The Lord is risen. We continue our celebration of Easter not just for a day or a week but right throughout the Easter season. On Easter day, the disciples were confused as to what had happened or why things had happened. It was only as the days and weeks went by that they gradually became aware of what Christ had been through. That he had to die so that he could rise again.
It also takes us time to understand what Easter is all about. It is about Christ rising on Easter Day, but for us it is about becoming part of that rising, of being joined with Christ and rising with Him. We won't be able to celebrate Christ's rising unless we are joined with Him.
This year our Church celebrations have been very special for me. We have had great teams of people working together in preparation of the Church and making the Church special for each of the ceremonies. The liturgies were very prayerful and so many people have thanked me on how well everything was done. I pass their thanks and my own to all who were involved in making Holy Week and Easter very special for all of us in St Joseph's.
Finally, on a personal note, my thanks for your most generous Easter offerings. It is very much in keeping with your continued friendship, kindness and support that I receive in St Joseph's parish.
Today we celebrate Easter day; the empty tomb. The Lord is risen, Alleluia. The first Easter Sunday as described by John is animated and quick moving. Everyone seems to be in haste on this day that the Lord has made.
Our journey to Easter this year has been particularly difficult; dominated by the run up to war and then seeing in our own homes the horror of war; the destruction and loss of life. War devalues us all. It reminds us of our human weakness and our need for Christ, and the need to follow a better way. Today we need to be people of hope in search of that better way for all the human family. Our prayers and thoughts go out to those who have lost loved ones in recent weeks.
My thanks to all who have supported our Lent project. We should end up with a substantial sum, which will help many people to enjoy a better life.
Today in our Mass, we renew our baptismal promises; it is our way to make a new start. To leave our sinful past behind and live our life inspired by the risen Christ. Yes we will still have struggles and difficulties but if we allow our lives to be directed by the risen Christ then we know that the final victory will be ours.
I hope that Easter will be a time of new life and joy to all families of our parish and new hope for our world.
Fr Tom
A letter to Fr. Tom from our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Crispian Hollis
Dear Brother
The time has come to complete the Deanery reorganisation in East Berkshire in the light of the conclusions reached at a meeting of the Deanery Council in July 2002.
You and your parish will be part of the Windsor and Maidenhead Deanery. This is a working name, which will need your ultimate approval.
I would be grateful if you could consult among members of your parish and communities, which form part of it so that you can offer me advice as to who should be the new Dean.
I would be grateful if you could let me have your suggestions by Easter Sunday (April 20th).
I am sorry that this process has taken so long to bear fruit but I am keen to move it forward as quick as possible now.
If anyone would like to respond to this letter, please send responses to:
The Rt. Rev. Crispian Hollis, Bishop’s House, Edinburgh Road, Portsmouth PO1 3HG.
or by email to bishop@portsmouth-dio.org.uk.
On Monday 24th March we had our first meeting to make arrangements for David’s ordination and first Mass on the weekend of 19/20 July. I am grateful to all who turned up. We had enough present to make some decisions and the beginning of some working parties. The church arrangements will be under the leadership of Des Kent. Their task will be to supervise the car park so that it is available for visitors and the disabled. They will need to welcome guests to the church and arrange the seating, and direct the priests to the hall for vesting.
The reception on Saturday following the ordination will be held in the Sports Hall at Claires Court School.
The organisation here is under the leadership of Chris Pestridge. His team will be responsible for getting all visitors and guests to Claires Court and to get the Hall ready and decorated.
On Sunday morning the U.C.M. will co-ordinate the reception after the first Mass, this will take the form of a finger buffet.
We decided that the reception on Saturday evening will be a sit-down meal and will be provided by outside professional caterers. This will mean that on the day we will have less work, however is does mean that we will have to raise a considerable amount of money to fund the event. I hope that people realise that if we as a parish are hosting the ordination, it is our task to fund it. I hope that I speak for all of the parish when I say that we want to provide the very best we can to make it a special weekend for David, his family and guests so that everyone is properly looked after and David will have nothing to worry about. The fundraising is under the leadership of Sarah Beaumont. I hope that we will be able to get the money worries out of the way quickly and that most of it will come through donations. This week, we are opening a special ordination expenses account and I would welcome donations immediately.
