Dear Friends in christ
This weekend we have the opportunity to celebrate The Mystery of Faith - The Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi - and to do so as a Parish Family. All of the children of God today gather, kneel, adore and walk with Our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament. We celebrate the fact that we have a God who has not remained distant, but Who has come close to his Faithful. As we gather for Mass this weekend, let us offer profound thanksgivings for this great Love of God, made concrete for us. As we kneel at Mass and at Benediction, let us adore the God who lives in Heaven but also lives among men on earth; as we walk in the Eucharistic procession let us remember that our God accompanies us along all of the paths of earth, leading us to the Eternal Banquet. The Mystery of this day is summarised by St Thomas Aquinas in the antiphon at Vespers this Sunday: O Sacred Banquet in which Chits is received; the memory of His Passion is renewed the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of future glory is given to us!
This weekend I commend to your generosity the Fund for the Sick and Retired Clergy of our Diocese. When a priest has to retire or becomes infirm, this Fund is often a main source of support. We have 11 priests living in retirement at the moment and they each receive a Grant from the Fund annually, which provides subsistence support according to their needs. We all know the cost of living and priests in retirement, as those in active service, depend on the charity of their people. Thank you for all your generosity to this Fund in the past.
God bless you!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org