Bulletin Archive 2013 – 2024

STATIONS OF THE CROSS DURING LENT: WEDNESDAY 6:30pm and FRIDAY 6:30pm

+ FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
Sunday 10th March 2024

“LAETARE” (“Rejoice”) SUNDAY

TODAY we are invited to REJOICE, because the coming celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection (the Paschal Mystery) is fast approaching. May our rejoicing energise us to use this second half of Lent as well as we can to prepare for Easter.

MOTHERING SUNDAY: today we pray for all mothers in their mothering. To be a mother is one of the greatest of lives – to conceive and bear a child, and mothering the child to maturity. What an awesome responsibility. Our Lady Mother of Jesus, is the model: Let us invoke her help for all mothers.

THE NATIONAL NOVENA TO ST JOSEPH: will take place from 10th – 18th March 2024 at St Joseph’s Church in Maidenhead. Details at: www.millhillmissionaries.com/novena. You are welcome to send in your petitions and/or to request a Novena prayer booklet. Email novenamhm@gmail.com

THE NOVENA WILL BE RECITED AFTER MASS IN OUR PARISH FROM 10th – 18th MARCH.  NOVENA LEAFLETS WILL BE AVAILABLE.

THE FEAST OF JOSEPH: Monday 19th March

SAINTS & MARTYRS: A series of DVD presentations Monday evenings at 6.45pm, in the Parish Room. This Monday 11th March, we explore the life of St Thomas More.

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+ THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Sunday 3rd March 2024

THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE

TODAY’S GOSPEL tells of Our Lord driving out the money changers and those who sold birds and animals for sacrifice.
We are to learn that:
• the Temple sacrifices have come to an end because Jesus Himself is now God fully present among us, and His one perfect sacrifice on Calvary effects our reconciliation with God and one another
• after the Resurrection the Church is His Mystical Body on earth —  belonging to Jesus and His Church are two sides of the same coin.
• our churches are to be places of prayer. Authentic worship and prayer are means to let God transform us and enable us live better each day.
• Jesus wants to cleanse us of our sin but this cannot happen until we enthrone Him, so that He reigns fully in our life. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is our most powerful weapon to effect this.
• The Ten Commandments teach us ten ways of loving, so they are an excellent way to help us examine our life and prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We should know the Ten Commandments by heart! Do we?

OUR ARCHBISHOP, CARDINAL VINCENT NICHOLS, has asked us to keep this Friday 8th March as a special focus of prayer for the Holy Land. So our time of Adoration (5-5:50pm), our public Rosary (5:30pm), our Mass and then Stations of the Cross will all be offered for that intention. Please do come and participate in whatever is possible for you.

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+ SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
Sunday 25th February 2024

Inspirational Quotes for The Lenten Season

1. “Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.” — Pope Francis

2. “Are you capable of risking your life for someone? Do it for Christ.” — Pope St John Paul II

3. “As Lent is the time for greater love, listen to Jesus’ thirst…’Repent and believe’ Jesus tells us. What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart. What are we to believe? Jesus thirsts even now, in your heart and in the poor — He knows your weakness. He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you.” — St Teresa of Calcutta

4.  “Prayer is where the action is.” — John Wesley

5. “The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.” — Pope St. Gregory the Great

6. “Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and in this way to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what path we must take in life…” – Pope Benedict XVI

7. “Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ; discipline your body; do not pamper yourself, but love fasting.” — Saint Benedict

8. “Lent is like a long ‘retreat’ during which we can turn back into ourselves and listen to the voice of God, in order to defeat the temptations of the Evil One. It is a period of spiritual ‘combat’ which we must experience alongside Jesus, not with pride and presumption, but using the arms of faith: prayer, listening to the word of God and penance. In this way we will be able to celebrate Easter in truth, ready to renew the promises of our Baptism.” — Pope Benedict XVI

THE SECOND SYNOD on SYNODALITY: towards October 2024.
Our Archbishop, Cardinal Vincent Nichols is inviting us to assemble as a parish to consider the following four questions.
Q.1: How do we witness as a Parish and proclaim our faith to:
those who have never heard of Christ;
those who have ceased walking with Christ;
those with whom we worship Christ (those who go to church)?
Q.2: How should we organise ourselves as a Parish to do this more effectively?
Q.3: What concrete steps/formation opportunities would help us begin to witness and proclaim our faith more effectively?
Q.4: What structures may need to change? How might we need to develop the way we are organised currently?

We shall do this on Monday evening at 6.45pm, as part of our Lenten celebration of Saints. If you cannot be present, do please let me know your views or email your responses to the Parish office. Fr David Barnes, Rector

CAFOD FAMILY FAST DAY APPEAL TODAY: This Lent, your donations to CAFOD’s Family Fast Day appeal will help hardworking people like James the fisherman in Liberia with resources, tools and training to feed their families. Give today using the envelope or online at www.cafod.org.uk To watch James’ inspiring story please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFWxJpczass

SAINTS & MARTYRS: A series of DVD presentations Monday evenings at 6.45pm, in the Parish Room.
26th February St John Henry Newman
4th March St Ann Line and the Martyrs of Lincoln’s Inn Fields
11th March St Thomas More

+ FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Sunday 18th February 2024
In these 40 days of Lent we seek to identify with Our Lord’s experience in the desert and so come to understand and love Him better.
It was the Holy Spirit who led Him into the desert, and we shall only keep a good Lent in so far as we keep asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. Our Lord was tempted by the Devil, and, if we are intent on following Our Lord, so shall we be tempted — to give up, to make the things of this world (food, drink, possessions, status and money) the treasures of our heart. This is why we must emphasise the disciplines of Lent:  PRAYER, FASTING and ALMSGIVING.
Practising these liberates us from our self-centredness and self-indulgence. We need always to ask the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the help of the angels, just as Our Lord experienced this in the desert. There is the wonderful prayer to St Michael the Archangel to keep us from the influence of the Devil and bad spirits.

THE SECOND SYNOD on SYNODALITY: towards October 2024.
Our Archbishop, Cardinal Vincent Nichols is inviting us to assemble as a parish to consider the following four questions.
Q.1: How do we witness as a Parish and proclaim our faith to:
those who have never heard of Christ;
those who have ceased walking with Christ;
those with whom we worship Christ (those who go to church)?
Q.2: How should we organise ourselves as a Parish to do this more effectively?
Q.3: What concrete steps/formation opportunities would help us begin to witness and proclaim our faith more effectively?
Q.4: What structures may need to change? How might we need to develop the way we are organised currently?

We shall do this over the next two Monday evenings at 6.45pm, as part of our Lenten celebration of Saints. If you cannot be present, do please let me know your views or (best!) email your responses to the Parish office.
Fr David Barnes, Rector

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6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 11th February 2024

POPE FRANCIS MESSAGE for XXXII WORLD DAY OF THE SICK

“It is not good that man should be alone”.

Healing the Sick by Healing Relationships.

TODAY is the 32nd WORLD DAY OF THE SICK. Pope Francis writes:
Brothers and sisters, the first form of care needed in any illness is compassionate and loving closeness. To care for the sick thus means above all to care for their relationships, all of them: with God, with others – family members, friends, healthcare workers – , with creation and with themselves. Can this be done? Yes, it can be done and all of us are called to ensure that it happens. Let us look to the icon of the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10:25-37), to his ability to slow down and draw near to another person, to the tender love with which he cares for the wounds of a suffering brother.
Let us remember this central truth in life: we came into the world because someone welcomed us; we were made for love; and we are called to communion and fraternity. This aspect of our lives is what sustains us, above all at times of illness and vulnerability. It is also the first therapy that we must all adopt in order to heal the diseases of the society in which we live.
To those of you who experience illness, whether temporary or chronic, I would say this: Do not be ashamed of your longing for closeness and tenderness! Do not conceal it, and never think that you are a burden on others. The condition of the sick urges all of us to step back from the hectic pace of our lives in order to rediscover ourselves.
The sick, the vulnerable and the poor are at the heart of the Church; they must also be at the heart of our human concern and pastoral attention. May we never forget this! And let us commend ourselves to Mary Most Holy, Health of the Sick, that she may intercede for us and help us to be artisans of closeness and fraternal relationships.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 10 January 2024 FRANCIS

To read the full message please visit: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/sick/documents/20240110-giornata-malato.html

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5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 4th February 2024

CHILDREN’S LITURGY

OUR CHILDREN are among our greatest treasures, and as a parish family we must therefore ask ourselves “How is this lived in our parish?”

THE MASS is the heart of parish life: it is our means of union with God through communion with Christ. The Mass is God—with— us. That is why Mass, at least on Sundays, is such an essential. To rob ourselves or our children of Sunday Mass is to rob ourselves of our greatest good .

THE CHILDREN’S LITURGY is a good way of making the Word of God more accessible to our children. We have an excellent history of Children’s Liturgy in this parish. This Sunday and every Sunday we shall have a Children’s Liturgy at the 10:00am Mass, led by Marthe and Antoine Danzin.

WE ALL have a responsibility to treasure and support our children —first by our prayers, by supporting our altar servers and children’s choir, and the children’s day trips and theatre visits. I am especially grateful to our school, St Joseph’s Macklin Street, for all they do in forming our children in the Catholic Faith. Frequent prayers for our school too please. My sincere thanks also to Mr Brian Stalker who is preparing our children for First Holy Communion.  

Do please let me know of other ways we can develop our love and care of our children.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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4th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 28th January 2024

TODAY is RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY.

Bishop Paul McAleenan, Lead Bishop for Racial Justice, message for Racial Justice Sunday:

Hello. My name is Bishop Paul McAleenan. The theme of Racial Justice Sunday in England and Wales in 2024 is ‘Seeing one another in the life of the Church’. There are different ways that the theme could be approached. I would like to suggest one particular way.

In the history of the Church, there have been those who looked at the society in which they lived, and responded to what they saw. They looked, made a decision based on what they saw, and acted. Alert and sensitive as they were to the commandments of Christ, when they saw justice being denied to someone because of their racial origin or colour, they were prompted to act. Their actions of opposing racism, promoting equality and justice, became their life’s work. Following this path, sometimes they encountered hostility, rejection, and attempts to overturn what they were doing.

However, they persevered and became instruments of change, agents of progress, and some are acknowledged as saints of the Church. There are many, many saints in the Church. Each is different. Each chose to follow a particular aspect of the person of Jesus.

Some saw Jesus as a teacher and devoted their lives to teaching. Some followed Jesus as one who loved the sick, and opened hospices and hospitals. Others saw Jesus as the friend of the poor and gave witness to that. Among the saints are those who remembered the words of Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right. They shall be satisfied.” And then they spent their lives working that everyone would be treated justly, with fairness and without discrimination.

For Racial Justice Sunday this year, can I suggest that you explore the lives of those great men and women – those who devoted their lives to the pursuit of racial justice, those who emulated God’s passion for justice, which we read about in the scriptures.

They will inspire us, teach us, and make us sensitive to the importance of racial justice and why we work for it. May we too, like them, see one another in the life of the Church.         Bishop Paul McAleenan

A PRAYER FOR RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY
Come, Holy Spirit, show us your beauty,
reflected in all the peoples of the earth,
so that we may discover anew
that all are important and all are necessary,
different faces of the one humanity
that God so loves.
Amen.

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3rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 21st January 2024

SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD

POPE FRANCIS has made this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (today!) an opportunity to deepen our devotion to the celebration, study and spread of the Word of God.

“Devoting a specific Sunday of the liturgical year to the Word of God can enable the Church to experience anew how the risen Lord opens up for us the treasury of his word and enables us to proclaim its unfathomable riches before the world.” Pope Francis

THE SACRED SCRIPTURES (the Bible) are the inspired Word of God. God speaks to us in a particular way when we read them with faith and love. Like Our Lady we need to ponder them and treasure them in our heart.

St Paul writes: “All Scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for:
1. Teaching
2. Refuting error
3. Guiding people’s lives
4. Teaching them to be holy

This is how the person who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work” (2 Timothy 3:16,17)

READ THE SCRIPTURES therefore every day, even if only a few verses. We should feast on them more than food and drink!

RESOLUTION: decide today to be committed to reading the Sacred Scriptures every day.
1. Give the Bible a special place of prominence in your house. Hold it with reverence. The priest kisses the Gospel after proclaiming it at Mass: we do well also to kiss the Bible as we use it.
2. If we are beginning again, why not start with St Mark’s Gospel, a clear and simple presentation of what Jesus said and did?

Or, the First Letter of John, a beautiful presentation of how to come back to God with all our heart.

WHATEVER WE DECIDE, DO SOMETHING!
Every Blessing,
Fr David Barnes, Rector

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2nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 14th January 2024

POPE FRANCIS’s – MESSAGE ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND PEACE.
There are the fundamental concerns that Pope Francis raised when he announced his theme for the World Day of Peace: the need to be vigilant that a “logic of violence and discrimination” doesn’t take root in the development of AI at the expense of the most fragile and excluded; that the advancement of AI does not fuel injustice and inequality and therefore conflict, and, of course, that AI is developed so that it serves humanity and the protection of our common home. It is a theme we will need to keep returning to. To read the message in full, visit: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/20231208-messaggio-57giornatamondiale-pace2024.html

PRAYER FOR PEACE
God our creator and sustainer,
We thank you for the gifts of creativity you have given us, for the ability to explore science and understand your creation.
We ask your forgiveness for the times we have used science for evil and not for good, for war and not for peace.
Make us vigilant as we develop technology, that violence and discrimination may not take root,
that injustice and inequality will not be fuelled, that the poor and vulnerable will not pay the cost.
May all that we create contribute to peace and justice. Amen

PAX CHRISTI (PEACE SUNDAY): TODAY 14th Jan 2024. “The work of Pax Christi is based on the Gospel & inspired by faith. Their vision is of a world where people can live in peace, without fear of violence in all its forms. Please use the following link: https://paxchristi.org.uk/about-us/support-us/donation/

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
18th – 25th January. We pray each day for the reunion of all Christians.  The theme this year is “You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbour as yourself” (Lk 10:27).

PRAYER
Lord, give us the grace to know you deeply, in order to love you entirely.
May the gift of your Holy Spirit enable our eyes, ears and minds to receive the unconditional love with which you love us.
Purify our hearts that we may always be ready to love our neighbour, however different, as ourselves.
Through the self-giving life of Christ our Lord. Amen.

QUESTIONS
Personal: How do you see yourself? How do you think God sees you?
Local: Does God’s view of you change your view of those around you?
Global: How does God’s view of you change how you respond to the news?

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THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
Sunday 7th January 2024

THE EPIPHANY 

TODAY we celebrate the Epiphany. In the coming of the Kings/the Magi, we see that all real power and wisdom are found in the person of Jesus —  He is the Power and the Wisdom of God personified.
The Kings/Magi fall on their knees and worship Him: we too must imitate them, falling on our knees and worshipping Him — only then are we better disposed to recognse who He really is.
The Feast of the Epiphany was the day I was ordained priest — now 48 years ago! On my ordination prayer card I put a prayer written by a saint who has influenced me greatly throughout my adult life: St Ignatius Loyola (1491— 1556)
I put the prayer here again, and encourage you to say it regularly. Pray for me too, please, as I do for you.

Dearest Jesus,
teach me to be generous; teach me to serve You as You deserve;
to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for any reward
save that of knowing I am doing Your Will.

TOMORROW (Monday) we celebrate Our Lord’s baptism by his cousin John the Baptist….

Our Lord is revealed as divine, the Son of God. Our Lord commissions the apostles to go out into the whole world and baptise people everywhere in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

To be baptised means we are immersed into the life of the Blessed Trinity, so we can share God’s life. In baptism God places us in His Son and we become a son or daughter of God: when God looks on us He sees us as a son or daughter because we are in God’s Son. This is all pure gift, a grace of God. We could not do this ourselves: God does it for us.

God wants to share His Life with us, and for us to share our life with Him. Baptism initiates this relationship. Today, thank God for the Sacrament of Baptism, and pray we shall all live our friendship with God more devotedly. 

POPE FRANCIS ONCE ASKED: “If I were to ask you today, “which of you knows the exact date of your baptism?” I do not think there would be too many hands raised…. Yet, it is the day on which we were saved, it is the day on which we became children of God. Now, those who do not know it should ask their godparents, their dad, their mom, an uncle, an aunt: “When was I baptised”? And that day should be remembered each year: it is the day on which we became children of God”.
Fr David Barnes, Parish Priest

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4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT
24th DECEMBER 2023

THIS FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT is our final day of preparing the way for the Lord to celebrate the Nativity of Our Saviour. It is a time to renew our hope and expectation: God is always faithful to His promises. The fourth CANDLE on our Advent wreath is seen as the MARY candle because the Nativity is the consequence of Mary’s YES to God — her FIAT (let it be done……).
This week we should, together with Mary, ponder the wonderful thing God has done for us in the Incarnation.
How does it touch us, move us?
How do we want to respond to it?
How do I see my “YES” to God? Is it whole hearted? As we ponder this we shall be moved to confess our sins —- all of which express our NO to God: every sin is a “no-no” to God.
A good confession is the best way to find a truly Happy Christmas, when we prepare the way for Our Lord to be born again in our heart , where we can treasure Him, adore Him, and love Him, like the shepherds.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the God-given means of making the way for Him to enter us—so do go to confession.
“Mary Immaculate, my Mother, keep me close to you, at one with you, so that I may imitate your wholehearted Yes to God.” Fr David Barnes, Rector

This will be the last bulletin of the year – MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT  
17th December 2023
 

GAUDETE SUNDAY

 “REJOICE” SUNDAY (from Latin “Gaudete”) is the name given to this Third Sunday of Advent. We rejoice because of the coming celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord, born in the manger in Bethlehem.
We rejoice not only because He is “Emmanuel” (God with us), but because His coming (or advent) is the proof of God’s love for us: he has come to share His life completely with us. This is re-confirmed every time we receive Holy Communion.
Like Mary His Mother we have the privilege of holding Him and treasuring Him in our heart. Go to Mary, asking Her how we can hold and treasure Him better, more devotedly, more tenderly.
Pope Francis teaches us that the Church should be a “House of Joy”. Our parish and families will be “a House of Joy” in so far as we recognise that the infant in the crib is truly God fully among us. To help us ponder this please ensure that the CRIB has a central place in your home. Let us gather around the crib to pray as a family.
Our joy is the fruit of our faith, God’s gift for our “Yes” to God. REJOICE!
Fr David Barnes, Rector

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2nd SUNDAY ADVENT
10th December 2023
 

BIBLE SUNDAY 2023
THIS SUNDAY (ADVENT 2) is sometimes called BIBLE SUNDAY: We pray for a deeper love of the Sacred Scriptures.
St Jerome lived during the 4th century of the Church. A man of brilliant mind, he lived as a hermit for years, in order to deal with his many sins. However, God needed his intellect and gift of language; thus St. Jerome is credited with translating the Scriptures into Latin,  known as the Vulgate.
St. Jerome famously said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” That thought alone should send us all scurrying for our Bibles! So, why should Catholics make regular Scripture reading and study part of their daily lives?
1) It is the living Word of God. There are many ancient texts in the history of the world. Many of us, in high school and college, read The Iliad, I Ching, and the Tao de Ching. They are all worthy of study, but what sets the Bible apart? It is the living Word of God. It has no equal, and it is as relevant today as it was when Jerome labored over its translation. Further, the Word of God is Christ: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. (Jn. 1:1 ) Thus, every encounter with Scripture is an encounter with Christ.
2) Sunday isn’t enough. Indeed, the Mass is full of Scripture. We hear the Word proclaimed from the Old and New Testaments, the Psalms, and the Gospel. We hear the Word sung in our hymns. The prayers at Mass are full of Scriptural quotes and references. And yet … it’s not enough. It’s easy to miss parts of the Word as it’s proclaimed as Mass: we get distracted, the Word is not proclaimed well, we don’t quite hear it. In order to prepare well for Mass, we should “read ahead:” find the readings for Mass and read them prior to Mass. How are they connected? What is God’s message for His people today?
3) God’s Word keeps us grounded. It is very easy, in the midst of our sloppy, busy, stress-filled days, to lose touch with who we are: God’s children. Taking time to read Scripture every day keeps us grounded, reminds us of who we are. Reading Scripture helps us to recall, every day, that Christ is with us – even in the sloppiness, the busy-ness, the stress.
4) Scripture reminds us of God’s covenant. God made a promise to our forefathers in faith, the Jews. He told them, “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” Even though the Jews (like us!) did many things that should have destroyed that covenant, God’s promise is eternal. A covenant is unbreakable, because it is God’s truth. Then, with the coming of Christ, we received a new covenant: “This is My Body and this is My Blood. Whoever eats and drinks of it shall have eternal life.” The Bible, from start to finish, is the story of God’s unbreakable promise to us. That’s pretty important.
5) Reading Scripture helps us to pray better. Every one of us needs to pray better. Prayer is our lifeline to God. Scripture can help us to pray better. We see ourselves reflected in the sorrow, pain and faithfulness of Job. We understand Jonah’s reluctance to do the job God has set before him. We rejoice, laugh, cry and challenge God with the psalmist. We understand the shame of the woman about to be stoned. We tremble with fear, abandoning Christ, just as most of the Apostles did when He most needed them. To enter into God’s word helps us to see, hear, feel and understand basic human responses … and then do better. We rise above our fears, our sorrows, our shame, because we know God is with us. Always. He never abandons us. Scripture is the story of God’s eternal love and faithfulness.

St. Jerome knew all this. He spent his life carefully and faithfully translating God’s word. He did it not because it was yet another text that smart people wanted to read in their own language. No, he understood that Scripture is the living word of God, as relevant to us as it was to the Jews in their many triumphs and struggles, as it was to the earliest Christians during St. Jerome’s life, and now, in a world where we have so much information at our fingertips it would make St. Jerome’s head spin. But there is no website, no book, no podcast, no Facebook post that equals God’s word. Do not be ignorant of this word, lest you be ignorant of Christ.

 THE ADVENT WREATH: The Advent wreath helps us reflect on how God has come to us. The circle of the wreath is a symbol of both the eternity of God and our being called to eternal life. The evergreen foliage symbolises on-going life, while the holly and the red berries symbolise that the child in the manger is also the one who will suffer and die for us on the Cross. The five candles too have meanings. The outer candles are purple and one pink – the four weeks of Advent: purple is a sign that Advent is “little Lent”, a time for prayer, fasting, repentance and conversion. The pink candle is for “Gaudete Sunday”, the third Sunday in Advent, reminding us to rejoice in the coming of the Saviour. The white candle symbolises Christ, the Light of the World. The coming of the Light (Christ) into the darkness of the world is a constant theme in Advent, and the gradual lighting of the Advent candles reminds us of this. Various meanings are given to each specific candle -here is one set of meaning:

1st CANDLE- (purple) THE PROPHECY CANDLE or CANDLE OF HOPE-We can have hope because God is faithful and will keep the promises made to us. Our hope comes from God. (Romans 15:12-13)

2nd CANDLE- (purple) THE BETHLEHEM CANDLE or THE CANDLE OF PREPARATION– God kept his promise of a Saviour who would be born in Bethlehem. Preparation means to “get ready”. Help us to be ready to welcome YOU, O GOD! (Luke 3:4-6)

3rd CANDLE- (pink) THE SHEPHERD CANDLE or THE CANDLE OF JOY – The angles sang a message of JOY! (Luke 2:7-15)

4th CANDLE- (purple) THE ANGEL CANDLE or THE CANDLE OF LOVEThe angels announced the good news of a Saviour. God sent his only Son to earth to save us, because he loves us! (John 3:16-17)

5th CANDLE- (white) “CHRIST CANDLE” -The white candle reminds us that Jesus is the spotless lamb of God, sent to wash away our sins! His birth was for his death, his death was for our birth! (John 1:29)

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 
3rd December 2023

ADVENT 

TODAY, Sunday, the great season of Advent begins. The word comes from the Latin verb “advenire” meaning “to come to:” so Advent calls us to ponder Our Lord’s THREE “comings to us”.
 the Incarnation when “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” ie. Our Lord’s Nativity in Bethlehem.
 Our Lord’s daily coming to us in the Holy Mass.
 the Second Coming, when “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead”. 

ADVENT is sometimes called “Little Lent” because it is properly a time of prayer, fasting and good works, a time of repentance. This is why purple is the colour of Advent. Do your best to keep Advent in this way, even though secular society  is making merry around us, the celebration of Christmas begins with the Vigil of Christmas, and is celebrated for the 12 days that lead up to the Epiphany on 6th January.

THE ADVENT WREATH, with the build-up of lighting the candles, reminds us of the coming of Our Lord into this world in His Nativity– He is “the Light of the World” who dispels the darkness of the world.

ADVENT is a time of HOPE as we come understand better that God is always faithful to His promises.

OUR LADY “believed that the promises made her by the Lord would be fulfilled:” We pray that we may have faith like hers, and invoke her powerful intercession.
Fr David Barnes, Rector

FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION is this Friday 8th December: Our Lady is conceived free from every stain of sin. Mass at 6:00pm

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OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,
KING OF THE UNIVERSE  

26th November 2023

CHRIST THE KING

TODAY is the Grand Finale of the Church’s year. On this final Sunday, our celebration focuses on Our Lord through whom the Kingdom of God comes. Our Lord taught constantly about the Kingdom of God: the Kingdom comes through the Church, founded by Christ and with which He is totally identified in every way apart from our sin. The Church is the sign and seed of the Kingdom, and through the Church we are called to let Christ reign in every area of our life. The more we co-operate with Him, the more the Kingdom comes.

TODAY also focuses us also on our young people. The Theme for this year is “Stand up. I appoint you as a witness of what you have seen. (cf.Acts26:16)” In our parish we have many, and we should thank God for them and pray for them. On this “Youth Day” we should reflect carefully on what we are doing to help form our young people. How can we strengthen the life of faith in our homes? How can we help our school, St. Joseph’s, Macklin Street, which is developing wonderfully through the present leadership? I am concerned about our adolescents: how can we support them better? Do let me know your ideas. Pope Francis speaking to young people says:

“God loves us the way we are, and no sin, fault or mistake of ours makes him change his mind. As far as Jesus is concerned – as the Gospel shows – no one is unworthy of, or far from, his thoughts. No one is insignificant. He loves all of us with a special love; for him all of us are important: you are important! God counts on you for what you are, not for what you possess. In his eyes the clothes you wear or the kind of cell phone you use are of absolutely no concern. He doesn’t care whether you are stylish or not; he cares about you! In his eyes, you are precious, and your value is inestimable.”

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33rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 
19th November 2023

WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

TODAY is World Day of the Poor: ‘Do not turn your face away’
As the Church prepares to celebrate the World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis urges everyone to work toward providing free healthcare, medical examinations, vaccinations, and bill payment assistance to those in need.
“Do not look away from the poor” (Tobit 4,7), is the theme for the 2023 World Day for the Poor.
Pope Francis begins his message for the Day by stressing that
“a great river of poverty is traversing our cities and swelling to the point of overflowing; it seems to overwhelm us, so great are the needs of our brothers and sisters who plead for our help, support and solidarity.”
“We are living,” he continues, “in times that are not particularly sensitive to the needs of the poor. The pressure to adopt an affluent lifestyle increases, while the voices of those dwelling in poverty tend to go unheard.”
To read the full message, please visit: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/poveri/documents/20230613-messaggio-vii-giornatamondiale-poveri-2023.html

WORLD DAY OF THE POOR PRAYER
Loving God,
Open our ears to hear you in the cry of those living in poverty.
Open our eyes to see you in the lives of the oppressed.
Open our hearts to meet you in others and to respond with mercy and compassion.
Pour out on us your grace, so that we may grow as your faithful people, always seeking your kingdom of Truth, Justice and Peace.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen. 

WEDNESDAY 22nd NOVEMBER IS THE FEAST OF ST CECILIA OUR CO-PATRON: Sung Mass at 6pm.

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32nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
12th November 2023

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY marks Remembrance Sunday which marks the end of the First World War. On this day we remember all those who gave their lives for their country, all who suffered and died through acts of war and those who were left behind to grieve and mourn.

PRAYER OF REMEMBRANCE
O God, merciful and strong,
who crush wars and cast down the proud,
be pleased to banish violence swiftly from our midst and to wipe away all tears,
so that we may all truly deserve to be called your children.
Amen

NOVEMBER DEAD LIST: Envelopes are available at the back of the church for the Month of Holy Souls. Please hand in to the Sacristy or with the collection at Mass.
Thank you.

CATHOLIC PUBLICATIONS: Since we no long stock the Catholic magazines and newspapers here, you can buy subscriptions online for both digital and paper copies, please use the following links:
THE TABLET: https://checkout.thetablet.co.uk/singleitem?item=TAB&prom=XMASLP23
THE CATHOLIC HERALD: https://catholicherald.co.uk/subscriptions/
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSE: https://universecatholicweekly.co.uk/product-category/subscriptions/
THE CATHOLIC POST: https://www.catholicpost.co.uk/

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31st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME  
5th November 2023

SICK & RETIRED PRIESTS’ FUND

Our retiring collection today will be in support of the Sick & Retired Priests’ Fund.

Most priests offer their resignation as a parish priest at the age of 75, but many continue to serve their communities, working in our parishes, schools, hospitals and chaplaincies. We must ensure no priest is worried about meeting essential costs during their senior years and, as such, Cardinal Nichols and the Diocese of Westminster are committed to ensuring that no retired or sick priest is left without support. Last year, the Diocese provided care to 82 retired priests, at a cost of £850,000.

By giving a gift to the Sick & Retired Priests’ Fund today, you can help us to ensure all of our sick and retired priests are cared for at their time of need. The fund is used to meet essential costs, like making a flat accessible to a disabled priest, or that a priest has regular visits from a carer after undergoing surgery.

If you took an envelope last weekend, please place it in the collection bag today. If you do not have an envelope, there are some available at the back of the church. The envelopes & posters feature a ‘QR Code’ that you can scan with a phone camera to give online. Please consider filling out a standing order form, meaning you become a Patron and make a regular gift to support our sick & retired priests. You can fill this form out either on the envelope or via one of the Patron’s programme leaflets. By assuring income to the fund, the Diocese can plan its continued care for our retired & sick priests. Thank you for your generosity & please remember to pray for our clergy, in active ministry, retired or ill.

NOVEMBER — MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS
Pope Francis on praying for the souls in purgatory: “Even now we experience a communion between the Church on earth and the Church in heaven through our union with those who have died. The souls in heaven assist us with their prayers, while we assist the souls in purgatory through our good works, prayer and participation in the Eucharist. As members of the Church then, the distinction is not between who has died and who is living, but rather who is in Christ and who is not …
There is a deep and indissoluble bond between those who are still pilgrims in this world — us — and those who have crossed the threshold of death and entered eternity. All baptized persons here on earth, the souls in Purgatory and all the blessed who are already in Paradise make one great Family. This communion between earth and heaven is realized especially in intercessory prayer”.
See Also: https://www.cathdal.org/home/ten-ways-to-pray-for-the-holy-souls-in-purgatory
1.Pray the Novena to the Holy Souls by St. Alphonsus Liguori.
2.Offer up your Holy Communions for the souls in purgatory.
3.Have Masses said for your departed loved ones, especially on the anniversary of his or her death.
4.Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for the intention of the Holy Souls.
5.Eucharistic Adoration: visit the Blessed Sacrament to make acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on behalf of those in purgatory.
6.Sacrifices: practice small acts of self-denial throughout your day & offer these penances up for the poor souls.
7.Give alms: The giving of material assistance to the poor has always been considered a penance that can be offered for the Holy Souls. “For almsgiving saves from death, and purges all sin” (Tobit 12:9).
8.Ask for the intercession of saints who were known to be great friends of the Holy Souls during their lifetime to join you in prayer for the faithful departed: St. Nicholas of Tolentino, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Catherine of Genoa, St. Padre Pio, St. Philip Neri, St. John Macías, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Joseph, Our Lady, and others.
9.When passing by a cemetery: Pray the short Eternal Rest prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let the perpetual light shine upon them. And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
10.Pray to earn indulgences for the holy souls:  On all the days from November 1 to November 8, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed (standard requirements for indulgences apply*). Partial indulgences are granted to those who recite Lauds or Vespers of the Office of the Dead, and to those who recite the prayer, “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace”

ETERNAL REST
Lord, this month we pray especially for the departed loved ones.
We ask you to give them the gift of a dwelling place in your eternal home.
We pray too for those who have no one to pray for them.
Through your infinite mercy may they share in the company of the saints to offer you eternal praise and glory. Amen

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30th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 
29th October 2023

TUESDAY 31st October:
Vigil Mass 6pm
WEDNESDAY: 1st November FEAST OF ALL SAINTS
Mass at 12:30pm and 6pm

THURSDAY 2nd November: FEAST OF ALL SOULS
Mass at 12:30pm & 6pm

SICK & RETIRED PRIESTS’ FUND COLLECTION

NEXT WEEKEND is the annual collection for sick and retired priests in the Diocese of Westminster. Last year, the Diocese of Westminster provided care to 82 retired priests, at a cost of £850,000. The number of our priests over the age of 65 is steadily increasing, and caring for our brother priests in their senior years, or at a time of illness, is a fundamental part of the mission of our diocese.  Whilst we work with the NHS and local authorities to ensure funding gaps are met, we still rely heavily on the generosity of parishioners who contribute to this worthy fund each year.

Therefore, I would like to ask for your help once again as we draw close to this year’s annual appeal for our Sick & Retired Priests.   

The priests in our Diocese, although retired, continue to serve long into their late seventies and eighties.  They continue to work in our parishes and schools, visit our sick or elderly in hospices, and hospitals, and make themselves available, at our time of crisis and need.  We continue to depend on them, in times of grief and sorrow, but also at times of joy, such as baptisms and weddings.  They, however, are also dependent on us, and our generosity, for their care, and for essentials like housing, rent or any health needs.

By giving to the Sick & Retired Priests’ Fund, next week, you can ensure these needs are met.  If you can, please take a donation envelope, and return it next weekend.  Alternatively, you can scan the QR code, either on the envelopes or posters at the back of the church and give online.

Finally, if you feel you would like to give to the SRP fund on a more regular basis, please do consider joining our Patron’s Programme.  You can give as little or as much as you can via a monthly standing order, and this assured income helps the Diocese plan its continued care for our retired and sick priests.  Leaflets about the Patron’s Programme are also available at the back of the Church with the donation envelopes.  Thank you so much and please continue to pray for all our clergy: active, retired or ill.

CHILDRENS LITURGY: Every Sunday at 10am Mass. Children from Reception to year 2 included are welcome to attend. Parents are welcome to accompany their child/ren to the Parish Room and can then come up to the main church.

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FIRE EVACUATION NOTIFICATION: today there will be a brief instruction regarding the Fire Evacuation Plan after each Mass. Please speak to Stephen Ogilby for further information or to volunteer.

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PAUL – FROM TARSUS TO THE WORLD: A seven part film telling the story of St Paul according to the record of his activities found in the Acts of the Apostles and his letters. Monday evening’s at 6.45pm in the Parish Room.

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29th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
22nd October 2023

‘HEARTS ON FIRE, FEET ON THE MOVE’

TODAY is WORLD MISSION SUNDAY. World Mission Sunday is being celebrated in every Catholic parish around the world today! It supports missionaries who work alongside communities that are poor or in need, regardless of their background or belief. By supporting Missio, the Pope’s charity for world mission, you will help missionaries like Sr Mary who has given her whole life to bring the love and hope of Jesus to situations of extreme poverty and injustice. Please pray for the mission of the Church throughout the world and give what you can to this very important collection which will sustain the future of our Church. Please call 020 7821 9755 (office hours) or visit Missio’s website to give a single gift, set up a Direct Debit and Gift Aid your donation if possible: www.missio.org.uk

PRAYER FOR THE FIRE OF FAITH
God of faith, Your son commanded us to go out and make disciples of all nations.
His Apostles set out on foot: their hearts ablaze with the fire of your Good News.
Today, missionaries continue this work, igniting your love and hope wherever there is hardship, darkness and fear.
We pray that we too will find the courage to join this great mission, in the ways that you call each one of us, and be messengers of love to all we meet.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

FIRE EVACUATION NOTIFICATION: today there will be a brief instruction regarding the Fire Evacuation Plan after each Mass. Please speak to Stephen Ogilby for further information or to volunteer.

