Fourth Sunday of Easter

Dear friends in Christ

In 1964, Saint Pope Paul VI initiated Vocations Sunday, which since then we celebrate on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also called Good Shepherd Sunday.  As Catholics and the People of God, we all know that God is calling us and has a plan for each of us. He called each of us by name through our Baptism to holiness. He continues to call and reach out to us each day to be his disciples, some to the married life, some to the priesthood, some to religious life or to life as faithful single people. Everybody is called to something great and noble. Along with the whole Church, let us pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life today. Let us take time to stir the hearts and minds of the people around us to think about their future vocation. The Church constantly invites us to talk and encourage children, young people, grandchildren, students, family members to respond generously to the calling of the Lord. We need good married couples and robust family life. We also need priests who will minster to us and bring us the grace of God in the Sacraments. What can we practically do as ordinary Catholics? I could suggest that we be more generous in the way we pray and encourage our young people in their path of life. Would you consider offering a Rosary once a week for vocations? Offer your Holy Mass once a month for this intention. Make a Holy Hour specifically imploring the Lord of the Harvest for more dedicated priests and nuns. Encourage a young person you might perceive who has a vocation, to offer themselves generously to His service. Above all, let us live fidelity to the vocation that God has given each one of us, in spite of the crosses, trials and disappointments of life. God needs faithful men and women who will witness to the Gospel and the truths of our Catholic Faith. May Christ the True and Good Shepherd, lead us along the ways of goodness and continue to nourish us at the fountains of eternal life.

God bless you and help us persevere in our individual and unique call to holiness!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Third Sunday of Easter

Dear friends in Christ

On this Third Sunday of Easter we hear the Resurrection appearance of Jesus to two disciples on their way to Emmaus. They are filled with fear and apprehension and their conversation is lacking in hope. These men are returning home from the festival of Passover in Jerusalem and they are speaking of Jesus as belonging to the past. These two did indeed know about Christ’s promise of rising on the third day. They had heard that morning the message of the women who had found the empty tomb and the angels. But instead of being filled with optimism, they are downcast and lacking faith. Jesus—at first not recognised—walks by heir side and interprets for them all that has happened, and their minds are then opened and everything falls into place. When we meet with discouragement and when we lack hope because of our defects or the difficulties of life, we have to allow ourselves to be helped by Jesus and tell Him that we do not want to be parted from Him, whatever life puts on our road. In those times, we can say the words—the prayer—of those two disciples: Stay with us, for it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent. And Jesus, who is never very far away, will walk with us too.

This Sunday I welcome to the Parish Monsignor Ante Vidović who is the Deputy Head of Mission at the Apostolic Nunciature in London; he will concelebrate the 11.30am Mass. The Nunciature is the Embassy of the Vatican in Great Britain and has a twofold function of representing the Pope to the church in our country and also representing the Holy See to the Government. May the visit of Msgr Vidović remind us of our strong bonds with the Holy Father in Rome and also our relationship to the greater Universal Church in our land and beyond. In these days Pope Leo is making his apostolic visit to four African nations. So this is also the opportunity to renew our prayers for the Holy Father especially as he has come under attack this week. Preaching in Cameroon on Thursday he proclaimed: Jesus said: “Blessed are the peacemakers but woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”

May God bless our Pope and God bless all of you!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Second Sunday of Easter Divine Mercy

Dear friends in Christ 
The Octave weekend of Easter not only renews the joy of the Resurrection but is also a call to faith—these are the two great virtues of this Easter season. The Gospel tells us of the evening of the Resurrection, which paints the touching picture of the Apostles, gathered together in fear, and uncertain of what will happen next. Jesus comes into their midst through the locked doors, showing that after the Resurrection His Body does not obey the normal laws of physics, but can pass to and fro through places. Jesus asks the same faith of us as he did of the Apostles: You believe because you can see me; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. We must be convincing witnesses of the Resurrection as they were, if we are to make any difference. No one is converted by a weak and vacillating Christianity. Every page of the New Testament, especially the Acts of the Apostles, shows us how the Faith needs to be proclaimed. We are witnessing a great thirst in our world for the Truth at this time. However, the important thing about Christianity is not whether it makes me feel better, or whether it is good for society, but that it is true. As I said in my Easter Homily: The only Christianity that is going to satisfy anyone, is a full-fat supernatural Catholicism.

May I renew my gratitude for all that has happened in Lent in Holy Week. I am deeply conscious of the time parishioners devote to the Parish at these times: especially those involved with the Sacred Liturgy—the most important element of Parish life; I hope you will understand by now that this is what motivates all my pastoral planning. Everything else we do is subordinate to the worship that takes place daily. I am genuinely inspired by the example of so many families and individuals who make their Catholic Faith central to what they are and do. I am grateful for those examples that inspire me in my life.

God bless you this week!
Msgr Kevin Hale

Easter Sunday

Dear friends in Christ 
A blessed and happy Easter to you all!

