Download Bulletin 26th June 2022

Fr Hugh’s Homily for 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

On a trip to London I went off to the National Maritime Museum to see an exhibition of Canaletto’s paintings, but while I was there spent a bit of time in the main museum and as ever wandered into the shop, and bought a book there on Sextants (used for navigation in the old days) and about maritime, sea, exploration.  Sometimes by chance you pick up a great book  just to fill in the time while you are having a coffee.  At the end of the book there is a quote from John Ruskin, who used to live by Coniston in the 19th century.  This is what he said about travelling:

“All travel becomes boring in exact relationship to its speed.  Going by railroad I do not consider travelling at all; it is merely ‘being sent’ to a place, and very little different from being a parcel…But if, going forward…slowly, after some days we approach some interesting scenery this is one of the most exquisite enjoyments possible to a healthy mind, and real knowledge is acquired here regardless of the purpose of travel, getting a true sense of the space we are passing through, a true sense of our world and its breadth.”…..

Complete Homily for 13th Sunday

Readings for 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Daily Prayers 13th Sunday OT

Read the Catholic Voice here

There will be no website post next weekend so please find attached Daily Prayers for  3rd July:

Daily Prayers 14th Sunday OT

 

Download Bulletin 19th June 2022

 

Fr Hugh’s Homily for Corpus Christi

Let’s just take a look at the cross hanging above the altar.  Why is it there and not, for example, on a back wall?  Simply because when Jesus says, “Do this in remembrance of me,” and when I say that today, he is not talking about just the supper, but about what the Last Supper and this Holy Communion we share in today is all about. And it is about his death and resurrection, offered for us.  The most important thing about our Mass is not some isolated idea about transubstantiation and the bread and wine becoming his body and blood, though that is a major part of it, it is that through that and all else in the Mass, we are sharing in, participating in Jesus’ very death and resurrection.  His death 2000 years ago is an historical event, but what we have to grasp, to understand, is that it is not limited by history, our idea of time.  Every time we share in this Mass we are sharing in his death, or to put it better, in his offering himself out of love for us….

Complete Homily for Corpus Christi

 

Readings for Corpus Christi

Daily Prayers Corpus Christi

 

Download Bulletin 12th June 2022

Deacon George’s Homily for The Most Holy Trinity

For two weeks I pondered today’s readings, and the words of St Paul came to the fore, “the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us.”. Then I remembered these words from the mystics, “I am the host of the Guest within, in whose name I was baptised”. These words remained central in my thoughts. I will expound.  For me to understand a little of the Blessed Trinity, I first read Genesis 18 then I pray to the Father through the Son. and then pray for the Holy Spirit to teach me, and then I ponder the icon of the Trinity.  In Rublev’s icon, of Genesis Chapter 18. we see the hospitality of Abraham to the three strangers, at the oak of Mamre. But we also see the three persons of the Trinity. Hence that is why it is known as the icon of the Trinity.     I see on the left, the gold and blue of God the Father, and on the right the blue and green of God the Holy Spirit, and in the centre, the red and blue of Jesus, looking at his Father. And then I see, their open arms inviting me to join them in their circle of love. And then I listen with my heart…..

Complete Homily for Trinity Sunday

Readings for The Most Holy Trinity

Daily Prayers Most Holy Trinity

Download Bulletin 29th May & 5th June 2022

Fr Hugh’s Homily for 7th Sunday of Easter

“May they all be one.  Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you.”  So this is Jesus’ prayer for us just before he dies.  He is talking about being ‘one,’ about unity, and what he clearly sees as our greatest need is to refind, rediscover, the communion, the integrity, in the original sense of the word, that we have lost.  What breaks, ruptures, does he see as needing healing?  On one level, the break between ourselves and God, and on the other, the divisions among ourselves.  If we think about it, the Bible has been underlining these problems from the start, with the images and message of Adam and Eve’s challenge to God and the resulting state of ‘original sin,’ as we call it.  Then the Tower of Babel and the falling out among peoples and the division into many distinct languages.  Communication, the glue of community, has broken down……

Complete Homily for 7th Sunday of Easter

Daily Prayers Easter 7

Read The Catholic Voice here

Download the Novena below to pray in the nine days to Pentecost

Holy Spirit Novena 2022

 