PAUL – FROM TARSUS TO THE WORLD: A seven part film telling the story of St Paul according to the record of his activities found in the Acts of the Apostles and his letters. Monday evening’s beginning 23rd October at 6.45pm in the Parish Room.

Monday 23rd Oct: A Light from Heaven
Monday 30th Oct: Barnabas: “A Good Man”
Monday 6th Nov: We bring you Good News,
Monday 13th Nov: Strengthening the Churches
Monday 20th Nov: Do not be afraid – Continue to speak,
Monday 27th Nov: I appeal to Caesar • I have finished the race.

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28th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
15th October 2023

‘HEARTS ON FIRE, FEET ON THE MOVE’

Next Sunday is WORLD MISSION SUNDAY, when the Holy Father invites all Catholics to contribute to a special collection for Missio, his charity for world mission. Please support Missio in helping missionaries to work alongside communities throughout the world that are poor or in need, regardless of their background or belief. Join in on this special day, that unites Catholics all over the world in prayer and celebration of our Church’s mission to share God’s love with all people. Please call 020 7821 9755 (office hours) or visit Missio’s website to give a single gift, set up a Direct Debit and

Gift Aid your donation if possible: www.missio.org.uk There will be a retiring collection at all masses.

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27th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
8th October 2023

CAFOD: Family Fast Day appeal – Harvest Collection

TODAY is the Harvest Collection Appeal. Dr Nasha’s mobile medical clinic gets life-saving help to where it’s needed most, fast – so when her team arrived in Meera’s village in Pakistan after it had been destroyed by flooding, Meera rushed to the clinic to get her children the treatment they needed. Donate to CAFOD today so that more families can get the expert help they need. Please return your envelope in church or give online at www.cafod.org.uk   

HARVEST PRAYER
Generous God, we thank you for the gifts you have given for all people to share.
Sometimes things go wrong.
Floods wash away homes and crops.
Living God, move us to help one another in times of need,
to care for the earth and love one another sharing your harvest with all.
Amen.

TODAY is also PRISONERS’ SUNDAY: Prisoners’ Sunday is a time to think about how we as individuals, as a Church and as communities are serving those affected by imprisonment. Prisoners, people with convictions, and their children and families often find themselves on the margins of our society. Yet Jesus challenges us with His words: “I was in prison and you came to me”.
Pact draws on the values of our faith: dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity. We believe that everyone can make a fresh start whatever they may have done. To donate please visit: https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/donate/prisoners-sunday-appeal

PRISONERS SUNDAY PRAYER
Lord, you offer freedom to all people. We pray for those in prison.
Break the bonds of fear and isolation that exist.
Support with your love prisoners and their families and friends, prison staff and all who care.
Heal those who have been wounded by the actions of others, especially the victims of crime.
Help us to forgive one another, to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly together with Christ, in his strength and in his Spirit, now and every day.
Amen

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26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
1st October 2023

OCTOBER: Month of the HOLY ROSARY
THIS OCTOBER I am asking all of you to renew and deepen your love of the ROSARY this October. When we pray the Rosary we are pondering and walking through the wonderful things that God has done for us, together with Mary our Mother. Do please always have a Rosary with you, in your pocket. At different times of the day hold it with faith and love, so uniting ourselves to Jesus and Mary. These quotes from recent Popes will encourage us:
“The Rosary is a prayer that always accompanies me; it is also the prayer of the ordinary people and the saints… it is a prayer from my heart.” Pope Francis
“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God…and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.” Pope Saint Pius X
“How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening!” St. John Paul II
“The Rosary is a prayer both so humble and simple and a theologically rich in Biblical content. I beg you to pray it.” St. John Paul II
“The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.” Pope Leo XIII
Mary, Queen of the most holy Rosary, Pray for us.
Fr David Barnes, Rector

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25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
24th September 2023

THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM

TODAY is also our VERY FIRST PROCESSION of OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM around Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Following 10am Mass.

Our Procession proclaims:

  1. 1. GOD was made flesh and dwelt among us: Jesus is both Son of God and Son of Mary, and He is “Emmanuel” (God with us).

Mary said “YES” (Fiat) to God’s invitation to be become the Mother of the Lord. God had faith in Her, honoured Her and trusted Her, and therefore so do we.

  1. 2. Mary believed that the promises made to Her by the Lord would be fulfilled. We ask for that same faith.
  2. 3. Mary was the first and greatest disciple of Jesus. We pray that we may imitate Her fidelity, and witness to Her as the greatest model of faithfulness.
  3. 4. On the Cross Our Lord Jesus gave Her to us as our Mother: in this Procession we proudly proclaim and honour Her as our Mother who teaches us to do whatever Our Lord Jesus tells us.
  4. 5. In the procession we should reflect, carefully, and prayerfully, on what we are doing. We should desist from personal conversations, and rather pray for those in the park and those who pass by.

Remember Pope Francis tells us to remember always that we are “missionary disciples”. So let us be joyful and prayerful throughout the procession. 

The Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham, in North Norfolk, was established in 1061 when, according to the text of the Pynson Ballad (c 1485), Richeldis de Faverches prayed that she might undertake some special work in honour of Our Lady. In answer to her prayer, the Virgin Mary led her in spirit to Nazareth, showed her the house where the Annunciation occurred, and asked her to build a replica in Walsingham to serve as a perpetual memorial of the Annunciation.

This Holy House was built and a religious community took charge of the foundation. Although we have very little historical material from this period, we know that with papal approval the Augustinian Canons built a Priory (c 1150). Walsingham became one of the greatest Shrines in Medieval Christendom.

In 1538, the Reformation caused the Priory property to be handed over to the King’s Commissioners and it is said the famous statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was taken to London and burnt. Nothing remains today of the original shrine, but its site is marked on the lawn in “The Abbey Grounds” in the village. After the destruction of the Shrine, Walsingham ceased to be a place of pilgrimage. Devotion was necessarily in secret until after Catholic Emancipation (1829) when public expressions of faith were allowed.

In 1896 Charlotte Pearson Boyd purchased the 14th century Slipper Chapel, the last of the wayside chapels en-route to Walsingham, and restored it for Catholic use. In 1897 by rescript of Pope Leo XIII, the sanctuary of Our Lady of Walsingham was restored with the building of a Holy House as the

Lady Chapel of the Catholic Church of the Annunciation, King’s Lynn. The Guild of Our Lady of Ransom brought the first public pilgrimage to Walsingham on 20th August 1897. Visits to the Slipper Chapel became more frequent, and as the years passed devotion and the number of pilgrimages increased.

SLIPPER CHAPEL: In the Middle Ages Walsingham was one of the four great shrines of Christendom with pilgrims coming from all parts of the known world. There were wayside chapels along the pilgrim route and the Slipper Chapel was the last and most important of these. Pilgrims stopped here to go to Mass and to confess their sins before walking the last mile to the Holy House in Walsingham. The name of the chapel may come from the fact that pilgrims removed their shoes to walk the last mile or it may come from the word “slype” meaning a way through or “something in between”, the slype or slip chapel standing as it did between the Holy land of Walsingham and the rest of England.

In 1538 the Shrine and Priory were destroyed and the Slipper Chapel, although not damaged, passed into disuse. It was used successively as a poor house, a forge a barn and even a cow byre. Stories of older residents suggest that even during this time of neglect occasional pilgrims would still come and pray there. In 1896 it was brought by Charlotte Boyd and restoration started the following year. For thirty years the Slipper Chapel remained restored but little used, as devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham was centred on Kings Lynn. On August 19th 1934, Bishop Youens of Northampton celebrated the first public Mass in the Slipper Chapel for four hundred years, and two days later Cardinal Bourne led a national pilgrimage of more than 10,000 people to the Shrine. At this pilgrimage, the Slipper Chapel was declared to be the National Shrine of Our Lady for Roman Catholics in England.

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24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
17th September 2023

Pastoral Letter for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time 16/17 September 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

Coming to church today all of us will have made the Sign of the Cross, at least once. We did so at the opening words of the Mass. Many will also have done so on entering the church, using the holy water as a reminder of our baptism. This is our first prayer.
The Sign of the Cross is our hallmark, or, if you prefer, our foundation. It tells us who we are and how we understand our lives. We see our life to be founded and rooted in God, Creator, Father; we walk in the pathway marked out for us by Jesus, the eternal Son of the Father; we have within us the company and power of the Holy Spirit, the eternal love which flows between Father and Son and surges into our lives by God’s gift. This is who we are, not just individually but together, as the community of the Church.
It is not easy to put this fundamental reality into practice. There is a yearning within the human spirit for precisely the mercy, forgiveness, truth and love which flow abundantly from the mystery of God. Our mission, through baptism, is to make visible this saving truth, each day, in every circumstance, fulfilled or failed by what we say and do.
In the last two years, Pope Francis has been calling us to be renewed in this mission. He wants us to rediscover our life in the Church as a communion of life with God and with one another, opened up for us through the Sacraments, those outward signs of inward grace. Furthermore, he wants us to be a sacrament for the whole world, the outward sign that leads people to the inward grace of faith in Jesus Christ, known and lived within the communion of the Church.
The method chosen by Pope Francis for this reawakening is his insistence that we learn to listen more closely to one another; that we are ready to work out, prayerfully, what we need to do to fulfil this mission; that we seek to enhance our service of others, acknowledging that every single person is endowed with gifts and abilities for this work. All this goes by way of the Synodal pathway the Pope has established for us all.
Over the last two years, there have been various concerted expressions of this Synodal journey, in our parishes, in the Diocese as a whole, and at the level of the Church in every continent. Now all this comes together, in October, in a Synod of Bishops, in Rome, to assess the journey thus far and to fashion clearly the next steps to be taken. These findings can then be reviewed by us all, before a further Synod of Bishops that takes place in October 2024.
We are privileged that Bishop Nicholas Hudson has been chosen by Pope Francis to be a member of this Synodal Assembly. The Pope has also chosen a significant number of lay men and women, priests and religious, from each continent, to be members alongside those bishops chosen by Bishops’ Conferences around the world. Theirs will be a demanding task and I ask you to pray for them all. Their method will be the same as the one the Pope has put before us all: prayerful listening of the heart, careful discernment of all that is put before them, faithfulness to the teaching of the Church, explored and presented with great love. Their work will be shaped, as is ours, by praise of the Father, fidelity to the Son, seeking the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We can be clear, then, that this Synod meeting is not an ecclesiastical UN Assembly, nor a Church parliament or convention, nor a referendum on the teaching of the Church. In the words of Pope Francis, it is to be ‘a grace-filled event, a process of healing guided by the Holy Spirit’, a setting out on a journey ‘with the Lord always coming to meet us’ (Pope Francis, 10 October 2021).
The overall aim of the October meeting has been clearly set out: how can we become a listening Church, one that is profoundly open to all, humble and seeking forgiveness – as we have been reminded in today’s readings? Can we be a Church of encounter and dialogue which seeks to hold together, often in tension, fidelity to the truth expressed in her teaching and a compassionate love for every person? How can we be a Church of deep respect for all that is truly human, seeking to bring the gifts and talents of every person into the mission given by Christ? How can we be a Church which is constantly restless because we are incomplete, yet a sign and instrument of the union of all with God? The Synod must consider what processes, initiatives, and structures can help us in becoming a truly missionary Church.
It is not difficult to see that the agenda of the forthcoming Synod of Bishops is an agenda for us all: for each of us individually, for families, for every church association and group, for parishes, for the Diocese. The Synod is a journey we share. For this reason, I invite you today to be part of this historic process, not simply through following the reports that come from Rome, but in the thoughts and resolutions of your own hearts. How can we be more attentive to each other? How can we listen with our hearts to the distress and the joy of those around us? How can we make our community more welcoming? How can we find ways of enabling the talents and abilities of everyone to become part of our outreach, of that invitation to come to know the Lord?
Every moment and every place is, for us, a time and location for mission: the supermarket, the casual meeting, the places of leisure and of work, the family circle. By this I do not mean that we are always talking about the things of faith, but that we are constantly attentive to the many ways in which the good Lord might be prompting a person, and us ourselves, to take a step nearer to him. How can we then accompany that person to take the next step, with sensitivity and humility, grateful for our own friendship with the Lord, the gift of faith that we have received?
May the coming month of October be a time of grace for our Church, both in the great gathering in Rome and in the circles of our lives here at home. May October, the month of the Holy Rosary, see us take up our rosary beads each day, asking our Blessed Mother to strengthen and guide us in this journey of faith. I ask you this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Yours devotedly,
Cardinal Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Westminster

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23rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
10th September 2023

SEASON OF CREATION:
1st September – 4th October

POPE FRANCIS writes:

Dear brothers and sisters! “Let Justice and Peace Flow” is the theme of this year’s ecumenical Season of Creation, inspired by the words of the prophet Amos: “Let justice flow on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (5:24).

The evocative image used by Amos speaks to us of what God desires. God wants justice to reign; it is as essential to our life as God’s children made in his likeness as water is essential for our physical survival. This justice must flow forth wherever it is needed, neither remaining hidden deep beneath the ground nor vanishing like water that evaporates before it can bring sustenance. God wants everyone to strive to be just in every situation, to live according to his laws and thus to enable life to flourish. When we “seek first the kingdom of God” (Mt 6:33), maintaining a right relationship with God, humanity and nature, then justice and peace can flow like a never-failing stream of pure water, nourishing humanity and all creatures.

How can we contribute to the mighty river of justice and peace in this Season of Creation? What can we, particularly as Christian communities, do to heal our common home so that it can once again teem with life? We must do this by resolving to transform our hearts, our lifestyles, and the public policies ruling our societies.

First, let us join the mighty river by transforming our hearts. This is essential for any other transformation to occur; it is that “ecological conversion” which Saint John Paul II encouraged us to embrace: the renewal of our relationship with creation so that we no longer see it as an object to be exploited but cherish it instead as a sacred gift from our Creator. Furthermore, we should realize that an integral approach to respect for the environment involves four relationships: with God, with our brothers and sisters of today and tomorrow, with all of nature, and with ourselves.

Second, let us add to the flow of this mighty river by transforming our lifestyles. Starting from grateful wonder at the Creator and his creation, let us repent of our “ecological sins”, as my brother, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, has urged. These sins harm the world of nature and our fellow men and women. With the help of God’s grace, let us adopt lifestyles marked by less waste and unnecessary consumption, especially where the processes of production are toxic and unsustainable. Let us be as mindful as we can about our habits and economic decisions so that all can thrive – our fellow men and women wherever they may be, and future generations as well. Let us cooperate in God’s ongoing creation through positive choices: using resources with moderation and a joyful sobriety, disposing and recycling waste, and making greater use of available products and services that are environmentally and socially responsible.

Lastly, for the mighty river to continue flowing, we must transform the public policies that govern our societies and shape the lives of young people today and tomorrow. Economic policies that promote scandalous wealth for a privileged few and degrading conditions for many others, spell the end of peace and justice. It is clear that the richer nations have contracted an “ecological debt” that must be paid (cf. Laudato Si’, 51). [5] The world leaders who will gather for the COP28 summit in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December next must listen to science and institute a rapid and equitable transition to end the era of fossil fuel. According to the commitments undertaken in the Paris Agreement to restrain global warming, it is absurd to permit the continued exploration and expansion of fossil fuel infrastructures. Let us raise our voices to halt this injustice towards the poor and towards our children, who will bear the worst effects of climate change. I appeal to all people of good will to act in conformity with these perspectives on society and nature.

In this Season of Creation, as followers of Christ on our shared synodal journey, let us live, work and pray that our common home will teem with life once again. May the Holy Spirit once more hover over the waters and guide our efforts to “renew the face of the earth” (cf. Ps 104:30).

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 13 May 2023  

FRANCIS
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+22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
3rd September 2023

OUR BULLETIN WILL RETURN TO NORMAL NEXT WEEKEND

HOLIDAYS JULY/AUGUST
The end of the school term signals the summer holiday season ahead. Our English word comes from “holy days”, which makes clear the nature and purpose of a holiday – a re-orientation of our life to God and to growing in wholeness / holiness. This is the way to a happy and restorative holiday.
Central to our holiday should be:
Mass: make sure you find out the location of the nearest Catholic church.
Daily prayer
A good spiritual book
A good self-examination and a good confession.
This is the last bulletin until early September. I wish you all a good holiday and summer: remember to pray for each other, and especially our sick and housebound.
Fr David Barnes, Rector
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TUESDAY 15TH AUGUST 2023
THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

The feast of the Assumption is a day of joy. God has won. Love has won. It has won life. Love has shown that it is stronger than death, that God possesses the true strength and that his strength is goodness and love.

Mary was taken up body and soul into heaven: There is even room in God for the body. Heaven is no longer a very remote sphere unknown to us.
We have a Mother in heaven. And the Mother of God, the Mother of the Son of God, is our Mother. He himself has said so. He made her our Mother when he said to the disciple and to all of us: “Behold, your Mother!” We have a Mother in heaven. Heaven is open, heaven has a heart …
Let us make God great in public and in private life. This means making room for God in our lives every day, starting in the morning with prayers, and then dedicating time to God, giving Sundays to God. We do not waste our free time if we offer it to God. If God enters into our time, all time becomes greater, roomier, richer.
POPE BENEDICT XVI
HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION, 2005

+17th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
30th July 2023

HOLIDAYS 

The end of the school term signals the summer holiday season ahead. Our English word comes from “holy days”, which makes clear the nature and purpose of a holiday – a re-orientation of our life to God and to growing in wholeness / holiness. This is the way to a happy and restorative holiday.

Central to our holiday should be:

 Mass: make sure you find out the location of the nearest Catholic church.

 Daily prayer

 A good spiritual book

 A good self-examination and a good confession.

This is the last bulletin until early September. I wish you all a good holiday and summer: remember to pray for each other, and especially our sick and housebound.
Fr David Barnes, Rector

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PRAYER FROM POPE JOHN PAUL II for SEAFARERS
Mary, Star of the Sea, light of every ocean,
guide seafarers across all dark and stormy seas
that they may reach the haven of peace and light
prepared in Him who calmed the sea.
As we set forth upon the oceans of the world
and cross the deserts of our time, show us, O Mary,
the fruit of your womb, for without your Son we are lost.
Pray that we will never fail on life’s journey,
that in heart and mind, work and deed,
in days of turmoil and in days of calm,
we will always look to Christ and say,
“Who is this that even wind and sea obey him?”
Our Lady of Peace, pray for us!
Bright Star of the Sea, guide us!
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, pray for seafarers, pray for us.

DENZIL (DENNY) ANDREWS RIP: Please pray for the gentle repose of Denny’s soul, whose Funeral Service is on FRIDAY 14th JULY 12:15 pm Breakspear Crematorium – West Chapel, Breakspear Road, Ruislip, HA4 7SJ. Please remember Denny’s family in your prayers at this difficult time. May he rest in peace. Amen

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+13th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 
2nd July 2023

JULY – MONTH OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD:
Devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus is a powerful means to help us be devoted to the totally sacrificial love of Our Lord, as also loving Him totally present in the Blessed Sacrament. Our Cathedral here in Westminster is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood.

OUR PARISH: On 6th July 1909, Archbishop Bourne opened our present church, celebrating Mass at 11am. Do please pray that we take good care of our parish church, and pray that we can all proclaim the Kingdom of God

PETER’S PENCE
TODAY, SUNDAY, we have the annual collection for “Peter’s Pence”. This collection started here in England at the end of the 8th century, when the Anglo-Saxons were converted to Christianity. They wanted to help the Bishop of Rome, as successor of St Peter, in his universal ministry. The money collected is for the Pope to give to those suffering from natural disasters, such as famine or flooding, or those in great need, such as those suffering the consequences of war. The Pope gives money in the name of the whole Church. This annual collection expresses well our love for the Successor of Peter in his universal ministry. Please do give generously, and do pray for Pope Francis.

May the love and prayers of Ss Peter and Paul sustain the Church, increase our love for the Church as the “Mystical Body of Christ” as also our love for the Pope, and our love for the mission of the Church. For more information visit: https://www.obolodisanpietro.va/en.html

POPE FRANCIS SAYS: “We cannot proclaim good things but without service it is not proclamation. It may seem to be, but it is not, because the Spirit not only carries you forward to proclaim the truths of the Lord and the life of the Lord, but He also brings you to the service of the brothers and sisters, even in small things”.

“All of us have been saved gratuitously by Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must give gratuitously. Those who carry out the pastoral work of evangelization must learn this. Their life must be gratuitous, given in service, proclamation, borne by the Spirit. Their personal poverty forces them to open themselves up to the Spirit”.

STELLA MARIS – SEA SUNDAY 2023: Seafarers and fishers play a vital role in all of our lives, but they often work in difficult, hazardous conditions. In the last year, more crews have been abandoned by their employers than ever before. Many are still being denied the right to leave their ships for even a short break away from the relentless noise and pressure on-board. Many are reporting more stress and poorer mental health. SEA SUNDAY is SUNDAY 9th JULY. It is when the church prays for all those who live and work at sea. Your support will make a big difference to seafarers and fishers in need. You can donate in church, by visiting www.stellamaris.org.uk/donate  , or by texting ‘sea’ to 70460 to donate £5. This collection is vital to enable Stella Maris to continue its important work, so please give generously. There will be a collection after all masses. Thank you. 

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+12th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
25th June 2023

SS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES
THIS THURSDAY 29th JUNE 2023 is THE FEAST OF SS PETER AND PAUL and is a HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION. Mass at 6:00pm Wednesday (Vigil) and on Thursday 12:30pm (Lunchtime) and at 6:00pm (Sung).
The Church founded by Christ has Ss Peter and Paul as its principle pillars. Peter was chosen by Christ to be His first Vicar on earth, endowed with powers of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 16:13-19) and charged with the role of Shepherd of Christ’s flock (Jn 21:15-17).
In Peter and his successors, the visible sign of unity and communion in faith and charity has been given.
Divine grace led Peter to profess Christ’s divinity. St Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero, in A.D. 66 or 67.
He was buried at the hill of the Vatican, where recent excavations have revealed his tomb on the very site of the Basilica of St Peter’s.
Paul was chosen to form part of the apostolic college by Christ himself on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-16). An instrument selected to bring Christ’s name to all peoples (Acts 9:15), he is the greatest missionary of all time, the advocate of pagans, the Apostle of the Gentiles.
St Paul was beheaded in the Tre Fontane, (just outside of Rome along the Via Ostiense) & buried nearby, on the spot where the basilica bearing his name now stands. Daily Roman Missal- SCEPTER PRESS

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11th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
18th June 2023

DAY FOR LIFE

TODAY is DAY FOR LIFE. There will be a retiring collection at every Mass. Please give generously.

Bishop John Sherrington writes:This year the Day for Life seeks to highlight the trauma caused by abortion. The theme is “Listen to Her”. The message is an invitation to listen to the voice and story of a young Catholic woman who was suffering after an abortion and found healing. With her consent, we are able to highlight the distress which she suffered and how she found healing.

We were inspired towards this message from a number of experiences: the ever-rising number of abortions in these countries, the introduction and impact of ‘telemedicine’ after the COVID 19 pandemic, and the stories of post-abortive trauma which we have heard from Rachel’s Vineyard, (based in Birmingham), ARCH (based in Scotland) and GiannaCare (based in Ireland).

The message is also inspired by the Holy Father’s own words in 2016 which underlined both the gravity of abortion and that nothing is beyond the mercy of God.

Many in our society, but especially women, are affected by abortion and we want people to know they can find a welcome in the heart of the Church and the promise of hope and healing found in Christ Jesus. To read the message in full visit: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/dfl23-message/

PRAYER TO ST JOSEPH – DEFENDER OF LIFE
Dearest Saint Joseph,
At the word of an angel, you lovingly took Mary into your home.
As God’s humble servant, you guided the Holy Family on the road to Bethlehem,
Welcomed Jesus as your own son in the shelter of a manger,
And fled far from your homeland for the safety of both Mother and Child.
We praise God that as their faithful protector,
You never hesitated to sacrifice for those entrusted to you.
May your example inspire us also to welcome, cherish, and safeguard God’s most precious gift of life.
Help us to faithfully commit ourselves to the service and defence of human life –especially where it is vulnerable or threatened, Obtain for us the grace to do the will of God in all things. Amen.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all our fathers in the Parish, please also remember those whose fathers are no longer with us and remember them and their families in your prayers.
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CORPUS CHRISTI 
Sunday 11th June 2023

CORPUS CHRISTI

THIS SUNDAY we celebrate the wondrous love of Our Lord for us — how He gives Himself completely to us in Holy Communion, and how He is with us always in the Sacred Host in all the tabernacles throughout the world.

MASS is the means to bring us this presence. The priest takes bread and wine, and through the Holy Spirit our gifts are transformed to become really, truly and substantially the Body and Blood of Christ, so that Our Lord is present as perfect God and Perfect Man, body, soul and divinity. This transformation we call transubstantiation.

ADORATION is therefore the appropriate response to this gift, so on this weekend’s celebration we should resolve again to

  • Make a good preparation for receiving Holy Communion followed by thanksgiving.
  • Visit Our Lord regularly in the tabernacle (“making a visit” is an important part of Catholic spirituality, and builds up our bond with Our Lord).

Show ever greater respect when we come into church, “the House of the Lord”, by genuflecting to the tabernacle and kneeling to adore and pray. Keeping silence in church is not only a way to respect Our Lord, but also one another.

TODAY is our ANNUAL CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION around Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

Our procession is:

  1. 1. Professing our faith in Jesus Christ, and that we are his disciples: we have accepted his invitation – “Follow me”.
  2. 2. We profess our faith that Jesus Christ is fully present among us in the Blesses Sacrament. He is present as perfect God and perfect Man, body, soul and divinity.
  3. 3. We rejoice to proclaim Him everywhere and to everyone that He is truly God among us.
  4. 4. In the procession we should reflect, carefully, and prayerfully, on what we are doing. We should desist from personal conversations, and rather pray for those in the park and those who pass by.
  5. 5. Remember Pope Francis tells us to remember always that we are “missionary disciples”. So let us be joyful and prayerful throughout the procession. 

Fr. David Barnes, Rector

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THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
4th June 2023

THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

GOD has been revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit — three persons, but one God. We could never know this by use of reason: we know it because Our Lord Jesus has revealed it.

GOD’s love is made known to us as a dynamic interaction of loving between the Three Persons of the Trinity. God is loving — the active relationship of loving between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

GOD’s love for us is made known in the Incarnation — the enfleshment of God — when “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” That love is revealed above all through the Mystery of the Cross. God’s love for us is confirmed in every Mass through receiving Holy Communion. As Pope Francis tells us: “Christ has shown us the face of God, one in substance and triune of Persons. God is all and only Love, in a subsisting relationship that creates, redeems and sanctifies all: Father, Son and Holy Spirit”.

God’s love for us is made known in the fact that God wants to be known by us —  to live in relationship with us. We can do so with confidence because in our baptism God made us adopted sons and daughters with the great privilege of relating to God as a most beloved son or daughter. We always have access to God on this personal level. So relate to God every day, ever faithful, through that daily conversation which is prayer.
Fr. David Barnes, Rector

SACRED HEART NOVENA: Here at St Anselm & St Cecilia will be praying the Novena before Mass from Thursday 16th June to Friday 24th June. Petitions may be placed in the box at the Sacred Heart statue and will be placed on the Altar on the Feast day, Friday 24th June.

St Anselm and St Cæcilia, Kingsway
CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION
Sunday 11th June at 10:45am
At the end of the 10am Mass we process with the Blessed Sacrament around Lincoln’s Inn Fields, visiting the statue of St Thomas More, then the site of the former Sardinian Chapel (the predecessor of our present church).
This annual outdoor procession is a great act of witness, proclaiming Our Lord’s reign over our parish, and, by publicly following Him in procession, witnessing to our faith in Him.
DO PARTICIPATE IN OUR CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION
The children who made their First Holy Communion on 13th May will lead the procession, dressed as for their First Holy Communion.
PROCESS and JOYFULLY CELEBRATE!

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PENTECOST SUNDAY 
28th May 2023

PENTECOST SUNDAY

“COME HOLY SPIRIT…………….”THE HOLY SPIRIT transformed the apostles from being inward- looking, timid and afraid, to being outward-looking and bold in proclaiming the Risen and Ascended Lord. The Spirit set them on fire: for this reason we sometimes call the Feast of Pentecost the BIRTHDAY of the Church.
The Holy Spirit can do the same for us—if we are open and really want to be transformed.
Pope Francis said “The Spirit is the wind pushing us forward, keeping us going, that makes us feel like pilgrims and foreigners and doesn’t allow us to get comfortable and become sedentary…………
HOPE collects the wind of the Spirit and transforms it into energy”.
This Pentecost, pray that we shall all be filled with the Holy Spirit and be full of hope.
How well do we know the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit?
The Seven Giftsof the Holy Spirit are
Wisdom, Understanding Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge Piety Fear of the Lord.
The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit are
Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty,
Self-Control and Chastity.

COME, HOLY SPIRIT, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love……….

Fr David Barnes, Rector

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.
V.Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R.And You shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray: O, God, who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Holy Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever enjoy rejoice in his consolations. Through Christ Our Lord.
R.
Amen.

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7th SUNDAY IN EASTER 
21st May 2023

World Communications Day

TODAY is World Communication Day 2023. The theme for this year’s world day of social communications, chosen by Pope Francis, is ‘speaking with the heart’.

We are charged with the responsibility of genuinely encountering one another so that our love for each other may become stronger. In keeping with this high undertaking, we petition the Lord now on behalf of those who are especially in need. For the full message visit: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/wcd23-papal-message/

“The call to speak with the heart, radically challenges the times in which we are living, which are so inclined towards indifference and indignation, at times even on the basis of disinformation which falsifies and exploits the truth”. Pope Francis

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6th SUNDAY IN EASTER  
14th May 2023

The Ascension of the Lord – THURSDAY 18th May

“…HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN…” (Creed)
THURSDAY’s celebration of Our Lord’s Ascension gives us much to ponder and treasure in our heart.
Our Lord has completed everything the Father had given Him to do, crowned by the Paschal Mystery, and now He is returning to the Father. His joy is complete, and He invites us to share His joy.
Our true joy is to share His joy!
He goes to prepare a place for us. Heaven is where we truly belong, to be with God for all eternity. Our Lord has prepared a place for us. He is calling us “so that where I am, you may be too”.
Do I live with heaven as my goal and true homeland?
We are never alone: in his Ascension He promises that He will be with us always, “Yes, to the end of time”.
He is always present to us: are we always wanting to make ourselves present to Him?
My Mission and purpose in this world is to share in the Mission Jesus gave the infant Church at His Ascension: “Go out into the whole world and proclaim the Good News…”
Our Lord shares His life fully with us through the Church: do we seek to bring others to share His life through the Church?
“Gladden us with holy joys, Almighty God, and make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving, for the Ascension of Christ your Son in our exaltation, and where the Head has gone before in glory, the Body is called to follow in hope”. (Thursday’s Collect)

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5th SUNDAY IN EASTER 
7th May 2023

THE CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III

The Coronation of King Charles III took place yesterday on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey, in a service steeped in centuries of tradition and rich in Christian symbols and values.

The Presidents of Churches Together in England (including Cardinal Vincent) issued the following statement encouraging Christians to join in prayer for the newly crowned King:

“The Coronation of King Charles III is a moment of great importance and joy for this nation. As Presidents of CTE (Churches Together in England), we invite Christians from all traditions to join together prayer, for both the King and the nation”.

On Sunday 7th May
A Prayer of Intercession for the King. The National Anthem will be sung at the end of the 10am Mass.

LIVE STREAMING: All our masses are live streamed every day. The LIVE STREAM is also on 24/7, this maybe of comfort to some people who are unable to sleep or would like to view the Sanctuary outside of Mass times or church opening times.  Can access the stream by visiting our page at: https://www.churchservices.tv/lincolnsinnfields and clicking on the live feed button.

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4th SUNDAY OF EASTER SUNDAY
30th April 2023

PRIEST TRAINING FUND

TODAY is Good Shepherd Sunday and our second collection will support the Priest Training Fund. This fund pays for the priestly formation of men for the Catholic priesthood.

There are currently 48 men studying at Allen Hall seminary, 14 of whom are from our own Diocese, as well as two men studying in Rome and two in Valladolid. Last year five men were ordained to the priesthood to serve as our future priests. The fund also supports the ongoing enrichment and formation of our ordained priests. Your gift ensures we can provide training for these men responding to Christ’s call to dedicate their lives to serve God’s people. Please be as generous as you can. Please also pray for vocations and for all our priests. If you do not have a donation envelope, plenty are still available at the back of the church. You can use the QR code to make your donation online or visit www.rcdow.org.uk/donations Thank you for your generosity.

THE CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III.
A TRIDUUM OF PRAYER:
• From Wednesday 3rd to Friday 5th at ADORATION 5:00pm-5:50pm with prayers for King Charles.
• On Friday evening 5th May our 6pm Mass is for the intentions of the King.
• On Sunday 7th May a Prayer of Intercession for the King and the National Anthem at the end of each Mass.

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+ THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
23rd April 2023

PRIEST TRAINING FUND 

Next weekend is Good Shepherd Sunday, the day we pray for priests and for vocations to the priesthood.

The motto of Allen Hall, where the men training for the ordained priesthood live and study, is Vivamus in spe – May we live in hope.

Now, more than ever, as the nation faces an unprecedented challenge and there are so many people in desperate situations across our Diocese, that hope is needed.

Our seminarians work in parishes, schools, hospitals and hospices, as well as prisons, with refugees, and anywhere where a Catholic presence can make a contribution.

In all they do, they strive to be formed in the image of Him who came not to be served, but to serve. They come from a wide range of backgrounds, countries, and religious congregations. However, despite their differences, their desire to be formed in the image of Christ unites them, and creates an even stronger bond to their faith.

We currently have 48 men in formation at Allen Hall, including 14 for Westminster Diocese. Another two are pursuing their studies in Rome. To form and educate a new priest costs £25,000 per year: that’s around £150,000 over the total course of training.

Please do support our seminarians in their vital mission. The annual collection for the Priest Training Fund will also take place next weekend please take an envelope home with you today and return next weekend.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY: Returns TODAY Sunday 23rd April and every Sunday at 10am Mass. Children from Reception to year 2 included are welcome to attend. Parents are welcome to accompany their children to the crypt and can then come up to the main church.

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+ THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
16th April 2023

The Divine Mercy Devotion

From the diary of a young Polish nun, a special devotion began spreading throughout the world in the 1930s. The message is nothing new, but is a reminder of what the Church has always taught through scripture and tradition: that God is merciful and forgiving and that we, too, must show mercy and forgiveness. But in the Divine Mercy devotion, the message takes on a powerful new focus, calling people to a deeper understanding that God’s love is unlimited and available to everyone — especially the greatest sinners.

The message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercyis based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.

The message of mercy is that God loves us — all of us — no matter how great our sins. He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy. It is a message we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC.

A — Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.

B — Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.

C — Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

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+ EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION
9th April 2023

THE LORD IS RISEN, Alleluia

HE IS RISEN INDEED Alleluia

This ancient Christian greeting, said on meeting one another during Eastertide, should surely be recovered and used again – encouraging us to deepen our faith in the Risen Lord.

THE RESURRECTION is a supernatural event, a clear break with the natural order, Jesus is raised from the dead through the power of God, and in sharing this victory we are “saved”. To reduce our understanding of life to the natural order alone is to miss out on the full reality of human existence: life is so much more wonderful, beautiful and exciting when we can see everything in the light of the Risen Lord!

