Saturday Christ the King Mass for Olga Lawton RIP Sunday Church open 8.30 — 12 noon Massin Private. For the parish Monday No Mass Tuesday For the parish in private
Wednesday Deceased Parishioners Thursday In Time of Pandemicin private
Friday Private intention Saturday In honour of the Mother of God (for Parish)
5.45 -6.15 Sacrament of Mercy
Sunday First Sunday of Advent Mass for Peter Early in private
Today we are celebrating the Feast of Christ the King. When we think of a king we think of someone who is necessarily very remote from his people and who lords it over them. But Christ is not like that. He lives among us and comes not to dominate us but to serve. The best way we can show our loyalty to him and our love of him is in our service of one another. Jesus is saying to us: “Follow me and share with one another — follow me and forgive one another — Follow me and love one another”.
First reading (Ezekiel 34:11-12,Ezekiel 34:15-17)
The Lord is exasperated by those who were appointed to look after God’s people. They have used their position for their own advantage and neglected their responsibilities. The Lord will take are of the flock from now on. Ezekiel portrays God not so muchof a judge ofhis people, but someone whocares for them as a Good Shepherd cares for his sheep. The promised King will shepherd the people, making sure that none is lost, the wounded are bandaged, the weak are made strong
Second reading (1 Corinthians 15:20-26.28)
Paul looks forward to the coming of Christian glory at the end of time. Christ will reign as universal king, having overcome all hostile forces, including death.
Gospel (Matthew 25:31-46)
We don’t know exactly how the Last Judgement will happen, but we do know what the followers of Jesus will be judged on. The trial scene, set for the end of time, reveals God’s judgement on how we have responded to the needs of our fellow human-beings. He will gather people from all over and present them to the Father. Matthew pictures the finale of creation, and indeed of our lives. This is the event we weare bringing to mind onthis feast of Christ the King
Prayers of the faithful (please click here)
Noreen Henry da Costa and Olga Lawton of our parish died recently. We assure their families of our prayerful support during this sad time.
Reflection
Mother Teresa said: ”Many today are starving for ordinary bread." But there is another sort of hunger - the hunger to be wanted, to be loved, to be recognised. Nakedness too is not just the want of clothes, but also about the loss of dignity, purity, and self-respect. And homelessness is not just the want of a house; there is the homelessness of being rejected, of being unwanted in a throwaway society. The biggest disease in the word today is the feeling of being unwanted and uncared for. The greatest evil in the world is lack of love, the terrible indifference towards one’s neighbour. Lord, warm our hearts with your grace, so that we your disciples my producethe fruits of love
Time for Prayer
More people are praying during Covid even atheists! Here are some tips:
Take the Time. It can be done. Organisation. Routine. Discipline. You can pray in the car or at the bus stop or washing up if all else fails. Many very busy people with demanding jobs and families find time. Eternity is a long time.
Speak with Honesty. People may too often think that prayer is reciting pious words. That's OK but prayer needs to be a conversation between friends. It’s to be open and honest. Oh Lord, what a mess I’ve got myself into. A lady spent a long time with her dying husband in hospital. She came out and started screaming and throwing clots of dirt at a statue of the Sacred Heart in the hospital grounds. They called security but the hospital chaplain comes out and says, “Don't stop her ... she’s praying."
Listen attentively. Most times, God does not talk back directly. But strive to listen, may be with the help of a verse of scripture. Ask yourself what JC may say to whatever question you ask. A message may well come through. It’s not quite right to say, “I’m going to say my prayers”. This isn't supposed to be a oneway conversation!
Sit in Silence. The world is unbearably noisy. In our culture we are constantly stimulating ourselves. But do we sit in silence, eager to hear what God has to say. We seek goodness and truth but silence helps us to focus and to hear God. Try prayer before the Blessed Sacramentor spend an hour reading reflectively the Word of God.
Christ the King We have lots of loyalties and obligations — to our families and friends, those we work for, and those who work for us, our country our union, our political party. Pope Pius XI who instigated this feast to oppose the materialistic philosophies that had come to dominate our world, was saying that we always need something and someone greater than ourselves to whom wecan refer our problems. We can find a right way of living in the person of Christ the King.
Mass Public Masses - we hope - will resume in early December and then each day as usual. At the weekend Mass at 10am Saturday, 6.30pm and then on Sunday at 8.30am and 10am and 11.30am. It has been a cruel learning experience for all of us — our loneliness, our need for other people, our essential fragility and our need to ask, to think, to examine our often broken lives.
Praying? Let us pray to enlarge our capacity to receive the gifts that God wants to give us St Augustin.
God bless you and keep safe and holy.
Fr Martin