Saturday
6.30pm: Maria Luiza Duayer Silva RIP
Sixth Sunday of Easter PMB 270
8.30am: Debbie Bennett RIP
10am: Sean McCabe Rec Dec
11.30am: Anne Moran RIP
Monday
NO MASS
Tuesday
10am: Anne Gavigan RIP
Wednesday
11am: Requiem Mass Sean McCabe
7.30pm: VIGIL MASS OF THE ASCENSION
Thursday The Ascension
10am: Mary Robinson RIP
Friday
10am: Elizabeth Williams RIP
Saturday
6.30pm: Brian Oldfield RIP
Sunday World Communications Day (collection)
8.30am: Parish
10am: Bridie Coughlan RIP
11.30am: Joseph Carty RIP
Proclaim a joyful sound and let it be heard; proclaim to the ends of the earth; the Lord has freed his people, alleluia.
Love, or charity, has often been described as the primary Christian virtue. If there were any doubt as to why it should be so today's gospel would dispel it. The Father's relationship with Jesus is seen in terms of love. So, too, is Jesus' relationship with his disciples. And it is love which Jesus commands his disciples to have for one another. Saint John puts this demand of Jesus in the context of his supper conversation with his disciples, thus giving it added emphasis Jesus' laying down his life for his friends is presented as the highest expression of love that any human being can have for one another.
First Reading The Christian community is for all, not just Jews, Comelius became a Christian even though not Jewish. God is for all. The Holy Spirit even fell on Comelius before he was baptised. Great things happened in the early Church because the Spirit takes the initiative.
Second Reading We are to love one another because love comes from God. God is love. It's not that he just does lovely things! Loving is the only way we can share in the life of God and really know God
Gospel All about the command to love. We know this makes sense. Love is what we all want, need and cannot do without. Jesus talks about the that binds him to the Father. That same love should bind us to him.
Dear Mission (APF) Box Holders
In 2020 St Gertrude's raised £482.29 substantially down on what you raised on 2019 £851.69. This is understandable because we have felt unable to collect your boxes. We hope later on this year to collect your boxes and empty them. However, you can empty your own box and follow one of the payment methods below: Send a cheque made payable to Missio-Mill Hill, Red Box, 23 Eccleston Square, London SWIV INU. Give online missio.org.uk/redbox. Give via Text Text REDBOXS (to donate £5) or REDBOX 10 TO DONATE E10 TO 70085 By phone Call us on 020 7821 9755 during office ours to donate with credit or debit card. Bank transfer Account Name: Missio Sort Code: 16-00-16: Account Number 10824230. Please pray to continue to pray for our sisters and brothers overseas and all missionaries who share God's Love-they tell us the love they receive from us keeps them going. MISSIO today, tomorrow, together. Peter and Nita Kelley
The Ascension, which is one of the chief feasts of the Church year marks the close of the appearances of Jesus which took place after his resurrection and celebrates hist exaltation to the Father. It is an essential element of the resurrection of the Lord. It is from Heaven that the exalted Christ exercises his power over heaven and earth
Baptism Preparation Please let me know if you re hoping to have a child baptised as we need to arrange a course of preparation. If all goes well, baptisms will be celebrated not earlier than July. Normally we would meet around the Baptism font on Saturday mornings at 9am for some serious input on the meaning of baptism and why it's so fundamental.
Arrangements for the Sacrament of Confirmation
For obvious reasons we are having to re-think the preparation for the Sacrament and the time schedule. I do think that it means waiting a little and getting back into the habit of regular Mass attendance. The restrictions should be eased over the next weeks and I think the confirmandi need to take the decision about re-commencing coming to Mass. There is not hurry about a date but I would offer every encouragement to young people returning to the parish for Sunday Mass
Thinking of becoming a Catholic or have not for some reason been confirmed? I am hoping to start a course of preparation for anybody interested. I'm not sure yet when or how but would like to make contact with those who wish to participate. There has not been a group of converts for a long time and I aim to put this right when possible obviously observing the regulations.
Reflection There is only one failure the failure to love. Lord, open our hearts when they are closed, warm them when they are cold, soften them when they are hard fill them when t they are empty heal them when they are wounded, and mend them when they broken, so that we, your disciples may bear the fruits of love and show real witness in the world. Proclaim a joyful sound let it be heard!
Please fill in the Form for Data Base. Many thanks to those who are helping me so generously with the office/administration/secretarial side of parish life. We are progressing well with the Parish Website and I should be grateful if you have not already filled in the form, either on line or in hard coy to do so as this will really help us get going!
CAFOD We have now raised just about £1,000 for CAFOD Four million children are dying in the Yemen. In the first quarter of 2019, 3.4 million died of hunger. Please help by making a donation. Envelopes available back of church and near Easter garden.. You can make a CAFOD donation any time. All candle money will be going to CAFOD.
