Thirteenth Sunday of the Year
Dear friends in Christ
The reading of the Gospel this Sunday of Jesus’ invitation to follow Him co-incides with the celebration of the Apostles Peter & Paul on Wednesday. This is one of the rare Holydays of Obligation that we get to celebrate on a non-Sunday these days, and the reason they are given the honour of a special day is due to the impressive witness of their lives. By their preaching, their missionary efforts and their martyrdoms, they have become the two foundations stones of the Church. Their images look out from the tower of our church and they also stand above the Altar in the sanctuary appearing to support us by their faith and prayers. We pray especially at Mass on Wednesday for the needs of the Universal Church under the patronage of these two Heavenly Princes, and for our Holy Father, Pope Francis that, he will shepherd the Church in the ways of peace and unity. I am happy that Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School will join us for the morning Parish Mass which will be at 9.30am.
Next Sunday is the Annual Parish Meeting and Garden Party which begins at 6.30pm in the Parish Centre. This evening gives us the opportunity to reflect with gratitude on the year that has been, and to look forward to some of the challenges that we face; there will also be something said about the role of the Steward of the Gospel in our Parish and Diocese. The main purpose of having a Garden Party is to express my gratitude to everyone in the Parish who undertakes work, seen or unseen, and to this end I invite everyone involved in the Parish life - either at the centre on on the fringe - to come along next Sunday. God bless you all!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Thirteenth Sunday of the Year
Dear friends in Christ
The reading of the Gospel this Sunday of Jesus’ invitation to follow Him co-incides with the celebration of the Apostles Peter & Paul on Wednesday. This is one of the rare Holydays of Obligation that we get to celebrate on a non-Sunday these days, and the reason they are given the honour of a special day is due to the impressive witness of their lives. By their preaching, their missionary efforts and their martyrdoms, they have become the two foundations stones of the Church. Their images look out from the tower of our church and they also stand above the Altar in the sanctuary appearing to support us by their faith and prayers. We pray especially at Mass on Wednesday for the needs of the Universal Church under the patronage of these two Heavenly Princes, and for our Holy Father, Pope Francis that, he will shepherd the Church in the ways of peace and unity. I am happy that Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School will join us for the morning Parish Mass which will be at 9.30am.
Next Sunday is the Annual Parish Meeting and Garden Party which begins at 6.30pm in the Parish Centre. This evening gives us the opportunity to reflect with gratitude on the year that has been, and to look forward to some of the challenges that we face; there will also be something said about the role of the Steward of the Gospel in our Parish and Diocese. The main purpose of having a Garden Party is to express my gratitude to everyone in the Parish who undertakes work, seen or unseen, and to this end I invite everyone involved in the Parish life - either at the centre on on the fringe - to come along next Sunday. God bless you all!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday 25th Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Eric Major, RIP
5.30pm Vigil Mass Guy Bragard, RIP
Sunday 26th June
8am Mass John James Sullens, RIP
9.30am Mass Deceased relatives of Kevin & Linda Wall
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 27th St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bp, D
9.00am Mass Liz Browne, RIP
Tuesday 28th St Irenaeus, Bp, M
9am Mass Betty Gray, RIP
Wednesday 29th SS PETER & PAUL, App, Holyday of Obligation
9.30am Mass Gareth Lewis, RIP
12Noon Mass The People of the Parish
8.00pm Mass Intentions of Vincent Copeland
Thursday 30th The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
9am Mass Patrick Clarke, RIP (Anniv)
Friday 1st July St Oliver Plunkett, Bp, M
12Noon Mass CWL Intentions
12.30pm Exposition after Mass until
8.00pm Holy Hour &Benediction
Saturday 2nd Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Maureen Regan, RIP
5.30pm Vigil Mass Jim Kelly, RIP
Sunday 3rd July
8am Mass Frank Clancy, RIP
9.30am Mass Patrick Murphy, RIP
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
4.00pm Mass Deceased members of the Fegan Family - Extraordinary Form
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
6.30pm Parish AGM
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday 25th Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Eric Major, RIP
5.30pm Vigil Mass Guy Bragard, RIP
Sunday 26th June
8am Mass John James Sullens, RIP
9.30am Mass Deceased relatives of Kevin & Linda Wall
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 27th St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bp, D