WE ARE WITNESSES to our Risen Lord because we choose to believe and trust the witnesses who saw Him, believing the accounts of the Risen Lord in the Sacred Scriptures, and also believing the Church who has faithfully handed on the message to us.

TRUST and FAITH is at the heart of our believing.

Wishing you all a Blessed and joy-filled Easter.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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PALM SUNDAY – PASSION OF THE LORD
Sunday 2nd April 2023

Holy Week & Easter

Holy Week is the most important week in the Christian year. Pope Francis says “Holy Week” is a privileged time when we are called to draw near to Jesus: friendship with Him is shown in times of difficulty”. The best way to draw near to Our Lord is to participate as much as possible the liturgies of the Church.

PALM SUNDAY — the commemoration of Our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem when he was greeted with praise and thanksgiving, the waving and strewing of palms. We too carry palms, then take them home to put with our household crucifix.

THE SACRED TRIDUUM —the 3 Holy Days of the Paschal Mystery

HOLY THURSDAY The MASS of THE LORD’S SUPPER at 6:00pm commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, the total gift of Himself to us as the Bread of Life. Afterwards, Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. After this mass the consecrated hosts are taken to the “altar of repose”. All are invited to spend some time with Him, learning to be with Him in His suffering. The church is stripped of its candles and linens, all holy water is removed and the sacraments are not celebrated until Easter. It is a time of mourning, but always lived in light of the Resurrection.

GOOD FRIDAY — A day of fasting and abstinence. Fasting applies to those 18-60: no meat (abstinence) and only one simple meal and two small ones, and no food in between. Do all you can to be at THE LITURGY OF THE LORD’S PASSION AND DEATH at 3:00pm, the hour at which Christ died on the Cross.

HOLY SATURDAY — the Church waits in the Lord’s tomb, reflecting on his Passion and Death, waiting with faith, prayer and fasting the glorious Resurrection. Mary is waiting with us. We gather at 8:00pm to celebrate the Vigil Mass of the Resurrection, to celebrate in readings and song how God prepared His People for the Resurrection and conclude with the First Mass of Easter

EASTER CARDS: Please do take an Easter card home with you as you leave today, all the Easter Liturgies are inside the card.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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HOLY WEEK & EASTER LITURGIES 2023
Palm Sunday 2nd April:
Confessions: 5:00-5:45pm
Vigil Mass (Saturday 1st April): 6:00pm
Mass (IN LATIN) 8:30am
Sunday Mass 10:00am
Sunday Mass 6:00pm
Monday of Holy Week (3rd April):
Confessions: 5:00-5:45pm
Mass 6:00pm
Tuesday of Holy Week (4th April):
Chrism Mass 12 noon
(Westminster Cathedral): Live Streamed
Confessions: 5:00-5:45pm
Mass 6:00pm
Wednesday of Holy Week (5th April):
Confessions: 5:00-5:45pm
Mass 6:00pm
Maundy Thursday (6th April):
Confessions: 5:00-5:45pm
Mass of the Lord’s Supper – 6:00pm
Procession to the Altar of Repose
Watching before the Blessed Sacrament
Night Prayer 10:00pm
The Church will stay closed until Good Friday 9.00am
Good Friday (7th April) –
Day of Fasting & Abstinence:
Office of Readings and Morning Prayer 10:00am
Stations of the Cross for children 10:30am
SOLEMN LITURGY OF THE LORD’S PASSION 3.00pm
Stations of the Cross &
Veneration of the Relic of the True Cross 6:00pm
Holy Saturday (8th April):
Office of Readings and Morning Prayer 10:00am
Confessions: 7:00pm-7:45pm
EASTER VIGIL & FIRST MASS OF EASTER – 8:00pm
Easter Sunday (9th April):
Sung Mass in Latin 8:30am
Sung Mass in English 10:00am
Easter Monday (10th April)
Mass 10:00am
Easter Tuesday (11th April)
Normal Mass times resume
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5th SUNDAY IN LENT 
26th March 2023

ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD – 25th March 2023

Bhp John Sherrington writes: At the General Audience on Wednesday, the Holy Father made the following statement about the Solemnity of the Annunciation this Saturday.

The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord will be celebrated on Saturday and our thoughts turn to March 25 of last year, when, in union with all the Bishops of the world, the Church and humanity were consecrated, especially Russia and the Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let us never tire of entrusting the cause of peace to the Queen of Peace. I therefore wish to invite each believer and community, especially prayer groups, to renew the act of consecration to Our Lady every March 25, so that she, who is a Mother, may keep us all in unity and peace.

And let us not forget, in these days, battered Ukraine, which is suffering so much.

A copy of the prayers are available at the back if the church, please take a copy home with you today.

FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION – 25th March 2023

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you.  As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you.  Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence!  You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Yet we have strayed from that path of peace.  We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars.  We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations.  We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young.  We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns.  We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons.  We stopped being our neighbour’s keepers and stewards of our common home.  We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters.  We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves.  Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!

Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life.  He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity.  By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love.

We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart.  We are your beloved children.  In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion.  At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort.  Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?”  You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times.  In you we place our trust.  We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.

That is what you did at Cana in Galilee, when you interceded with Jesus and he worked the first of his signs.  To preserve the joy of the wedding feast, you said to him: “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3). Now, O Mother, repeat those words and that prayer, for in our own day we have run out of the wine of hope, joy has fled, fraternity has faded.  We have forgotten our humanity and squandered the gift of peace.  We opened our hearts to violence and destructiveness.  How greatly we need your maternal help!

Therefore, O Mother, hear our prayer.

Star of the Sea, do not let us be shipwrecked in the tempest of war.

Ark of the New Covenant, inspire projects and paths of reconciliation.

Queen of Heaven, restore God’s peace to the world.

Eliminate hatred and the thirst for revenge, and teach us forgiveness.

Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons.

Queen of the Rosary, make us realize our need to pray and to love.

Queen of the Human Family, show people the path of fraternity.

Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.

O Mother, may your sorrowful plea stir our hardened hearts.  May the tears you shed for us make this valley parched by our hatred blossom anew.  Amid the thunder of weapons, may your prayer turn our thoughts to peace.  May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from the rain of bombs.  May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land.  May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside.

Holy Mother of God, as you stood beneath the cross, Jesus, seeing the disciple at your side, said: “Behold your son” (Jn 19:26).  In this way he entrusted each of us to you.  To the disciple, and to each of us, he said: “Behold, your Mother” (v. 27).  Mother Mary, we now desire to welcome you into our lives and our history.  At this hour, a weary and distraught humanity stands with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust itself to you and, through you, to consecrate itself to Christ.

The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you, even as your heart beats with compassion for them and for all those peoples decimated by war, hunger, injustice and poverty.

Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine.  Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love.  Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world.  The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace.  We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more.  To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days.  Our Lady of the “Fiat”, on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God.  May you, our “living fountain of hope”, water the dryness of our hearts.  In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion.  You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace.  Amen.

Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione – Libreria Editrice Vaticana

THE CARDINALS APPEAL 2023

There will be a retiring collection TODAY after each Mass. Funds raised this year will be shared between the four pillars of the Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal: Marriage & Family Life; Youth & Evangelisation; The Education Service and Caritas Westminster. The effects of the pandemic, followed by the cost of living crisis, are still making daily life harder for all. Price rises last year meant many families faced an impossible choice: HEAT or EAT? And this crisis is far from over. The Church continues to respond, with thousands of people putting their faith into action by serving those in need. Cardinal Nichols has expressed his gratitude to everyone who supports the Appeal, with whatever they can afford. And for those who can’t give financially, your time is a priceless commodity – please see the posters on how you can volunteer in the diocese and help those in need. Please return your envelopes today. For more information. You can use the QR code to make your donation online. Thank you for your generosity.

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STATIONS OF THE CROSS DURING LENT: WED 6:30pm and FRI 6:30pm

Inspirational Quotes for The Lenten Season

1. “Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.” — Pope Francis

2. “Are you capable of risking your life for someone? Do it for Christ.” — Pope St John Paul II

3. “As Lent is the time for greater love, listen to Jesus’ thirst…’Repent and believe’ Jesus tells us. What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart. What are we to believe? Jesus thirsts even now, in your heart and in the poor — He knows your weakness. He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you.” — Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

4.  “Prayer is where the action is.” — John Wesley

5. “The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.” — Pope St. Gregory the Great

6. “Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and in this way to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what path we must take in life…” – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

7. “Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ; discipline your body; do not pamper yourself, but love fasting.” — Saint Benedict

8. “Lent is like a long ‘retreat’ during which we can turn back into ourselves and listen to the voice of God, in order to defeat the temptations of the Evil One. It is a period of spiritual ‘combat’ which we must experience alongside Jesus, not with pride and presumption, but using the arms of faith: prayer, listening to the word of God and penance. In this way we will be able to celebrate Easter in truth, ready to renew the promises of our Baptism.” — Pope Benedict XVI

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LENT PRAYER – LORD, GIVE ME THE COURAGE TO:
Fast from judging others; Feast on Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from fear of illness; Feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute; Feast on speech that purifies.
Fast from discontent; Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; Feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism; Feast on hope.
Fast from negatives; Feast on encouragement.
Fast from bitterness; Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; Feast on compassion.
Fast from suspicion; Feast on truth.
Fast from gossip; Feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm; Feast on prayer that sustains.
Fast from anxiety; Feast on faith.

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4th SUNDAY IN LENT 
19th March 2023
“LAETARE” (“Rejoice”) SUNDAY

TODAY we are invited to REJOICE, because the coming celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection (the Paschal Mystery) is fast approaching. May our rejoicing energise us to use this second half of Lent as well as we can to prepare for Easter.

THE FEAST OF JOSEPH: Monday 20th March
ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD: Saturday 25th March

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3rd SUNDAY IN LENT 
12
th March 2023
LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR:

TODAY –There will be an Appeal and retiring collection from the Little Sisters of the Poor. The Foundation of St. Anne’s began in 1876 in Queens Drive, Dalston. Later the Little Sisters built a Home in Manor Road. Please give generously as always.

THE NATIONAL NOVENA TO ST JOSEPH WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 11TH – 19TH MARCH 2023 AT ST JOSEPH’S CHURCH IN MAIDENHEAD.

Every year, the Mill Hill Missionaries prepare for the Feast of St Joseph, their Society patron, with a special Novena of Masses and prayers to ask for God’s blessing on their Society’s missionary outreach, and for the intentions of all those who support their work. If you are able, and if it is possible to attend, Masses are on Saturday (11th and 18th) at 10am; Sunday (12th and 19th) at 11am; Monday – Friday (13th – 17th) at 7.30pm.

If you are unable to attend but would like to join in from home, Masses from St Joseph’s Church will be available to follow on Zoom, via the Mill Hill website: www.millhillmissionaries.com/novena You are welcome to send in your petitions and/or to request a Novena prayer booklet.

Please write to Novena Director at 6 Colby Gardens, Maidenhead, SL6 7GZ, telephone 01628 673178, or email novenamhm@gmail.com

THE NOVENA WILL BE RECITED EACH EVENING AFTER MASS HERE AT ST ANSELM AND ST CÆCILIA’S FROM 11TH – 19TH MARCH 2023. NOVENA LEAFLETS WILL BE AVAILABLE EACH EVENING.

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2nd SUNDAY OF LENT
5th March 2023

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE FRANCIS FOR LENT 2023 (extract)

The Gospel of the Transfiguration is proclaimed every year on the Second Sunday of Lent. During this liturgical season, the Lord takes us with him to a place apart. While our ordinary commitments compel us to remain in our usual places and our often repetitive and sometimes boring routines, during Lent we are invited to ascend “a high mountain” in the company of Jesus and to live a particular experience of spiritual discipline – ascesis – as God’s holy people.

Lenten penance is a commitment, sustained by grace, to overcoming our lack of faith and our resistance to following Jesus on the way of the cross. This is precisely what Peter and the other disciples needed to do. To deepen our knowledge of the Master, to fully understand and embrace the mystery of his salvation, accomplished in total self-giving inspired by love, we must allow ourselves to be taken aside by him and to detach ourselves from mediocrity and vanity. We need to set out on the journey, an uphill path that, like a mountain trek, requires effort, sacrifice and concentration………

Dear brothers and sisters, may the Holy Spirit inspire and sustain us this Lent in our ascent with Jesus, so that we may experience his divine splendour and thus, confirmed in faith, persevere in our journey together with him, glory of his people and light of the nations. Full text available at: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/lent/documents/20230125-messaggio-quaresima.html

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1st SUNDAY IN LENT 
26th February 2023
 

LENT: 40 days and nights

In these days we seek to identify with Our Lord’s experience in the desert and so come to know and love Him better.

It was the Holy Spirit who led Him into the desert, and we shall only keep a good Lent in so far as we keep asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. Our Lord was tempted by the Devil, and, if we are intent on following Our Lord, so shall we be tempted — to give up, to make the things of this world (food, drink, possessions, status and money) the treasures of our heart. This is why we must emphasise the disciplines of Lent:  PRAYER, FASTING and ALMSGIVING.

Practising these liberates us from our self-centredness and self-indulgence. We need always to ask the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the help of the angels, just as Our Lord experienced this in the desert. There is the wonderful prayer to St Michael the Archangel to keep us from the influence of the Devil and bad spirits.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS DURING LENT: WED 6:30pm and FRI 6:30pm

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
(written by Pope Leo XIII in 1884)
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle;
Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke Him, we humbly pray,
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,
by the power of God, cast into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits,
who wander through the world, for the ruin of souls.
Amen.

CHILDRENS LITURGY: Will begin here TODAY Sunday 26th February (1st Sunday of Lent) at 10am Mass. Children from Reception to year 2 included are welcome to attend. Parents are welcome to accompany their children to the crypt and can then come up to the main church.

PLEASE DO USE THE NEW CONTACTLESS MACHINES IN THE CHURCH FOR ALL YOUR DONATIONS, INCLUDING, OFFERTORY, 7-9 DAY CANDLES, VOTIVE CANDLES, REPOSITORY AND MASS INTENTION. THANK YOU.

LENT PRAYER – LORD, GIVE ME THE COURAGE TO:
Fast from judging others; Feast on Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from fear of illness; Feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute; Feast on speech that purifies.
Fast from discontent; Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; Feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism; Feast on hope.
Fast from negatives; Feast on encouragement.
Fast from bitterness; Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; Feast on compassion.
Fast from suspicion; Feast on truth.
Fast from gossip; Feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm; Feast on prayer that sustains.
Fast from anxiety; Feast on faith.

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7th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
19th February 2023

CARDINAL’S LENTEN APPEAL 2023
CARDINAL VINCENT writes… “On Wednesday, Lent begins. I write today to give you every possible encouragement to use these weeks of Lent to refresh and deepen your faith. As we have just heard from the Book of Leviticus: ‘Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.’ (Leviticus 19:2). This is a heartfelt plea. While there are so many challenges facing us all at this time, our faith underpins everything we do. The gift of faith gives our lives an enduring purpose and stability. A faith that is refreshed and deepened helps us to be gracious, steadfast and even robust in every circumstance”.

Please do take a copy of the full Pastoral letter at the back of the church on your way home or visit our website for a digital copy: https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/lincolnsinnfields/

Funds raised this year will be shared between the four pillars of the Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal: Marriage & Family Life; Youth & Evangelisation; The Education Service and Caritas Westminster. The effects of the pandemic, followed by the cost of living crisis, are still making daily life harder for all. Price rises last year meant many families faced an impossible choice: HEAT or EAT? And this crisis is far from over. The Church continues to respond, with thousands of people putting their faith into action by serving those in need. Cardinal Nichols has expressed his gratitude to everyone who supports the Appeal, with whatever they can afford. And for those who can’t give financially, your time is a priceless commodity – please see the posters on how you can volunteer in the diocese and help those in need. Please take a donation envelope today, for more information. You can use the QR code to make your donation online. Thank you for your generosity.

CARDINAL’S PASTORAL LETTER
On Wednesday, Lent begins. I write today to give you every possible encouragement to use these weeks of Lent to refresh and deepen your faith. As we have just heard from the Book of Leviticus: ‘Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy’  (Leviticus 19:2). This is a heartfelt plea. While there are so many challenges facing us all at this time, our faith underpins everything we do. The gift of faith gives our lives an enduring purpose and stability. A faith that is refreshed and deepened helps us to be gracious, steadfast and even robust in every circumstance.

I put before you today three ways of refreshing and renewing your faith. They are these: a renewed focus on Jesus; a fresh readiness to bear witness to him; and, thirdly, a conscious effort to build community and compassion wherever you may be.

Let me speak about each one.

First, during these weeks of Lent please do all you can to place Jesus at the heart of your lives. Our relationship with him is the foundation of all we strive for, our abiding strength and our source of hope and joy. Without this relationship our faith loses its heart and warmth, becoming a matter of outward observance rather than inner wonder.

There can be no friendship with our Blessed Lord unless we give him space in our hearts. We need a time of prayer every day when we can simply talk to him, bringing him our worries and our joys.

When and where you pray doesn’t matter; just whatever suits you. Pray in a style that appeals to you, whatever that may be. But, please, do it! And encourage each other to do so, whether in family prayer or with friends, in each other’s company or even over Zoom. Jesus is there, waiting to embrace you, to rejoice in your achievements, to comfort you in your trials. Please give him space in your day, every day. After all, St Paul reminds us: ‘You belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God’ (1 Corinthians 3:23).

Now the second aspect of the renewal I hope you can find is this: please let this faith, this relationship with the Lord, express itself when you are with other people.

I am certainly not asking you to find a soapbox or in any way to force your faith onto others. No. But there are many moments when speaking of the goodness of the Lord is quite appropriate. For example, when someone is sharing with you their sorrow or distress, please don’t hesitate to tell them you will pray for them. Or when you come across a person who is feeling alone or neglected, please do speak to them of the love of the Lord and the consolation you find in his presence.

In the recent Synodal discussions, many people expressed concern for those who feel excluded from the Church, often because of their understanding of Church teaching. We must remember that the teachings of the Church flow from words spoken by our Blessed Lord to those striving to be close to him. Yes, they are sometimes very demanding. But they are teachings which he gives us in love, invitations which are life-giving. When we hear his voice speaking to our inmost heart, we can grasp the real meaning of those teachings. When we attend to his voice, we can hear it resonating in the voice of the Church. Only with this attentiveness to him can we truly explain to others the beauty of his teaching.

When we fix our eyes on the Lord, feelings of exclusion can be overcome. We can appreciate more deeply that we are, each of us, made in the image and likeness of God.  He has an embrace for everyone. He excludes no one. He offers an invitation to each person to come and follow him. As we respond to that invitation, we become aware of a need for a change of heart and behaviour, in one area of life or another, even though each of us makes progress in his way only gradually, step by small step.

The third thing I ask of you this Lent is to refresh in your lives the way you put faith into action.

Here I want to highlight just one thing: in every circumstance, whether at home or school, at work or leisure, strive to be ‘a bond of connection between persons’ (St John Henry Newman). Building for others a sense of being accepted is a genuine first expression of the life that Jesus offers. When we recognise and respect the goodness in every person we meet and strive, however simply, to reach out to them, we put faith into practice. Can we echo in our actions just a little of that truth in today’s Psalm that ‘The Lord is compassion and love’? Building community, breaking down hostilities is doing the work of our Blessed Lord. It is a work so much needed in our troubled world. Every day will bring opportunities to do this. I hope that in the days of this Lent, each of us will make an extra effort to put our faith in the Lord into practice in this special way. This is the appeal of today’s Gospel message: a generous love that overcomes hostility!

One of my favourite saints is St Francis of Assisi. There is a lovely story, or maybe a legend, about him that I want to tell. It is said that towards the end of his life, when he was near to death, he gathered his followers together. Looking round he said to them: ‘Brethren, let us begin to love the Lord because so far we have made little progress!’ Well, if such a great saint can say those words, so can each of us.

My appeal to you, then, is very simple. This Lent, try to make a little more progress in prayer, in speaking of Our Blessed Lord to others, and in being a bearer to others of his compassion and love.

And please pray for me, as I will most certainly pray for you.

Yours devotedly,

✠ Cardinal Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Westminster

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6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 
12th February 2023

WORLD DAY OF THE SICK 2023 (Saturday 11th Feb)
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS

POPE FRANCIS

“Take care of him ” – Compassion as a synodal exercise of healing

Brothers and sisters, we are rarely prepared for illness. Oftentimes, we fail even to admit that we are getting older. Our vulnerability frightens us and the pervasive culture of efficiency pushes us to sweep it under the carpet, leaving no room for our human frailty. In this way, when evil bursts onto the scene and wounds us, we are left stunned. Moreover, others might abandon us at such times. Or, in our own moments of weakness, we may feel that we should abandon others in order to avoid becoming a burden. This is how loneliness sets in, and we can become poisoned by a bitter sense of injustice, as if God himself had abandoned us. Indeed, we may find it hard to remain at peace with the Lord when our relationship with others and with ourselves is damaged. It is crucial, then, even in the midst of illness, that the whole Church measure herself against the Gospel example of the Good Samaritan, in order that she may become a true “field hospital”, for her mission is manifested in acts of care, particularly in the historical circumstances of our time. We are all fragile and vulnerable, and need that compassion which knows how to pause, approach, heal, and raise up. Thus, the plight of the sick is a call that cuts through indifference and slows the pace of those who go on their way as if they had no sisters and brothers.

The World Day of the Sick calls for prayer and closeness towards those who suffer. Yet it also aims to raise the awareness of God’s people, healthcare institutions and civil society with regard to a new way of moving forward together. The above-quoted prophecy of Ezekiel judges harshly the priorities of those who wield economic, cultural, and political power over others: “You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them” (34:3-4). God’s word is always illuminating and timely; not only in what it denounces, but also in what it proposes. Indeed, the conclusion of the parable of the Good Samaritan suggests how the exercise of fraternity, which began as a face-to-face encounter, can be expanded into organized care. The elements of the inn, the innkeeper, the money and the promise to remain informed of the situation (cf. Lk 10:34

35) all point to the commitment of healthcare and social workers, family members and volunteers, through whom good stands up in the face of evil every day, in every part of the world.

On 11 February 2023, let us turn our thoughts to the Shrine of Lourdes, a prophetic lesson entrusted to the Church for our modern times. It is not only what functions well or those who are productive that matter. Sick people, in fact, are at the centre of God’s people, and the Church advances together with them as a sign of a humanity in which everyone is precious and no one should be discarded or left behind.

To the intercession of Mary, Health of the Sick, I entrust all of you who are ill; you who care for them in your families, or through your work, research and volunteer service; and those of you who are committed to weaving personal, ecclesial, and civic bonds of fraternity. To all, I impart my heartfelt blessing. Rome, Saint John Lateran, 10 January 2023 POPE FRANCIS

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5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
5th February 2023

RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY 2023

TODAY is RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAYthe theme for this year’s Racial Justice Sunday is:

‘All are included in the mission of Christ and his Church. Let us walk together, pray together and work together.’

It reflects the role each of us must play in promoting the mission of Christ and His Church. This was inspired by conversations around last year’s Racial Justice Sunday and Pope Francis’ visit to Canada in July 2022 when he spoke about looking towards a future of ‘Justice, healing and reconciliation’.

As Catholics we believe that every human being is created equally in the image of God. It is important to consider how we can better reflect this in our own actions, both as individuals and part of the wider Church.

Questions for reflections and for more information visit: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/rjs23-questions/

Catholics are called to pray for those who experience unjust discrimination or are marginalised because of their race and ethnicity. We think in particular of those who feel they do not belong within our society or our communities because of this discrimination.

As Catholics we are asked to treat all humans with dignity, regardless of their background or circumstance.

There are many stories of alienation throughout the Bible, with clear calls to “Love the stranger”. That the Church is a place where all belong is clearly seen in the recent Feast of the Epiphany, when Christ is revealed not only to the Israelites, but to all of God’s people.

A prayer for Racial Justice

God of our past, present and future, As we pray for an end to suffering caused by racism
you created each one of us in your image lead us this day to walk with one another,
and likeness, pray with one another and work together,
help us to recognise you in each person. so that we create a future based on justice and
healing, where all can fulfil the hope you have for all peoples.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

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4th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 
29th January 2023

HOW TO BE HAPPY

GOD made us with a deep longing for happiness. We experience this longing and spend much time finding ways to be happy — often becoming frustrated in our search!Today’s Gospel is the

BEATITUDES, which is Our Lord’s teaching on the way to find true happiness.

Given the Beatitudes are Our Lord’s own teaching as the way to find true happiness, should we not know them by heart so we can treasure them and put them into practice? This week, let us use them each day in our daily prayer, and, like Our Lady, ponder and treasure this teaching in our heart. Remember, Pope Francis says we should all carry a copy of the Gospel in our pocket or bag — the Beatitudes are found in Matthew 5:1-12.

The Beatitudes are essentially Our lord’s way of life, and they are our way to true happiness. We can live them with the help of His grace.

Pope Francis also wants us to be very concrete, and so suggests we examine ourselves often in light of questions we shall be asked on Judgement Day. We read them in Matthew 26: 31-46.

We may find our own responses uncomfortable — but do not lose heart…..we can begin again, today and every day.

Every Blessing, Fr David Barnes, Rector

THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION, (Thursday 2nd Feb 2023) often called CANDLEMAS, commemorates the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the presentation of Christ in the Temple, which occurred 40 days after his birth as prescribed by the Jewish law. According to Mosaic Law, a mother who had given birth to a boy was considered unclean for seven days. Also, she was to remain 33 days “in the blood of her purification. “Luke tells us, quoting (Exodus: 2, 12) that Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem because every firstborn child was to be dedicated to the Lord. They also went to sacrifice a pair of doves or two young pigeons. This lowly offering showed that Mary and Joseph were most likely poor. Once in the Temple, Jesus was purified by the prayer of Simeon, in the presence of Anna the prophetess. Simeon, upon seeing the Messiah, gave thanks to the Lord, singing a hymn now called the Nunc Dimittis:

“Lord, now you let your servant go in peace, your word has been fulfilled: My own eyes have seen the salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.

Simeon told Mary, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” Simeon thus foreshadowed the crucifixion and the sorrows of Mary at seeing the death of her Son.

The name CANDLEMAS is derived from the activities associated with the Feast. It came to be known
as “the Candle Mass”.In the Western Church, a procession with lighted candles is the distinctive rite.
(Compiled by David Bennett: for more information visit: https://prayerist.com/candlemasprayers.html )

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3rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
22
nd January 2023

SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD

POPE FRANCIShas made this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (today!) an opportunity to deepen our devotion to the celebration, study and spread of the Word of God.
“Devoting a specific Sunday of the liturgical year to the Word of God can enable the Church to experience anew how the risen Lord opens up for us the treasury of his word and enables us to proclaim its unfathomable riches before the world.” Pope Francis

THE SACRED SCRIPTURES (the Bible)
are the inspired Word of God. God speaks to us in a particular way when we read them with faith and love. Like Our Ladywe need to ponder them and treasure them in our heart.
St Paul writes: “All Scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for:
1. Teaching
2. Refuting error
3. Guiding people’s lives
4. Teaching them to be holy
This is how the person who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work”
(2 Timothy 3:16,17)

READ THE SCRIPTURES
therefore every day, even if only a few verses. We should feast on them more than food and drink!

RESOLUTION:
decide today to be committed to reading the Sacred Scriptures every day.
1. Give the Bible a special place of prominence in your house. Hold it with reverence. The priest kisses the Gospel after proclaiming it at Mass: we do well also to kiss the Bible as we use it.
2. If we are beginning again, why not start with St Mark’s Gospel, a clear and simple presentation of what Jesus said and did?
Or, the First Letter of John, a beautiful presentation of how to come back to God with all our heart.

WHATEVER WE DECIDE, DO SOMETHING!
Every Blessing, Fr David Barnes, Rector

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2nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEEMMAUS MASS SHEET
Sunday 15th January 2023

56th WORLD DAY OF PEACE

The Holy Father’s 2023 Message for World Peace Day is:  “No one can be saved alone. Combatting Covid-19 together, embarking together on paths of peace.”

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians, 5:1-2).

To read the message in full visit: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/20221208-messaggio-56giornatamondiale-pace2023.html

PAX CHRISTI PRESIDENT: A MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP MALCOLM MCMAHON: 2022 has been a year of war and rumours of war. Lives lost, people displaced, fear and suspicion overwhelming many communities around the world. These wars are also contributing to the destruction of our environment. Sometimes it feels as though we have moved backwards in our efforts to bring peace and justice to our world.

However, the constant, faithful voice of Pope Francis urges us to keep going. Whether he is speaking about Ukraine and Russia, Yemen or the Middle East, his message is always the same: No to war and no to the trade in weapons that fuel war. His All Saints Angelus message offers these questions: ‘Brothers and sisters, let us look within and ask ourselves: are we peacemakers? In the places where we live, study and work, do we bring tension, words that hurt, chatter that poisons, controversy that divides? Or do we open up the way to peace?’ to support PAX CHRISTIor to donate visit: https://paxchristi.org.uk/about-us/support-us/donation/

Prayer for Peace
God, our Creator and Redeemer, May we see the sorrow of war in the eyes of those who suffer
and have known only violence in their lives.
Give us a voice for those who have no voice and are not heard; those who know that there is no tomorrow in war, and that the violence of weapons destroys both the beauty of creation and the joy of life.
That way, with your help, will we become true instruments of your peace. Amen
(adapted from Pope Francis’ Address for the World Day of Prayer for Peace, Assisi, 2016)

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THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD EMMAUS MASS SHEET
Sunday 8th January 2023

The Spiritual Testament of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

When, at this late hour of my life, I look back on the decades I have wandered through, I see first of all how much reason I have to give thanks. Above all, I thank God Himself, the giver of all good gifts, who has given me life and guided me through all kinds of confusion; who has always picked me up when I began to slip, who has always given me anew the light of his countenance. In retrospect, I see and understand that even the dark and arduous stretches of this path were for my salvation and that He guided me well in those very stretches.

I thank my parents, who gave me life in difficult times and prepared a wonderful home for me with their love, which shines through all my days as a bright light until today. My father’s clear-sighted faith taught us brothers and sisters to believe and stood firm as a guide in the midst of all my scientific knowledge; my mother’s heartfelt piety and great kindness remain a legacy for which I cannot thank her enough. My sister has served me selflessly and full of kind concern for decades; my brother has always paved the way for me with the clear-sightedness of his judgements, with his powerful determination, and with the cheerfulness of his heart; without this ever-new going ahead and going along, I would not have been able to find the right path.

I thank God from the bottom of my heart for the many friends, men and women, whom He has always placed at my side; for the co-workers at all stages of my path; for the teachers and students He has given me. I gratefully entrust them all to His goodness. And I would like to thank the Lord for my beautiful home in the Bavarian foothills of the Alps, in which I was able to see the splendour of the Creator Himself shining through time and again. I thank the people of my homeland for allowing me to experience the beauty of faith time and again. I pray that our country will remain a country of faith and I ask you, dear compatriots, not to let your faith be distracted. Finally, I thank God for all the beauty I was able to experience during the various stages of my journey, but especially in Rome and in Italy, which has become my second home.

I ask for forgiveness from the bottom of my heart from all those whom I have wronged in some way.

What I said earlier of my compatriots, I now say to all who were entrusted to my service in the Church: Stand firm in the faith! Do not be confused! Often it seems as if science – on the one hand, the natural sciences; on the other, historical research (especially the exegesis of the Holy Scriptures) – has irrefutable insights to offer that are contrary to the Catholic faith. I have witnessed from times long past the changes in natural science and have seen how apparent certainties against the faith vanished, proving themselves not to be science but philosophical interpretations only apparently belonging to science – just as, moreover, it is in dialogue with the natural sciences that faith has learned to understand the limits of the scope of its affirmations and thus its own specificity. For 60 years now, I have accompanied the path of theology, especially biblical studies, and have seen seemingly unshakeable theses collapse with the changing generations, which turned out to be mere hypotheses: the liberal generation (Harnack, Jülicher, etc.), the existentialist generation (Bultmann, etc.), the Marxist generation. I have seen, and see, how, out of the tangle of hypotheses, the reasonableness of faith has emerged and is emerging anew. Jesus Christ is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Life – and the Church, in all her shortcomings, is truly His Body.

Finally, I humbly ask: pray for me, so that the Lord may admit me to the eternal dwellings, despite all my sins and shortcomings. For all those entrusted to me, my heartfelt prayer goes out day after day.

Benedictus PP XVI.

Following the funeral, Cardinal Nichols said: he was collecting his memories of Pope Benedict during the Mass and considered his last homily before retiring as pope. In it, Benedict used the image of Jesus asleep in the back of the boat when the storm came on the Sea of Galilee and the disciples were frightened. The Cardinal repeated Archbishop Georg Gänswein’s recollections: “He said, Benedict used to say, ‘but now Jesus never sleeps and he’s always with us.’ So during the Mass I was thinking about those things and, quite simply, how lovable Benedict was and therefore thanking God for the gifts that He gave us through him.” To read or hear the Cardinals full reflection visit: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/pope-benedicts-funeral-an-unshakable-expression-of-faith-and-trust-in-the-promises-of-jesus-said-cardinal-nichols/

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THE SACRAMENTS: A series of DVD presentations by Bishop Robert Barron. Mondays at 6.45pm in the parish room. From 9th January 2023. Stephen Osborne has produced 7 contemporary paintings based on the administering of the Sacraments at St Anselm and St Cæcilia’s and will display them each week prior to the DVD screenings. See Flyers at the back of the church.

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4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT  EMMAUS MASS SHEET
18th December 2022

CHRISTMAS is almost here………!

THIS FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENTis our final day of preparing the way for the Lord to celebrate the Nativity of Our Saviour. It is a time to renew our hope and expectation: God is always faithful to His promises. The fourth CANDLE on our Advent wreath is seen as the MARY candle because the Nativity is the consequence of Mary’s YES to God — her FIAT (let it be done……).
This week we should, together with Mary, ponder the wonderful thing God has done for us in the Incarnation.
How does it touch us, move us?
How do we want to respond to it?
How do I see my “YES”to God? Is it whole hearted? As we ponder this we shall be moved to confess our sins —- all of which express our NO to God: every sin is a “no-no” to God.
A good confession is the best way to find a truly Happy Christmas, when we prepare the way for Our Lord to be born again in our heart , where we can treasure Him, adore Him, and love Him, like the shepherds.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the God-given means of making the way for Him to enter us—so do go to confession.
“Mary Immaculate, my Mother, keep me close to you, at one with you, so that I may imitate your wholehearted Yes to God.”

Fr David Barnes, Rector

This will be the last bulletin of the year – MERRY CHRISTMAS!

PLEASE PICK UP A COPY OF OUR CHRISTMAS CARD WITH THE CHRISTMAS LITURGIES INSIDE

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3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT
GAUDETE SUNDAY
11th December 2022

“REJOICE” SUNDAY (from Latin “Gaudete”) is the name given to this Third Sunday of Advent. We rejoice because of the coming celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord, born in the manger in Bethlehem.

We rejoice not only because He is “Emmanuel” (God with us), but because His coming (or advent) is the proof of God’s love for us: he has come to share His life completely with us. This is re-confirmed every time we receive Holy Communion.

Like Mary His Mother we have the privilege of holding Him and treasuring Him in our heart. Go to Mary, asking Her how we can hold and treasure Him better, more devotedly, more tenderly.

Pope Francis teaches us that the Church should be a “House of Joy”. Our parish and families will be “a House of Joy” in so far as we recognise that the infant in the crib is truly God fully among us. To help us ponder this please ensure that the CRIB has a central place in your home. Let us gather around the crib to pray as a family.

Our joy is the fruit of our faith, God’s gift for our “Yes” to God. REJOICE!
Fr David Barnes, Rector

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2nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT EMMAUS MASS SHEET
BIBLE SUNDAY Sunday 4th December 2022

THIS SUNDAY (ADVENT 2) is sometimes called BIBLE SUNDAY:We pray for a deeper love of the Sacred Scriptures.

