Dear friends in Christ
The first reading and Gospel of this Sunday speak of salvation in terms of a splendid banquet. God invites us, but as a gracious Host, never coerces us. It is an invitation to intimacy so that we can share in the divine life of God Himself. We hear in the Gospel of the serious consequences of rejecting the invitation by making lame excuses. St Augustine exclaims: Help us, Lord, to disown our vain excuses. We want to attend the banquet…Don’t allow our pride or sensuality or attachment to idle curiosity to get in the way of our attendance. Make sure that we show up…Who, after all, is going to be there? Beggars, the sick, the crippled, the blind…we will arrive as the poor people that we are. We have been invited by the wealthy One who became poor for our sake, thereby enriching the poverty of the poor. We will come as sick people, since we need the Divine Doctor to cure our ills (Sermon 112.8).
These weeks and months continue to be a challenge for us in the way we have had to adjust in our personal, family, social and professional lives. We have also struggled in our Parishes to keep Faith alive with ever more creative ways of continuing the rhythm of prayer. I appreciate that there are very many of you who are still anxious about mingling with others, and many of you for health reasons need to self-shield. The numbers coming to Mass continue to be encouraging but it would be good to see those of you whom I have not seen since last March! Our parishes are COVID-safe and whether we attend on a weekday or a Sunday, what is really important, especially during the crisis of this pandemic, is that we are nourished and strengthened by the grace of the Lord in His Sacraments. Also by the witness of the Parish Family coming together around Jesus in the Eucharist. Attending online has been a huge bonus but it is not the same as actually participating in the Liturgy with our brothers and sisters and receiving Holy Communion. Online is not the same as ‘inline’ and being there in person. It’s not the same as actually receiving Jesus in Holy Communion together with the other members of the worshipping community. We still do require Stewards for helping before Masses and for cleaning the benches afterwards. Thank-you to everyone who has given of their time and effort generously for this work, but we could do with some more volunteers; just go to the website and click the ‘volunteer’ button!
This Sunday evening I shall be Confirming the group of our young adults who should have been Confirmed at Pentecost. Please pray for them and their Sponsors, that by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, they may continue in fidelity to Jesus Christ and His Church throughout their lives. Also for our First Communicants and their families, as during this month we are celebrating those Masses each Saturday morning.
Do continue to rely on the power of the Holy Rosary, especially in this month of October: as families and as individuals we should be praying for the many needs we have at the moment and for the protection of Mary over us in these fraught days. May Almighty God bless you all!
Msgr Kevin Hale