There are lists on the noticeboards for helpers for the different groups, so please put your name on the list of your choice. The more involved we are as a parish in the preparation, the more we will all feel a part of the ordination weekend.
We are now half way through Lent and to give us some new encouragement for the demanding days ahead, the liturgy takes a pause today. The first word of the Mass is rejoice. We rejoice in what we have and give thanks for where we are. It is a reminder to us to enjoy the present moment and stay with it for a while. So often we tend to want to rush ahead, never giving ourselves time to enjoy the present moment. As well as enjoying the present, we can take time to look back in thanksgiving for all that we have received and for all those who have made us what we are. Our pause can also give us a chance to brace ourselves for the way ahead. To take stock, to see what needs to be done and to make sure that we have the resources we need to deal with whatever the future holds for us. In the weeks ahead we will be following the last days in the life of Jesus.
Unless we follow these events in the same spirit as Jesus then we will not be ready to celebrate Easter.
The 4th Sunday of Lent is also the day that we celebrate Mothering Sunday, or Mothers’ Day as it has now become known. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate motherhood in its widest sense. We thank God for the gift of Mother Church and all the support and comfort that we receive, from and in the Church.
But the main thrust of Mothers’ Day is the focus for all of us on our Mother. Giving thanks for her and that unique relationship between Mother and child. Probably the only relationship where unconditional love is given and the closest we can get in this world, to divine love. My hope is that today will be a special day for all families where mothers can be thanked and their gifts can be celebrated.
Fr Tom
A trader trying to make a few pounds out of the crowd attending a match, may well view Sunday trading very differently from many others who work regular hours on a steady wage. Similarly, the traders and money changers who had gradually inched their way into more strategic and lucrative pitches within the Temple in Jerusalem, were probably horrified when Jesus lost His cool and drove them out. He must surely have seemed unreasonable and to have lacked understanding of their need to turn a shekel or two. After all, they were providing a service while the pilgrims were around.
Why did He drive them out anyway? He did it because He realised that precious things must be protected and for Him, the Temple as the focus of God’s presence among the people, was precious beyond price. If precious things are not protected, they gradually and rapidly wither and die, often unnoticed.
Each person, each family, each community needs to realise and acknowledge what is precious for them and to protect it accordingly. Trust is a cornerstone of human relationships. Little deceits and self-protective lies can inch their way in and pollute the inner sanctuary of trust. They must be driven out if friendship is to survive.
The ability to love and to be loved is God’s most precious gift to human kind. It must be protected by absolute fidelity. God remains faithful unflinchingly. We are made in his image. Our call to imitate Him is precious beyond price. Lent is an invitation to reflect on what is truly precious to us, and becoming aware of our apparently reasonable compromises, to banish them through Christ’s power.
Today I would like to draw your attention to the work of the Parish Centre committee. They are a group of parishioners who administer the centre on behalf of the Parish. The committee is open to any member of the parish who would like to join. I invite any parishioner who feels that they have a contribution to make to the working of the centre, to contact Terry Boland, the current chairman to discuss committee membership.
The Parish Centre is for the use of parishioners. The function of the committee is two-fold: to keep the Centre in good repair and to make maximum use of it. It is not in anyone’s interest to leave it empty. All parish groups are welcome to use it but please ensure that bookings are made in plenty of time. Where the centre is not used, the committee try to hire it out to generate income for the upkeep and maintenance of the property.
There is need for many different items to be upgraded or replaced in the centre. Clearly not everything can be done at once so it is important to set up a priority list of things that need attention. I would like your suggestions for this priority list. In particular, I ask those who use the centre regularly to contact Terry with the items that their group feel, should be done. A priority list can then be compiled and we can have the centre in the condition that we are proud of and happy for visitors to see.