9.00am Mass Liz Browne, RIP
Tuesday 28th St Irenaeus, Bp, M
9am Mass Betty Gray, RIP
Wednesday 29th SS PETER & PAUL, App, Holyday of Obligation
9.30am Mass Gareth Lewis, RIP
12Noon Mass The People of the Parish
8.00pm Mass Intentions of Vincent Copeland
Thursday 30th The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
9am Mass Patrick Clarke, RIP (Anniv)
Friday 1st July St Oliver Plunkett, Bp, M
12Noon Mass CWL Intentions
12.30pm Exposition after Mass until
8.00pm Holy Hour &Benediction
Saturday 2nd Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Maureen Regan, RIP
5.30pm Vigil Mass Jim Kelly, RIP
Sunday 3rd July
8am Mass Frank Clancy, RIP
9.30am Mass Patrick Murphy, RIP
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
4.00pm Mass Deceased members of the Fegan Family - Extraordinary Form
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
6.30pm Parish AGM
Summary of Amoris Laetitia - The Joy of Love:
Chapter eight: “Guiding, discerning and integrating weakness” (291-312)
The eighth chapter is an invitation to mercy and pastoral discernment in situations that do not fully match what the Lord proposes. The Pope uses three very important verbs: guiding, discerning and integrating, which are fundamental in addressing fragile, complex or irregular situations. The chapter has sections on the need for gradualness in pastoral care; the importance of discernment; norms and mitigating circumstances in pastoral discernment; and finally what the Pope calls the “logic of pastoral mercy”.
Chapter eight is very sensitive. In reading it one must remember that “the Church’s task is often like that of a field hospital” (AL 291). Here the Holy Father grapples with the findings of the Synods on controversial issues. He reaffirms what Christian marriage is and adds that “some forms of union radically contradict this ideal, while others realize it in at least a partial and analogous way”. The Church therefore “does not disregard the constructive elements in those situations which do not yet or no longer correspond to her teaching on marriage” (AL 292).
As far as discernment with regard to “irregular” situations is concerned, the Pope states: “There is a need ‘to avoid judgements which do not take into account the complexity of various situations’ and to be attentive, by necessity, to how people experience distress because of their condition’” (AL 296). And he continues: “It is a matter of reaching out to everyone, of needing to help each person find his or her proper way of participating in the ecclesial community, and thus to experience being touched by an ‘unmerited, unconditional and gratuitous’ mercy” (AL 297). And further: “The divorced who have entered a new union, for example, can find themselves in a variety of situations, which should not be pigeonholed or fit into overly rigid classifications leaving no room for a suitable personal and pastoral discernment” (AL 298).
In this line, gathering the observations of many Synod Fathers, the Pope states that “the baptized who are divorced and civilly remarried need to be more fully integrated into Christian communities in the variety of ways possible, while avoiding any occasion of scandal”. “Their participation can be expressed in different ecclesial services… Such persons need to feel not as excommunicated members of the Church, but instead as living members, able to live and grow in the Church… This integration is also needed in the care and Christian upbringing of their children” (AL 299).
In a more general vein, the Pope makes an extremely important statement for understanding the orientation and meaning of the Exhortation: “If we consider the immense variety of concrete situations, … it is understandable that neither the Synod nor this Exhortation could be expected to provide a new set of general rules, canonical in nature and applicable to all cases. What is needed is simply a renewed encouragement to undertake a responsible personal and pastoral discernment of particular cases, one which would recognize that, since ‘the degree of responsibility is not equal in all cases’, the consequences or effects of a rule need not necessarily always be the same” (AL 300). The Pope develops in depth the needs and characteristics of the journey of accompaniment and discernment necessary for profound dialogue between the faithful and their pastors.
For this purpose the Holy Father recalls the Church’s reflection on “mitigating factors and situations” regarding the attribution of responsibility and accountability for actions; and relying on St. Thomas Aquinas, he focuses on the relationship between rules and discernment by stating: “It is true that general rules set forth a good which can never be disregarded or neglected, but in their formulation they cannot provide absolutely for all particular situations. At the same time, it must be said that, precisely for that reason, what is part of a practical discernment in particular circumstances cannot be elevated to the level of a rule” (AL 304).