We have ended our Lenten pilgrimage ready to celebrate the Paschal Mystery. Throughout the forty days of Lent we have accompanied Our Lord in His journey towards Jerusalem where the events of our salvation have been accomplished. Let us now celebrate the next fifty days rejoicing in the faith that the Risen Christ brings.

I thank all those who have helped to make our celebrations in church a time of real meeting with Jesus, and all of you who, by your prayers and good works, had made this time spiritually fulfilling. Many of you contribute to the life of the Parish Family in a quiet consistent way. I thank you all for the help you give in the service of the Church. God reward you all for your generosity.

Our heartfelt prayers and good wishes go to those who are Baptised and Received into the Church this Easter by Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist. Please pray especially for: Robyn Brown, Rosa Frankis, Briady-Rose Keeble, Jacqueline Cosgree, Deborah Luff, Samuel Meredith, Kate Strover, Joseph Smith, Corinne Smith, Jason Bell, Cheryl Hill, Mark Hill, & Carla Dobkin, may God give them perseverance in their vocation in belonging to His Holy Catholic Church.

God grant us all a joyful Eastertide!
Msgr Kevin Hale

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Dear friends in Christ 
We have arrived at the start of holy week—the culmination of the Christian calendar—the goal of our Lenten pilgrimage. We are going to proceed through these days not simply following some historical narrative, but by actually making present those final days and hours in the life of our Divine Saviour which brought about our salvation. We do this by the power of the Holy Spirit working in the Church, the Body of Christ. Please allow me to highlight some of the important moments in the Week ahead so that we may accompany Our Lord well and benefit from what He is doing for us.

At Mass this Palm Sunday we commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem recalling that only days later the crowds are calling for His Death. We listen to the reading of the Passion according to Saint Matthew and take a blessed palm home which is traditionally placed behind a crucifix to remind us of this Week.

On Wednesday at 11am in Brentwood Cathedral the Bishop will celebrate the Mass of Chrism during which he consecrates the Holy Oils that will be used in the Sacraments throughout the coming year. All of the priests present with him will renew their priestly commitment; please pray for us!

Maundy Thursday, during the Mass in the evening, we commemorate the very first Mass, the Last Supper, during which Jesus consecrated His first priests, the priests of the New Testament. This is symbolised by the Mandatum, the washing of the feet of the Apostles, reminding us that at the heart of Priestley consecration is service. At the end of the Mass the Blessed Sacrament is solemnly transferred to an Altar of Repose, imitating the journey of Jesus after the Last Supper into the Garden of Olives where He begins His Passion. We keep watch and pray with Our Lord until midnight.

Good Friday is a day of deep reflection on the suffering and Death of Our Saviour. It should be a day devoid of any frivolity and characterised by our being recollected, as far as is possible. The Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday is at three o’clock in the afternoon, the hour at which Jesus died. During the Liturgy we listen again to the Passion, this time according to Saint John; we process slowly to the Cross which we venerate with deep devotion and we may receive Holy Communion.

Holy Saturday is also a day marked by sobriety. The Mass and Sacraments are not celebrated on Holy Saturday but the Vigil of Easter begins at 8.00pm, after sunset. This includes the blessing of the new fire and Paschal Candle, the Easter proclamation (Exsultet) the Vigil of Readings, Baptismal liturgy and Reception of new converts and the first Mass of Easter. The joy of the Resurrection overflows into the following fifty days of Eastertide.

May we all gain graces from this Holy Week to support our Christian pilgrimage to eternal life. May the Blessed Mother be with us, as she was with Jesus, at every step of this Week, as we experience her own sorrow and offer her our compassion.

Msgr Kevin Hale

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Dear friends in Christ 

We are entering the final and  most solemn part of Lent this weekend. The traditional purple drapes on the crosses and images are a reminder of the solemnity of these days that culminate in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord. The images are veiled because during His Passion, Jesus hid his glory. The solemn unveiling of the cross during the Good Friday Liturgy makes vivid the revelation of Jesus, reigning from the tree, King of the Jews and King of the Universe. The final Gospel reading in the trilogy of these weeks—the raising of Lazarus—is presented as an anticipation of the Resurrection of Christ. Just as Jesus raised His friend from the dead, so by His own power too as God, He will rise from the tomb. The Christian life itself is the spiritual process of dying and rising to life in Christ. We began this at Baptism when symbolically we went into the tomb with Jesus, as Saint Paul says. But through the course of our lives, we go through this dying and rising again. Every time we turn our back on God and commit sin, we die a little; but through the grace given in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, are brought back to life. That is why the early Fathers of the Church speak of these two Sacraments as the two planks of salvation that God extends to us. A really good Lent, and a really good preparation for Easter, will be our reception of the Sacrament of Penance, Confession. There will be ample opportunity throughout Holy Week for this, starting next Sunday, Palm Sunday. Wednesday, 25th March, be will be the Solemnity of the Annunciation of The Lord. By Mary’s acceptance of God’s Will, the Incarnation was possible. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane prays that He can fulfil the Will of His Heavenly Father by drinking the chalice of suffering. May we be similarly docile in living the Will of God for us each day. 

God bless you all!

Msgr Kevin Hale