St Jerome lived during the 4th century of the Church. A man of brilliant mind, he lived as a hermit for years, in order to deal with his many sins. However, God needed his intellect and gift of language; thus St. Jerome is credited with translating the Scriptures into Latin,known as the Vulgate.

St. Jerome famously said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”That thought alone should send us all scurrying for our Bibles! So, why should Catholics make regular Scripture reading and study part of their daily lives?

1) It is the living Word of God. There are many ancient texts in the history of the world. Many of us, in high school and college, read The Iliad, I Ching, and the Tao de Ching. They are all worthy of study, but what sets the Bible apart? It is the living Word of God. It has no equal, and it is as relevant today as it was when Jerome labored over its translation. Further, the Word of God is Christ: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. (Jn. 1:1 ) Thus, every encounter with Scripture is an encounter with Christ.

2) Sunday isn’t enough. Indeed, the Mass is full of Scripture. We hear the Word proclaimed from the Old and New Testaments, the Psalms, and the Gospel. We hear the Word sung in our hymns. The prayers at Mass are full of Scriptural quotes and references. And yet … it’s not enough. It’s easy to miss parts of the Word as it’s proclaimed as Mass: we get distracted, the Word is not proclaimed well, we don’t quite hear it. In order to prepare well for Mass, we should “read ahead:” find the readings for Mass and read them prior to Mass. How are they connected? What is God’s message for His people today?

3) God’s Word keeps us grounded. It is very easy, in the midst of our sloppy, busy, stress-filled days, to lose touch with who we are: God’s children. Taking time to read Scripture every day keeps us grounded, reminds us of who we are. Reading Scripture helps us to recall, every day, that Christ is with us – even in the sloppiness, the busy-ness, the stress.

4) Scripture reminds us of God’s covenant. God made a promise to our forefathers in faith, the Jews. He told them, “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” Even though the Jews (like us!) did many things that should have destroyed that covenant, God’s promise is eternal. A covenant is unbreakable, because it is God’s truth. Then, with the coming of Christ, we received a new covenant: “This is My Body and this is My Blood. Whoever eats and drinks of it shall have eternal life.” The Bible, from start to finish, is the story of God’s unbreakable promise to us. That’s pretty important.

5) Reading Scripture helps us to pray better. Every one of us needs to pray better. Prayer is our lifeline to God. Scripture can help us to pray better. We see ourselves reflected in the sorrow, pain and faithfulness of Job. We understand Jonah’s reluctance to do the job God has set before him. We rejoice, laugh, cry and challenge God with the psalmist. We understand the shame of the woman about to be stoned. We tremble with fear, abandoning Christ, just as most of the Apostles did when He most needed them. To enter into God’s word helps us to see, hear, feel and understand basic human responses … and then do better. We rise above our fears, our sorrows, our shame, because we know God is with us. Always. He never abandons us. Scripture is the story of God’s eternal love and faithfulness.

St. Jerome knew all this. He spent his life carefully and faithfully translating God’s word. He did it not because it was yet another text that smart people wanted to read in their own language. No, he understood that Scripture is the living word of God, as relevant to us as it was to the Jews in their many triumphs and struggles, as it was to the earliest Christians during St. Jerome’s life, and now, in a world where we have so much information at our fingertips it would make St. Jerome’s head spin. But there is no website, no book, no podcast, no Facebook post that equals God’s word. Do not be ignorant of this word, lest you be ignorant of Christ.

THE ADVENT WREATH: The Advent wreath helps us reflect on how God has come to us. The circle of the wreath is a symbol of both the eternity of God and our being called to eternal life. The evergreen foliage symbolises on-going life, while the holly and the red berries symbolise that the child in the manger is also the one who will suffer and die for us on the Cross. The five candles too have meanings. The outer candles are purple and one pink – the four weeks of Advent: purple is a sign that Advent is “little Lent”, a time for prayer, fasting, repentance and conversion. The pink candle is for “Gaudete Sunday”, the third Sunday in Advent, reminding us to rejoice in the coming of the Saviour. The white candle symbolises Christ, the Light of the World. The coming of the Light (Christ) into the darkness of the world is a constant theme in Advent, and the gradual lighting of the Advent candles reminds us of this. Various meanings are given to each specific candle -here is one set of meaning:

1st CANDLE-(purple) THE PROPHECY CANDLE or CANDLE OF HOPE-We can have hope because God is faithful and will keep the promises made to us. Our hope comes from God. (Romans 15:12-13)

2nd CANDLE-(purple) THE BETHLEHEM CANDLE or THE CANDLE OF PREPARATION– God kept his promise of a Saviour who would be born in Bethlehem. Preparation means to “get ready”. Help us to be ready to welcome YOU, O GOD! (Luke 3:4-6)

3rd CANDLE-(pink) THE SHEPHERD CANDLE or THE CANDLE OF JOY – The angles sang a message of JOY! (Luke 2:7-15)

4th CANDLE- (purple) THE ANGEL CANDLE or THE CANDLE OF LOVEThe angels announced the good news of a Saviour. God sent his only Son to earth to save us, because he loves us! (John 3:16-17)

5th CANDLE- (white) “CHRIST CANDLE” -The white candle reminds us that Jesus is the spotless lamb of God, sent to wash away our sins! His birth was for his death, his death was for our birth! (John 1:29)

Fr David Barnes, Rector

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT EMMAUS MASS SHEET
27th November 2022

ADVENT

TODAY, Sunday, the great season of Advent begins. The word comes from the Latin verb “advenire” meaning “to come to:” so Advent calls us to ponder Our Lord’s THREE “comings to us”.

the Incarnation when “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” ie. Our Lord’s Nativity in Bethlehem.

Our Lord’s daily coming to us in the Holy Mass.

the Second Coming, when “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead”.

ADVENT is sometimes called “Little Lent” because it is properly a time of prayer, fasting and good works, a time of repentance. This is why purple is the colour of Advent. Do your best to keep Advent in this way, even though secular society  is making merry around us, the celebration of Christmas begins with the Vigil of Christmas, and is celebrated for the 12 days that lead up to the Epiphany on 6th January.

THE ADVENT WREATH, with the build-up of lighting the candles, reminds us of the coming of Our Lord into this world in His Nativity– He is “the Light of the World” who dispels the darkness of the world.

ADVENT is a time of HOPE as we come understand better that God is always faithful to His promises.

OUR LADY “believed that the promises made her by the Lord would be fulfilled:”

We pray that we may have faith like hers, and invoke her powerful intercession.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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CHRIST THE KING
SUNDAY 20th November 2022

CHRIST THE KING
Today is the Grand Finale of the Church’s year. On this final Sunday, our celebration focuses on Our Lord through whom the Kingdom of God comes. Our Lord taught constantly about the Kingdom of God: the Kingdom comes through the Church, founded by Christ and with which He is totally identified in every way apart from our sin. The Church is the sign and seed of the Kingdom, and through the Church we are called to let Christ reign in every area of our life. The more we co-operate with Him, the more the Kingdom comes.

Today focuses us also on our young people. In our parish we have many, and we should thank God for them and pray for them. On this “Youth Day”we should reflect carefully on what we are doing to help form our young people. How can we strengthen the life of faith in our homes? How can we help our school, St. Joseph’s, Macklin Street, which is developing wonderfully through the present leadership? I am concerned about our adolescents: how can we support them better? Do let me know your ideas.

NATIONAL YOUTH SUNDAY 2022:This year’s National Youth Sunday takes place on the Feast of Christ the King. 2022 THEME : RISE UP! “Mary arose and went with haste” all other resources are available at:

POPE FRANCIS – WYD MESSAGE 2022:What kinds of “haste” do you have, dear young people? What leads you to feel a need to get up and go, lest you end upstanding still? Many people – in the wake of realities like the pandemic, war, forced migration, poverty, violence and climate disasters – are asking themselves: Why is this happening to me? Why me? And why now?

Happy Feast! Next Sunday Advent begins!

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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33rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET
Sunday 13th November 2022

POPE FRANCIS, MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF THE POOR, 2022

“That is precisely what solidarity is: sharing the little we have with those who have nothing, so that no one will go without. The sense of community and of communion as a style of life increases and a sense of solidarity matures.”

“Open our eyes to the needs of our brothers and sisters; inspire in us words and actions to comfort those who labour and are burdened. Make us serve them truly, after the example of Christ and at his command. And may your Church stand as a living witness to truth and freedom, to peace and justice, that all people may be raised up to a new hope.”

To read Pope Francis’ message in full, visit: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/poveri/documents/20220613-messaggio-vi-giornatamondiale-poveri-2022.html

PRAYER FOR THE WORLD DAY OF THE POOR
Loving God,
Open our ears to hear you in the cry of those living in poverty.
Open our eyes to see you in the lives of the oppressed.
Open our hearts to meet you in others and to respond with mercy and compassion.
Pour out on us your grace, so that we may grow as your faithful people, always seeking your kingdom of Truth, Justice and Peace.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY marks Remembrance Sunday which marks the end of the First World War. On this day we remember all those who gave their lives for their country, all who suffered and died through acts of war and those who were left behind to grieve and mourn.

PRAYER OF REMEMBRANCE
O God, merciful and strong, who crush wars and cast down the proud,
be pleased to banish violence swiftly from our midst and to wipe away all tears,
so that we may all truly deserve to be called your children.

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32nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 6th November 2022

SICK & RETIRED PRIESTS’ FUND

Our second collection today will be in support of the SICK & RETIRED PRIESTS’ FUND.

Most priests offer their resignation as a parish priest at the age of 75, but many continue to serve their communities, working in our parishes, schools, hospitals and chaplaincies. We must ensure no priest is worried about meeting essential costs during their senior years and, as such, Cardinal Nichols and the Diocese of Westminster are committed to ensuring that no retired or sick priest is left without support.

By giving a gift to the SICK & RETIRED PRIESTS’ FUND, you will help ensure all of our sick and retired priests are cared for at their time of need, after years of service to God and their parishioners. The fund will be used to meet essential costs, like making a flat accessible to a disabled priest. It could ensure a priest has regular visits from a carer after undergoing surgery.

Rest assured, the Diocese works closely with the NHS, local councils and social services, but there will nevertheless be gaps in funding and we need to ensure our priests have peace of mind in their senior years.

If you took a donation envelope last weekend, please place it in the collection bag today. If you do not have an envelope, there are some available at the back of the church. The envelopes and posters feature a ‘QR Code’ that you can scan with a phone camera to give online. If you are able, please consider filling out a standing order form, meaning you become a Patron and make a regular gift to support our sick and retired priests.Please be generous and remember our clergy, in active ministry, retired or ill, in your prayers. Thank you.

PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.

Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for your people.

Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.

Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel. Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.

Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen.

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31st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET
Sunday 30th October 2022

NOVEMBER — MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS

Pope Francis on praying for the souls in purgatory: “Even now we experience a communion between the Church on earth and the Church in heaven through our union with those who have died. The souls in heaven assist us with their prayers, while we assist the souls in purgatory through our good works, prayer and participation in the Eucharist. As members of the Church then, the distinction is not between who has died and who is living, but rather who is in Christ and who is not …

There is a deep and indissoluble bond between those who are still pilgrims in this world — us — and those who have crossed the threshold of death and entered eternity. All baptized persons here on earth, the souls in Purgatory and all the blessed who are already in Paradise make one great Family. This communion between earth and heaven is realized especially in intercessory prayer”.

See Also: https://www.cathdal.org/home/ten-ways-to-pray-for-the-holy-souls-in-purgatory

1. Pray the Novena to the Holy Souls by St. Alphonsus Liguori.
2. Offer up your Holy Communions for the souls in purgatory.
3. Have Masses said for your departed loved ones, especially on the anniversary of his or her death.
4. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for the intention of the Holy Souls.
5. Eucharistic Adoration:visit the Blessed Sacrament to make acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on behalf of those in purgatory.
6. Sacrifices: practice small acts of self-denial throughout your day and offer these penances up for the poor souls.
7. Give alms:The giving of material assistance to the poor has always been considered a penance that can be offered for the Holy Souls. “For almsgiving saves from death, and purges all sin” (Tobit 12:9).
8. Ask for the intercession of saints who were known to be great friends of the Holy Souls during their lifetime to join you in prayer for the faithful departed: St. Nicholas of Tolentino, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Catherine of Genoa, St. Padre Pio, St. Philip Neri, St. John Macías, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Joseph, Our Lady, and others.
9. When passing by a cemetery:Pray the short Eternal Rest prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let the perpetual light shine upon them. And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
10. Pray to earn indulgences for the holy souls:On all the days from November 1 to November 8, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed (standard requirements for indulgences apply*). Partial indulgences are granted to those who recite Lauds or Vespers of the Office of the Dead, and to those who recite the prayer, “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace”

ETERNAL REST
Lord, this month we pray especially for the departed loved ones.
We ask you to give them the gift of a dwelling place in your eternal home.
We pray too for those who have no one to pray for them.
Through your infinite mercy may they share in the company of the saints to offer you eternal praise and glory. Amen

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30th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET
Sunday 23rd October 2022

Today is WORLD MISSION SUNDAY

World Mission Sunday is being celebrated in every Catholic parish around the world today! It supports missionaries who work alongside communities that are poor or in need, regardless of their background or belief. By supporting Missio, the Pope’s charity for world mission, you will help missionaries like Maria witness to their faith and offer vulnerable women in Ethiopia hope for a better future. Please pray for the mission of the Church throughout the world and give what you can to this very important collection which will sustain the future of our Church. Please use a donation envelope and hand in at the second collection today. You can also give by to give by credit/debit card, please visit and Gift Aid your donation if possible: missio.org.uk Thank you for your generosity.

To read the Holy Fathers message for World Mission Sunday please visit: https://missio.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MESSAGE-OF-HIS-HOLINESS-POPE-FRANCIS-2022.pdf

PRAYER FOR PEACE BETWEEN PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS 

Father of all goodness, mercy and love,
You call people of all Faiths to live and work together for the coming of your Kingdom on earth.
Make us instruments of your peace, and cultivate in us the fertile seed of your healing love.
Create in us the spirit of understanding, acceptance, and respect for one another, irrespective of our differences.
Stir within our hearts a renewed sense of reverence for all life.
Give us the vision to recognise your spirit in every human being, and help us to break the cycle of violence by realising that peace begins with me.
Amen.

EXTRA MASS! As from SUNDAY 6TH NOVEMBER, there will be an additional Mass (In Latin) on Sundays at 8:30am

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29th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET
Sunday 16th October 2022

THE ROSARY IS THE PRAYER OF MY HEART’ – (POPE FRANCIS)

Pope Francis says: “the Rosary is the prayer that always accompanies my life: it is also the prayer of simple people and saints…it is the prayer of my heart”.
Pope Francis explains that the Rosary is “a synthesis of Divine Mercy”: “With Mary, in the mysteries of the Rosary we contemplate the life of Jesus which irradiates the mercy of the Father. Let us rejoice in His love and forgiveness, let us recognize it in foreigners and in those who are needy, let us live His Gospel every day”.And greeting the young, the sick and the newly wedded, Pope Francis said: “May this simple Marian prayer show you, young people, the way to give life to God’s will in your lives; dear sick people, love this prayer because it brings consolation for the mind and the heart; and dear newly wedded spouses, may it represent a privileged moment of spiritual intimacy within your new family”.
Pope Francis gives all people he meets a Rosary. “Our Lady is always close to Her children and ready to help when we pray to her, when we ask for her protection… let us remember she is always ready to serve and never keeps anyone waiting”.
At FATIMA, Our Lady asked us all to pray the Rosary EVERY DAY. How could we say NO to that?
With Mary, let us learn to say YES, everyday.
OBTAINING GREAT FAITH FROM MARY: In Mary, all ideals become reality; but this should not make us think that her sublime greatness makes her inaccessible to us. She is the one who is full of grace and the sum of all perfections; and she is also our Mother. Her power before God is such that she can obtain anything we ask for, and, like any mother she wants to answer our prayers. Like any mother also, she knows and understands our weaknesses. She encourages us…. She makes the way easy for us and, even when we think there is no possible solution for our worry, she always has one ready to offer us.
If we truly got to know Mary our Mother, how quickly the supernatural virtues would grow in us! Let us not be shy about repeating short prayers and aspirations to her throughout the day. There is no need to say them out loud, we can say them in our heart. Christian devotion has gathered together many of these loving words of praise in the Litany which accompanies the Holy Rosary. But each one of us is free to think up new ones, and address new praises to her, telling her with our heart – with the holy bashfulness that she understands and approves – what we would not dare to say out loud…
Find out for yourself by personal experience the meaning of Mary’s maternal love… She is your Mother and you are her son or daughter. She loves you as if you were her only child in this world. Treat her accordingly: tell her about everything that happens to you, honour her and love her…. I give you my word that, if you set out along this way, you will quickly discover all the love of Christ: and you will find yourself drawn into the ineffable life of God…. You will draw strength from it to put the will of God fully into practice, and you will be filled with the desires of serving all men. You will be the Christian you have sometimes dreamed of being: full of works of charity and justice, happy and strong, understanding towards others and demanding on yourself. This, and no other, is the kind of faith we want. Let us have recourse to our Mother Mary; she will accompany us and help us make firm and constant progress.
Saint Josemaria Escriva

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28th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET
Sunday 9th October 2022 

PRISONERS’ SUNDAY

TODAY is designated by our Bishops as “Prisoners’ Sunday”– the National Day of Prayer and Action for prisoners and their families. It is a wonderful opportunity for us all to direct our thoughts to the needs of prisoners and their families, all who work in and are affected by the criminal justice system.

While we may feel that the Covid Pandemic is becoming more distant from our minds, the impact of the last two years is felt very keenly and our prison communities have been impacted significantly. The work of Pact is a vital element in our outreach to prisoners and their families.

Pact’s work is rooted in Catholic Social Teachings. It brings hope into the prison environment, where men and women experience isolation and long periods confined to their cells. Pact serves families, especially children, who experience prolonged separation from loved ones.

Please encourage people to consider volunteering to assist Pact in its mission. JustPeople Roadshows and Workshops taking place around the country provide excellent opportunities for people to learn more. Information can also be found on the Pact website www.prisonadvice.org,uk

Pact, its staff and beneficiaries, will be grateful for any support you can offer at any time. Further information is available on 07860 720011 or by e-mail on the following address: parish.action@prisonadvice.org.uk

Commentary on today’s Gospel: LUKE 17 22-17 It’s hard to be thankful when life feels hopeless, lonely or unfair. In saying “thank you”for the small things, we realise they are often the big things – the new day that brings another chance, family, friends, the air we breathe, shelter, food, the kindness of a stranger, even the loyalty of as pet.

This year’s Gospel reading from Prisons Sunday shows us the far-reaching impact of thankfulness.

From a harsh, hopeless place on the edge of society, the lepers cry out in pain and despair. God answers their prayer through Jesus, already travelling and working in the hostile place. And Jesus does more than heal them physically, his compassion shows them that they are people loved and valued by God, who can be restored to community and freedom. But the Samaritan who returns to thank Jesus finds an even deeper, everlasting spiritual freedom, amazed by the power and willingness of Christ to make him fully whole – his joy and thanks come straight from the heart.

Pray with us each day in Prisons Week as we journey this year through hostility, stigma and despair to move towards hope with thankful hearts for all that is possible. We make our faith journey with Christ at our side, giving thanks to God, always and everywhere.

Prisoners Helpline: www.prisonersfamilies.org0808 808 2003 (Freephone)

Fresh Start Newsletter: www.prisonadvice.org.uk/fresh-start

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27th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 
Sunday 2nd October 2022 EMMAUS MASS SHEET

OCTOBER: Month of the HOLY ROSARY

THIS OCTOBERI am asking all of you to renew and deepen your love of the ROSARY this October. When we pray the Rosary we are pondering and walking through the wonderful things that God has done for us, together with Mary our Mother. Do please always have a Rosary with you, in your pocket. At different times of the day hold it with faith and love, so uniting ourselves to Jesus and Mary. These quotes from recent Popes will encourage us:

“The Rosary is a prayer that always accompanies me; it is also the prayer of the ordinary people and the saints… it is a prayer from my heart.” Pope Francis

“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God…and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.” Pope Saint Pius X

“How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening!” St. John Paul II

“The Rosary is a prayer both so humble and simple and a theologically rich in Biblical content. I beg you to pray it.”St. John Paul II

“The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.” Pope Leo XIII

Mary, Queen of the most holy Rosary, Pray for us.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET
25th September 2022

OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM

SATURDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER IS THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM. The Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham, in North Norfolk, was established in 1061 when, according to the text of the Pynson Ballad (c 1485), Richeldis de Faverches prayed that she might undertake some special work in honour of Our Lady. In answer to her prayer, the Virgin Mary led her in spirit to Nazareth, showed her the house where the Annunciation occurred, and asked her to build a replica in Walsingham to serve as a perpetual memorial of the Annunciation.

This Holy House was built and a religious community took charge of the foundation. Although we have very little historical material from this period, we know that with papal approval the Augustinian Canons built a Priory (c 1150). Walsingham became one of the greatest Shrines in Medieval Christendom.

In 1538, the Reformation caused the Priory property to be handed over to the King’s Commissioners and it is said the famous statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was taken to London and burnt. Nothing remains today of the original shrine, but its site is marked on the lawn in “The Abbey Grounds” in the village. After the destruction of the Shrine, Walsingham ceased to be a place of pilgrimage. Devotion was necessarily in secret until after Catholic Emancipation (1829) when public expressions of faith were allowed.

In 1896 Charlotte Pearson Boyd purchased the 14th century Slipper Chapel, the last of the wayside chapels en-route to Walsingham, and restored it for Catholic use. In 1897 by rescript of Pope Leo XIII, the sanctuary of Our Lady of Walsingham was restored with the building of a Holy House as the

Lady Chapel of the Catholic Church of the Annunciation, King’s Lynn. The Guild of Our Lady of Ransom brought the first public pilgrimage to Walsingham on 20th August 1897. Visits to the Slipper Chapel became more frequent, and as the years passed devotion and the number of pilgrimages increased.

SLIPPER CHAPELIn the Middle Ages Walsingham was one of the four great shrines of Christendom with pilgrims coming from all parts of the known world. There were wayside chapels along the pilgrim route and the Slipper Chapel was the last and most important of these. Pilgrims stopped here to go to Mass and to confess their sins before walking the last mile to the Holy House in Walsingham. The name of the chapel may come from the fact that pilgrims removed their shoes to walk the last mile or it may come from the word “slype” meaning a way through or “something in between”, the slype or slip chapel standing as it did between the Holy land of Walsingham and the rest of England.

In 1538 the Shrine and Priory were destroyed and the Slipper Chapel, although not damaged, passed into disuse. It was used successively as a poor house, a forge a barn and even a cow byre. Stories of older residents suggest that even during this time of neglect occasional pilgrims would still come and pray there. In 1896 it was brought by Charlotte Boyd and restoration started the following year. For thirty years the Slipper Chapel remained restored but little used, as devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham was centred on Kings Lynn. On August 19th 1934, Bishop Youens of Northampton celebrated the first public Mass in the Slipper Chapel for four hundred years, and two days later Cardinal Bourne led a national pilgrimage of more than 10,000 people to the Shrine. At this pilgrimage, the Slipper Chapel was declared to be the National Shrine of Our Lady for Roman Catholics in England.

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25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
10am Requiem Mass Queen Elizabeth II – RIP.pdf

Sunday 18th September 2022

CARDINAL VINCENT NICHOLS WRITES:

“As I write these words, it is just over a week since the visit of the relics of St Bernadette to the Cathedral. Over the course of the three days, more than 20,000 people passed through the doors of the Cathedral. I was able to spend some quiet time before the relics. It was so moving to see people with their petitions, their candles, their gestures – all with such an evident focus on Our Lady. I am so grateful to all those at the Cathedral – chaplains, volunteers and staff – who smoothed the path of this experience of faith for so many.

But that all seems a long time ago now, as we live through these days of mourning for Her Majesty The Queen. So much has been said and written about her. For me, her joy in life, her faithfulness, her kindness, and her steadfastness are four key qualities, four central reasons why she was so loved and now mourned so sincerely by so many. She will always remain a shining light in the history of our nation. May she rest in peace.

And now, God save the King.

✠ Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster

CELEBRATING THE BEAUTY OF OUR FAITH – TODAY is EVANGELII GAUDIUM SUNDAY: In the past, the third Sunday in September has been known as ‘Home Mission Sunday’. This has now changed to EVANGELII GAUDIUM SUNDAYto better reflect the Holy Father’s inspiration, and the work of the Mission Department at the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. “Evangelii Gaudium”is Latin for “Joy of the Gospel”. The day supports the work carried out by the Mission Directorate at the Bishops’ Conference in supporting our bishops in three important areas:

• Firstly, evangelisation and catechesis. Guided by the Bishops, this work supports the dioceses in bringing the beauty of the Catholic Faith to the people in their parishes, and to those who do not yet know the Lord.

• Secondly, the beauty of the Liturgy and our church buildings. The Mission directorate ensures that liturgical directives from Rome are acted upon and liturgical texts are translated into English. Historical building experts work in the Directorate and support dioceses to fund and maintain beautiful places for prayer.

• Thirdly, sharing the beauty of the Catholic faith with Christian and non-Christians through outreach and dialogue. This work supports the bishops at the national level and helps create greater understanding. The directorate also reaches out to those with no faith, but who seek the Lord “with a sincere heart”.

Please support the Mission Directorate through prayer and giving to the retiring collection. However much you give, big or small, it will go directly to support these three important areas of work. Thank you. More information can be found at: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/what-is-evangelii-gaudium-sunday/

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24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET
11th September 2022

QUEEN ELIZABETH II – RIP

CARDINAL VINCENT NICHOLS WRITES:“On 21 April 1947, on her twenty-first birthday, Princess Elizabeth said, ‘I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.’

Now, seventy-five years later, we are heartbroken in our loss at her death, and so full of admiration for the unfailing way in which she fulfilled that declaration.

Even in my sorrow, shared with so many around the world, I am filled with an immense sense of gratitude for the gift to the world that has been the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

At this time, we pray for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty. We do so with confidence, because the Christian faith marked every day of her life and activity.

In her Millennium Christmas message, she said, ‘To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.’

This faith, so often and so eloquently proclaimed in her public messages, has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to many. The wisdom, stability and service which she consistently embodied, often in circumstances of extreme difficulty, are a shining legacy and testament to her faith.

Our prayer is that she is now received into the merciful presence of God, there to be reunited with her beloved Prince Philip. This is the promise of our faith, and our deep consolation.

Queen Elizabeth II will remain, always, a shining light in our history. May she now rest in peace.

We pray for His Majesty the King, as he assumes his new office even as he mourns his mother.

“God save the King”.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, 8 September 2022

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CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF ENGLAND AND WALES
PRAYERS FOR THE REPOSE OF THE SOUL OF HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II

For the happy repose of HM The Queen Almighty God,
You are the author and sustainer of all human life;
grant that your servant, Elizabeth our Queen,
whom you granted a long and happy reign as Monarch of these lands
may be forgiven her sins and rewarded with that eternal life
promised to all those born again
in the water of baptism and power of your Spirit.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit
God, forever and ever,
Amen.

Eternal rest, grant to her O Lord,
And let Perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace.
Amen.

May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
Through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen

Psalm 121 – A Song of Ascents
I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.

May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israel’s guard.

The Lord your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you,
nor the moon in the night.

The Lord will guard you from evil;
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming,
both now and forever.

Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32)
At last, all-powerful Master,
you give leave to your servant
to go in peace, according to your promise.

For my eyes have seen your salvation
Which you have prepared for all nations,
The light to enlighten the Gentiles
And give glory to Israel, your people.

Prayer for the Royal Family
Almighty God, source of all consolation,
we pray for the members of the Royal Family who mourn the loss
of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
Uphold them in your love
and pour out on them the consolation of your healing Spirit.
Let them find in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ
comfort in their sadness,
certainty in their doubt
and courage to live through this hour.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Prayer for the King
O God, to whom every human power is subject,
Grant to your servant His Majesty the King
wisdom in the exercise of his high office,
so that, always revering to you and striving to please you,
he may constantly secure and preserve
for the people entrusted to his care
the freedom that comes from unity and peace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit
God, forever and ever,
Amen.

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23rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET
4th September 2022

OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF MUSIC:

As Parish Priest, I am delighted to announce that Mr Anthony Davie is our new Director of Music, starting on Sunday 11th September. Anthony comes with a wealth of musical experience and has worked extensively with young people.

Anthony writes:

“I welcome the young people of the parish to join our new youth choir. The choir will sing most Sundays at 10am and festive days in the church year. Rehearsals will be Friday afternoons beginning at 4pm lasting 30 to 40 minutes.

Being a member of a choir is a fantastic opportunity not only to sing beautiful music but also to enjoy the fun of working as a member of a team. It doesn’t matter if you can’t already read music because we’ll be learning how to do that along the way. We’ll also enjoy understanding more about singing and how to sing well together. Performing music in church is always an exciting and rewarding activity and I look forward to bringing the voices of our young people together to make our services even more special.”

POPE FRANCIS’ SEPTEMBER PRAYER INTENTION: FOR ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY

In his prayer intention for September, Pope Francis calls on all people of good will “to mobilize for the abolition of the death penalty throughout the world.”

“Each day, there is a growing ‘NO’ to the death penalty around the world,” says Pope Francis in the video released on Wednesday announcing his prayer intention for September. “For the Church, this is a sign of hope.”

In The Pope Video, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the Holy Father maintains that the death penalty is not necessary “from a legal point of view.”

He argues that “society can effectively repress crime without definitively depriving offenders of the possibility of redeeming themselves.”

He adds that there must be “a window of hope” in every legal sentence. Capital punishment, he says, “offers no justice to victims, but rather encourages revenge. And it prevents any possibility of undoing a possible miscarriage of justice.”

Always possible to repent: Pope Francis goes on to say that the death penalty is “morally inadmissible” because it destroys life, and insists that “up to the very last moment, a person can convert and change.”

The Pope argues further that “in the light of the Gospel, the death penalty is unacceptable, because the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ refers to both the innocent and the guilty.”

Pope Francis concludes his message with an appeal for all people of goodwill “to mobilize for the abolition of the death penalty throughout the world.”

“Let us pray that the death penalty, which attacks the dignity of the human person, may be legally abolished in every country.” By Vatican News staff reporter

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22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME  EMMAUS MASS SHEET
28th August 2022

FOR OUR VISITORS…

Dear Friend,
Welcome to our church: I trust you will feel at home here. During this summer period, you may join many visitors, so we offer you here a brief guide to this church. We have a fuller guide available before and after Mass. We also have available a booklet ‘HOLBORN London’s VIA SACRA’ a brief but inspiring account of the courage and heroism shown by the Saints and Martyrs in Holborn who gave witness to the Faith during the Reformation. We hope you enjoy your visit.
 Fr David Barnes, Rector

1) As you enter the church, to the left there is the Baptistry. There is a plaque on the wall in memory of Edith Gwen Kinghorn, wife of Tony Kinghorn, who for many years was an altar server in the church.

2) Statue of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The Little Flower who, from the age of fifteen until her death at 24, lived a hidden life in the Carmelite convent in Lisieux. She is one of the most popular saints the world has ever known – a Doctor of the Church. Her Little Way of spirituality emphasizes the seeking of holiness in the simple and the ordinary.

3) Proceed alongside the left hand aisle of the church. Here you will see the continuation of:14 Stations of the Cross on either side of the church; each recalls an aspect of the suffering of Our Lord on Good Friday.

In between the Stations of the Cross and at various positions around the church, small tablets in red with a gold cross are set in the walls, with a small candle holder fixed in front. These are points where the Bishop anointed and consecrated the church in 1959.

4) Further along the left aisle, past the 14th Station are 2 plaques. The Colonna Crucifixion, after Michaelangelo circa 1542, commemorates Canon Francis Bartlett, who was parish priest of St. Anselm and St. Cæcilia’s from 1977-1985.

5) The other plaque is to the memory of Charles T. Fisher IV, an American Banker who worked near the church and died in the Lockerbie air disaster in 1988, three days before his 36th birthday. The door to the right leads down to the Parish Room.

6) The Sanctuary, with the altar – the focal point of the church. On the left of the sanctuary is the Ambo from which Holy Scripture is read.

7) The Sanctuary lamp is the gift of the legal profession (in its two branches) and signifies the presence of God in the Tabernacle that contains the Eucharist.

8) The Tabernacle, which contains the vessels in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. To the left, set in the wall is a small recess, the Aumbrey, for the Holy Oils used in baptism, confirmation and anointing the sick. To the right, again set in the wall, is the piscina where water used sacramentally is disposed of directly into the earth. Nowadays the piscina in the Sacristy is used for this purpose.

9) On either side of the Tabernacle are two roundels bearing the Instruments of the Passion and above are sculptures of Christ crowning Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, surrounded by Angels, with the patron Saints, Anselm to the left and Cæcilia on the right.

10) High above is the wooden canopy or Baldacchino, painted in blue with gold leaf. Depicted in the centre is the symbol of the Holy Spirit (a dove) and roundels in four corners with IHS, which, in Greek are the first letters for Jesus, Son and Saviour.

11) Proceed halfway along the centre aisle then, facing the Sanctuary, look up to the Great Cross, with statues of Our Lady standing on the left and St John on the right of the suffering Christ. Behind this scene, on the left, is the organ loft, which is better viewed from the right aisle alongside the Sanctuary.

12) On the right are the doors leading to the Sacristy, with the large painting of the Descent from the Cross hanging on the South wall. Attributed to John Francis Rigaud RA. In the Old Sardinian Chapel it hung above the High Altar.

13) As you leave this passage, look up towards the West Window with the stained glass depiction of Christ rising from the flames, just as a phoenix rises from the ashes, with images of St. Anselm and St. Cecilia to the left and right. This window commemorates the fire on Christmas Day 1992 when much of the church roof was destroyed as a result of an electrical fault in the main organ. Below is the choir gallery with organ and console to the left.

14) The first Station of the Cross begins along the South wall, Jesus is condemned to Death.

15) Further along on the left is a statue of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was the visions of St Margaret Alacoque in 1673-5 which gave definite shape to the object of devotion and its practices. The feast day is observed on the Friday in the week after Corpus Christi.

16) Our Lady’s Altar. Tradition maintains that the Lady Altar was the High Altar of the Old Chapel. According to an old parchment, which may date from around 1700, the altar stone of the High Altar in the old Chapel came with its relics from the Lady Chapel of Glastonbury Abbey. This area of the church was bombed during the Blitz in 1940, but restored after the war. There is a piscina to the right of the altar.

17) To the right of Our Lady’s Altar is the Chapel of St. Thomas More – A Man for all Seasons. An inscription on the wall describes St. Thomas’ time as a bencher of Lincoln’s Inn and Lord Chancellor. Having opposed King Henry VIII over his divorce and martyred on the grounds of having opposed the Act of Supremacy, he was beheaded in the Tower of London in 1535. St. Thomas was canonized in 1935. Here also hangs the Large Crucifix which is venerated throughout the year, but especially on Good Friday when the faithful kneel one by one to kiss the feet of Our Blessed Lord.

18) Halfway along the South aisle is St. Joseph’s Altar. The mosaic was commissioned in 1962 by Father Joseph Scholles, then Parish Priest, in memory of his father, Joseph Scholles, who died around that time. The mosaic depicts St Joseph, protector of the Universal Church, holding the church of St. Anselm and St. Cæcilia in his hands. Inscribed in Latin on the front of altar is- Sancti Joseph, Ora pro nobis. (St. Joseph, pray for us). On the left is a statue of St Joseph carrying the infant Jesus and holding a lily in his right hand – a symbol of purity.

19) To the right of St. Joseph’s altar are the confessional boxes.

