are beginning to take place.  I have organised that I have regular testing for the coronavirus and I am willing to visit, and to respond to requests and to encourage and encourage us to return to life as a parish community.  Suggestions for house masses, special prayers for healing, rosary and devotions or just a special hello, how are you after this time? and any other suggestions that might be helpful after this time.

CCRS

CCRS – The Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) is beginning again in our Diocese this September. The course is designed for teachers in Catholic schools, for Catechists and for anyone who would like to grow in understanding as they live their Catholic faith.  The CCRS offers a very flexible and accessible way of learning, it includes some online content and is made up of eight modules: six core and two specialist modules. Each module involves ten hours of course time and an assignment.  For more information or to register your place please contact our Formation Adviser

New Colour and Shape Website launch! Mass resources for families

NEW Colour and Shape website launch! Mass resources for families.

Colour and Shape developed over the pandemic providing a weekly video liturgy for families to use at home during lockdown. This video – Connect Sunday – has now changed into a new shorter format, along with a set of accompanying resources on a brand new website. Head over to www.colourandshapeonline.com to check out the resources reflecting on the Sunday Gospel each week, plus links to Spotify playlists, ideas on how to pray together as a family, and information on how to join the online community supporting families.   

The Open Cloister at Worth Abbey

The Open Cloister @ Worth Abbey:

Desert Wisdom: the power of thoughts – Online Day Retreat led by David Clayton & Michael Woodward

Saturday 24th July 2021.  10am-4:30pm

Evagrius (b.345) is honoured as ‘one of the most important names’: come & see why his teaching lives. . . To book your place online go to www.worth.co.uk/retreats/online-retreats For further information email [email protected]

St George’s First Communion Breakfast

St George’s First Communion Breakfast: This will be held on Sunday July 25th after mass.   All the children will enjoy a party breakfast together for this occasion with our three First Communion Candidates attending in their communion outfits and receiving their certificates at Mass that morning.

The First Communion Mass for three St George’s Children

The First Communion Mass for three St George’s Children took place on Sunday 27th June, it was a wonderful occasion enjoyed by all those who attended in person and from afar by watching it on the livestream.  The service is still available to watch by going to the online mass recordings on our website, www.saintsgeorgeandwilfrid.co.uk/online-masses-and-recordings/.  Being able to livestream was so important to the families, especially at this time as it enabled family and friends in India and Catalan to be at the celebration mass.

During the mass the children had their Baptism candles relit and passed on to them by their fathers to show how they are now taking forward the light of Christ within them

Our thanks go to all who made this such a special occasion: Father Rory for his spiritual leadership of the families, children and their catechists in the preparation for the sacrament;  the Catechists Mary Burbage, Marie and Cathy for teaching and preparing the children over many weeks; Mary Lou, Shirley and Anne who all sang beautifully bringing this special ministry back into our church once more; Thomas and Alen who took time to prepare in advance and manage on the day the great responsibility of filming the service ensuring the sound quality was the best we could achieve with minimal equipment; Cathy, Trevor and Anne who decorated the church with ribbons, bunting and lovely floral displays; and off course everyone who offered good wishes and prayed for our children and their families at this special time.

CAFOD

Thanks for your support, CAFOD has been helping communities around the world cope with the pandemic.  Just in Zambia, in the past year, our reports show we’ve been able to reach 1,234,200 people with messages on COVID-19, provide 13,312 people with access to safe water, train 392 frontline health workers from Zambia’s 11 dioceses on how to prepare and respond to COVID-19 in their local communities and donate over 1000 handwashing hygiene stations in communities to support handwashing measures. Thank you for standing alongside people in Zambia and for supporting people in more than 30 other countries worldwide.

Deacon John Writes

Fr Rory has written above about two characteristics of living:- journeying and telling stories. Someone wrote this story about Mother Teresa in Time Magazine in answer to the question “Are we poor?” She was asked about the materialism of the West. “The more you have, the more you are occupied,” she contends. “But the less you have the freer you are. Poverty for us is a freedom. It is a joyful freedom. There is no television here, no this, no that. This is the only fan in the whole house…and it is for the guests. But we are happy. “I find the rich poorer,” she continues. “Sometimes they are lonelier inside…The hunger for love is much more difficult to fill than the hunger for bread…The real poor know what joy is.” When asked about her plans for the future, she replied, “I just take one day. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not come. We have only today to love Jesus.” Is there anyone in this area as rich as Mother Teresa? The Gospel for this Sunday contains a story with which we can identify ourselves. It is the story of Jesus’ rejection by fellow-townsmen and is a story that has happened to most of us. We might have experienced the pain of rejection caused by hurts, wounds, betrayal, divorce, abandonment, violated trust, trauma, neglect, or abuse in its various forms. What about rejection by those closest to us? Often our friends, families, or childhood companions fail to listen to, and refuse to accept, the love and encouragement that we offer to them, because they are so familiar with us as we were that they are unable to see us as God’s appointed instruments, the agents of God’s healing and saving grace. 

There is another side to this story which we should think about. How often do we discount God’s agents through prejudice? How often do we fail to see God’s image in them because of our own hardheartedness?  We must realise that God’s power is always available to transform even the most unlikely people.

Let us acknowledge the prophets of God’s goodness around us. God is always  present giving us his message through our nearest and dearest and all we meet. Since God uses them as His prophets to convey His message to us, it is our duty to acknowledge and honour them. Let us express our appreciation today for our families – spouses for each other, parents and children for each other. Remember to say “thank you” for any act of kindness offered to us. We can all act as God’s messengers of love and light to those around us. At the same time we should recognise God’s presence in our lives through His words in the Bible and through the advice, help and examples of others.