Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Download Bulletin 2nd October 2022

HARVEST FAST DAY IS FRIDAY 7TH OCTOBER

Deacon George’s Homily for 27th Sunday

If we say, “It can’t be done”, then it won’t be done.  But, if we say, “it must be done” then, it most likely will be done.  If God asks us to do something then, it must be done.  And if we are doing it for God then we are not doing it alone.  Because, we are doing it with God and with all his power.  And what is this power?  It is the Holy Spirit that lives within us, a gift that God gave us, at our baptism and re-affirmed, at our confirmation.  It is the Spirit of power and love.  And with it comes, the gift of boldness.  Paul’s boldness of Spirit is rooted, in faith in God and is not silenced, by suffering.  Paul’s life and ministry was one of fearlessness, in the face of opposition.  And now, as a prisoner himself, he asks Timothy, to also bear the hardships, which fidelity to the Gospel will bring in its wake….

Complete Homily for 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings for 27th Sunday

Daily Prayers 27th Sunday

 

Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Download Bulletin 18th September 2022

Fr Hugh’s Homily for 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The system under which the rich man and the steward were working was not unlike the Mafia in The Godfather.  The rich man in the gospel is Don Corleone, whose organisation covers large areas of New York and beyond.  Certain areas are run for him by local gangsters (our steward), let’s call him Vince.  They run the books and collect the protection money.  So one day Don Corleone’s consigliere (Robert Duval -Tom Hagen in the film) gets to hear that Vince is creaming money off the top.  Vince realises that his number is up and to help him when he is on the run, he lets a load of the businesses and restaurants he is taking protection money from off their payments.  Don Corleone gets to hear of it, and far from being upset realises that this Vince is a guy he could use, as his son Michael will use him later.  Vince is smart and in the words of the gospel, astute….

Complete Homily for 25th Sunday

Readings for 25th Sunday

Daily Prayers 25th Sunday

Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Download Bulletin 11th September 2022

Fr Hugh’s Homily for 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

So you are standing in the middle of, say, the British Science Museum with your nephew and niece who are about seven who you are taking out on a trip.  Then suddenly you realise that your niece has disappeared. She was there a minute ago but somehow has vanished.  So you say to you nephew, “Just stay there while I look for her.”  This is desperation as you have no faith in him doing so but off you go thinking of what you are going to say to your sister if you only come back with one of them, which of course you cannot do.  But you have to go and look.  What else can you do? ….

Complete Homily for 24th Sunday

Readings for 24th Sunday

Daily Prayers 24th Sunday

Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Download Bulletin 4th September 2022

Deacon George’s Homily for 23rd Sunday

“If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple.”  At my first reading of these words, it appeared to me, that in order to be a disciple, I have to hate my relatives, and hate myself.  To hate is a strong word from Luke, whereas Matthew (10:13) uses the word “prefers”, meaning: do I prefer my family and myself rather than prefer Jesus.  But reading deeper into Luke it means: that if any of my relatives or my own evil inclinations, come between me and Christ, preventing me from following Christ, then I must oppose them, and do what is right.  For a true disciple, Jesus must come first…..

Complete Homily for 23rd Sunday

Readings for 23rd Sunday

Daily Prayers 23rd Sunday

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Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Download Bulletin 21st & 28th August 2022

Fr Hugh’s Homily for 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Two old ladies, they were in their 90s, were living in a care home in Alston.  One was very fed up.  She had lived most of her life in Africa, in Lusaka, and her son had brought her to Alston.  She lived on brandy and crosswords.  The other had been a house-keeper to an elderly Anglican priest for many years and they had both become Catholics but he had since died.  So someone asked me if I could ask the old house-keeper to cheer up the lost soul from Africa.  I went in and said, ‘Mabel, Hilda is very fed up, I wonder if you could visit her, she is not getting much out of life.’  Mabel’s reply was: ‘’Well, she doesn’t put much in, Father.’  There was no visit…..

Complete Homily for 21st Sunday

Readings for 21st Sunday

Daily Prayers 21st Sunday

Daily Prayers 22nd Sunday

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Download Bulletin 14th August 2022

DEACON GEORGE’S HOMILY FOR THE ASSUMPTION
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
For the first 400 years, the Church concentrated on the complex question of …who is Jesus? In 413 AD, the Council of Ephesus spent much of its time discussing Jesus’ divinity and humanity, and how the Son of God came into being. The council agreed that the Son of God had a human birth. They agreed that Mary bore Jesus in her womb, and gave birth to him, just like any other mother.  The next question was … who is Mary? After much discussion, the Council affirmed that Mary had carried the Son of God in her womb, and thus they proclaimed Mary as the “Theotokos”…“God-bearer”.  After being proclaimed as the “Theotokos”, Mary was then commemorated, along with all the saints and martyrs. However, the Eastern Church celebrated feasts for her Conception, for her Birth, for her Presentation in the Temple and for the Annunciation.  But the most important feast was her Assumption…..

Complete Homily for The Assumption

Readings for Week 20

Daily Prayers Week 20

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Download Bulletin 31st July 2022

 Working for those we love…What are our priorities in life?  This is the question today’s readings ask of us.  Well, as a start at a physical level, we work hard for those we love in order to provide for them.  We want – both for them and for ourselves – a decent way of life etc. so we can care for one another.  We want to provide for our children’s futures and our own.  Spiritually too, we seek lasting goals that will provide a home filled with love; a place reflecting the sacrificial love of the Lord.  Growing in the love of the Lord must be a lasting goal for each of us: along with the desire to express that love in the way we live our lives in mutual love and respect.  It is too easy for us to forget our priorities in life and so put our energies into seeking those things that are not lasting goals.  As Christians our lives are entwined with the person of Jesus; He is in us.  Being at one with Him is our fulfilment; that fulfilment is the goal of our Christian life.  We achieve fulfilment when every aspect of life reflects the person of Jesus Christ in what we say and do.  Jesus’ love for us makes this fulfilment achievable because it lets us live in His grace….reflects Jesus’ love for us!

Readings for 18th Sunday

Daily Prayers 18th Sunday OT