20) Above the West end of the Lady Chapel is the Royal Sardinian coat-of-arms, which originally surmounted the organ in the old Sardinian Chapel.

21) Approaching the last row of benches, behind the pillar is a statue of St Jude, much invoked as the patron of hopeless cases and lost causes.

22) To the right is the small altar and statue of St Anthony of Padua, a simple and humble Franciscan Friar and Doctor of the Church who preached the Good News lovingly and with fearless courage, much invoked in cases of special difficulties and commonly referred to today as the finder of lost articles. Usually depicted with a book and the Infant Child Jesus in his arms.

23) In the aisle as you approach Our Lady’s altar is the Statue of St Peter. In the Middle Ages pilgrims who reached Rome, touched and kissed the foot of the statue and prayed to St. Peter, asking that he be merciful and open the gates of Heaven for them if they died during the pilgrimage.

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THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY EMMAUS MASS Assumption
Sunday 14th August 2022

ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

The feast of the Assumption is a day of joy. God has won. Love has won. It has won life. Love has shown that it is stronger than death, that God possesses the true strength and that his strength is goodness and love.

Mary was taken up body and soul into heaven: There is even room in God for the body. Heaven is no longer a very remote sphere unknown to us.

We have a Mother in heaven. And the Mother of God, the Mother of the Son of God, is our Mother. He himself has said so. He made her our Mother when he said to the disciple and to all of us: “Behold, your Mother!” We have a Mother in heaven. Heaven is open, heaven has a heart …

Let us make God great in public and in private life. This means making room for God in our lives every day, starting in the morning with prayers, and then dedicating time to God, giving Sundays to God. We do not waste our free time if we offer it to God. If God enters into our time, all time becomes greater, roomier, richer.

POPE BENEDICT XVI
HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION, 2005

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16th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEEMMAUS MASS SHEET
Sunday 17th July 2022

HOLIDAYS

The end of the school term signals the summer holiday season ahead. Our English word comes from “holy days”, which makes clear the nature and purpose of a holiday – a re-orientation of our life to God and to growing in wholeness / holiness. This is the way to a happy and restorative holiday.

Central to our holiday should be:

Mass: make sure you find out the location of the nearest Catholic church.

Daily prayer

A good spiritual book

A good self-examination and a good confession.

This is the last bulletin until early September. I wish you all a good holiday and summer: remember to pray for each other, and especially our sick and housebound.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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15th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEEMMAUS MASS SHEET
Sunday 10th July 2022

STELLA MARIS – SEA SUNDAY

TODAY Sunday 10th July is SEA SUNDAY. It is when the Church prays for all those who live and work at sea. There will be a retiring collection after all Masses.

Seafarers and fishers play a vital role in all of our lives, but they often work in difficult, hazardous conditions. In the last year, more crews have been abandoned by their employers than ever before. Many are still being denied the right to leave their ships for even a short break away from the relentless noise and pressure onboard. Many are reporting more stress and poorer mental health.

Your support will make a big difference to seafarers and fishers in need. You can donate in church today,or by visiting www.stellamaris.org.uk/donate, or by texting ‘SEA’ to 70460to donate £5. This collection is vital to enable Stella Maris to continue its important work.

So please give generously. Thank you.

OUR LADY, STAR OF THE SEA, PRAY FOR SEAFARERS- PRAY FOR US

O Mary, Star of the Sea, light of the ocean,
guide seafarers across all dark and stormy seas
that they may teach the haven of peace and light
prepared in Him who calmed the sea.
As we set forth upon the oceans of the world and cross deserts
of our time, show us, Mary, the fruit of your womb,
for 
without your Son we are lost.
Pray that we will never fail on life’s journey,
that in heart and mind, word and deed,
in days of turmoil and in days of calm,
we will always look to Christ and say,
‘Who is this that even wind and sea obey him?’
Our Lady ofPeace, Pray for us!
Bright Star of the Sea,
guide us!

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14th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEEMMAUS MASS SHEET
3rd July 2022

JULY – MONTH OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD:

Devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus is a powerful means to help us be devoted to the totally sacrificial love of Our Lord, as also loving Him totally present in the Blessed Sacrament. Our Cathedral here in Westminster is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood.

OUR PARISH.On 6th July 1909, Archbishop, Bourne opened our present church, celebration Mass at 11am. Do please pray that we take good care of our parish church, and pray that we can all proclaim the Kingdom of God.

The 6pm MASS on Wednesday 6th July will be said for the “Dedication of Our Parish”. All welcome.

PRAYER FOR THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS

Almighty, and everlasting God,
who hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son to be the Redeemer of the world,
and hast been pleased to be reconciled unto us by His Blood,
grant us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate with solemn worship the price of our salvation,
that the power thereof may here on earth keep us from all things hurtful,
and the fruit of the same may gladden us for ever hereafter in heaven.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen. 
Daily Roman Missal

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13th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
26th June 2022

PETER’S PENCE

TODAY, we have the annual collection for “Peter’s Pence”. This collection started here in England at the end of the 8th century, when the Anglo-Saxons were converted to Christianity. They wanted to help the Bishop of Rome, as successor of St Peter, in his universal ministry. The money collected is for the Pope to give to those suffering from natural disasters, such as famine or flooding, or those in great need, such as those suffering the consequences of war. The Pope gives money in the name of the whole Church.This annual collection expresses well our love for the Successor of Peter in his universal ministry. Please do give generously, and do pray for Pope Francis.

May the love and prayers of Ss Peter and Paul sustain the Church, increase our love for the Church as the “Mystical Body of Christ” as also our love for the Pope, and our love for the mission of the Church. For more information visit: https://www.obolodisanpietro.va/en.html

† SS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES
WEDNESDAY 29th JUNE 2022is the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul.

The Church founded by Christ has Ss Peter and Paul as its principle pillars. Peter was chosen by Christ to be His first Vicar on earth, endowed with powers of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 16:13-19) and charged with the role of Shepherd of Christ’s flock (Jn 21:15-17).

In Peter and his successors, the visible sign of unity and communion in faith and charity has been given.

Divine grace led Peter to profess Christ’s divinity. St Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero, in A.D. 66 or 67.

He was buried at the hill of the Vatican, where recent excavations have revealed his tomb on the very site of the Basilica of St Peter’s.

Paul was chosen to form part of the apostolic college by Christ himself on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-16). An instrument selected to bring Christ’s name to all peoples (Acts 9:15), he is the greatest missionary of all time, the advocate of pagans, the Apostle of the Gentiles.

St Paul was beheaded in the Tre Fontane along the Via Ostiense and buried nearby, on the spot where the basilica bearing his name now stands. Daily Roman Missal- SCEPTER PRESS

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THE MOST HOLY BODY & BLOOD OF CHRIST
SUNDAY 19th June 2022

CORPUS CHRISTI
TODAY we celebrate the wondrous love of Our Lord for us — how He gives Himself completely to us in Holy Communion, and how He is with us always in the Sacred Host in all the tabernacles throughout the world.

MASS is the means to bring us this presence. The priest takes bread and wine, and through the Holy Spirit our gifts are transformed to become really, truly and substantially the Body and Blood of Christ, so that Our Lord is present as perfect God and Perfect Man, body, soul and divinity. This transformation we call transubstantiation.

ADORATION is therefore the appropriate response to this gift, so on this weekend’s celebration we should resolve again to
make a good preparation for receiving Holy Communion followed by thanksgiving.
Visit Our Lord regularly in the tabernacle (“making a visit” is an important part of Catholic spirituality, and builds up our bond with Our Lord).
Show ever greater respect when we come into church, “the House of the Lord”, by genuflecting to the tabernacle and kneeling to adore and pray. Keeping silence in church is not only a way to respect Our Lord, but also one another.

TODAY we also celebrate “DAY for LIFE” This is the day in our calendar set aside to celebrate life from conception to natural death. This year the focus is on caring for and valuing the elderly. Funds raised from this second collection support various Day for Life initiatives, which focus on upholding the
dignity of every human life from conception to natural death. Please do support this work in any way you feel able. For more information and to donate, see here: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/dfl22/

POPE FRANCIS gives this teaching on age:
“The little ones learn the power of tenderness and respect for frailty: irreplaceable lessons that are easier to impart and receive with grandparents. For their part, grandparents learn that tenderness and frailty are not solely signs of decline: for young people, they are conditions that humanise the future.”

SACRED HEART NOVENA: Here at St Anselm & St Cecilia we will be praying the Novena after Mass from Thursday 16th June to Friday 24th June. Petitions may be placed in the box at the Sacred Heart statue and will be placed on the Altar on the Feast day, Friday 24th June.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION MASS: Congratulations to all the Children who received their 1st Holy Communion yesterday. Please pray for them, their families and Mr Brian Stalker who instructed them. Sienna, George, Franco, Mason, Kian, Quincy, Natalia, Anny, Sophie, Amelia-Leigh, Zoe, Hector, Ella-Mae & Yonael Robel

CONFIRMATION: Congratulations to all our Confirmation candidates who received the Sacrament of Confirmation yesterday in Westminster Cathedral. Please remember our young people in your prayers. Austyn, Ezekiel, Jaedon, Nellie, Noyoze, Adam, Marley, Arron, Angelica, Tendayi, Conner, Ellen & Michael

THE FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS: This Friday, 24th June 6pm Mass.

PETER’S PENCE: Next Sunday there will be a retiring collection for Peters Pence Appeal after all Masses. The proceeds of the collection are used to assist the Holy Father in his charitable work. Please give generously.

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HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY
12
th June 2022

THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

GOD has been revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit — three persons, but one God. We could never know this by use of reason: we know it because Our Lord Jesus has revealedit.

GOD’s love is made known to us as a dynamic interaction of loving between the Three Persons of the Trinity. God is loving — the active relationship of loving between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

GOD’s love for us is made known in the Incarnation — the enfleshment of God — when “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”That love is revealedabove all through the Mystery of the Cross. God’s love for us is confirmed in every Mass through receiving Holy Communion. As Pope Francis tells us: “Christ has shown us the face of God, one in substance and triune of Persons. God is all and only Love, in a subsisting relationship that creates, redeems and sanctifies all: Father, Son and Holy Spirit”.

God’s love for us is made known in the fact that God wants to be known by us —to live in relationship with us. We can do so with confidence because in our baptism God made us adopted sons and daughters with the great privilege of relating to God as a most beloved son or daughter. We always have access to God on this personal level. So relate to God every day, ever faithful, through that daily conversation which is prayer.

Fr. David Barnes, Rector

SACRED HEART NOVENA:Here at St Anselm & St Cecilia will be praying the Novena before Mass from Thursday 16th June to Friday 24th June.Petitions may be placed in the box at the Sacred Heart statue and will be placed on the Altar on the Feast day, Friday 24th June.

TWELVE PROMISES OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state in life.
2. I will establish peace in their families.
3. I will comfort them in their trials.
4. I will be their secure refuge during life, and, above all, in death.
5. I will shed abundant blessings on all their undertakings
6. Sinners will find in My Heart an infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Lukewarm souls will become fervent.
8. Fervent souls will rapidly grow in holiness and perfection.
9. I will bless every place where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honoured.
10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. The names of those who promote this devotion will be written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.
12. I promise thee, in the excessive mercy of My Heart, that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their Sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

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PENTECOST SUNDAY
5th June 2022

PENTECOST 

“COME HOLY SPIRIT…………….”THE HOLY SPIRIT transformed the apostles from being inward- looking, timid and afraid, to being outward-looking and bold in proclaiming the Risen and Ascended Lord. The Spirit set them on fire: for this reason we sometimes call the Feast of Pentecost theBIRTHDAY of the Church.

The Holy Spirit can do the same for us—if we are open and really want to be transformed. Pope Francis said “The Spirit is the wind pushing us forward, keeping us going, that makes us feel like pilgrims and foreigners and doesn’t allow us to get comfortable and become sedentary…………
HOPE collects the wind of the Spirit and transforms it into energy”.

This Pentecost, pray that we shall all be filled with the Holy Spirit and be full of hope.
How well do we know the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit?

The Seven Giftsof the Holy Spirit are:
Wisdom, Understanding Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge Piety Fear of the Lord.

The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit are:
Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-Control and Chastity.

COME, HOLY SPIRIT, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love……….
Fr David Barnes, Rector

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

V.Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R.And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray: O, God, who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Holy Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever enjoy rejoice in his consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. R.Amen.

The Bishops’ statement issued after their plenary meeting can be found by visiting: RETURNING TO MASS AT PENTECOST: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/spring-plenary-2022-resolution-returning-to-mass-at-pentecost/

PRAYER FOR THE QUEEN

O Lord, save Elizabeth, our Queen.
R: And hear us on the day we call upon you.

O Lord, hear my prayer.
R: And let my cry come before you.

The Lord be with you.
R: And with your spirit.

Almighty God, we pray,
that your servant Elizabeth, our Queen,
who, by your providence has received the governance of this realm,
may continue to grow in every virtue,
that, imbued with your heavenly grace,
she may be preserved from all that is harmful and evil
and, being blessed with your favour
may, with the royal family,
come at last into your presence,
through Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life
and who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen

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7th SUNDAY OF EASTER SUNDAY EMMAUS MASS SHEET
28th May 2022

POPE FRANCIS: MESSAGE for world communication day:

Afterfocusing last year on seeing reality and conveying it to others, Pope Francis in this year’s message for the world communications day emphasized the quality of listening, which he said “is decisive in the grammar of communication and is a condition for genuine dialogue.”

The Pope noted that today people are losing the ability to listen to one another, while at the same time listening is undergoing new developments, especially due to new forms of communicating. These trends demonstrate that “listening is still essential in human communication.”

LISTENING WITH THE HEART: The title of this year’s message, “listening with the ear of the heart,” invites us to reflect that listening involves more than simply the sense of hearing. True listening is a foundation of genuine relationships, and is foundational to the relationship between god and humanity.

The Pope, quoting St Paul, noted that “faith comes through hearing.”In fact, he remarked, “listening corresponds to the humble style of God,”who reveals himself by speaking, and by listening to men and women recognizes them as his partners in dialogue. Human beings are called in turn to “tune in, to be willing to listen,” as God calls them to a covenant of love. Fundamentally, the Pope said, “listening is a dimension of love.”

A CONDITION OF GOOD COMMUNICATION:in many relationships, however, true communication is lacking, as dialogues end up as competing monologues, where the two sides refuse to listen to one another. This is evident nowadays even in public life, the Pope said, where people often end up “talking past”one another.

Pope Francis insisted, however, that“listening is the first indispensable ingredient of dialogue and good communication.” Without listening, he said, there is no good journalism; journalists need to listen to many voices in order to ensure the “reliability and seriousness” of the information they transmit. Listening, he continued, allows people to exercise the art of discernment, the ability “to orient ourselves in a symphony of voices.”

LISTENING IN THE CHURCH: There is also “a great need to listen to and hear one another” in the Church, the Pope said, adding, “Freely giving of our own time to listen to people is the first act of charity.”

He pointed to the ongoing synodal process, asking for prayers “that it will be a great opportunity to listen to one another.” Comparing communion in the Church to a choir, the Pope said “unity does not require uniformity, monotony, but the plurality and variety of voices, polyphony.” He continued“At the same time, each voice in the choir sings while listening to the other voices, and in relation to the harmony of the whole.”

The Holy Father concluded, “With the awareness that we participate in a communion that precedes and includes us, we can rediscover a symphonic Church, in which each person is able to sing with his or her own voice, welcoming the voices of others as a gift to manifest the harmony of the whole that the Holy Spirit composes.”

Full message visit: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/01/vatican-wcd-message-2022.pdf

TUESDAY, 31 MAY 2022:at 6pm (5pm UK time) Pope Francis will be reciting the Rosary in front of the statue of Our Lady Queen of Peace in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. In doing so, ‘he wishes to offer a sign of hope to the world, suffering through the conflict in Ukraine, and profoundly wounded through the violence of so many other theatres of war.’

THY KINGDOM COME IS A GLOBAL PRAYER: movement that invites Christians around the world to pray for more people to come to know Jesus. It has grown into an international and ecumenical call to prayer inviting Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus Christ. Since its start in May 2016, 172 countries have joined in praying ‘Come Holy Spirit’.

  • • During the 11 days of Thy Kingdom Come, it is hoped that everyone who takes part will:
  • • Deepen their own relationship with Jesus Christ
  • • Pray for 5 friends or family to come to faith in Jesus
  • • Pray for the empowerment of the Spirit that we would be effective in our Witness

Further info can be found at https://www.thykingdomcome.global/

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6th SUNDAY OF EASTEREMMAUS MASS SHEET
22nd MAY 2022

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD  – THURSDAY 26th May

“…HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN…” (Creed)

THURSDAY’s celebration of Our Lord’s Ascension gives us much to ponder and treasure in our heart.

Our Lord has completed everything the Father had given Him to do, crowned by the Paschal Mystery, and now He is returning to the Father. His joy is complete, and He invites us to share His joy.

Our true joy is to share His joy!

He goes to prepare a place for us. Heaven is where we truly belong, to be with God for all eternity. Our Lord has prepared a place for us. He is calling us “so that where I am, you may be too”.

Do I live with heaven as my goal and true homeland?

We are never alone: in his Ascension He promises that He will be with us always, “Yes, to the end of time”.

He is always present to us: are we always wanting to make ourselves present to Him?

My Mission and purpose in this world is to share in the Mission Jesus gave the infant Church at His Ascension: “Go out into the whole world and proclaim the Good News…”

Our Lord shares His life fully with us through the Church: do we seek to bring others to share His life through the Church?

“Gladden us with holy joys, Almighty God, and make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving, for the Ascension of Christ your Son in our exaltation, and where the Head has gone before in glory, the Body is called to follow in hope”. (Thursday’s Collect)

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD – THURSDAY 26th MAY MASS TIMES:
WEDNESDAY 25th MAY – VIGIL MASS: 6:00pm
THURSDAY 26th MAY – 12:30pm Lunchtime Mass and 6:00pm
CONFESSIONS: 12:00 noon -12:20pm and 5:00-5:20pm

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5th SUNDAY OF EASTER EMMAUS MASS SHEET
15th MAY 2022

RETURNING TO MASS AT PENTECOST

AN INVITATION FROM THE BISHOPS OF ENGLAND AND WALES

This is the bread come down from heaven (John 6:58)

A beautiful hallmark of the Catholic faith is the profound desire to participate in the Holy Mass and share in the Eucharist. We do so with deep gratitude and joy. The Eucharist gives the Church her identity – “The Eucharist makes the Church, and the Church makes the Eucharist.” It enables us to worship Almighty God, to support each other on our journey of faith, and to be a visible sign of faith in the world. This hallmark is supported and strengthened by the precept that our fundamental Christian duty is to worship God by participating in the celebration of Mass. Attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days is the greatest of all privileges, sometimes referred to as “the Sunday Obligation.”

There are copies of the full statement at the back of the church, please take a copy home with you or read the Statement online: Returning to Mass at Pentecost 

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Migration issues in the UK
A STATEMENT BY THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF ENGLAND AND WALES
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NEXT PARISH ASSEMBLY:Monday 16th May, following 6:00pm Mass in the church. Do please come and help us make good decisions for our growth and development as a parish.Your voice counts!

DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF ABUSE –
DAY OF PRAYER 17th MAY.

Please pray:

  • For all survivors of sexual abuse; may they come to know, once again, the compassionate love of God and find healing and hope in the risen Lord.

For all who work in safeguarding; may they place the voice of the survivor at the heart of their service and through their care for others help to build up the Body of Christ.

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4th SUNDAY OF EASTER
Sunday 8th May 2022

PRIEST TRAINING FUND

THIS SUNDAYis GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAYand our second collection will support the PRIEST TRAINING FUND. This fund pays for the priestly formation of men for the Catholic priesthood. There are currently 58 men studying at Allen Hall seminary, 17 of whom are from our own Diocese, and two men are studying in Rome, also from our Diocese. Last year four men who studied at Allen Hall were ordained to the priesthood to serve as our future priests. The fund also supports the ongoing enrichment and formation of our ordained priests. Your gift ensures we can provide training for these men responding to Christ’s call to dedicate their lives to serve God’s people. Please be as generous as you can. Please also pray for vocations and for all our priests. If you do not have a donation envelope, plenty are still available at the back of the church. You can use the QR code to make your donation online or visit www.rcdow.org.uk/donations Thank you for your generosity.

OUR BISHOPS’ SYNODAL PATHWAY REPORT: sent to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales on 8th April, and published on the Diocesan website – https://rcdow.org.uk/synod/westminster-diocese-bishops-synod-report/
You will see that the Report captures well the many voices we have heard across the Diocese during the Synodal Pathway. In this way, it has been written by our parishioners young and old, our priests and deacons and religious, our school and university students, and our committed faithful. The story is theirs.

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3rd SUNDAY OF EASTER EMMAUS MASS SHEET
1st MAY 2022

MARY’S MONTH OF MAY

MAY is dedicated to Our Lady. It is a time to get to know and love Our Lady more. At the 10am Mass this weekend we have the Crowning of Our Lady as Queen of the May. This helps us express and understand how the reign of Mary is the reign of “YES- TO-GOD” in our daily life. May we let the spirit of Mary, the spirit of “YES-TO-GOD”,flourish in our day-to-day living.

Our Marian devotions should not be limited to church. Please ensure you honour Our Lady in your home. Do crown a statue or picture of Our Lady at home. Gather around the statue or picture of Our Lady, and recite the Rosary. Let us teach our children (and remind ourselves!) that the reign of Mary, the reign of “YES -TO-GOD”is the best way to true self-fulfilment and happiness.

DAILY PRAYERis vital for all of us. A new initiative is now available called “Click to Pray”It is the Pope’s App that connects your prayer to the world. Download the App for free www.clicktopray.org on the App store or Google play.

PRIEST TRAINING FUND: NEXT SUNDAY:Next Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday, the day we pray for priests and for vocations to the priesthood. There will be a retiring collection for Priest Training Fund (PTF)after all masses. This fund pays for the priestly formation of men for the Catholic priesthood. There are currently 58 men studying at Allen Hall seminary, 17 of whom are from our own Diocese, and two men are studying in Rome, also from our Diocese. Last year four men who studied at Allen Hall were ordained to the priesthood to serve as our future priests. This fund also supports the ongoing enrichment and formation of our ordained priests. Your generous donation helps ensure we can support these men who are called to be like Christ the Good Shepherd. Donation envelopes are available in the back of the church. Please take one home, read the information, and bring it back next weekend with your donation. Please continue to pray for vocations and for our priests. You can use the QR code to make your donation online or visit www.rcdow.org.uk/donations
Thank you for your generosity.

OUR BISHOPS’ SYNODAL PATHWAY REPORT: sent to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales on 8th April, and published on the Diocesan website –
https://rcdow.org.uk/synod/westminster-diocese-bishops-synod-report/
Synod Prayer

We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name. With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions. Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right. All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen.

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+ 2nd SUNDAY OF EASTER SUNDAY
24th April 2022

The Divine Mercy Devotion

From the diary of a young Polish nun, a special devotion began spreading throughout the world in the 1930s. The message is nothing new, but is a reminder of what the Church has always taught through scripture and tradition: that God is merciful and forgiving and that we, too, must show mercy and forgiveness. But in the Divine Mercy devotion, the message takes on a powerful new focus, calling people to a deeper understanding that God’s love is unlimited and available to everyone — especially the greatest sinners.

The message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercyis based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.

The message of mercy is that God loves us — all of us — no matter how great our sins. He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy. It is a message we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC.

A — Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.

B — Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.

C — Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

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+ EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION
17th April 2022

THE LORD IS RISEN, Alleluia

HE IS RISEN IN DEED Alleluia

This ancient Christian greeting, said on meeting one another during Eastertide, should surely be recovered and used again – encouraging us to deepen our faith in the Risen Lord.

THE RESURRECTION is a supernatural event, a clear break with the natural order, Jesus is raised from the dead through the power of God, and in sharing this victory we are “saved”. To reduce our understanding of life to the natural order alone is to miss out on the full reality of human existence: life is so much more wonderful, beautiful and exciting when we can see everything in the light of the Risen Lord!

WE ARE WITNESSES to our Risen Lord because we choose to believe and trust the witnesses who saw Him, believing the accounts of the Risen Lord in the Sacred Scriptures, and also believing the Church who has faithfully handed on the message to us.

TRUST and FAITH is at the heart of our believing. The present pandemic, with a virus that can be so destructive of human life, reminds us of our fragility and vulnerability. Just as sin is destructive of our power to love, made in the image of God, so there is a destructive power at work in the natural order. The virus is surely part the armoury of the Evil One. We must fight it with all the resources we have, in the sure faith that it will be vanquished.

Wishing you all a Blessed and joy-filled Easter.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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PALM SUNDAY – PASSION OF THE LORD 

10th APRIL 2022

Holy Week & Easter

Holy Week is the most important week in the Christian year. Pope Francis says “Holy Week” is a privileged time when we are called to draw near to Jesus: friendship with Him is shown in times of difficulty”. The best way to draw near to Our Lord is to participate as much as possible the liturgies of the Church.

PALM SUNDAY — the commemoration of Our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem when he was greeted with praise and thanksgiving, the waving and strewing of palms. We too carry palms, then take them home to put with our household crucifix.

THE SACRED TRIDUUM —the 3 Holy Days of the Paschal Mystery

HOLY THURSDAY The MASS of THE LORD’S SUPPER at 6:00pm commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, the total gift of Himself to us as the Bread of Life. Afterwards, Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. After this mass the consecrated hosts are taken to the “altar of repose”. All are invited to spend some time with Him, learning to be with Him in His suffering. The church is stripped of its candles and linens, all holy water is removed and the sacraments are not celebrated until Easter. It is a time of mourning, but always lived in light of the Resurrection.

GOOD FRIDAY — A day of fasting and abstinence. Fasting applies to those 18-60: no meat (abstinence) and only one simple meal and two small ones, and no food in between. Do all you can to be at THE LITURGY OF THE LORD’S PASSION AND DEATH at 3:00pm, the hour at which Christ died on the Cross.

HOLY SATURDAY — the Church waits in the Lord’s tomb, reflecting on his Passion and Death, waiting with faith, prayer and fasting the glorious Resurrection. Mary is waiting with us. We gather at 8:00pm to celebrate the Vigil Mass of the Resurrection, to celebrate in readings and song how God prepared His People for the Resurrection and conclude with the First Mass of Easter

EASTER CARDS: Please do take an Easter card home with you as you leave today, all the Easter Liturgies are inside the card.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

HOLY PLACES: There will be a collection after the Liturgy of The Lord’s Passion on Good Friday. Please continue to pray for the suffering Church in the Middle East. Please place donations in the basket on your way out of the Church. Thank you.

Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal
This year, we celebrate 10 years of Caritas Westminster, the social action agency of the Diocese, working with parishes to restore hope, and enable people to lead a life of dignity. Funds raised in this year’s Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal will be shared between parishes and Caritas Westminster.
You can use the QR code to make your donation online. Thank you for your generosity.

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5th SUNDAY OF LENT EMMAUS MASS SHEET
3rd April 2022

PASSION SUNDAY

TODAY there is a sombre atmosphere: the statues are covered in purple veils to help us focus on our Lord’s suffering and death. It is a time not only to understand better what He went through, out of love for us, but also to understand better the place of suffering and death in our lives.

Above all we can come to appreciate more that love and sacrifice are inextricably bound up with one another. The Cross reveals God’s absolute love for us: the more we love and venerate the Cross, the more we shall understand God’s love.

Passiontide is not a time to be miserable. Last Sunday was “Laetare Sunday” when we celebrated rejoicing that our Lord’s Passion and Death led to the Resurrection. So we move through Passiontide knowing the end — that Our Lord has overcome the power of sin and death and is truly risen.

NEXT SUNDAY is PALM SUNDAY, the beginning of Holy Week. Please ensure you can participate as fully as possible in the Liturgies: the more we put in the more we get out.

Lent has been a time to give alms, and Cardinal Vincent has invited us to consider giving some or all of our Lenten alms to his Lenten Appeal.

TODAY there will be a retiring collection for the Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal. If you would like to give today, please do so at the end of Mass, alternatively please take a donation envelope with you from the back of the church and return in the next two weeks. Thank you for your generosity as always. You can also donate using the QR Code below.

Finally, let us pray for one another — it is a key way to love one another.

Fr David Barnes, Parish Priest

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4th SUNDAY OF LENT EMMAUS MASS SHEET
27th March 2022

“LAETARE” (“Rejoice”) SUNDAY

TODAY we are invited to REJOICE, because the coming celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection (the Paschal Mystery)is fast approaching. May our rejoicing energise us to use this second half of Lent as well as we can to prepare for Easter.

Act of Consecration to the Heart of Mary – Basilica of Saint Peter

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3rd SUNDAY OF LENT EMMAUS MASS SHEET
20th March 2022

DON’T BE AFRAID TO SEEK HOLINESS

Take a few minutes to read the following reflection silently or aloud: Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts, was on the New York Times’ bestseller list for over a year. Married to a farmer in rural America, and mother of seven children, she fell into self-pity and depression until she was challenged by a friend to write down in a journal one thousand things to thank God for – not all at once! This simple spiritual practice helped her to centre her life on God rather than herself – the very essence of holiness. On her website (https://annvoskamp.com) she writes:

“I keep writing it out here every day, the words I am seeking to live — about this wondrously messy, everyday-holy life, about finding the beauty and quiet, about slowing to see the sacred in the chaos, the cross in the clothespin, the flame in the bush. Just listening – laundry, liturgy, life, — all of life, holy ground. A holy experience — because God has flaming bushes everywhere.”

It’s now over 50 years since the Second Vatican Council sent out a strong message that all Christians are called to be holy, but still we have not fully taken this message on board. We think of holiness as the preserve of consecrated people – monks, nuns, priests; or we think of it as withdrawing from the world to engage in lots of pious exercises.

Pope Francis in Gaudete et Exsultate sees holiness as a joyful challenge, founded on the Beatitudes, (Mt. 5: 1-12; Lk. 6: 20-26) each of which begins with the word Blessed or Happy, just as the very first psalm begins: ‘Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked…’

Just as Ann Voskamp adopted a particular spiritual practice, in her case that of thanksgiving, to help her move from selfishness to holiness, so it is good for us to look at concrete areas of our life and decide to change our attitudes and behaviour. Pope Francis points to several such “signs of holiness in today’s world”. They are too many to list here, so let us take one particularly relevant and important one: our behaviour online. In no. 115 he writes:

Christians too can be caught up in networks of verbal violence through the internet and the various forums of digital communication. The result is that things can be said there that would be unacceptable in public discourse, and people look to compensate for their own discontent by lashing out at others. It is striking that at times, in claiming to uphold the other commandments, they completely ignore the eighth, which forbids bearing false witness or lying, and ruthlessly vilify others. Here we see how the unguarded tongue, set on fire by hell, sets all things ablaze.” (cf. Jas 3:6)

And in no. 117 he quotes St. John of the Cross as an antidote“Always prefer to be taught by all, rather than to desire teaching even the least of all. Rejoice in the good of others as if it were your own, and desire that they be given precedence over you in all things; this you should do wholeheartedly. You will thereby overcome evil with good, banish the Devil, and possess a happy heart. Try to practise this all the more with those who least attract you.”

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2nd SUNDAY OF LENT EMMAUS MASS SHEET
13th March 2022

CARDINAL’S LENTEN APPEAL 

ALMSGIVINGis essential to keeping a good Lent. The Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal was set up in 2015 to fund the innovative work of Catholic parishes, schools and charities working within the Diocese, contributing to three fundamental mission areas of the Church:

Marriage and Family Life – enriching and supporting marriages, the essential building block of society and the Church.

Youth and Evangelisation– supporting young people, the future of the Church, as they grow in their relationship with God and deepen their Catholic faith.

And the Church’s Social Outreach within Civil Society – putting our faith into action through projects that serve the poor, the lonely and the marginalised, especially at a time of greater division and inequality in society.

These mission areas embody how we live out the Gospel and put our Catholic values into action – in service to others through practical programmes.Please take a Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal donation leaflet as you leave Mass today.During Lent, and in the spirit of sacrifice, sharing and almsgiving, please consider designating your Lenten sacrifice to the Cardinal’s Appeal.

There are envelopes at the back of the church containing more information about the Cardinal’s Appeal: please take one and remember to complete the Gift Aid declaration if you are a UK tax payer.

Inspirational Quotes for The Lenten Season

1. “Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.” — Pope Francis

2. “Are you capable of risking your life for someone? Do it for Christ.” — Pope St John Paul II

3. “As Lent is the time for greater love, listen to Jesus’ thirst…’Repent and believe’ Jesus tells us. What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart. What are we to believe? Jesus thirsts even now, in your heart and in the poor — He knows your weakness. He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you.” — Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

4.  “Prayer is where the action is.” — John Wesley

5. “The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.” — Pope St. Gregory the Great

6. “Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and in this way to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what path we must take in life…” – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

7. “Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ; discipline your body; do not pamper yourself, but love fasting.” — Saint Benedict

8. “Lent is like a long ‘retreat’ during which we can turn back into ourselves and listen to the voice of God, in order to defeat the temptations of the Evil One. It is a period of spiritual ‘combat’ which we must experience alongside Jesus, not with pride and presumption, but using the arms of faith: prayer, listening to the word of God and penance. In this way we will be able to celebrate Easter in truth, ready to renew the promises of our Baptism.” — Pope Benedict XVI

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1st SUNDAY OF LENT EMMAUS MASS SHEET
6th March 2022

“IN GOD, NO ACT OF LOVE, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, AND NO ‘GENEROUS EFFORT’ WILL EVER BE LOST.”

Pope Francis’ message for Lent 2022 encourages us: LET US NOT GROW TIRED!”

Lent is a favourable time for personal and community renewal, as it leads us to the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For our Lenten journey in 2022, we will do well to reflect on Saint Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians: “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity (kairós), let us do good to all” (Gal 6:9-10).

ENCOUNTERING THE SPIRIT:This resource has been produced by the Agency for Evangelisation team, and it is offered to encourage and enable the continuation of “spiritual conversations” begun during the parish listening phase of the diocesan synodal process. Please take a copy of the Week 1 reflections with you as you leave today.

HEAT or EAT? Help those facing this choice. Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal 2022
This year, we celebrate 10 years of Caritas Westminster, the social action agency of the Diocese, working with parishes to restore hope, and enable people to lead a life of dignity. Funds raised in this year’s Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal will be shared between parishes and Caritas Westminster. The effects of the pandemic are making daily life harder for all. Price rises mean many families face an impossible choice: HEAT or EAT? The Church is responding, with thousands of people putting their faith into action by serving those in need. Cardinal Nichols has expressed his gratitude to everyone who supports the Appeal, with whatever they can afford. Just as a mosaic is made up of many different coloured pieces, each one unique, each person’s contribution to this mosaic of hope will bring light into the lives of people across our Diocese. Please take a donation envelope. You can use the QR code to make your donation online. Thank you for your generosity.

FAMILY FAST DAY: FRIDAY 11TH MARCH 2022:  we remember that there are many people who need our love and support all around the world as we are seeing now in Ukraine, families affected by conflict. Donations to CAFOD this Lent will reach families around the world, enabling local experts to provide support to families in times of need or conflict. You can donate in church using a CAFOD envelope or by visiting the CAFOD website: cafod.org.uk/lent

#HELPUKRAINE EMERGENCY APPEAL: How to donate – Direct to the central appeal fund. AUGB Ltd, 80038237, 20-65-89, with reference HelpUkraine. Through our fundraising page on GoFundMe by following the link https://rb.gy/dcqgcc or by scanning the QR code

MASS INTENTIONS ARE USUALLY BOOKED AT LEAST 6 WEEKS AHEAD

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8th SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET
27th February 2022 

PASTORAL LETTER FOR THE EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

Today I want to take a moment, first of all, to thank you for your faithfulness and for your presence here at Mass. These last two years have been very difficult and I thank God for the gift of faith which you have received, which you have nurtured and from which, I know, you receive great grace and strength. I know this to be true because it is true for me too.

