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This Sunday we are encouraged as to how we are to live in our daily lives to ensure that we take life, joy and hope to all we meet.

Further we are told to share our Christian life by watching what we say, especially about others. We must avoid gossip and rash judgments about others. It is made obvious that we should leave all judgment to God and practise mercy and forgiveness, remembering the advice of saints: “When you point one finger of accusation at another, three of your fingers point at you.” Let us pay attention to the Jewish rabbi’s advice: “He who judges others favourably will be judged favourably by God.”

Some food for thought: C.S. Lewis wrote, “There is someone I love, even though I don’t approve of what he does. There is someone I accept, though some of his thoughts and actions revolt me. There is someone I forgive, though he hurts the people I love the most. That person is me.”

Finally I offer you this bit of humour: There’s the story of the conscientious wife who tried very hard to please her ultra-critical husband but failed regularly. He always seemed the most cantankerous at breakfast. If the eggs were scrambled, he wanted them poached; if the eggs were poached, he wanted them scrambled. One morning, with what she thought was a stroke of genius, the wife poached one egg and scrambled the other and placed the plate before him. Anxiously she awaited what surely this time would be his unqualified approval. He peered down at the plate and snorted, “Can’t you do anything right, woman? You’ve scrambled the wrong one!”

First and foremost, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

I am profoundly grateful to our parish team for leading our response to Pope Francis request for a Synod.  In life there are occasional moments of great grace.  For me, number one was Pope John 23rd and his call for the Second Vatican Council, and now Pope Francis with his call for a Synod.

As the team presents us with the response from our parish, we are presented with two most important opportunities.  Lent; this special season which always brings back to my thoughts one of my first parish priests, Mgr Tim Rice, with his statement “Lent means Spring”, and because he was a great enthusiast for the 2nd Vatican Council, he always used it as a focus for a particular theme from this Vatican Council with the awareness that Spring is a time of new life “lambs in the field” and growth.

Because Lent has sprung upon us, and the implications of where we are in response to the virus, we have no great plan in place.   The other side is “it is a window of opportunity” and because our team has offered to spring into this window, I am confident that this is what is best for us.  I will also consult with Deacon John on how to make the best use of this great season.

If you have any spare shoe boxes, please leave them at the back of the church in St. George’s, so they can be covered for the end of the year.  Thank you to those who have already donated boxes!

The Universe Catholic Weekly is thrilled to announce that we have launched our new online newspaper with the full support of our first subscriber, none other than His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols.  Order your Digital 4 weeks FREE trial supply by calling Michelle on 0743 661 7650 or email: [email protected]

Churches Together, Polegate Willingdon and Jevington – The Life Christian Centreat 6 Oldfield Road, Willingdon Eastbourne BN20 9QE, will be meeting every Wednesday at 2.00pm, for refreshments, whilst relaxing and chatting.  All are welcome!

There is a planned ‘Men’s way of the Cross’ Friday 3rd March. It will begin at 9pm with adoration and confession, mass at 10pm at Christ the King and then the way of the cross across Beachy Head. It will take most of the night and we are expected to return at about 5am for a hearty breakfast. 

All St Wilfrid’s and St George’s parishioners who are seeking the Sacrament of  Confirmation (and parents if candidate 14 – 16) are invited to attend an information meeting and first session at St George’s hall on Sunday 6th March 4pm – 6pm. The parish Confirmation programme will run for 11 weeks and prepare all candidates for the Deanery Confirmations being held in late May. A programme information leaflet is available at church today, or for more information contact Sandra on 07791627368 or email [email protected]

During Lent we are asking our children and families to raise money for Tiny Tickers.  1 in 125 babies is born with a serious heart condition. Tiny Tickers helps to fund oximetry monitors in maternity wards.  Early detection of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) is key to saving lives.  Our local NHS Trust has committed to having these monitors and all funds raised by our children will go to help this happen.  Please support our children in their efforts through your prayers and donations.

Two key dates for fundraising are;

· Sunday 20th March – Cake Sale and Raffle after mass in St George’s Hall

· Sunday April 3rd 12noon – Sponsored Parish Walk from Jevington to Alfriston (Reserve day 10th April)

A “webinar” with Bishop Richard, Wednesday 9 March at 7.30pm.

      Hopefully you all know that a two-year synodal process is taking place across the Catholic Church and our Parish has already sent its responses to the Diocese. That was the first stage.
The second stage is for Bishop Richard to prayerfully engage with the responses submitted and to discern, with the help of the Holy Spirit, how he will compile this into a document to be sent to the Bishops Conference of England and Wales for the next step in the  journey.                                                                                                                                           It was decided that, in the spirit of dialogue, it is really important for participants to hear what is being forwarded onto the national level, and have the opportunity to provide feedback.
To enable this to happen, the Diocese will be hosting a live webinar, where Bishop Richard will present the document. This will be     recorded for those unable to attend at the time.

If you would like to watch the live webinar then you should register your interest by visiting the Diocesan website https://www.abdiocese.org.uk/synod and click on the words indicated.

The readings next weekend, Feb 20th, really do challenge us. First off is the “golden rule”. In everyday language this rule is “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Stop being selfish and really listen to what others need and to be sensitive to the feelings of others. This is what is called love in the “golden rule”. The second challenge is to love unconditionally in our relationships with others. The third and last challenge is to forgive unconditionally – no seeking revenge or retaliation for anything that has happened – instead look for the good in others and encourage and support others in their need.

We all know how easy it is to forget how God has worked in our lives. Just think for a moment of your memories, each of which will tell a story of God at work in you.

There are several stories of forgiveness in the real world, including these three which concern two presidents of the United States and a truck driver. When President Gerald Ford granted former President Richard Nixon “a free, full and absolute pardon” for his participation and perjury in the “Watergate” scandal, many considered Ford’s decision to be an act of weakness. In 1977, when President Jimmy Carter offered amnesty to those who, during the Vietnamese War, had avoided being conscripted, he was criticised for not enforcing the law. Both men, one a Republican, the other a Democrat, “took the heat”, as it were, because neither was motivated by partisan politics or the pressure of public opinion. Each had chosen to go beyond the limits of strict justice in order to exercise a mercy that was dictated, not by law, but by a conscience formed on Gospel principles. During the race riots in Los Angeles, in the aftermath of the Rodney King incident, a truck driver named Reginald Denny was pulled from his vehicle and severely beaten with a brick. When the case went to trial in 1993, Denny stunned the courtroom with his offer of forgiveness to those who had almost killed him. Later Denny said that only by forgiving the perpetrators of the crime against him had he been able to put the event behind him and move on.

Finally on a lighter note I offer you this: There’s a story told of a husband and wife both of whom were doctors – one a Doctor of Theology and the other a Doctor of Medicine. When their doorbell was rung and the maid answered, the inquirer would often ask for “the doctor”. The maid’s interesting reply was: “Do you want the one who preaches or the one who practices?