The last section of the chapter treats “The logic of pastoral mercy”. To avoid misunderstandings, Pope Francis strongly reiterates: “To show understanding in the face of exceptional situations never implies dimming the light of the fuller ideal, or proposing less than what Jesus offers to the human being. Today, more important than the pastoral care of failures is the pastoral effort to strengthen marriages and thus to prevent their breakdown” (AL 307).
The overall sense of the chapter and of the spirit that Pope Francis wishes to impart to the pastoral work of the Church is well summed up in the closing words: “I encourage the faithful who find themselves in complicated situations to speak confidently with their pastors or with other lay people whose lives are committed to the Lord. They may not always encounter in them a confirmation of their own ideas or desires, but they will surely receive some light to help them better understand their situation and discover a path to personal growth. I also encourage the Church’s pastors to listen to them with sensitivity and serenity, with a sincere desire to understand their plight and their point of view, in order to help them live better lives and to recognize their proper place in the Church.” (AL 312).
On the “logic of pastoral mercy”, Pope Francis emphasizes: “At times we find it hard to make room for God’s unconditional love in our pastoral activity. We put so many conditions on mercy that we empty it of its concrete meaning and real significance. That is the worst way of watering down the Gospel” (AL 311).
Cont’d next week …
Baptism Preparation Evenings
The next Baptism Preparation Evenings will take place on Tuesday 5th July and Tuesday 12th July, 2016. Both sessions will begin at 8pm in the Parish Centre. If you would like any further information, please contact either Andy or Catherine Harris on 07742433589 or 07733327295 respectively.
Scripture Group
Fr Con Joyce’s Scripture Group will next meet in the Parish Centre 8pm-9pm on Thursday, 30th June. These meetings are held to give us a better understanding of the Bible, to encourage us to read it and so help us to come closer to Jesus in our daily lives as Christians. All welcome.
Counters & Folders
Counters: Jan Lewis,Sandie Hippard & Nina Bridgeman.
Newsletter Folders: Angie Martin & Joseph Martin.
Parish Fundraising
Thank you to everyone who supports the 200 Club. The results of the May draw are as follows:
1st prize £150 28 Mrs D Langley
2nd Prize £100 146 Miss A J deSouza
3rd Prize £75 84 Mrs E Hall
4th Prize £50 8 Mrs Brenda Regan
5th Prize £25 185 Mr John Kidney
Subscription is £5.00 per month, either by cash, cheque or direct debit. If you would like to join, please fill in a form which can be found at the back of the church or ring Linda Wall on 01702 558217.
Pray for the Dead
Please pray for our dead on their anniversaries:
Fr. Vincent Dutton, Fr Edward Thomas, Audrey Conlon, Angelo Camilleri,
John Callaghan, Brenda Dorey, Alfred Mansell, Kathleen Michael, Mary Wright, Michael Woolcott, Bridget Parsons, Eileen Ketterer, Angela Balcombe,
Doreen Faust, Patricia Larman, Francis Woodward, Sidney Baldwin,
Anthony Gwatkin, Francesco Ciccone, Peter Liddell, Rosemary Conway,
Frank Cope, Claire Mellish & Marie Patricia Kidd.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Twelfth Sunday of the Year
Dear friends in Christ
The liturgy of the Word for this Sunday proclaims the essence of what following Jesus - discipleship - is all about. In the first instance we have to recognise that the Person of Jesus is God, in human flesh. When we make an act of faith in this fact, then the only thing that can logically follow is that we throw-in-our lot with Him. Once the Apostles had acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God, then they can walk with him, even unto death. Faith in Jesus Christ as God is the most precious gift we can have. We could summarise the whole of our Christian lives as: seeking Christ, finding Christ and following Christ and His teachings. Even more, it is modelling our own lives on His. This should be a passion for us so that as we read the Gospels we see how we measure-up to this divine model, especially in His virtues. The only true happiness that is found on earth is in this discipleship which as TS Eliot famously expressed it is: a discipleship costing not less than everything.
