Dear friends in Christ

When the disciples of Our Lord asked Him to teach them how to pray He responded with the perfect prayer, the Our Father. He utters every word with care. He taught them how to put all their trust in prayer to their Father God. In this He solemnly promised to be attentive to our requests. In our prayer, the first things we should ask of God are spiritual goods - the grace to love Him more each day - to have a real desire for holiness. We should ask God for material goods insofar as they serve to bring us closer to Him. These can include good health, economic well-being, employment and so forth. St Augustine advises us: Pray for temporal goods in private, and rest in the knowledge that they come to us from Him who knows what is best for us. Did you ask and not get what you wanted? Trust in your Father. If it would have been good for you, you would have received it. Before God, you are as much as a little child is before you. All day long, the child cries out so that you will give him a knife to play with. You wisely refuse his plea and pay no attention to his wailing. When the child demands to ride your horse, you won’t let him. The child does not know how to ride, and may get injured or even killed as a result. You deny him in little things so as to preserve more important things. You want the child to grow up safely and possess all his own goods without danger (Sermon 80 2,7-8). This is how the Lord is with us. So many times we are like children who don’t realise what they are asking for; but God always knows what we need better than ourselves.

This weekend six of our young adults are travelling to World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, to be with millions of other Catholic youth from around the world together with Our Holy Father, Pope Francis. We sent them forth last Sunday from Mass accompanied with the prayers of the Parish Family as they go to meet Peter and have their Faith confirmed. May they and all of us enjoy a fruitful and holy Summer vacation! God bless you.

Msgr Kevin Hale