Dear Friends in christ

What is happening in the elements at this time of year is reflected by the Church in the way we focus on the Last Things. The Gospel of this Sunday reminds us that there will be a Judgment at the end: the Final Judgement and a particular judgement for each one of us. That will be the moment when we render an account of our lives so that we understand the eternity that awaits us. Christian art has often depicted the Final Judgment as very dramatic, with bodies swirling around in the sky and angels blowing their trumpets. All of this has a biblical precedent, as in the Book of the Apocalypse and St Paul to the Thessalonians, which we heard last week at Mass. These images should not alarm us, but rather help prepare us, for that moment. We are going to be judged by the God of infinite mercy and this gives us confidence but also the determination to live our lives in sight of our last end.

Next weekend is the final Sunday of the liturgical year and the feast of Christ the King. Following this we have our annual Solemn Days of Eucharistic Exposition, just before the start of Advent. As we conclude the Centenary Year of our Diocese at this time, it is a moment for us to give great thanks to God for all of the blessings received, not just in the last year, but throughout the entire history of our Diocese. This year for the Forty Hours there will be adoration throughout the night hours of Friday (1st). Please think about giving some time during the night to the adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. I will explain next week how to gain access securely to the church during the night hours if you are able to come along. In the meantime, you might begin to sign-up for Watching before the Blessed Sacrament during those days; the lists are at the back of church. I wish you all a very blessed week ahead!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org