On Thursday of this week there will be the much anticipated Referendum on our membership of the European Union. The Church in this country has no official position on how we should vote, although many have expressed personal opinions. Whether our inclination is to Leave or Remain, what is important is that we vote. Part of the duty of the Christian life is to engage with the world around us and influence it by our presence; every voice is important and being part of a democracy means that we can express that voice in concrete ways. So, I would encourage all of you who have a vote to please fulfil your civic responsibility and go along to your local Polling Station! With every good wish and my prayers for you always.
Msgr Kevin Hale
Twelfth Sunday of the Year
Dear friends in Christ
The liturgy of the Word for this Sunday proclaims the essence of what following Jesus - discipleship - is all about. In the first instance we have to recognise that the Person of Jesus is God, in human flesh. When we make an act of faith in this fact, then the only thing that can logically follow is that we throw-in-our lot with Him. Once the Apostles had acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God, then they can walk with him, even unto death. Faith in Jesus Christ as God is the most precious gift we can have. We could summarise the whole of our Christian lives as: seeking Christ, finding Christ and following Christ and His teachings. Even more, it is modelling our own lives on His. This should be a passion for us so that as we read the Gospels we see how we measure-up to this divine model, especially in His virtues. The only true happiness that is found on earth is in this discipleship which as TS Eliot famously expressed it is: a discipleship costing not less than everything.
On Thursday of this week there will be the much anticipated Referendum on our membership of the European Union. The Church in this country has no official position on how we should vote, although many have expressed personal opinions. Whether our inclination is to Leave or Remain, what is important is that we vote. Part of the duty of the Christian life is to engage with the world around us and influence it by our presence; every voice is important and being part of a democracy means that we can express that voice in concrete ways. So, I would encourage all of you who have a vote to please fulfil your civic responsibility and go along to your local Polling Station! With every good wish and my prayers for you always.
Msgr Kevin Hale
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday 18th Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Elpedio& Salis Bonggot & Lopie Andalan, RIP
5.30pm Vigil Mass Albert Shaves & Tony Poulton, RIP
Sunday 19th June
8am Mass Don McGregor, RIP
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish-
Thanksgiving for all First Holy Communicants
11.30am Mass Intentions of Jim Scott
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 20th St Alban, Protomartyr of Britain
9.00am Mass Frank Edgeley, RIP
2.00pm Funeral Service: Richard Charles John Neagle, RIP
Tuesday 21st St Aloysius Gonzaga, Rel
9am Mass Will & Vi Coveney, RIP
Wednesday 22nd SS John Fisher, Bp & Thomas More, MM
9am Mass Tom & Benita Skellon, RIP
Thursday 23rd St Etheldreda (Audrey), Abbess, V
9am Mass Intentions of Josee de Mortier
Friday 24th Nativity of St John the Baptist
12Noon Mass William Armstrong, RIP
Saturday 25th Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Eric Major, RIP
5.30pm Vigil Mass Guy Bragard, RIP
Sunday 26th June
8am Mass John James Sullens, RIP
9.30am Mass Deceased relatives of Kevin & Linda Wall
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday 18th Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Elpedio& Salis Bonggot & Lopie Andalan, RIP
5.30pm Vigil Mass Albert Shaves & Tony Poulton, RIP
Sunday 19th June
8am Mass Don McGregor, RIP
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish-
Thanksgiving for all First Holy Communicants
11.30am Mass Intentions of Jim Scott
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 20th St Alban, Protomartyr of Britain
9.00am Mass Frank Edgeley, RIP
2.00pm Funeral Service: Richard Charles John Neagle, RIP
Tuesday 21st St Aloysius Gonzaga, Rel
9am Mass Will & Vi Coveney, RIP
Wednesday 22nd SS John Fisher, Bp & Thomas More, MM
9am Mass Tom & Benita Skellon, RIP
Thursday 23rd St Etheldreda (Audrey), Abbess, V
9am Mass Intentions of Josee de Mortier
Friday 24th Nativity of St John the Baptist
12Noon Mass William Armstrong, RIP
Saturday 25th Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Eric Major, RIP
5.30pm Vigil Mass Guy Bragard, RIP
Sunday 26th June
8am Mass John James Sullens, RIP
9.30am Mass Deceased relatives of Kevin & Linda Wall
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Steward of the Gospel – Francis O’Brien