Now I would like to ask your assistance.

During these last two years there were times when our way of life was severely curtailed. We were in ‘lockdown’. At one time, for three months, even the doors of our churches were firmly closed. Being unable to enter the House of God and to take part fully in the celebration of the Mass was, for many, an experience of real dismay and pain.

But that is no longer the case. We are again able to fashion the way of life that we choose. The doors of our churches can stay wide open. Yet, as you know, many have not resumed the pattern of coming to church, week by week.Other activities have filled that space. For some, the thirst for being at Mass, for celebrating life-giving sacraments, has diminished.

This is where I ask for your help. I would like you to be ready to approach those whom you know, and who are not present here today, with a word of invitation for them to join us. I know this is not easy. You may well feel it is an intrusive thing to do. Also, taking the step across the threshold of the church can be daunting for someone who has been away for a long time. So I ask you to exercise great deference and kindness when approaching them, perhaps offering to accompany them on this return journey.

I make this request now not simply because fear and restrictions are eased, but because we are approaching Lent, the traditional and powerful season of our renewal in faith. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, this coming week, we respond to the Lord’s invitation to come forward and meet him afresh. He invites us to come through the doors of the church to stand before him and receive his blessing, his mark of mercy.

Lent is the time to reset our patterns so that there is time for God in our hearts and in our weekly routines. You know well that the highest form of prayer is the celebration of the Eucharist. It is here, above all other places, that the Lord wishes to fill us with his gifts, so that we, in turn, can offer those gifts to others. And then, when we give that which we have received, we bring this precious light of Christ into our world. He is the best antidote to the darkness of the pandemic, to the loneliness it has brought, to the lack of clear hope for the future, to the deep weariness and unexpressed resentment that has entered into the souls of so many.

So, please, do what you can to invite those who are missing to come with you to be part of this great family of faith at prayer. If each of you can give a word of encouragement to one other person, to one other family, then the reward will be great. Then we can journey together to Easter. There we proclaim again that Jesus alone has mastered death, that he alone is the Lord of life, that he is now among us and calling us to come to meet him here, in this House of God, in this Gate of Heaven.

I thank you again for your presence here today. I thank you for all that you will do in response to this request and I ask God’s blessing on the words that you will speak. Remember the words of St Paul that we have just heard: ‘Keep on working at the Lord’s work always, knowing that, in the Lord, you cannot be labouring in vain’ (1Cor. 15:58).

Pease continue in your prayer for peace in Ukraine.We cry out: No more war, no more violence!

And remember me in your prayers as I will remember you, the faithful people of God!

Yours devotedly,

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster

Pupils in our Catholic schools are going to watch a short video. The link to the video is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtnIGHmQwww the video, is addressed primarily to your Catholic pupils and students but anyone is welcome to watch.

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7th SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET 
20th February 2022 

THE ST BARNABAS SOCIETY – Formerly The Converts’ Aid Society

To fund its work, the Society has always relied solely on generous personal donations from the Catholic community nationwide, both during lifetimes and as legacies. Mass is offered weekly for all our benefactors.
If you feel able to support their work please contact the Director, Father Paul Martin, on 01865 513377.
Or visit the website at https://stbarnabassociety.org.uk/

THE SOCIETY’S PRAYER

Father in heaven, we thank you for the life and work of your servant Barnabas.
Through his intercession may all who work for the St Barnabas Society
be strengthened to follow his example of joyful encouragement.
Help them to extend a warm and generous welcome to those who have left home
and livelihood to be united with Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
Amen

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME EMMAUS MASS SHEET
13th February 2022

RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY

TODAY is RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY. The theme builds on that of the previous year’s Racial Justice Sunday ‘A Time to Act’, which reflected on the importance of everyone recognising themselves, their race, their culture and their history in the life of the Church. Our aim, in 2022, is to continue these conversations about how we see others in the “Image and Likeness of God”.

We’re encouraging Catholics to mark the day by praying the words of Pope Francis taken from his encyclical letter Fratelli Tutti – on fraternity and social friendship:

For more information please visit: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/rjs22/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Newsletter+2022 where you can find more information and prayers in many languages.

POPE FRANCIS PRAYER FOR RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY

Come, Holy Spirit, show us your beauty,
reflected in all the peoples of the earth,
so that we may discover anew
that all are important and all are necessary,
different faces of the one humanity
that God so loves.
Amen

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
EMMAUS MASS SHEET 

6th February 2022

THE SYNODAL PATH
“We embark on a journey, seeking together the way forward for the Church. We speak and listen with the conviction that each one has something to contribute to the search and something to learn from others. We share openly and honestly, not ideas or theories, but our lived experience of Church life and mission – the joys and sorrows, the hopes and fears, the successes and failures.

We do this in the context of a global pandemic crisis which has exposed and amplified fault lines running through humanity and is challenging all to seek new ways of living together. Reflecting together on our experiences, we hope to discover processes which help the Church live in communion, achieve participation, and open itself to mission.

Attentive listening is more important than speaking. Pope Francis speaks of the “dynamism of mutual listening” which drives the synodal process. We listen to one another in the Church, including those on the margins and those who have drifted away from the Church. We listen to voices outside the Church, paying special attention to the cry of the poor and excluded ones in our world and the cry of the exploited earth.

Ultimately, all our listening leads to discernment, a sifting through what we are hearing to detect the voice of the Spirit indicating the way forward. This calls for periods of silent reflection and prayer. With the help of the Spirit, we hope for consensus or a harmony in which diversity is not divisive but enriching as we respond to our common baptismal call to be missionary disciples of Jesus.

As we reflect together on our lived experiences at a time of change, we listen to the living Word of God in the context of the Church’s faith tradition. In recent talks on the synodal process, Pope Francis has been reflecting on the Acts of the Apostles which he calls “the first and most important manual of ecclesiology.” In the story of Acts we get many glimpses of the early Church striving to remain open to the guidance of the Spirit in its internal life and external mission. A good example is the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), the event which for centuries is taken as the model for synods celebrated by the Church”. For more information visit: https://columbans.ie/the-synodal-path-new-series-in-the-far-east-magazine/

The Synodal Path should continue within our parish: a process whereby we continue to listen to one another, seeking together the way forward for the Church. Our next Parish Assembly is Monday 21st March. Do come!

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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4th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET
4th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Sunday 30th January 2022

FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION – CANDLEMAS
THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION, (Wednesday 2nd Feb 2022) often called CANDLEMAS, commemorates the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the presentation of Christ in the Temple, which occurred 40 days after his birth as prescribed by the Jewish law. According to Mosaic Law, a mother who had given birth to a boy was considered unclean for seven days. Also, she was to remain 33 days “in the blood of her purification. “Luke tells us, quoting (Exodus: 2, 12) that Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem because every firstborn child was to be dedicated to the Lord. They also went to sacrifice a pair of doves or two young pigeons. This lowly offering showed that Mary and Joseph were most likely poor. Once in the Temple, Jesus was purified by the prayer of Simeon, in the presence of Anna the prophetess. Simeon, upon seeing the Messiah, gave thanks to the Lord, singing a hymn now called the Nunc Dimittis:

“Lord, now you let your servant go in peace, your word has been fulfilled: My own eyes have seen the salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.

Simeon told Mary, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” Simeon thus foreshadowed the crucifixion and the sorrows of Mary at seeing the death of her Son.

The name CANDLEMAS is derived from the activities associated with the Feast. It came to be known as “the Candle Mass”. In the Western Church, a procession with lighted candles is the distinctive rite.
(Compiled by David Bennett: for more information visit: https://prayerist.com/candlemasprayers.html )

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR CONSECRATED LIFE: Wednesday 2nd February 2022
In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This celebration is normally attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd.

Today the Universal Church unites in prayer for all men and women in consecrated life and asks the Lord of the harvest to inspire and call our present generation of young Catholics to consider following Jesus in religious life. Today you are invited to pray for someone you know who is living the consecrated life or presently discerning a vocation as a religious brother, sister or priest.Keep them all in your prayers today!

Fr David Barnes, Rector

MASS INTENTIONS 29th JANUARY – 5th FEBRUARY 2022
Saturday 29th January:
6:00pm Mass
Cynthia Moise(Thanksgiving)

Sunday 30th January:
10:00am Mass
Pro Populo
6:00pm Mass
Margaret Wilson’s Ints

Monday 31st January:
6:00pm Mass
In honour of Jesus’ suffering& agony in the Garden of Gethsemane

Tuesday 1st February:
6:00pm Mass
Carlos Recinos RIP

Wednesday 2nd February:
THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD
6:00pm Mass
Mariem Maldonado RIP

Thursday 3rd February:
6:00pm Mass
Betty Ogilby RIP

Friday 4th February:
6:00pm Mass
Sue & Dave Morrissey Ints

Saturday 5th February:
6:00pm Mass
Marie & Liam Kirwan

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3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET
3rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 23rd January 2022

SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD
POPE FRANCIShas made this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (today!) an opportunity to deepen our devotion to the celebration, study and spread of the Word of God.

THE SACRED SCRIPTURES (the Bible) are the inspired Word of God. God speaks to us in a particular way when we read them with faith and love. Like Our Lady we need to ponder them and treasure them in our heart.St Paul writes: “All Scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for:
1. Teaching
2. Refuting error
3. Guiding people’s lives
4. Teaching them to be holy. This is how the person who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work”
(2 Timothy 3:16,17)

READ THE SCRIPTURES therefore every day, even if only a few verses. We should feast on them more than food and drink!

RESOLUTION: decide today to be committed to reading the Sacred Scriptures every day.
1. Give the Bible a special place of prominence in your house. Hold it with reverence. The priest kisses the Gospel after proclaiming it at Mass: we do well also to kiss the Bible as we use it.
2. If we are beginning again, why not start with St Mark’s Gospel, a clear and simple presentation of what Jesus said and did?
Or, the First Letter of John, a beautiful presentation of how to come back to God with all our heart.

WHATEVER WE DECIDE, DO SOMETHING!
Every Blessing,
Fr David Barnes, Rector

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2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET
2nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 16th January 2022

PEACE SUNDAY
TODAY is PEACE SUNDAY and this year Pope Francis asks us to think about ‘Education, work and dialogue between generations: tools for building lasting peace’.
The need for peace in the world is obvious. People are struggling against violence and conflict, growing inequalities, the effects of climate change and the covid pandemic. How can we harness the gifts and energy of all generations in the work of peacemaking?Which ‘tools for building lasting peace’ do you think Pope Francis might be talking about?
In this country we have an active Catholic peace movement in Pax Christi, which does a great deal of good work to promote peace and nonviolence through parishes, schools and social media.
Their website suggests many ways we can all become better peacemakers. There are activities for families to do at home, including a peace liturgy for young children.https://paxchristi.org.uk/peace-Sunday-2022
Pax Christi needs our support to keep going.If you’d like to make a donation, small or large, here is the link: https://tinyurl.com/yxfcw67x You can also pick up an envelope at the back of the church or if you picked up one last weekend, please return.

PRAYER FOR PEACE – GOD OF LOVE
Show us our place in this world as channels of your love for all the
Creatures of this earth, for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money, that they may love the common
good, advance the weak, and care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O LORD, seize us with your power and light, help us to protect all life, to
prepare for a better future, for the coming of your Kingdom of justice,
peace, love and beauty.
PRAISE BE TO YOU!
AMEN.

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Baptism of the Lord EMMAUS MASS SHEET 
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
Sunday 9th January 2022

TODAY (Sunday) we celebrate Our Lord’s baptism by his cousin John the Baptist…. 

Our Lord is revealed as divine, the Son of God. Our Lord commissions the apostles to go out into the whole world and baptise people everywhere in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 

To be baptised means we are immersed into the life of the Blessed Trinity, so we can share God’s life. In baptism God places us in His Son and we become a son or daughter of God: when God looks on us He sees us as a son or daughter because we are in God’s Son. This is all pure gift, a grace of God. We could not do this ourselves: God does it for us.

 God wants to share His Life with us, and for us to share our life with Him. Baptism initiates this relationship. Today, thank God for the Sacrament of Baptism, and pray we shall all live our friendship with God more devotedly. 

Fr David Barnes, Rector

POPE FRANCIS ONCE ASKED: “If I were to ask you today, “which of you knows the exact date of your baptism?” I do not think there would be too many hands raised…. Yet, it is the day on which we were saved, it is the day on which we became children of God. Now, those who do not know it should ask their godparents, their dad, their mom, an uncle, an aunt: “When was I baptised”? And that day should be remembered each year: it is the day on which we became children of God”.

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4th Sunday of Advent EMMAUS MASS SHEET
4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Sunday 19th December 2021

CHRISTMAS is almost here………!

THIS FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT is our final day of preparing the way for the Lord to celebrate the Nativity of Our Saviour. It is a time to renew our hope and expectation: God is always faithful to His promises. The fourth CANDLE on our Advent wreath is seen as the MARY candle because the Nativity is the consequence of Mary’s YES to God — her FIAT (let it be done……).

This week we should, together with Mary, ponder the wonderful thing God has done for us in the Incarnation.

How does it touch us, move us?

How do we want to respond to it?

How do I see my “YES” to God? Is it whole hearted? As we ponder this we shall be moved to confess our sins —- all of which express our NO to God: every sin is a “no-no” to God.

A good confession is the best way to find a truly Happy Christmas, when we prepare the way for Our Lord to be born again in our heart , where we can treasure Him, adore Him, and love Him, like the shepherds.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the God-given means of making the way for Him to enter us—so do go to confession.

“Mary Immaculate, my Mother, keep me close to you, at one with you, so that I may imitate

your wholehearted Yes to God.” Fr David Barnes, Rector

This will be the last bulletin of the year.

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3rd Sunday of Advent EMMAUS MASS SHEET
3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT

11th December 2021

GAUDETE SUNDAY
“REJOICE” SUNDAY (from Latin “Gaudete”) is the name given to this Third Sunday of Advent. We rejoice because of the coming celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord, born in the manger in Bethlehem.

We rejoice not only because He is “Emmanuel” (God with us), but because His coming (or Advent) is the proof of God’s love for us: he has come to share His life completely with us. This is re-confirmed every time we receive Holy Communion.

Like Mary His Mother we have the privilege of holding Him and treasuring Him in our heart. Go to Mary, asking Her how we can hold and treasure Him better, more devotedly, more tenderly.

Pope Francis teaches us that the Church should be a “House of Joy”. Our parish and families will be “a House of Joy” in so far as we recognise that the infant in the crib is truly God fully among us. To help us ponder this please ensure that the CRIB has a central place in your home. Let us gather around the crib to pray as a family.

Our joy is the fruit of our faith, God’s gift for our “Yes” to God. REJOICE!

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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2nd Sunday of Advent EMMAUS MASS SHEET
2nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Sunday 5th December 2021

ADVENT

The word ADVENT comes from the Latin verb “advenire” meaning “to come to:” so Advent calls us to ponder Our Lord’s THREE “comings” to us.

• the Incarnation, when “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” i.e. Our Lord’s Nativity in Bethlehem.

• Our Lord’s daily coming to us in the Holy Mass.

• the Second Coming, when “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead”.

ADVENT is sometimes called “Little Lent” because it is properly a time of prayer, fasting and good works, a time of repentance. This is why purple is the colour of Advent. Do your best to keep Advent in this way, even though secular society is making merry around us, the celebration of Christmas begins with the Vigil of Christmas, and is celebrated for the 12 days that lead up to the Epiphany on 6th January.

THE ADVENT WREATH, with the build-up of lighting the candles, reminds us of the coming of Our Lord into this world in His Nativity– He is “the Light of the World” who dispels the darkness of the world. 

ADVENT is a time of HOPE as we come to understand better that God is always faithful to His promises.

OUR LADY “believed that the promises made her by the Lord would be fulfilled:”

We pray that we may have faith like hers, and invoke her powerful intercession.

Fr David Barnes, Parish Priest

A few quotes from Pope Francis on Advent.

Pope Francis invites us to feel the beauty of hope. Hope can seem distant … “out there” somewhere. But the call to feel it is a call to bring it in close, and to warm yourself by that fire. This Advent let us warm ourselves by the fire of hope! (Comment by Christmas West)

Advent has a special charm, it makes us experience deeply the meaning of history.”

“In Advent we rediscover the beauty of all being on a journey … across the paths of time.”

“The season of Advent restores … a hope which does not disappoint for it is founded on God’s Word. A hope which does not disappoint, simply because the Lord never disappoints! … Let us think about and feel this beauty.”

“Let us allow ourselves to be guided by [Mary this Advent], she who is mother, a mamma and knows how to guide us. Let us allow ourselves to be guided by her during this season of active waiting and watchfulness.”

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1st Sunday of Advent EMMAUS MASS SHEET 
1st SUNDAY OF ADVENT

28th November 2021

HONOURING SUNDAY

As the Synodal Pathway of listening and discerning unfolds, we the bishops of England and Wales, are paying particular attention to the hopes and fears, the joys and anxieties of all who are sharing their thoughts and feelings with us.

Longing for our Lord

We are attentive to the experience of the last year or so, when we have lived our faith through the limitations of the pandemic. We have heard of the longing which some express as a “homesickness.” We want to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. We yearn to celebrate the sacraments together, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We desire to be nourished by our Lord in Holy Communion. The live streaming of the Mass and the remarkable response of our Catholic communities to those in need, have provided comfort, sustenance and resilience.

The Eucharist, source and summit

The Eucharist is the source and summit of our spiritual and pastoral life. Many people have said to us that they have appreciated the noble simplicity of the Mass at this time, which has allowed the mystery and majesty of our Lord’s sacrificial love to shine through. The central appeal of the Mass, its beauty and its transcendence, raises our minds and hearts to God in an unambiguous and compelling manner. Our Lord Jesus invites us to receive anew the gift of Sunday as the preeminent day, the day of the Resurrection, when the Church gathers to celebrate the Eucharist. Here we stand together before our heavenly Father, offering our thanksgiving and prayer, through our Saviour in the Holy Spirit. Here we receive Christ in his Word. Here we are nourished by Christ in his precious Body and Blood. This is our primary joy, for which there is no substitute, and from which we draw our strength.

The Gift of the Sunday Eucharist

The Sunday Eucharist is a gift; as God’s holy people we are called to praise and thank God in the most sublime way possible. When the Church speaks of the Sunday obligation, it reminds us that attending Mass is a personal response to the selfless offering of Christ’s love.
At this time, we recognise that for some people there may be certain factors which hinder attendance at Sunday Mass. The pandemic is clearly not over. The risk of infection is still present. For some, there is legitimate fear in gathering together. As your bishops, we recognise that these prevailing circumstances suggest that not everyone is yet in the position to fulfil the absolute duty to attend freely Sunday Mass.

Responding to the Gift

We now encourage all Catholics to look again at the patterns which they have formed in recent months with regard to going to Mass on Sundays. This would include consideration and reflection about what we might do on Sundays, such as sports or shopping, or other leisure and social activities. This review,
and the decisions which arise from it, fall to every Catholic and we trust this will be done with honesty, motivated by a real love for the Lord whom we encounter in the Mass.

The Sunday Mass is the very heartbeat of the Church and of our personal life of faith. We gather on the “first day of the week,” and devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42). The Eucharist sustains us and spurs us on, renewing our gratitude and our hope. When we say “Amen” to Christ in receiving his Body and Blood, we express the love of God which is deep within us, and at the end of Mass, when we are sent forth, we express our love for our neighbour, especially those in need. These two dimensions reveal the full meaning of our faith. We are gathered together and sent out, we pray and are fed, we worship and we adore; these are intrinsic to our lives as those baptised into Christ.
Approved at the Plenary Assembly of Bishops in Leeds Thursday 18th November 2021

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Christ the King EMMAUS MASS SHEET
LORD JESUS CHRIST, King of the Universe

SUNDAY 21st NOVEMBER 2021

CHRIST THE KING

TODAY is the Grand Finale of the Church’s year. On this final Sunday, our celebration focuses on Our Lord through whom the Kingdom of God comes. Our Lord taught constantly about the Kingdom of God: the Kingdom comes through the Church, founded by Christ and with which He is totally identified in every way apart from our sin. The Church is the sign and seed of the Kingdom, and through the Church we are called to let Christ reign in every area of our life. The more we co-operate with Him, the more the Kingdom comes.

TODAY also focuses us also on our young people. The Theme for this year is “Stand up. I appoint you as a witness of what you have seen. (cf.Acts 26:16)” In our parish we have many, and we should thank God for them and pray for them. On this “Youth Day” we should reflect carefully on what we are doing to help form our young people. How can we strengthen the life of faith in our homes? How can we help our school, St. Joseph’s, Macklin Street, which is developing wonderfully through the present leadership? I am concerned about our adolescents: how can we support them better? Do let me know your ideas. Pope Francis speaking to young people says:

“God loves us the way we are, and no sin, fault or mistake of ours makes him change his mind. As far as Jesus is concerned – as the Gospel shows – no one is unworthy of, or far from, his thoughts. No one is insignificant. He loves all of us with a special love; for him all of us are important: you are important! God counts on you for what you are, not for what you possess. In his eyes the clothes you wear or the kind of cell phone you use are of absolutely no concern. He doesn’t care whether you are stylish or not; he cares about you! In his eyes, you are precious, and your value is inestimable.”

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33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET 
33rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 14th November 2021

WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

In his message for this World Day of the Poor TODAY, Pope Francis reflects on Jesus’ words at the anointing in Bethany, “The poor you will always have with you” (Mk 14:7).

This he says ‘is a summons never to lose sight of every opportunity to do good.’

On this day we are invited to offer friendship, solidarity and welcome to the poorest of our sisters and brothers. As we reach out with love and support, let us hold all members of our global family in our prayers.

On November 12, Pope Francis travelled to Assisi to meet with a group of 500 people living in poverty.

The meeting marks the World Day of the Poor, which was established by the Pope five years ago.

Pope Francis’ last meeting with people in need took place in September, when he visited a house run by the religious sisters belonging to the congregation founded by Mother Teresa.

The Lord is always near us, whether we can see Him or not. He is always with us on the journey of life. Let us not forget this, especially in difficult moments.

The Pope met with various people from different countries around Europe. He heard their testimonies, and spend time praying with them. The visit was Pope Francis’ fifth visit to Assisi. The last time he travelled there was on October 3, 2020 to sign his latest encyclical, “Fratelli tutti.”

The organization coordinating the meeting is from France called “Fratello,” Italian for brother, which works with people in need throughout the world. To read the Pope’s message in full, please visit: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/poveri/documents/20210613-messaggio-v-giornatamondiale-poveri-2021.html

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY marks the end of the First World War. On this day we remember all those who gave their lives for their country, all who suffered and died through acts of war and those who were left behind to grieve and mourn.

PRAYER OF REMEMBRANCE
O God, merciful and strong, who crush wars and cast down the proud,
be pleased to banish violence swiftly from our midst and to wipe away all tears,
so that we may all truly deserve to be called your children.

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ELIZABETH (Betty) OGILBY RIP: We would like to thank Fr David, Fr John and the people of the parish. For all the love and support they have shown us after our mothers death. Isabel Cristina, William & Stephen Ogilby

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32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS 32OT
32nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 7th November 2021

SICK & RETIRED PRIESTS’ FUND COLLECTION

Our second collection TODAY will be in support of the Sick & Retired Priests’ Fund.

Most priests offer their resignation as a parish priest at the age of 75, but many continue to serve their communities, working in our parishes, schools, hospitals and chaplaincies. We must ensure no priest is worried about meeting essential costs during their senior years and, as such, Cardinal Nichols and the Diocese of Westminster are committed to ensuring that no retired or sick priest is left without support.

By giving a gift to the Sick & Retired Priests’ Fund, you will help ensure all of our sick and retired priests are cared for at their time of need, after years of service to God and their parishioners.

The fund will be used to meet essential costs, like making a flat accessible to a disabled priest. It could ensure a priest has regular visits from a carer after undergoing surgery.

Rest assured, the Diocese works closely with the NHS, local councils and social services, but there will nevertheless be gaps in funding and we need to ensure our priests have peace of mind in their senior years.

If you took a donation envelope last weekend, please place it in the collection bag today. If you do not have an envelope, there are some available in the pews and at the back of the church. The envelopes and posters feature a ‘QR Code’ that you can scan with a phone camera to give online. This reduces the risks to everyone of handling cash or touching the envelopes. If you are able, please consider filling out a standing order form, meaning you become a Patron and make a regular gift to support our sick and retired priests.

Please be generous and remember our clergy, in active ministry, retired or ill, in your prayers. Thank you.

ELIZABETH (Betty) OGILBY RIP: Please pray for the gentle repose of Betty’s soul. Reception into the church at 5pm on Wednesday 10th November. Her funeral Mass is on Thursday 11th November at 11:00am, May she rest in peace. Amen

CAFOD FAMILY FAST DAY: Our parish raised a fantastic £ 238.85 for CAFOD’s climate change appeal this Family Fast Day. Thank you for your generosity.

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All Saints EMMAUS MASS SHEET
ALL SAINTS
SUNDAY 31st October 2021

NOVEMBER—MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS

Pope Francis on praying for the souls in purgatory: “Even now we experience a communion between the Church on earth and the Church in heaven through our union with those who have died. The souls in heaven assist us with their prayers, while we assist the souls in purgatory through our good works, prayer and participation in the Eucharist. As members of the Church then, the distinction is not between who has died and who is living, but rather who is in Christ and who is not …

There is a deep and indissoluble bond between those who are still pilgrims in this world — us — and those who have crossed the threshold of death and entered eternity. All baptized persons here on earth, the souls in Purgatory and all the blessed who are already in Paradise make one great Family. This communion between earth and heaven is realized especially in intercessory prayer”.

See Also: https://www.cathdal.org/home/ten-ways-to-pray-for-the-holy-souls-in-purgatory

  1. 1. Pray the Novena to the Holy Souls by St. Alphonsus Liguori.
  2. 2. Offer up your Holy Communions for the souls in purgatory.
  3. 3. Have Masses said for your departed loved ones, especially on the anniversary of his or her death.
  4. 4. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for the intention of the Holy Souls.
  5. 5. Eucharistic Adoration: visit the Blessed Sacrament to make acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on behalf of those in purgatory.
  6. 6. Sacrifices: practice small acts of self-denial throughout your day and offer these penances up for the poor souls.
  7. 7. Give alms: The giving of material assistance to the poor has always been considered a penance that can be offered for the Holy Souls. “For almsgiving saves from death, and purges all sin” (Tobit 12:9).
  8. 8. Ask for the intercession of saints who were known to be great friends of the Holy Souls during their lifetime to join you in prayer for the faithful departed: St. Nicholas of Tolentino, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Catherine of Genoa, St. Padre Pio, St. Philip Neri, St. John Macías, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Joseph, Our Lady, and others.
  9. 9. When passing by a cemetery: Pray the short Eternal Rest prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let the perpetual light shine upon them. And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
  10. 10. Pray to earn indulgences for the holy souls:  On all the days from November 1 to November 8, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed (standard requirements for indulgences apply*). Partial indulgences are granted to those who recite Lauds or Vespers of the Office of the Dead, and to those who recite the prayer, “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace”

ETERNAL REST

Lord, this month we pray especially for the departed loved ones.
We ask you to give them the gift of a dwelling place in your eternal home.
We pray too for those who have no one to pray for them.
Through your infinite mercy may they share in the company of the saints to offer you eternal praise and glory. Amen

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30th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET
30th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY 24th October 2021

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY – MISSIO

TODAY IS WORLD MISSION SUNDAYWorld Mission Sunday is being celebrated in every Catholic parish around the world today! There will be a retiring collection after all Masses. It supports missionaries who work alongside communities that are poor or in need, regardless of their background or belief. By supporting Missio, the Pope’s charity for world mission, you will help missionaries like Sister Veronica build peace in Nigeria and share the love of Christ with those most in need. Please pray for the mission of the Church throughout the world and give what you can to this very important collection which will sustain the future of our Church. Please call 020 7821 9755 (office hours) or visit Missio’s website to give a single gift, set up a Direct Debit and Gift Aid your donation, if possible: https://missio.org.uk/wmsdonate/

Pope Francis calls us to renew our missionary commitment to share the good news with all peoples. By supporting Missio through your prayers and donations, you:

help missionaries share the love of Jesus
train tomorrow’s Priests and Sisters
give hope to the world’s poorest children
create a vibrant Catholic Church for the future

PRAYER FOR PEACE BETWEEN PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS 

Father of all goodness, mercy and love,
You call people of all Faiths to live and work together for the coming of your Kingdom on earth.
Make us instruments of your peace, and cultivate in us the fertile seed of your healing love.
Create in us the spirit of understanding, acceptance, and respect for one another, irrespective of our differences.
Stir within our hearts a renewed sense of reverence for all life.
Give us the vision to recognise your spirit in every human being, and help us to break the cycle of violence by realising that peace begins with me. Amen.

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ELIZABETH (Betty) OBILBY RIP: Please pray for the gentle repose of Betty’s soul, who died last Thursday while away with her family. Her funeral has yet to be arranged. May she rest in peace. Amen

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29th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET
29th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

SUNDAY 17th October 2021

SYNODAL PATHWAY

Following the Synod 2021- 2023 opening ceremony in Rome on 10th October, led by Pope Francis, the Westminster Synodal Pathway will be launched by His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nicholas, Archbishop of Westminster, at 6.00pm Mass on Saturday 16th October in Westminster Cathedral.   Mass will be live-streamed.

Launching of the Synodal Pathway in Parishes will take place on the weekend of Saturday 16th – Sunday 17th October.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols writes: “Pope Francis envisages what is called a ‘Synodal process’. The language may sound a bit technical, but the word ‘synod’ means quite simply ‘journeying together’. The Holy Father is offering us the opportunity to participate in a time of listening and reflecting. He hopes this will help us to discern how God’s presence comes into our lives and what the Spirit of God is prompting us to do anew, so that we might be more alive and creative in our response to the call of Jesus, our Way, Truth and Life.

There is a world-wide aspect to this process, leading to a Synod of Bishops in 2023. But the Pope asks us to begin in our own situations, with our own experience, especially of this last year and a half which has surfaced both strengths and weaknesses in our life as the Church. The kind of questions we can explore are these: during this terrible pandemic what strengths did I find in my faith and faith community? How, during this time, was I disappointed and sorrowful? In what ways did the grace of God most clearly touch and uplift me? Whom did we neglect the most? Who feels left out? What could we do better? How do we choose priorities for our own mission?

I have found these words, taken from the guide to this process issued by Rome, to be helpful and inspiring:

‘The purpose of the synod is not to produce more documents. Rather it is intended to inspire people to dream about the church we are called to be, to make hopes flourish, to stimulate trust, to bind up wounds, to weave new and deeper relationships, to learn from one another, to build bridges, to enlighten minds, warm hearts and restore strength to our hands for our common mission.’ (Vademecum 1.3)

In our diocese, as in every diocese throughout the world, this ‘Synodal’ pathway will begin on the weekend of 16/17 October. Our immediate part in the process is short and concentrated: as a diocese we have to have our reflections brought together by February. So in the next few days and weeks there will be invitations issued for a variety of ways in which you could take part, in your parish, through the school. Joining in will focus not so much on discussing ideas but in sharing experience and, on that basis, trying to sense what needs to be done, all shaped by prayer and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

THE PRAYER OF THE SYNOD: ADSUMUS SANCTE SPIRITUS

Attributed to St. Isidore of Seville (560-636), it has been traditionally used at Councils and Synods for hundreds of years.  The version below was specifically designed for the Church’s Synodal journey from 2021 to 2023.

We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life
and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.
All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time,
in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen.

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28th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET
28th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
10th October 2021

As President of Pact, I invite you to join with me in supporting Prisoners’ Sunday, 10th October 2021.

Pact is the major Catholic charity
for the support of prisoners and their families, working in prisons across England and Wales. Wherever it is active, Pact relies heavily on the support of volunteers, expressed not least through the generosity of our parishioners. You will find resources on Pact’s website to help your parish to mark Prisoners’ Sunday.

The Gospel message for Prisoners’ Sunday shows how God’s forgiveness and welcome are for all: no one is excluded. So let us not forget that
the needs of prisoners are great and growing, particularly as we emerge from the lockdown imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. For prisoners this has meant being confined to their cells for over 23 hours each day for many months and not receiving visits from their loved ones, including their children. We must not forget either the prison staff or our chaplains who too have had to confront the additional challenges posed as a result of the pandemic.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols Archbishop of Westminster, President of Pact

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27th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET
Sunday 3rd October 2021

OCTOBER: Month of the HOLY ROSARY
I am asking all of you to renew and deepen your love of the Rosary this October. When we pray the Rosary we are walking through the wonderful things that God has done for us, together with Mary our Mother. Do please always have a Rosary with you, in your pocket. At different times of the day hold it with faith and love, so uniting ourselves to Jesus and Mary. These quotes from recent Popes will encourage us:

“The Rosary is a prayer that always accompanies me; it is also the prayer of the ordinary people and the saints… it is a prayer from my heart.” Pope Francis

“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God…and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.”
Pope Saint Pius X

“How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening!” St. John Paul II

“The Rosary is a prayer both so humble and simple and a theologically rich in Biblical content. I beg you to pray it.”St. John Paul II

“The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.” Pope Leo XIII

Mary, Queen of the most holy Rosary, Pray for us.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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26th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET
26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Sunday 26th September 2021

DECISIONS

OUR PARISH ASSEMBLY has decided that, for the present, our Mass times will remain the same.
Sundays. Vigil Mass, Saturday 6pm.
10am and 6pm on Sunday
Weekdays. 6pm daily
If numbers increase over time, then we shall re-introduce a Mass in Latin on Sundays, and the weekday lunchtime Masses.

THE CHURCH WILL BE OPEN all day on Sundays, from 9am, closing after the evening Mass. On WEEKDAYS, the church will be OPEN from 12 noon until after the evening Mass.
If more people return to Central London, we will extend the opening times further.
At present, we have no organist, and many of the choir children have not yet returned, so do please be patient with the tentative music arrangements: it will get better!

TODAY is WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 2021: The Bishops have asked us to remember them all in our prayers. For more information. https://www.cbcew.org.uk/wdmr21/

CAFOD Family Fast Day – Climate Crisis Appeal:Our local experts are helping people all over the world to adapt to climate change and protect our common home. Friday 1st October is Family Fast Day, donate in the parish using a CAFOD envelope or online through the CAFOD website  (cafod.org.uk/climatecrisis) and help communities affected by the worst impacts of the climate crisis. You can also add your voice to our online petition calling for our Prime Minister to show leadership in tackling the climate crisis, cafod.org.uk/climate. You can read more about CAFOD’s response at cafod.org.uk/emergencies. There will be a second collection after all Masses next weekend.

A PRAYER FOR CLIMATE CRISIS
Walk beside us, Lord, in the cool of the day, in the garden you have created as our common home.
Walk beside us, Lord, as the cries of the forest pierce the dawn, and flames rip through our common home.
Grant us courage, Lord, as we walk beside all those who struggle, to protect our common home.
Grant us hope, Lord, and the vision to walk dark paths in the light of a single sunbeam.
Grant us grace, Lord, to put the flourishing of all people and the wonder of your creation at the heart of all we do, as we strive to be guardians of our common home.

St Francis, pray for us

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25th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET
25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Sunday 19th September 2021

OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM
Friday 24th September is the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham. The Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham, in North Norfolk, was established in 1061 when, according to the text of the Pynson Ballad (c 1485), Richeldis de Faverches prayed that she might undertake some special work in honour of Our Lady. In answer to her prayer, the Virgin Mary led her in spirit to Nazareth, showed her the house where the Annunciation occurred, and asked her to build a replica in Walsingham to serve as a perpetual memorial of the Annunciation. This Holy House was built and a religious community took charge of the foundation. Although we have very little historical material from this period, we know that with papal approval the Augustinian Canons built a Priory (c 1150). Walsingham became one of the greatest Shrines in Medieval Christendom.