Download Bulletin 22nd May 2022

 

Fr Hugh’s Homily for 6th Sunday of Easter

If you ever wanted to sum up the life of the Church, the readings today do it for us.  In the second reading we have our goal.  This is heaven, the City of God, as it is described.  Over the centuries people have tried to describe it and this description is as good as any that human language can come up with.  A place built out of the most precious things we can imagine, filled with the light of God.  The gospel takes us back to the Last Supper where Jesus is telling us what he has put in place for us on our journey to the heavenly city.  In a wonderful way he says, ‘the Father and I will come and make our home with you.’  That is something we should reflect on all the time.  Every time we come to Holy Communion we should think of ourselves sitting down to share a meal with the Father and the Son.  Think of the closeness and intimacy that Jesus is showing us.  That is how he wants our relationship with God to be.  Not one of fear but of friends together at a table…..

Complete Homily for 6th Sunday of Easter

Readings for 6th Sunday of Easter

Daily Prayers Easter 6

Download Bulletin 15th May 2022

 

The month of May is dedicated to Our Lady and Mary’s Meals invite you to pray for their work. They are now feeding more than two million children in some of the world’s poorest communities with a daily school meal.  During May, we ask you to pray for the children who eat Mary’s Meals.   Click on the link below for prayers:

https://www.marysmeals.org.uk/get-involved/churches-and-prayers/pray-in-may

 

Deacon George’s Homily for 5th Sunday of Easter

In the Old Testament, God’s being, nature and presence was revealed by physical phenomena, this visible phenomena was known as the Glory of God.     One of the earliest and finest examples, was the cloud of presence that went with the Israelites as they escaped from Egypt, the same cloud that rested on Mount Sinai when Moses received the Ten Commandments.  In the Book of Exodus, we are told that no man can see God’s face, and live.     However, some vision of him was granted.  This permitted vision of God was also called the Glory of God….

Homily for 5th Sunday of Easter

readings for 5th Sunday of Easter

Daily Prayers Easter 5

 

Download Bulletin 8th May 2022

 

Prayer for Vocations Sunday

 

Loving Father,
you call us by name.
As we journey through life
help us to be confident in our own unique identity
and to find opportunities to
develop our own gifts and passions.

We pray that the Holy Spirit
will pour on us wisdom and guidance
to help us realise and follow our dreams,
discerning your plan for our lives.

Bless your Church
by raising up dedicated and generous people
from our families and friends
who will serve as Priests, Deacons,
Sisters and Brothers.

May we support one another in response to God’s call.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

Bishop’s Letter for Christ the Good Shepherd

Readings for 4th Sunday Easter

Daily Prayers Easter 4

 

Download Bulletin 1st May 2022

Fr Hugh’s Homily for 3rd Sunday of Easter

If you have ever been in the position where you have done something seriously wrong, perhaps hurt someone close to you, or just done something shameful that you know everyone else knows about you, it is very hard to handle.  Even the support of your family and best friends can be a problem rather than the help they want it to be.  And what often happens is that you retreat into a place that feels physically and mentally safe.  Perhaps go back to a place or a task where you feel OK and where people will not bother you.  Basically, hide.  Sometimes you are ready eventually to apologise but you do not know how or it is no longer possible…..

Complete Homily for 3rd Sunday of Easter

Readings for 3rd Sunday of Easter

Daily Prayers Easter 3

Download Bulletin 24th April 2022

Deacon George’s Homily for Second Sunday of Easter

Mary Magdala saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb” she said, “and we don’t know where they have put him.”  Then shortly afterwards, she met the risen Christ … and then she came running to Simon Peter.     This was the first hint, that the Apostles had received … of the resurrection.  Peter and John were convinced that the body had not been physically taken away, because the linen cloths were left lying on the ground.     They were now beginning to believe … but the other Apostles were doubtful.     The two disciples on the road to Emmaus were not sure of the women’s story either … until Jesus broke the bread.     The ten apostles were only convinced, when Jesus appeared to them in the closed room.     However, the Apostle Thomas refused to believe the testimony of the other Apostles “Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.”…..

Complete Homily for 2nd Sunday of Easter

Daily Prayers Easter 2

Read the Catholic Voice May 2022 here