Dear Fellow Parishioners, we shall shortly be celebrating, come 2017, the first centenary, the first one hundred years, of our Brentwood Diocese. Thank God, there will be much to celebrate! At the same time, however, we now find ourselves standing on the threshold of the next centenary in which we are called upon once again to proclaim and pass on, as did our forebears, the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Looking to the future, our Bishop is asking each and every one of us, as members of our parish communities, to pause and take stock, to reflect together in a spirit of prayerfulness and take time to discern the road that lies ahead! How shall we best be able to proclaim anew the Joy of the Gospel, both within our own parish and to the world beyond? How shall we ensure the continued provision of the Sacraments to our parish community in the years ahead, anticipating (in so far as we can) the challenges those years might bring? My task as Steward of the Gospel for our parish is to help instigate and lead this period and process of reflection and discernment in cooperation with Father Kevin and the priests of our parish, and very importantly in collaboration with all parishioners as well as with any others who contribute to the life and mission of our parish. Stewards of the Gospel are expected by Bishop Alan to encourage and stimulate discussion amongst parishioners and to be an advocate for their views, suggestions, concerns and ideas such that these might in due course be reflected in the future plans and aspirations of our Diocese. The first stage of the discernment process is one (requested by the Diocese) of drawing up an ‘audit’ of the life of the Parish, its human, material and spiritual resources and what is “going on” here! The intention is to share the ‘picture’ which emerges with parishioners prior to (probably in mid-September) involving them in contributing their thoughts and ideas as to how we might build upon the achievements of the last one hundred years and, placing our trust in the Good Lord, go forth in faith once again to share the good news of the Gospel with fellow parishioners and our fellow citizens! Please take a copy of the ‘Brentwood News’ from the back of the church which features a leading article on this most important Diocesan initiative! I will be in touch again to report progress and, in time, to request your involvement upon which the fruitfulness of this enterprise rests! Thank you!.
Steward of the Gospel – Francis O’Brien
Dear Fellow Parishioners, we shall shortly be celebrating, come 2017, the first centenary, the first one hundred years, of our Brentwood Diocese. Thank God, there will be much to celebrate! At the same time, however, we now find ourselves standing on the threshold of the next centenary in which we are called upon once again to proclaim and pass on, as did our forebears, the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Looking to the future, our Bishop is asking each and every one of us, as members of our parish communities, to pause and take stock, to reflect together in a spirit of prayerfulness and take time to discern the road that lies ahead! How shall we best be able to proclaim anew the Joy of the Gospel, both within our own parish and to the world beyond? How shall we ensure the continued provision of the Sacraments to our parish community in the years ahead, anticipating (in so far as we can) the challenges those years might bring? My task as Steward of the Gospel for our parish is to help instigate and lead this period and process of reflection and discernment in cooperation with Father Kevin and the priests of our parish, and very importantly in collaboration with all parishioners as well as with any others who contribute to the life and mission of our parish. Stewards of the Gospel are expected by Bishop Alan to encourage and stimulate discussion amongst parishioners and to be an advocate for their views, suggestions, concerns and ideas such that these might in due course be reflected in the future plans and aspirations of our Diocese. The first stage of the discernment process is one (requested by the Diocese) of drawing up an ‘audit’ of the life of the Parish, its human, material and spiritual resources and what is “going on” here! The intention is to share the ‘picture’ which emerges with parishioners prior to (probably in mid-September) involving them in contributing their thoughts and ideas as to how we might build upon the achievements of the last one hundred years and, placing our trust in the Good Lord, go forth in faith once again to share the good news of the Gospel with fellow parishioners and our fellow citizens! Please take a copy of the ‘Brentwood News’ from the back of the church which features a leading article on this most important Diocesan initiative! I will be in touch again to report progress and, in time, to request your involvement upon which the fruitfulness of this enterprise rests! Thank you!.