In 1538, the Reformation caused the Priory property to be handed over to the King’s Commissioners and the famous statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was taken to London and burnt. Nothing remains today of the original shrine, but its site is marked on the lawn in “The Abbey Grounds” in the village.
After the destruction of the Shrine, Walsingham ceased to be a place of pilgrimage. Devotion was necessarily in secret until after Catholic Emancipation (1829) when public expressions of faith were allowed. In 1896 Charlotte Pearson Boyd purchased the 14th century Slipper Chapel, the last of the wayside chapels en-route to Walsingham, and restored it for Catholic use.
In 1897 by rescript of Pope Leo XIII, the sanctuary of Our Lady of Walsingham was restored with the building of a Holy House as the Lady Chapel of the Catholic Church of the Annunciation,
King’s Lynn. The Guild of Our Lady of Ransom brought the first public pilgrimage to Walsingham on 20th August 1897. Visits to the Slipper Chapel became more frequent, and as the years passed devotion and the number of pilgrimages increased.

SLIPPER CHAPEL
In the Middle Ages Walsingham was one of the four great shrines of Christendom with pilgrims coming from all parts of the known world. There were wayside chapels along the pilgrim route and the Slipper Chapel was the last and most important of these. Pilgrims stopped here to go to Mass and to confess their sins before walking the last mile to the Holy House in Walsingham. The name of the chapel may come from the fact that pilgrims removed their shoes to walk the last mile or it may come from the word “slype” meaning a way through or “something in between”, the slype or slip chapel standing as it did between the Holy land of Walsingham and the rest of England.
In 1538 the Shrine and Priory were destroyed and the Slipper Chapel, although not damaged, passed into disuse. It was used successively as a poor house, a forge a barn and even a cow byre. Stories of older residents suggest that even during this time of neglect occasional pilgrims would still come and pray there. In 1896 it was brought by Charlotte Boyd and restoration started the following year. For thirty years the Slipper Chapel remained restored but little used, as devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham was centred on Kings Lynn. On August 19th 1934, Bishop Youens of Northampton celebrated the first public Mass in the Slipper Chapel for four hundred years, and two days later Cardinal Bourne led a national pilgrimage of more than 10,000 people to the Shrine. At this pilgrimage, the Slipper Chapel was declared to be the National Shrine of Our Lady for Roman Catholics in England.

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24th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET
24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 12th September 2021

THE HOLY CROSS
This Tuesday is the great Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

The public veneration of the Holy Cross dates from the fourth century.

TODAY the Church commemorates the rescue of the true Cross of Christ by Emperor Heraclius in a victory over the Persians. Our Mother the Church sings of the triumph of the Holy Cross, the instrument of our salvation. In order to follow Christ, the Christian must take up his cross and become obedient with Christ, who was obedient until death, even death on the Cross. We are identified with Christ on the Cross. We become co-redeemers, sharing in Christ’s Cross.

O cross, you are the glorious sign of victory.
Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus.

Then this Wednesday 15th September is the Feast of OUR LADY OF SORROWS. This feast has its origin in that Christian devotion which associates her with the Passion of her Son. Pope Pius VII extended this devotion to the whole Church and, in 1912, St Pius X fixed the feast on this day, within the octave of the Nativity of our Mother the Virgin. Our Mother the Virgin teaches us to live, together with her, beside the Cross of her Son. In her suffering as co-redeemer, she reminds us of the tremendous malice of sin and shows us the way of true repentance.

FUNERAL MASS: For Maria Normile is on Wednesday 15th September at 11am. May she rest in peace.

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23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS  SHEET
23rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Sunday 5th September 2021

POPE FRANCIS VIDEO – SEPTEMBER 2021 
ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE

In his video for the month of August 2021, Pope Francis focuses on the need for an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

Pope Francis says: We pray that we all will make courageous choices for a simple and environmentally sustainable lifestyle, rejoicing in our young people who are resolutely committed to this.

It makes me very happy to see that young people have the courage to undertake projects for environmental and social improvement, since the two go together.

We adults can learn much from them, because in all matters related to care for the planet, they are at the forefront.
Let us take advantage of their example and reflect on our lifestyle, especially during these moments of health, social and environmental crisis.

Let us reflect on how the way we eat, consume, travel, or the way we use water, energy, plastics, and many other material goods, is often harmful to the earth.

Let us choose to change! Let us advance with young people towards lifestyles that are simpler and more respectful of the environment.

Let us pray that we all will make courageous choices, the choices necessary for a simple and environmentally sustainable lifestyle, taking inspiration from our young people who are resolutely committed to this. And they aren’t foolish, because they are committed to their own future. This is why they want to change what they will inherit at a time when we will no longer be here.

Watch the video on YouTube. Pope Francis – An Environmentally Sustainable Lifestyle September 2021

FUNERAL MASS: For Maria Normile is on Wednesday 15th September at 11am. May she rest in peace.

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EMMAUS MASS SHEET 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
29th August 2021

FOR OUR VISITORS…

Dear Friend,
Welcome to our church: I trust you will feel at home here. During this summer period, you may join many visitors, so we offer you here a brief guide to this church. We have a fuller guide available before and after Mass. We also have available a booklet ‘HOLBORN London’s VIA SACRA’ a brief but inspiring account of the courage and heroism shown by the Saints and Martyrs in Holborn who gave witness to the Faith during the Reformation. We hope you enjoy your visit.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

1) As you enter the church, to the left there is the Baptistry. There is a plaque on the wall in memory of Edith Gwen Kinghorn, wife of Tony Kinghorn, who for many years was an altar server in the church.

2) Statue of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The Little Flower who, from the age of fifteen until her death at 24, lived a hidden life in the Carmelite convent in Lisieux. She is one of the most popular saints the world has ever known – a Doctor of the Church. Her Little Way of spirituality emphasizes the seeking of holiness in the simple and the ordinary.

3) Proceed alongside the left hand aisle of the church. Here you will see the continuation of:14 Stations of the Cross on either side of the church; each recalls an aspect of the suffering of Our Lord on Good Friday.

In between the Stations of the Cross and at various positions around the church, small tablets in red with a gold cross are set in the walls, with a small candle holder fixed in front. These are points where the Bishop anointed and consecrated the church in 1959.

4) Further along the left aisle, past the 14th Station are 2 plaques. The Colonna Crucifixion, after Michaelangelo circa 1542, commemorates Canon Francis Bartlett, who was parish priest of St. Anselm and St. Cæcilia’s from 1977-1985.

5) The other plaque is to the memory of Charles T. Fisher IV, an American Banker who worked near the church and died in the Lockerbie air disaster in 1988, three days before his 36th birthday. The door to the right leads down to the Parish Room.

6) The Sanctuary, with the altar – the focal point of the church. On the left of the sanctuary is the Ambo from which Holy Scripture is read.

7) The Sanctuary lamp is the gift of the legal profession (in its two branches) and signifies the presence of God in the Tabernacle that contains the Eucharist.

8) The Tabernacle, which contains the vessels in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. To the left, set in the wall is a small recess, the Aumbrey, for the Holy Oils used in baptism, confirmation and anointing the sick. To the right, again set in the wall, is the piscina where water used sacramentally is disposed of directly into the earth. Nowadays the piscina in the Sacristy is used for this purpose.

9) On either side of the Tabernacle are two roundels bearing the Instruments of the Passion and above are sculptures of Christ crowning Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, surrounded by Angels, with the patron Saints, Anselm to the left and Cæcilia on the right.

10) High above is the wooden canopy or Baldacchino, painted in blue with gold leaf. Depicted in the centre is the symbol of the Holy Spirit (a dove) and roundels in four corners with IHS, which, in Greek are the first letters for Jesus, Son and Saviour.

11) Proceed halfway along the centre aisle then, facing the Sanctuary, look up to the Great Cross, with statues of Our Lady standing on the left and St John on the right of the suffering Christ. Behind this scene, on the left, is the organ loft, which is better viewed from the right aisle alongside the Sanctuary.

12) On the right are the doors leading to the Sacristy, with the large painting of the Descent from the Cross hanging on the South wall. Attributed to John Francis Rigaud RA. In the Old Sardinian Chapel it hung above the High Altar.

13) As you leave this passage, look up towards the West Window with the stained glass depiction of Christ rising from the flames, just as a phoenix rises from the ashes, with images of St. Anselm and St. Cecilia to the left and right. This window commemorates the fire on Christmas Day 1992 when much of the church roof was destroyed as a result of an electrical fault in the main organ. Below is the choir gallery with organ and console to the left.

14) The first Station of the Cross begins along the South wall, Jesus is condemned to Death.

15) Further along on the left is a statue of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was the visions of St Margaret Alacoque in 1673-5 which gave definite shape to the object of devotion and its practices. The feast day is observed on the Friday in the week after Corpus Christi.

16) Our Lady’s Altar. Tradition maintains that the Lady Altar was the High Altar of the Old Chapel. According to an old parchment, which may date from around 1700, the altar stone of the High Altar in the old Chapel came with its relics from the Lady Chapel of Glastonbury Abbey. This area of the church was bombed during the Blitz in 1940, but restored after the war. There is a piscina to the right of the altar.

17) To the right of Our Lady’s Altar is the Chapel of St. Thomas More – A Man for all Seasons. An inscription on the wall describes St. Thomas’ time as a bencher of Lincoln’s Inn and Lord Chancellor. Having opposed King Henry VIII over his divorce and martyred on the grounds of having opposed the Act of Supremacy, he was beheaded in the Tower of London in 1535. St. Thomas was canonized in 1935. Here also hangs the Large Crucifix which is venerated throughout the year, but especially on Good Friday when the faithful kneel one by one to kiss the feet of Our Blessed Lord.

18) Halfway along the South aisle is St. Joseph’s Altar. The mosaic was commissioned in 1962 by Father Joseph Scholles, then Parish Priest, in memory of his father, Joseph Scholles, who died around that time. The mosaic
depicts St Joseph, protector of the Universal Church, holding the church of St. Anselm and St. Cæcilia in his hands. Inscribed in Latin on the front of altar is- Sancti Joseph, Ora pro nobis. (St. Joseph, pray for us). On the left is a statue of St Joseph carrying the infant Jesus and holding a lily in his right hand – a symbol of purity.

19) To the right of St. Joseph’s altar are the confessional boxes.

20) Above the West end of the Lady Chapel is the Royal Sardinian coat-of-arms, which originally surmounted the organ in the old Sardinian Chapel.

21) Approaching the last row of benches, behind the pillar is a statue of St Jude, much invoked as the patron of hopeless cases and lost causes.

22) To the right is the small altar and statue of St Anthony of Padua, a simple and humble Franciscan Friar and Doctor of the Church who preached the Good News lovingly and with fearless courage, much invoked in cases of special difficulties and commonly referred to today as the finder of lost articles. Usually depicted with a book and the Infant Child Jesus in his arms.

23) In the aisle as you approach Our Lady’s altar is the Statue of St Peter. In the Middle Ages pilgrims who reached Rome, touched and kissed the foot of the statue and prayed to St. Peter, asking that he be merciful and open the gates of Heaven for them if they died during the pilgrimage.

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17th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET

17th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
25th July 2021

This will be the last bulletin until early September.

HOLIDAYS

HOLY DAYS are occasions when we go to Mass to express most fully that we belong to God, the source and end of our life, and that we belong to one another as the Family of God, the Church. From Holy Days comes our words HOLIDAYS.

We are now entering the holiday season, so how will we use our holiday time?

  • Make the Holy Mass more the centre of all our activities. “The Eucharist should be the cause of our deepest joy, our highest manner of offering thanks to God and for seeking his mercy and love. We need to make it the foundation stone of our lives”(from our Bishops)
  • Daily prayer: begin each day with some prayer, say the Angelus around mid-day, and some evening prayer. This daily conversation with God is vital– life-giving –if we are to connect with the source of our life. Say some part of the Rosary – Our Lady & St Joseph will help us.
  • Daily prayer will develop our capacity to love our neighbour
  • The more we open our hearts to God and our neighbour, the more we will overcome our inclination to selfishness and sin: remember, any sin is a failure to love, and leads to unhappiness.

DAILY PRAYER, as our conversation with God, is both speaking and listening, we all need some help.

Therefore, as you leave church today, there are available “The Simple Prayer Book”.

If you really intend to use it, do take a copy.

Wishing you all a fruitful holiday period, and please pray for our parish each day.

Fr David Barnes, Rector and Parish Priest

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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET

16th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
18th July 2021

STATEMENT FROM THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF ENGLAND

SUNDAY – IT IS OUR DAY!

On 19th July, the current legislative powers which assist the mitigations against the covid-19 virus transmission will be rescinded by HM Government. Nevertheless, there will be an encouragement to personal and corporate responsibility in this area; as the Prime Minister said in his most recent statement “The pandemic is not over.” Even without this legislation in place, the Church in England and Wales will be adopting a cautious approach to capacity and activity within our buildings, especially at corporate acts of worship.

We are mindful of the certain fact that the Covid-19 virus is still circulating in society. Vaccines provide genuine protection against the worst effects of the virus, yet we recognise the legitimate fear on the part of some who otherwise desire to gather for Holy Mass. It is our continuing judgement, therefore, that it is not possible at the present time for all of the faithful to attend Mass on a Sunday thus fulfilling their duty to God.

It is hoped that it will be possible for all Catholics in England and Wales to fulfil this most important Church precept, that of the Sunday Obligation, by the First Sunday in Advent 2021. In the meantime, all Catholics are asked to do their best to participate in the celebration of the weekly Sunday Mass and to reflect deeply on the centrality of Sunday worship in the life of the Church.

In April, following our Plenary Assembly, we offered a reflection on the experience of the extraordinary long months of the pandemic. It was titled The Day of the Lord. We also began to look at the way forward. We spoke about the important invitation to restore the Sunday Mass to its rightful centrality in our lives. We asked for a rekindling in our hearts of a yearning for the

Real Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist, as our response to the total, sacrificial love that Jesus has for us. We said: “The Eucharist should be the cause of our deepest joy, our highest manner of offering thanks to God and for seeking his mercy and love. We need to make it the foundation stone of our lives.”

May this continue to be our striving during these coming months as we journey back to the full celebration of our Sunday Mass and our renewed observance of The Day of the Lord.

1 St Jerome, In Die Dominica Paschae II

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15th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET

15th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
11th July 2021

SEA SUNDAY

TODAY is Sea Sunday, when the Church prays for all those who live and work at sea.

Today’s second collection is for Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea), the Catholic Church’s official maritime welfare agency. It supports seafarers both practically and spiritually.

This collection is vital to enable Stella Maris to continue its important work. To donate, please visit www.stellamaris.org.uk/donate or text ‘SEA’ to 70460 to donate £5. Stella Maris is dependent on voluntary donations, so please give generously. There is a basket at the back of the church for your donation. Thank you.

A PRAYER FOR SEA SUNDAY

O God the Father, who call man and woman to cooperate with their labour in the work of your creation, we thank you for the tireless dedication of the people of the sea,who in this period never stopped transporting from one port to another essential medical equipment and medicines to support the fight against the spread of the virus.
Grant them strength in moments of weakness, unity in diversity, a safe and smooth sailing and, once the contract is over, happiness to be reunited with their loved ones.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, with Your grace,encourage the maritime industry to facilitate crew changes,vaccinations and strengthen the implementation of international standardsto enhance and protect the human and working rights of the people of the sea.Free us from the scourge of piracy and the tragic consequences of the abandonment of seafarers.

Holy Spirit, hovering over all the waters of the world,awakens in the chaplains and volunteers of Stella Maris the appeal of the splendour of the faith,so that they always witness it with the consistency of life,revealing the caring face of the Church which welcomes and is close to the people of the sea,responding without hesitation to their spiritual and material needs.

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea, we entrust to you the wellbeing of the people of the sea and pray that you continue to protect us all from all dangers, especially from COVID-19. Assist us with Your maternal blessing, while we are sailing to the port of all our hopes.Accompany those who are no longer with us into the house of Heavenly Father andgive comfort to grieving relatives and friends. Amen!

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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET

14th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
4th July 2021

OUR PARISH ASSEMBLY last Monday (28 June)

………was an opportunity to consider how we move forward as a parish. MASS times were central.

We shall no longer have a full Sung Latin Mass at 12 noon. From September we shall continue with a simple Sung Mass in Latin. The 10am Mass will have the hymns sung by our children in our school.

It has not been possible to continue with our Director of Music, Adam Balkwill. The change in Job Description, and finance, has determined this. Adam has given our parish, and most especially our children, so very much! On behalf of us all I thank him for all he has done for our children and all of us. We wish Adam every blessing for his future.

PETER’S PENCE

TODAY, SUNDAY, we have the annual collection for “Peter’s Pence”. This collection started here in England at the end of the 8th century, when the Anglo-Saxons were converted to Christianity. They wanted to help the Bishop of Rome, as successor of St Peter, in his universal ministry. The money collected is for the Pope to give to those suffering from natural disasters, such as famine or flooding, or those in great need, such as those suffering the consequences of war. The Pope gives money in the name of the whole Church.This annual collection expresses well our love for the Successor of Peter in his universal ministry.

Please do give generously, and do pray for Pope Francis.

May the love and prayers of Ss Peter and Paul sustain the Church, increase our love for the Church as the “Mystical Body of Christ” as also our love for the Pope, and our love for the mission of the Church. For more information visit: http://www.peterspence.va/ .

Pope Francis says: “We cannot proclaim good things but without service it is not proclamation. It may seem to be, but it is not, because the Spirit not only carries you forward to proclaim the truths of the Lord and the life of the Lord, but He also brings you to the service of the brothers and sisters, even in small things”. “All of us have been saved gratuitously by Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must give gratuitously. Those who carry out the pastoral work of evangelization must learn this. Their life must be gratuitous, given in service, proclamation, borne by the Spirit. Their personal poverty forces them to open themselves up to the Spirit”.

JULY – MONTH OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD:

Devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus is a powerful means to help us be devoted to the totally sacrificial love of Our Lord, as also loving Him totally present in the Blessed Sacrament. Our Cathedral here in Westminster is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood.

Fr David Barnes, Parish Priest

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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET

13th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
27th June 2021

TODAY IN OUR DIOCESE –
We are celebrating the Feast of ST JOHN SOUTHWORTH (d.1654)

St John Southworth’s significance for our diocese lies in the discovery of his body at Douai in 1927 and his subsequent translation to Westminster Cathedral in 1930. He acts as a representative figure for the many priests who courageously worked in London in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, at the risk of imprisonment and execution. Southworth was trained at Douai and worked in Lancashire and London. Together with the Jesuit St Henry Morse (1595-1645), Southworth cared for the victims of the 1636 plague at great personal risk. Spending many years in prison, he was finally hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 28 June 1654, together with two counterfeiters. Westminster has traditionally kept his feast on 27 June because 28 June (the day of his martyrdom) is already occupied by St Irenaeus and the Vigil of Ss Peter and Paul.

SS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES
TUESDAY 29th JUNEis the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul.

The Church founded by Christ has Ss Peter and Paul as its principle pillars. Peter was chosen by Christ to be His first Vicar on earth, endowed with powers of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 16:13-19) and charged with the role of Shepherd of Christ’s flock (Jn 21:15-17).

In Peter and his successors, the visible sign of unity and communion in faith and charity has been given.

Divine grace led Peter to profess Christ’s divinity. St Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero, in A.D. 66 or 67.

He was buried at the hill of the Vatican, where recent excavations have revealed his tomb on the very site of the Basilica of St Peter’s.

Paul was chosen to form part of the apostolic college by Christ himself on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-16). An instrument selected to bring Christ’s name to all peoples (Acts 9:15), he is the greatest missionary of all time, the advocate of pagans, the Apostle of the Gentiles.

St Paul was beheaded in the Tre Fontane along the Via Ostiense and buried nearby, on the spot where the basilica bearing his name now stands.

Daily Roman Missal – SCEPTER PRESS

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12th Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+12th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
20th June 2021

DAY FOR LIFE

DAY FOR LIFE: Bishop John Sherrington, writes:

We celebrate DAY FOR LIFE, TODAY. This day, inaugurated by Saint John Paul II, presents an opportunity to pray for the gift of life from conception to natural death, to raise awareness of the precious gift of life, and to support the work of protecting life in its most vulnerable stages through the annual collection. This assists pro-life organisations who raise awareness, engage in parliamentary work and pastoral outreach.
GLOBAL PANDEMIC: The fragility of life and the reality of death has been brought into sharp focus during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the UK alone, more than 126,000 people have died from Covid-19. Yet in the face of such suffering and death, we have also witnessed the extraordinary dedication of healthcare professionals and their loving care for the sick and dying. We too have each made sacrifices for the greater good during this pandemic. These acts of heroic love are a powerful testimony to the fundamental dignity of the human person and to the respect owed to each life, particularly through proper care and love in the last moments of life.
ASSISTED DYING: Against this backdrop of loving care, we are now faced with the very real threat of the legalisation of ‘assisted suicide’ in our country. It is not a question of ‘if’ this challenge will come, it is now a question of ‘when?’ There is now a Private Members Bill in the House of Lords on so-called ‘Assisted Dying’ and it is only a matter of time before the issue is back in the House of Commons.
This year’s theme for Day for Life focuses on assisted suicide and the respect owed to life. The online resources are produced to inform Catholics about this threat to life and to share with people our response to such a threat: a true compassion as the just response to the immense value of the human person.
DAY FOR LIFE adds an authenticity to our witness to the dignity of life and this is enabled by the generosity of people in the pews supporting our work.
In 2020, we were unable to hold our annual ‘Day for Life’ collection due to the pandemic, our funds are very much depleted and the threats to life have never been greater.
DAY FOR LIFE is a simple, practical response which pushes back against ‘the use and throwaway logic’ often at the heart of a culture which seeks to abandon its elderly, sick and dying when ‘they no longer serve our interests.’ If you feel you can offer financial support no matter how small, please visit: https://www.dayforlife.org/article/donate/ Or place your donation in the basket as you leave the church today. Thank you for your generosity as always.

PRAYER TO ST JOSEPH PATRON SAINT OF THE SICK
Faithful Joseph, with the fulfilment of the Lord’s promise,
you peacefully leave this world in Jesus and Mary’s hands.
Your faith transforms death into the sowing of life;
thus, God considers you to be a just man.
Your heart overflows in the presence of the Lord.
With your hands outstretched to God, your night is filled with prayers.
Surrounded by the living, you embark upon the great march to the promise Land.
Open our eyes that we may glimpse the road to Life that lies beyond death.
May nothing, not denial, anger, nor depression, separate us from the Love of God.
Strengthen our faith in God who always finds ways of preserving us in his friendship.
Be beside us to hold our hands when we take our first steps toward the Eternal Kingdom.
Amen

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Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+11th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMESUNDAY
13th June 2021

THE FUTURE OF OUR PARISH

We have all endured an extraordinary 18 months: the pandemic has changed us all.

Now we need to plan together for the future: what sort of parish do we want to become?

A parish priest is responsible for the development of a parish, but in my opinion he must do this together with the parishioners: we are all in this together!

THE PARISH ASSEMBLY is a way of implementing this process. We can raise any issue, look at what we are doing and what we are failing to do. Every person counts, and every voice matters: the Holy Spirit is at work in all of us, and so we need to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying through each one of us.

THE INVITATION is to each one of you: do come on MONDAY 28th JUNE immediately following the 6:00pm Mass. We shall meet in the church.

THE AGENDA can be as you wish. Please submit any items to me beforehand, or simply bring them to the meeting. We need to consider especially our MASS TIMES as we come out of lockdown regulations.

MEETINGS are not everybody’s cup of tea!

Even if you cannot be at the meeting, please do email me, telephone me or speak to me on the street. I am here to try to serve you, so it is paramount I know what you think.

THANK YOU for all you contribute. It is a joy to be among you as your Parish Priest.

God Bless, Fr David

JUNE: THE MONTH OF THE SACRED HEART

Throughout this month, let us deepen our devotion to the love of God revealed through the Heart of Jesus. The Litany of the Sacred Heart is a wonderful way to do this.

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Corpus Christi EMMAUS MASS SHEET 

+ THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
6th June 2021

CORPUS CHRISTI

TODAY we celebrate the wondrous love of Our Lord for us — how He gives Himself completely to us in Holy Communion, and how He is with us always in the Sacred Host in all the tabernacles throughout the world.

MASS is the means to bring us this presence. The priest takes bread and wine, and through the Holy Spirit our gifts are transformed to become really, truly and substantially the Body and Blood of Christ, so that Our Lord is present as perfect God and Perfect Man, body, soul and divinity. This transformation we call transubstantiation.

ADORATION is therefore the appropriate response to this gift, so on this weekend’s celebration we should resolve again to

• make a good preparation for receiving Holy Communion followed by thanksgiving.

• Visit Our Lord regularly in the tabernacle (“making a visit” is an important part of Catholic spirituality, and builds up our bond with Our Lord).

• Show ever greater respect when we come into church, “the House of the Lord”, by genuflecting to the tabernacle and kneeling to adore and pray. Keeping silence in church is not only a way to respect Our Lord, but also one another.

“O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine”.

June: month of The Sacred Heart of Jesus

THE HEART is a symbol of love in very many cultures. Devotion to the Heart of Jesus is quite simply devotion to Him who is the Love of God perfectly revealed to us. The devotion goes back to earliest times, based on Our Lord’s description of Himself, “Come to me….for I am meek and humble of heart …..”. (Matthew 11:28-29)

Our own co-patron St Anselm promoted this devotion, though it really became widespread through St Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Visitation sister in France (Paray-le-Monial) in the 17th century.

The most beautiful statue of the Sacred Heart I know is in our church (see photo overleaf).

SACRED HEART NOVENA: Here at St Anselm & St Cecilia will be praying the Novena before Mass every day until Tue 11th June. Petitions may be placed in the box at the Sacred Heart statue and will be placed on the Altar on the Feast day.”

Fr. David Barnes, Parish Priest

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+Trinity Sunday EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+ THE MOST HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY
30th May 2021

THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

GOD has been revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit — three persons, but one God. We could never know this by use of reason: we know it because Our Lord Jesus has revealed it.

GOD’s love is made known to us as a dynamic interaction of loving between the Three Persons of the Trinity. God is loving — the active relationship of loving between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

GOD’s love for us is made known in the Incarnation — the enfleshment of God — when “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” That love is revealed above all through the Mystery of the Cross. God’s love for us is confirmed in every Mass through receiving Holy Communion. As Pope Francis tells us: “Christ has shown us the face of God, one in substance and triune of Persons. God is all and only Love, in a subsisting relationship that creates, redeems and sanctifies all: Father, Son and Holy Spirit”.

God’s love for us is made known in the fact that God wants to be known by us —to live in relationship with us. We can do so with confidence because in our baptism God made us adopted sons and daughters with the great privilege of relating to God as a most beloved son or daughter. We always have access to God on this personal level. So relate to God everyday, ever faithful, through that daily conversation which is prayer.

Fr. David Barnes, Rector

CHURCH OPENING TIMES: The Bishops have now decided we can re-open the churches for silent prayer during the day.

Our church will be open as following: MONDAY-FRIDAY from 8am-to end of 6pm Mass, SATURDAY 9.30am-to end of 6pm Mass and SUNDAYS from 9.30am to end of 6pm Mass.

Mass times remain the same, daily at 6pm and Sundays 10am and 6pm

We ask all visitors to adhere to the following

1. SANITISE HANDS on entry to the church and before receiving Holy Communion.

2. USE THE TRACK AND TRACE QR CODE (during the day) or manually for Mass as we have been doing

3. WEAR A FACE COVERING when inside the church (unless exempt), this will reduce aerosol and droplet spread.

The church will be cleaned daily as per the guidelines.

We will monitor the situation and as always take further guidance from the Government and the Bishops if anything changes.

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+Pentecost Sunday EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+ PENTECOST SUNDAY
23rd May 2021

PENTECOST SUNDAY

“COME HOLY SPIRIT…………….”THE HOLY SPIRIT transformed the apostles from being inward- looking, timid and afraid, to being outward-looking and bold in proclaiming the Risen and Ascended Lord. The Spirit set them on fire: for this reason we sometimes call the Feast of Pentecost theBIRTHDAY of the Church.

The Holy Spirit can do the same for us—if we are open and really want to be transformed. Pope Francis said “The Spirit is the wind pushing us forward, keeping us going, that makes us feel like pilgrims and foreigners and doesn’t allow us to get comfortable and become sedentary…………

HOPE collects the wind of the Spirit and transforms it into energy”.

This Pentecost, pray that we shall all be filled with the Holy Spirit and be full of hope. How well do we know the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit?

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
Wisdom, Understanding Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge Piety Fear of the Lord.

The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit are:
Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, faithfulness, Modesty,Self-Control and Chastity.

COME, HOLY SPIRIT, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love……….

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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CARDINAL VINCENT NICHOLS: There are copies of Today’s Pastoral Letter – Pentecost from Cardinal Vincent Nichols available at the back of the church as you leave, please take a copy home with you.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray: O, God, who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Holy Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever enjoy rejoice in his consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. R. Amen.

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7th Sunday of Easter EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+7th SUNDAY OF EASTER
16th May 2021

CARDINAL VINCENT – INVITATION TO PRAY ‘THY KINGDOM COME’ NOVENA

Once again this year, we are invited to join ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, the global prayer novena from Ascension to Pentecost, to pray for the spread of the Gospel so that more people may come to know Jesus. In his message inviting us to take part in the novena, Cardinal Vincent encourages us to pray that the Holy Spirit may strengthen ‘our effort to announce the Gospel in word and in deed’.

‘The Holy Spirit is God’s power, sustaining the created world in being. It’s the Holy Spirit that transformed what we call the ‘chaos’ into the ‘cosmos’, the ordered world,’ he says, inviting us to ‘cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit in protecting, enhancing our natural environment, the world, because it is our human environment.’

For more information about the prayer novena and prayer resources, please visit the Thy Kingdom Come website.

The novena of prayer before Pentecost, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, has become part of the rhythm of life in the Christian churches. So I encourage you to take it up.

Every opportunity to pray, in a structured way and in a way that brings us together in prayer, is immensely valuable.

And that is true of ‘Thy Kingdom Come’. We pray in anticipation, asking for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now, that’s so central to our faith. It’s the Holy Spirit that gives life to the Church that gave that first impetus to the gathering of the disciples and Mary to go out and to begin the proclamation of the Gospel, the Good News that only Jesus Christ brings into this world.

And so we pray for a strengthening in that Spirit in our effort to announce the Gospel in word and in deed. It’s really important that we use this period, this novena of prayer before Pentecost, to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us. It’s a time in which we receive. We cannot ever earn our salvation; we have to receive it, and we receive best with open hands and an open heart.

The Holy Spirit is God’s power, sustaining the created world in being. It’s the Holy Spirit that transformed what we call the ‘chaos’ into the ‘cosmos’, the ordered world.

What better time than now for us to be thinking about how we cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit in protecting, enhancing our natural environment, the world, because it is our human environment.

In caring for the world, we care for each other. In caring for each other, we care for the Creator and show him our respect, our deference, our service.

So may ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ be a prayer from our hearts that the Holy Spirit transforms us into servants of the Word and servants of the created world made through the Word himself.

Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtQZpMdyiy4&t=2s

https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/42164

RETIRING COLLECTION: TODAY there will be a retiring collection at all masses for Catholic Communications. Please leave your donations in the basket as you leave church.

The time between the feast of the Ascension and the coming of Pentecost is a time of preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. To be a spiritual person and so become a saint (and this is our vocation through our Baptism) we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

During the month of May, which is dedicated to Our Lady, we are conscious that she is “full of grace” – that is with the Holy Spirit. We need to know and love her more if we are to understand our life in the Church. Her vocation, to give birth to Our lord, is also the vocation of the church – i.e., to give Christ to the world. Hence the spirit of the Church is the spirit of Mary: to be open to God, and, though not understanding everything, to want to do what God wants.

In this month of Mary, let us pray that we have the spirit of Mary – her generosity, her commitment, her desire to do God’s will. When that happens, God can do great things through us and among us.

Fr. David Barnes Rector

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6th Sunday of Easter EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+6th SUNDAY OF EASTER
9th May 2021

The Ascension of the Lord – Thursday 13th May

“…HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN…” (Creed)

THURSDAY’s celebration of Our Lord’s Ascension gives us much to ponder and treasure in our heart.

Our Lord has completed everything the Father had given Him to do, crowned by the Paschal Mystery, and now He is returning to the Father. His joy is complete, and He invites us to share His joy. Our true joy is to share His joy!

He goes to prepare a place for us. Heaven is where we truly belong, to be with God for all eternity. Our Lord has prepared a place for us. He is calling us “so that where I am, you may be too”.

Do I live with heaven as my goal and true homeland? We are never alone: in his Ascension He promises that He will be with us always, “Yes, to the end of time”.

He is always present to us: are we always wanting to make ourselves present to Him? My Mission and purpose in this world is to share in the Mission Jesus gave the infant Church at His Ascension: “Go out into the whole world and proclaim the Good News…”

Our Lord shares His life fully with us through the Church: do we seek to bring others to share His life through the Church?

“Gladden us with holy joys, Almighty God, and make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving, for the Ascension of Christ your Son in our exaltation, and where the Head has gone before in glory, the Body is called to follow in hope” (Thursday’s Collect)

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD – THURSDAY 13th MAY MASS TIMES:

WEDNESDAY 13th MAYVIGIL MASS: 6:00pm

THURSDAY 13th MAY12:30pm and 6:00pm

CONFESSIONS: 12:00-12:20pm and 5:00-5:20pm

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5th Sunday of Easter EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+5th SUNDAY OF EASTER
2nd May 2021

May – The month of Mary

MAY is dedicated to Our Lady. It is a time to get to know and love Our Lady more. – and, even more importantly, her love for us. At the 10am Mass this weekend we have the Crowning of Our Lady as Queen of the May. This helps us express and understand how the reign of Mary is the reign of “YES- TO-GOD”in our daily life. May we let the spirit of Mary, the spirit of “YES-TO-GOD”, flourish in our day-to-day living.

Our Marian devotions should not be limited to church. Please ensure you honour Our Lady in your home. Do crown a statue or picture of Our Lady at home. Gather around the statue or picture of Our Lady, and recite the Rosary. Let’s make it our aim that all of us, families or individuals recite at least one decade of the Rosary EACH DAY. Let us teach our children (and remind ourselves!) that the reign of Mary, the reign of “YES -TO-GOD”, is the best way to true self-fulfilment and happiness.

Feast of THE ENGLISH MARTYRS – Thursday 4th May

The Catholic Church in England has a long history of martyrs, beginning with St Alban in c. 304 AD. At the time of King Henry VIII’s break with Rome, many more were added. Many of these martyrs passed through our parish on their way from Newgate prison to Tyburn, so we have a close connection with them. Two priests were martyred in Lincoln’s Inn Fields – Blessed Robert Morton and blessed Hugh Moor: we should often ask them to pray for us that we will become better witness to Christ and the Catholic Faith.

Blessed Robert Morton and Blessed Hugh Moor, pray for us.

DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF ABUSE – DAY OF PRAYER 4TH MAY.

Please pray:

  • For all survivors of sexual abuse; may they come to know, once again, the compassionate love of God and find healing and hope in the risen Lord.
  • For all who work in safeguarding; may they place the voice of the survivor at the heart of their service and through their care for others help to build up the Body of Christ.

CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF ENGLAND AND WALES:

Reflection this week, we wish to pay tribute to all in the Catholic community who have shown such courage, generosity and understanding in the face of adversity this past year. The full version of the reflection is available at the back of the church. The Day of the Lord – Reflection by the Bishop’s of England and Wales

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4th Sunday of Easter EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+4th SUNDAY OF EASTER
25th April 2021

PRIEST TRAINING FUND

TODAY (Sunday), is Good Shepherd Sunday and our second collection will support the Priest Training Fund.

The formation of our priests is of top priority – it is our future.

The Priest Training Fund pays for the training and education of seminarians at our seminary, Allen Hall. There are currently 42 men studying at Allen Hall seminary, 18 of whom are for our own Diocese, and two men are currently studying in Rome, also for our Diocese. In 2020 we also celebrated the ordination of two men from Allen Fund.

This fund pays for the priestly formation of men for the Catholic priesthood.

Last year two men who studied at Allen Hall and one who studied in Rome ordained to the priesthood to serve as our future priests. The fund also supports the ongoing enrichment and formation of our ordained priests.

It costs on average £25,000 per man, per year of formation – that is about £150,000 to form and educate a new priest, who makes a lifetime commitment to Christ and the Church.

The Priest Training Fund also pays for the ongoing education and formation of our priests, post-ordination. Priests are the heart of the Catholic Church. Please continue to pray for vocations and our seminarians.

Your gift ensures we can provide training for these men responding to Christ’s call to dedicate their lives to serve God’s people. Please be as generous as you can. Please also pray for vocations and for all our priests. If you do not have a donation leaflet, plenty are still available at the back of the church. Please collect and return to the basket as you leave the church. You can also donate online anytime atwww.rcdow.org.uk/donations

ALLEN HALL ANNUAL NEWS: After a difficult year in Allen Hall, there is a definite feeling of change in the air, not least because of the brighter weather and the lighter restrictions. Despite the difficulties, it has been a full year of formation. To view and download the newsletter, please follow this link: https://issuu.com/rcwestminster/docs/allen_hall_newsletter_-_easter_2021

A PRAYER FOR THOSE CONSIDERING THE PRIESTHOOD OR RELIGIOUS LIFE

Lord, help each of us to live the fullness of life by following your call. Send your Holy Spirit to guide those who are making life choices. We pray especially for those who are called to serve you in the priesthood or consecrated life; may they be supported in their vocations and truly be a sign of your love in the world. Amen

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FUNERAL NOTICE: Mr Thomas Kennedy RIP. Tommy’s Funeral Mass will be held here onFriday 14th May at 12.00pm. Please remember Tommy, his family and friends in your prayers. May he rest in peace.

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3rd Sunday of Easter EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+3rd SUNDAY OF EASTER
18
th April 2021

PARISH FEAST OF ST. ANSELM (1033-1109) Wednesday 21st April
St. Anselm, a Benedictine monk who became a bishop, was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1720 and has been called “the Father of Scholasticism.” Born in Piedmont, Italy, he first entered the Benedictine monastery at Aosta, Italy, but under pressure from his father he had to leave the monastic life. After an unsettled period, the youth fled to France and entered the Benedictine monastery at Bec (1059), where he eventually became abbot and gained renown as a preacher and a reformer of the monastic life. During this period he wrote his best theological works, which exerted a powerful influence and established him as a theological master in the late Middle Ages. Eventually he became archbishop of Canterbury in England and was involved in the struggle over lay investiture with King William II, who refused to recognise Pope Urban II. Twice Anselm went into exile (1097 and 1103) but finally he was able to return to his see, where he died on April 21, 1109.

MESSAGE AND RELEVANCE
The Opening Prayer of the Mass presents the characteristic traits of the spirituality of St. Anselm: “to study and teach the sublime truths” of revelation. His definition of theology was “faith seeking understanding.” He contributed greatly to the development of systematic theology but always with an emphasis on the contemplative and spiritual dimension. St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas.

The excerpt from the Proslogion in the Officer of Readings is an example of the manner in which St. Anselm did theology.

For him it was not mere intellectual research or logical deduction from principles. “My soul,” he asks, “have you found what you are looking for? You were looking for God, and you have discovered that he is the supreme being, and that you could not possibly imagine anything more perfect. You have discovered that this supreme being is life itself, light, wisdom, goodness, eternal blessedness and blessed eternity. He is everywhere and he is timeless.” His other works include a treatise entitled Cur Deus Homo? , a marvellous theological investigation of the Incarnation. He also defended the orthodox doctrine on the Filioque when the attended the Council of Bari (Italy) in 1102.

Today also we should strive for a deeper understanding of our faith so that we can love the truth we have studied, as is stated in the Opening Prayer: “Let your gift of faith come to the aid of our understanding and open our hearts to your truth.”

The famous axiom, Credo ut intelligam (I believe in order that I may understand) reminds us that we should be guided by the light of faith and not by the light of reason alone. Otherwise, if we reply too much on human knowledge, there is a danger of weakening our faith.

The name ANSELM is from the ancient German and means “Protected by God.”

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Priest Training Fund: Next weekend is Good Shepherd Sunday, the day we pray for priests and for vocations to the priesthood. The annual collection for the Priest Training Fund will also take place next weekend.  This fund pays for the priestly formation of men for the Catholic priesthood. There are currently 45 men studying at Allen Hall seminary, 28 of whom are for our own Diocese, and last year eight men ordained to the priesthood to serve as our future priests.

This fund also supports the ongoing enrichment and formation of our ordained priests.

Your generous donation helps ensure we can support these men who are called to be like Christ the Good Shepherd. Donation leaflets are available in the back of the church. Please take one home, read the information, and bring it back next weekend with your donation. Please continue to pray for vocations and for our priests.You can donate online anytime at www.rcdow.org.uk/donations

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2nd Sunday of Easter EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+2nd SUNDAY OF EASTER
11
th April 2021

THE DIVINE MERCY DEVOTION


From the diary of a young Polish nun, a special devotion began spreading throughout the world in the 1930s. The message is nothing new, but is a reminder of what the Church has always taught through scripture and tradition: that God is merciful and forgiving and that we, too, must show mercy and forgiveness. But in the Divine Mercy devotion, the message takes on a powerful new focus, calling people to a deeper understanding that God’s love is unlimited and available to everyone — especially the greatest sinners.

The message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.

The message of mercy is that God loves us — all of us — no matter how great our sins. He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy. It is a message we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC.

A — Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.

B — Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.

C — Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive.

11th APRIL 2021, 2.45pm-3.30pm Divine Mercy devotions with the opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

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+ EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION
4th April 2021 

THE LORD IS RISEN, Alleluia

HE IS RISEN IN DEED Alleluia

This ancient Christian greeting, said on meeting one another during Eastertide, should surely be recovered and used again – encouraging us to deepen our faith in the Risen Lord.

THE RESURRECTION is a supernatural event, a clear break with the natural order, Jesus is raised from the dead through the power of God, and in sharing this victory we are “saved”. To reduce our understanding of life to the natural order alone is to miss out on the full reality of human existence: life is so much more wonderful, beautiful and exciting when we can see everything in the light of the Risen Lord!

WE ARE WITNESSES to our Risen Lord because we choose to believe and trust the witnesses who saw Him, believing the accounts of the Risen Lord in the Sacred Scriptures, and also believing the Church who has faithfully handed on the message to us.

TRUST and FAITH is at the heart of our believing. The present pandemic, with a virus that can be so destructive of human life, reminds us of our fragility and vulnerability. Just as sin is destructive of our power to love, made in the image of God, so there is a destructive power at work in the natural order. The virus is surely part the armoury of the Evil One. We must fight it with all the resources we have, in the sure faith that it will be vanquished.

Wishing you all a Blessed and joy-filled Easter.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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+ PALM SUNDAY – PASSION OF THE LORD
Sunday 28th March 2021

HOLY WEEK & EASTER
Holy Week is the most important week in the Christian year. Pope Francis says “Holy Week” is a privileged time when we are called to draw near to Jesus: friendship with Him is shown in times of difficulty”. The best way to draw near to Our Lord is to participate as much as possible the liturgies of the Church.

PALM SUNDAY (TODAY) the commemoration of Our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem when He was greeted with praise and thanksgiving, the waving and strewing of palms. This year, because of the pandemic, palms will be given as you leave the church. Take the palm home and put with your household crucifix.

THE SACRED TRIDUUMthe 3 Holy Days of the Paschal Mystery

HOLY THURSDAY —The MASS of THE LORD’S SUPPER at 6:00pm commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, the total gift of Himself to us as the Bread of Life. Afterwards, Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. The pandemic means that we have no “watching” this year, but you can do so through live streaming.

GOOD FRIDAY — A day of FASTING and ABSTINENCE. Fasting applies to those 18-60: no meat (abstinence) and only one simple meal and two small ones, and no food in between. THE LITURGY OF THE LORD’S PASSION AND DEATH at 3:00pm, the hour at which Our Lord died on the Cross.

HOLY SATURDAY the Church waits in the Lord’s tomb, reflecting on his Passion and Death, waiting with faith, prayer and fasting the glorious Resurrection. Mary and Joseph are waiting with us. We gather at 8:00pm, to celebrate how God prepared His People for the Resurrection, (the Vigil), leading to the First Mass of Easter.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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FUNERAL NOTICE: The Funeral Mass for Sheila Hunt will take place here at St Anselm & St Cecilia on Wednesday 7th April at 11:00am. Please remember Sheila’s Family and Friends during this time, may she rest in peace.

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STATEMENT FROM THE PRESIDENCY OF THE BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE
ON THE NATIONAL DAY OF REFLECTION FOR COVID-19 

TUESDAY 23rd MARCH 2021

We welcome the designation of Tuesday 23rd March as a National Day of Reflection to mark the anniversary of the first national lockdown with a minute’s silence at midday and doorstep vigils of light at 8pm.
We ask you all to make this not only a Day of Reflection but also a Day of Prayer. In reflection we ponder on all that has taken place; in prayer we bring this to our Heavenly Father. For all who live by faith in God, reflection and prayer always go hand in hand. Prayer completes reflection. Reflection informs prayer. Prayer opens our life to its true horizon. Without prayer we live in a foreshortened world and are more easily swamped by its clamour and tragedy. Throughout this difficult year, so many have been inspired by prayer, so much effort sustained in prayer, in every place. So let us make the 23rd March truly a day of prayer.
March 2020 was the first time our churches had to be closed. It is our hope that on this day, every one of our churches will be open. We invite everyone to enter a church on this day, to reflect and pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. We know this will involve an extra effort, but this can be part of our important contribution to a significant moment in the life of our country. Indeed, we ask that you might invite a friend, neighbour or colleague to come to church with you as you make this visit.
There is so much on which to reflect and include in our prayer.
We reflect in sorrow on all those who have died, whether family members, friends or those unknown to us personally. We pray for them, asking our Father to welcome them into their heavenly home, the destiny for which God first gave us the gift of life.
We reflect with compassion on all those who have suffered during this last year, whether through illness, stress, financial disaster or family tensions. We pray for their ongoing resilience, courage and capacity to forgive.
We reflect with thanksgiving for the generosity, inventiveness, self-sacrifice and determination shown by so many in this most difficult of times. We pray for them, thanking God for their gifts and dedication, whether they are scientists, politicians, health workers, public servants of every kind, community leaders or steadfast family members and friends who continue to show such love and compassion.
We reflect in hope that, as the pandemic is controlled and we open up our lives again, we will gather in the lessons we have learned and build our society into a better shape, more compassionate, less marked by inequalities, more responsive to needs and deprivation. We ask for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us in this endeavour, whether we are focussing on overcoming family breakdowns, economic recovery, or building political consensus.
Christian prayer is, of course, centred on Jesus Christ, the one who is “lifted up” before us “so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him” (John 3.13). We pray with Jesus, in him and through him, for he is the one who carries us, and our prayers, into the embracing presence of his Father. He is our comfort in sorrow, our strength in the face of need, our rejoicing in the gifts we celebrate and our hope in the face of the weighty darkness of death.
May Tuesday 23rd March be a great day of prayer that this pandemic comes to an end and that the gift of God’s Holy Spirit will carry us all forward to a new and better life, both here and in the world to come.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols Archbishop & Malcolm McMahon OP President Vice-President

FUNERAL NOTICE: The Funeral Mass for Boniface Simeons will take place here at St Anselm & St Cecilia on Thursday 25th March at 11:30am. Please remember Boniface’s Family and Friends during this time, may he rest in peace.

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Fifth Sunday of Lent EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+ 5th SUNDAY OF LENT
Sunday 14th March 2021

“LAETARE” (“Rejoice”) SUNDAY

TODAY we are invited to REJOICE, because the coming celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection (the Paschal Mystery) is fast approaching. May our rejoicing energise us to use this second half of Lent as well as we can to prepare for Easter.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

FUNERAL NOTICE: The Funeral Mass for Riccardo Pedrini will take place here at St Anselm & St Cecilia on Friday 19th March at 11:00am. Please remember Riccardo’s Family and Friends during this time, may he rest in peace.

FUNERAL NOTICE: The Funeral Mass for Boniface Simeons will take place here at St Anselm & St Cecilia on Thursday 25th March at 11:30am. Please remember Boniface’s Family and Friends during this time, may he rest in peace.

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EASTER LITURGIES 2021
Palm Sunday
:
Confessions: 5:00-5:45pm
Vigil Mass 6pm (Saturday 27th March)
Sunday Mass 10am
Sunday Mass 6pm

Monday of Holy Week (29th March):
Confessions: 5:00-5:45pm
6pm Mass

Tuesday of Holy Week (30th March):
Chrism Mass (Westminister Cathedral):
12 noon (Live Streamed)
Confessions: 5:00-5:45pm
6pm Mass

Wednesday of Holy Week (31st March):
Confessions: 5:00-5:45pm
6pm Mass

Maundy Thursday (1st April):
Confessions: 5:00-5:45pm
Mass of the Lord’s Supper – 6pm

Good Friday (2nd April) – Day of Fasting & Abstinence:
Solemn Liturgy of the Lords Passion 3pm
Stations of the Cross & Veneration of the Relic of the True Cross 6:00pm

Holy Saturday (3rd April):
Confessions: 7:00pm-7:45pm
Easter Vigil & First Mass of Easter – 8pm

Easter Sunday (4th April):
10:00am Mass
(NO EVENING MASS)

Easter Monday (5th April):
10:00am Mass ONLY

Easter Tuesday (6th April): Normal Mass times and Confession times resume

BOOKING IS REQUIRED FOR MASS ATTENDANCE FOR THE FOLLOWING MASSES,
to assure yourself of a place, you do need to book:
MAUNDY THURSDAY, GOOD FRIDAY, EASTER VIGIL (SAT, 6PM), EASTER SUNDAY (10AM MASS ONLY),available from next weekend, please see the stewards after Mass

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Third Sunday of Lent EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+ 3rd SUNDAY OF LENT
Sunday 7th March 2021

2021 – YEAR OF ST JOSEPH

‘Joseph teaches us that faith in God includes believing he can work even through our fears, our frailties and our weaknesses. He also teaches us that we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.’– Pope Francis

A tradition I treasure is that of always having a statue of St Joseph in the kitchen, so often the heart of the home. I recommend this to you. Bring St Joseph into your kitchen. Then he will be before your eyes each day, as protector and guide in these difficult times.’– Cardinal Vincent Nichols

For more information or to view the full booklet, compiled by Sister Silvana Dallanegra rscj, Caritas Westminster and Deacon Adrian Cullen, Agency for Evangelisation, please visit: https://rcdow.org.uk/faith/news/st-joseph

THERE WILL BE A SHORT NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST OF ST JOSEPH AT ST ANSELM AND ST CECILIA FROM THURSDAY 11th MARCH UNTIL FRIDAY 19th MARCH AT 5.55pm, just before the start of 6pm Mass.

Lived streamed as usual at: https://www.churchservices.tv/lincolnsinnfields

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2021 REGISTRATION: For Year 3 Children who attended St Joseph’s school, a letter and Registration form will be given to the children when they return to school next week. Please return to the Parish Office by Friday 26th March along with the £10 donation to cover costs of Books etc. For any children not attending St Joseph’s please email the Parish Office to request a copy. At lif@rcdow.org.uk

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Second Sunday of Lent EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+ 2nd SUNDAY OF LENT
Sunday 28th February 2021

TO SEE GOD, FACE–to–FACE

To see GOD as GOD really is – this is the goal of our life.

GOD has made us with this deep longing for love, which ultimately is our longing for God. So God alone can fulfil this longing, which is why no human being should ever take this primary place of God in our life.

THE TRANSFIGURATION, today’s Gospel,is the blessed occasion when Peter, James and John were privileged to see the Lord Jesus as He really is – the fulfilment of the Law (signified by Moses) and of the prophets (signified by Elijah). Jesus is the YES to all God’s promises. In Him we see God.

TODAY we pray that we may see our Lord as He really is, never giving in to that temptation to make Him into that image we would take Him to be.

The three great disciplines of Lent – PRAYER, FASTING and ALMSGIVING – are the means to open our eyes to Him as He really is.

PRAY: “Lord, may I desire to see and know you as you really are”.

Fr David Barnes, Rector

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CAFOD FAMILY FAST DAY: There will be a retiring collection at all Masses TODAY. Please hand in your collection an envelope for Family Fast Day 2021 as you leave today. Thank you

Abdella lives in an extremely remote and mountainous part of Ethiopia. It takes him ten hours a day to collect water. He says his life is being wasted as he has no time for anything else. Give today to reach vulnerable communities around the world with water and to provide other vital support. Donate online at cafod.org.uk/give or by using one of our envelopes. You can also easily give via text. Text LENT to 70460 to donate £10.* *Texts cost £10 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you’d like to give £10 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text LENTNOINFO to 70460. For more information please see our Privacy Policy: cafod.org.uk/Legal-information/Privacy-notice

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1st Sunday of Lent EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+ 1st SUNDAY OF LENT
Sunday 21st February 2021

POPE FRANCIS’ HOMILY ON ASH WEDNEDAY

The 40 days of Lent are an opportunity to turn from the slavery of sin to the freedom found in reconciliation with God, Pope Francis said on Ash Wednesday.

“The journey of Lent is an exodus from slavery to freedom,” the pope said on Feb. 17. “These 40 days correspond to the 40 years that God’s people trekked through the desert to return to their homeland. How difficult it was to leave Egypt!”

The Israelites had many temptations during the 40 years they wandered in the desert and “so it is with us,” Francis added. “Our journey back to God is blocked by our unhealthy attachments, held back by the seductive snares of our sins, by the false security of money and appearances, by the paralysis of our discontents.”

“To embark on this journey, we have to unmask these illusions.”

In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on St. Paul’s exhortation in 2 Corinthians to “be reconciled to God.”

“Be reconciled: the journey is not based on our own strength,” he said. “Heartfelt conversion, with the deeds and practices that express it, is possible only if it begins with the primacy of God’s work. What enables us to return to him is not our own ability or merit, but his offer of grace.”

“The beginning of the return to God is the recognition of our need for him and his mercy, the need for his grace. This is the right path, the path of humility,” Francis said.

He also noted God’s message through the Prophet Joel: “Return to me with all your heart.”

“How many times, in our activity or indifference, have we told him: ‘Lord, I will come to you later, wait… I can’t come today, but tomorrow I will begin to pray and do something for others,’” he said.

“God now appeals to our hearts,” the pope said. “In this life, we will always have things to do and excuses to offer, but now, brothers and sisters, is the time to return to God.”

According to Pope Francis, Lent is about more than the little sacrifices we make, but about realizing where our hearts are oriented, and turning them back toward relationship with God.

“Lent is a journey that involves our whole life, our entire being,” he said, advising people to reflect on stories of conversion in Sacred Scripture to know how to start the journey of the Lenten season.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-on-ash-wednesday-lent-is-a-journey-from-slavery-to-freedom-97697

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+ 6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 14th February 2021

PASTORAL LETTER – CARDINAL VINCENT NICHOLS
Shortly it will be Ash Wednesday, a day rich in associations and symbolism. It marks the beginning a Lent, a time for turning again to the practice of our faith, in prayer, self-denial (fasting) and practical generosity (almsgiving). Ash Wednesday is the doorway into this season of renewal.
As we cross this threshold we customarily receive ashes on our foreheads, in the sign of the cross. This is a public mark of our turning again to God, seeking his mercy, forgiveness and help. We use these words: ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return’. Yes, we cannot pretend otherwise. Or: ‘Repent, and believe in the Gospel’. Yes, we seek the one thing that is absolutely necessary: the grace of God.

This year receiving ashes in church is going to be difficult. Yes, our churches are safe if the protective measures are fulfilled. But we must all be very careful about travelling too far. Some churches will of course be open for the celebration of Mass as usual. But I have asked them not to make extra provision for Ash Wednesday. We must be so careful and cooperative in the measures we must take, to protect ourselves and to protect others.

I now want to emphasise an important point. Receiving ashes is an outward sign of an inner step, a movement of the heart towards our beloved Lord. This year I invite you to concentrate much more on this inner, spiritual movement than on its outward manifestation in the imposition of ashes.
My suggestion is this: celebrate Ash Wednesday at home, with your family, in the household or ‘support bubble’ of which you are a part. Gather for a while. Read the prayer which I offer. Bless each other by making the sign of the cross on each other’s forehead. Spent some time praying in a way that you know. But please, make this a prayer of your heart for God’s mercy upon this world struggling to cope with the terrible pandemic and the devastation it is bringing.

Here is a prayer:
‘Lord God, with all our hearts we beseech you: have mercy on your people; spare your people; strengthen all people in the struggle against the havoc of this pandemic. Lord our God, without you we are so weak and our courage so limited. Give us your strength; give us your love; give us wisdom and skill to continue this fight. Spare your people, O Lord we pray. Comfort those who mourn and gather into your kingdom all who have died. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, who died and rose to life, who lives and reigns with you, for ever and ever. Amen.’

Then, bless each other, using one of the two traditional formulas I have quoted earlier in this letter. Then continue with your own prayers. A pattern is suggested at the end of this letter. As a child, my mother or father used to come to my bedside each night to settle me for sleep. I was kissed goodnight and then, either my Mum or Dad would make the sign of the cross on my forehead. They gave me their blessing. This brought me such security. I remember it to this day. Then I slept in peace.

So please do not hesitate, within your household or ‘bubble’, to bless each other on this Ash Wednesday. We do well to remember together our need of the good Lord. Together, and through each other, he wants to comfort and reassure us of his loving presence. If, on this day, we set aside every pretence that we can do everything of ourselves, then we create in our hearts and lives the space for God’s grace and strength to find a home in us.

This is the great invitation of Ash Wednesday and of the weeks of Lent which follow. Please do take up this invitation. Open your hearts to the gift of God’s presence to support, comfort and strengthen you. This year, it may be best to do this, not by going to church, but by sharing the prayer, the blessing and this moment of dedication within the love of your family and friends.

Please do include me in your prayers, too.

May God bless you all

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster

CONFESSIONS  – PLEASE SIT 2 METRES APART WHEN WAITING:
Monday 15th February & Tuesday 16th February
4:45pm – 5:15pm & 6:30pm – 6:45pm (as required)

Ash Wednesday – 17th Feb
9:30am – 9:50am & 5:00pm – 5:45pm

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Fridays in Lent at 6:30pm. Also live streamed at: https://www.churchservices.tv/lincolnsinnfields

LENT WALK WITH ME BOOKLETS: Daily readings and prayers for LENT £1.00 ONLY. Available from the back of the church.

THE OFFICIAL PRAYER of the Year of St Joseph(composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1889)

TO YOU, O BLESSED JOSEPH (Ad te, beate Ioseph)

To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our afflictions, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.

Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.

O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.

As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.Amen.

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Emmaus Mass Sheet

+ 5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 
Sunday 7th February 2021

YEAR OF ST JOSEPH
POPE FRANCIS has proclaimed 8 December 2020 to 8th December 2021 as a “Year of St Joseph”.
WHY? “So that every member of the faithful following his example, may strengthen their life of faith daily in the complete fulfilment of God’s will”.
POPE FRANCIS explains his thinking in his letter to the Church entitled “With a Father’s heart” (Patris corde, in Latin!). He explains how he wants to share some personal reflections on the holy and just Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which arise over these months of the pandemic. Pope Francis notes how many people have made hidden sacrifices during the crisis in order to protect other (just as St Joseph did with the Holy Family).
“Each of us can discover Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and guide in times of trouble……… St Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an in comparable role in the history of salvation”.
POPE FRANCIS describes St Joseph as “beloved, tender and loving, obedient, accepting, and creatively courageous”. He was also very much “a working father”. St Joseph is “a father in the shadows”, and in his relationship to Jesus, Joseph was the earthly shadow of the Heavenly Father: he watched over Him and protected Him, never leaving Him to go His own way.”
POPE FRANCIS continues that the contemporary world requires examples of fatherhood: “Every true vocation is born of the gift of oneself, which is the fruit of mature sacrifice (St Joseph did just this). The priesthood and consecrated life likewise require this kind of maturity. Whatever over vocation, whether to marriage, celibacy or virginity, our gift of self will not come to fulfilment if it stops at sacrifice; were that the case, instead of becoming a sign of beauty and joy of love, the gift of self would risk being an expression of unhappiness, sadness and frustration,”

THE OFFICIAL PRAYER of the Year of St Joseph – To you, O blessed Joseph
– was composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1889. The Holy Father asked that it be added to the end of the Rosary especially during October, the month of the Holy Rosary.
TO YOU, O BLESSED JOSEPH (Ad te, beate Ioseph)
To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our afflictions, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.
Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.
O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.
As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.

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4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Emmaus Mass Sheet 

+ 4th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 
Sunday 31st January 2021

RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY

TODAY is RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY. This year’s Racial Justice Sunday is more important than ever.The effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, the killing of George Floyd, and the powerful message on fraternity and equality by Pope Francis in Fratelli Tutti speak of the need to actively oppose racism and pursue racial justice with renewed vigour.
The theme is ‘A Time to Act‘. Racial issues and inequalities were identified nationally and internationally in 2020 generating awareness, emotion and outrage. In light of this Racial Justice Sunday 2021 is particularly significant. Action is needed to further the cause of racial justice but what can we do?
Bishop Paul McAleenan, Lead Bishop for Racial Justice says in his message: “It’s not enough to simply denounce racism. This is a time to act. In the words of Pope Francis: ‘God asks us to dare to create something new.’”

A PRAYER FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
Lord Jesus Christ, in your ministry In our own time may we provide you were approached by people to all those who are suffer of many different nations and the help that they need cultures. and the care that they require.
You listened to their cry for help, May we respond to the invitation of the Holy treated them with love and Spirit compassion, to dream of a world made newand brought them healing and where the poor are not forgottenwholeness.but are given the opportunity to live and flourishwith good health and equal prospects.We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.Amen.

THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION, (Tuesday 2nd Feb 2021) often called CANDLEMAS,commemorates the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the presentation of Christ in the Temple, which occurred 40 days after his birth as prescribed by the Jewish law. According to Mosaic Law, a mother who had given birth to a boy was considered unclean for seven days. Also, she was to remain 33 days “in the blood of her purification. “Luke tells us, quoting (Exodus: 2, 12) that Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem because every firstborn child was to be dedicated to the Lord. They also went to sacrifice a pair of doves or two young pigeons. This lowly offering showed that Mary and Joseph were most likely poor. Once in the Temple, Jesus was purified by the prayer of Simeon, in the presence of Anna the prophetess. Simeon, upon seeing the Messiah, gave thanks to the Lord, singing a hymn now called theNunc Dimittis: Lord, now you let your servant go in peace, your word has been fulfilled: My own eyes have seen the salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.

Simeon told Mary, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” Simeon thus foreshadowed the crucifixion and the sorrows of Mary at seeing the death of her Son.

The name CANDLEMAS is derived from the activities associated with the Feast. It came to be known as the Candle Mass. In the Western Church, a procession with lighted candles is the distinctive rite. Compiled by David Bennettfor more information visit: https://prayerist.com/candlemasprayers.html

THE YEAR OF ST JOSEPH
With the Apostolic Letter “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis recalled the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from 8 December 2020, to 8 December 2021.

A daily prayer to St Joseph
In his letter, Pope Francis notes how, “Every day, for over forty years, following Lauds [Morning Prayer]” he has “recited a prayer to Saint Joseph taken from a nineteenth-century French prayer book of the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary.” This prayer, he says, expresses devotion and trust, and even poses a certain challenge to Saint Joseph,” on account of its closing words: “My beloved father, all my trust is in you.  Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power.”

At the conclusion of his Letter, he adds another prayer to St Joseph, which he encourages all of us to pray together:

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil.  Amen.

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3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time  Emmaus Mass Sheet

+ 3rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 
Sunday 24th January 2021

SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD

POPE FRANCIS has made this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (today!) an opportunity to deepen our devotion to the celebration, study and spread of the Word of God.

THE SACRED SCRIPTURES (the Bible) are the inspired Word of God. God speaks to us in a particular way when we read them with faith and love. Like Our Lady we need to ponder them and treasure them in our heart.
St Paul writes: “All Scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for:
1. Teaching
2. Refuting error
3. Guiding people’s lives
4. Teaching them to be holy
This is how the person who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work” (2 Timothy 3:16,17)

READ THE SCRIPTURES therefore every day, even if only a few verses. We should feast on them more than food and drink!

RESOLUTION: decide today to be committed to reading the Sacred Scriptures every day.
1. Give the Bible a special place of prominence in your house. Hold it with reverence. The priest kisses the Gospel after proclaiming it at Mass: we do well also to kiss the Bible as we use it.
2. If we are beginning again, why not start with St Mark’s Gospel, a clear and simple presentation of what Jesus said and did?
Or, the First Letter of John, a beautiful presentation of how to come back to God with all our heart.

WHATEVER WE DECIDE, DO SOMETHING!
Every Blessing
Fr David Barnes, Rector

FUNERAL NOTICE:
TUESDAY 26th JANUARY 11:00am – Tino Marazzi.
Please pray for the repose of Tino’s soul, and for his family in their grief at this difficult time.

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2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+ 2nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sunday 17th January 2021

PEACE SUNDAY
Quotations from the 2021 World Peace Day Message from Pope Francis

“A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace”
1. Peace, justice and care of creation are three inherently connected questions, which cannot be separated in such a way as to be treated individually …
2. We need to stop and ask ourselves what has led our world to see conflict as something normal, and how our hearts can be converted and our ways of thinking changed, in order to work for true peace in solidarity and fraternity.
3. How many resources are spent on weaponry, especially nuclear weapons, that could be used for more significant priorities such as ensuring the safety of individuals, the promotion of peace and integral human development, the fight against poverty, and the provision of healthcare.
4. What a courageous decision it would be to establish a Global Fund with the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures, in order to permanently eliminate hunger and contribute to the development of the poorest countries.
5. There is… a need for peacemakers, men and women prepared to work boldly and creatively to initiate processes of healing and renewed encounter.
6. … may we strive daily, in concrete and practical ways, to form a community composed of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another.
7. … everything is interconnected and genuine care for our own lives and our relationship with nature is inseparable from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others.
8. … the need for relationships between nations to be inspired by fraternity, mutual respect, solidarity and the observance of international law.
9. At a time like this, when the barque of humanity, tossed by the storm of the current crisis, struggles to advance towards a calmer and more serene horizon, the “rudder” of human dignity and the “compass” of fundamental social principles can enable us together to steer a sure course.
For more information, please visit:https://paxchristi.org.uk/peace-sunday-2021/

PEACE SUNDAY PRAYER
Loving God of peace, Strengthen my determination to work for a world of peace and justice;
My conviction that, whatever our nationality or race, we are all global citizens, one in Christ;
My courage to challenge the powerful with the values of the gospel;
My commitment to find nonviolent ways of resolving conflict—personal, local, national and international;
My efforts to forgive injuries and to love those I find it hard to love.
Amen
‘Peace alone is holy. Peace alone is holy. Not war.’

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Baptism Of The Lord EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+ THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
Sunday 10th January 2021

TODAY(Sunday) we celebrate Our Lord’s baptism by his cousin John the Baptist….

Our Lord is revealed as divine, the Son of God. Our Lord commissions the apostles to go out into the whole world and baptise people everywhere in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

To be baptised means to be immersed into the life of the Blessed Trinity, so as to share God’s life. In baptism God places us in His Son and we become a son or daughter of God: when God looks on us He sees us as His son or daughter because we are in His Son. This is all pure gift, a grace of God. We could not do this ourselves: God does it for us.

God wants to share His Life with us, and for us to share our life with Him. Baptism initiates this relationship. Today, thank God for the Sacrament of Baptism, and pray we shall all live our friendship with God more devotedly.

I am immensely grateful to our steward’s in the parish. Without them, we could not be open. Following Mass, they have to deep cleanse the church which takes a lot of time and energy. Please do follow any directions they give, as they are simply carrying out what is required to keep to the regulations. If you are unhappy with the protocols, please do speak to me rather than give a steward any difficulty.

May God keep us safe and strong, and God expects each of us to do our best to keep both ourselves and one another safe and well.

Every Blessing
Fr David Barnes, Rector

DIOCESE OF WESTMINSTER – Bishop John Sherrington writes

The current position and role of our churches in this phase of the pandemic

We are aware that questions are being asked as to why churches remain open during this National Lockdown. We are also aware that many local authorities are calling for places of worship to close. We wish to respond to these concerns.

Churches are allowed to open for prayer and communal worship at this time according to the provision of the most recent national legislation and Government guidance. This decision is based on two factors: the recognition that our churches are safe, and that the service they offer is essential.

The safety of our churches has been affirmed by Public Health England in its current advice to the Government. This is publicly recognised to be the result of the great efforts made by many people in the implementation of procedures mandated by PHE and thereby establishing the necessary conditions within churches for their safe use.

Our churches are making a significant contribution to the personal resilience and inner strength of people which is much needed at this time. Many are hubs from which essential support is offered especially to those most in need, extending well beyond the faith communities which use them. This includes the regular provision of food; the care of the homeless; and being a place of peace and reflection (which is safe) for many whose living conditions are very limited. This will become more appreciated as the programme of vaccination increases. The vital link between prayer and action is important to maintain this service.

At this phase of the pandemic, which is causing alarm and fear, our churches will exercise their role with increased diligence to ensure continuing safety and service.

Our clergy will ensure that all are aware that there is no duty or responsibility to come to church and communicate to all there is no obligation to attend Mass on Sunday. They will review, in each local area, the provision offered by the church in order to ensure that the highest standards of safety are maintained. This will include a review of the role of stewards, the provision of additional social distancing within the church, a review of cleansing routines, and consideration of the personal circumstances of the priest(s) and people. On this basis there will be a local evaluation and decision about the possible reduction in the times of opening and the frequency of communal worship.

In conclusion we recognise the higher levels of fear and anxiety which the new strain of the virus has prompted and we have a very proper awareness of the care which must be exercised by everyone, under the guidance of PHE health professionals.

We recognise, too, that isolation is having a profound detrimental effect on people and that the role of churches in easing that isolation in ways which are safe and supportive has been recognised as a positive and beneficial contribution to the common good.

We pray for the dedicated work of the NHS and continue to provide spiritual support to staff and patients through the network of chaplains working both in the hospitals and the community.

Bishop John Sherrington
Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster 8th January 2021

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2nd Sunday After Nativity EMMAUS MASS SHEET

+ 2nd SUNDAY AFTER THE NATIVITY
Sunday 3rd January 2021

ON WEDNESDAY (6th January) we celebrate the Epiphany. In the coming of the Kings/the Magi, we see that all real power and wisdom are found in the person of Jesus —He is the Power and the Wisdom of God personified.

The Kings/Magi fall on their knees and worship Him: we too must imitate them, falling on our knees and worshipping Him — only then are we better disposed to recognse who He really is.

The Feast of the Epiphany was the day I was ordained priest — now 45 years ago! On my ordination prayer card I put a prayer written by a saint who has influenced me greatly throughout my adult life: St Ignatius Loyola (1491— 1556)

I put the prayer here again, and encourage you to say it regularly. Pray for me too, please, as I do for you.

Dearest Jesus,
teach me to be generous;
teach me to serve You as You deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labour and not to ask for any reward
save that of knowing I am doing Your Will.

Fr David Barnes, Parish Priest

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