Our Gospel today, starts with Jesus in the desert. The desert can be a very lonely and exposed place to be. There is no place to hide or take shelter from the heat of the day or the cold of the night. This is where Jesus spent forty days preparing for his public life. He wanted to spend time in the presence of His Father so that He could gain strength and energy for His mission ahead. He was aware that if His mission was to succeed then He would need to be fully focussed on the way to the Father. The irony of the desert for Jesus was that it was also the place where He was tempted and tested. It is fashionable nowadays for people to reject the existence of the Devil, but when we see what Jesus had to contend with, we see clear evidence of the existence and the power of evil. The temptations put before Jesus all seemed attractive and comporting, to one tired and hungry, but they all lead to the exaltation of self and the rejection of the need of God. So much of modern advertising is based on the same concept of acquiring more and more and so no longer needing God or anything else in our lives. Through the acquisition of more things we become happy and we know from our own experience that things do not make us happy. Once we get one thing we then want something else.
As we begin our Lenten journey, we need to look at Jesus and see what He did and then we can follow in His way. For us the desert is the letting go of all the non-essential in our lives.
What can we do without? We all know that if we had to, we could do with very little and still be very happy and contented. This season gives us the chance to work out the really important things in our lives and to spend time appreciating them. This should be why we welcome Lent as a period when we can give more time to Jesus.
Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. The opening words of the first reading set the scene. Now it is the Lord who speaks “Come back to me with all your heart”. An invitation to all of us wherever we have been, wherever we are, to come back home. Lent is about Good News. Each one of us receives a personal invitation to come back and be fully involved in God’s family.
When we receive any invitation, the first thing we do is work out if we can accept. Are we prepared to take the necessary steps to take up the invitation? If we are not, then it would be better for everyone if we said no, because then we all know where we stand. The fact that we are all here today is a clear indication that we wish to accept the invitation that we have received.
Accepting an invitation does mean that we need to make a certain amount of preparation. For example, at this time of year gardeners begin to get very active. Their first acts may seem to be destructive: digging, weeding and pruning. The gardener knows that space has to be made for new growth or the old will take over and overpower it.
Likewise with our lives, we need to create space. We need to prune back and take stock of where we are in life. I am sure that there is not one of us here today who just wants to drift through life. We want to make something of the opportunities that we are given. Every day we make decisions on what we do or leave undone. So for Lent we need to make choices. We cannot expect to have a special Lent unless we put something special into it.
Today you receive our Lenten programme. My hope is that you will decide what you wish to get involved in, put it in your diary and stick to it. Our Lenten project is a special part of Lent. I hope it will be supported by everyone so that by the end of Lent we will be able to make the quality of life better for many people. Sadly we cannot respond to every need but we will answer some.
I am sure that most of you in the parish are very concerned about the danger of this country sliding into war in Iraq. It is clear from the many marches last weekend that there are a great number of people in this country and people around the world who are against war at this time. The Pope has led the world in the call against war. Our catholic Bishops have joined with other church leaders in speaking out against war.
The situation of course is not simple. We do not know what extra information world leaders may have and for security reasons, feel that at this time, they cannot share. What, if anything, can we as individuals do?
For myself, I have written to the Prime Minister to say that on current information, I cannot support this country engaging in war at this time in Iraq. I would urge other people who feel strongly about this issue to put pen to paper, write to our MP and the Prime Minister. Make your views known. A letter is far more effective than a list of names on a petition.
We as catholics must not forget the power of prayer. A ground swell of prayer could lead to a change of heart among all of us and lead us to work for peace.
Here in the town of Maidenhead we live in a very mixed society. Mixed in race and in creed. We all need to play our part in trying to understand those who are different from us so that we can play our part in building up the family of mankind.
“Follow me” is the call of Jesus to every one of us, to be shaped by the values of God’s kingdom and to become new people. In responding to that call we learn about the world and our place in it, who we are now and what we might become. And beyond the roles we might have in the home or workplace, the call to us followers is always to something greater, to share in God’s plan for redeeming the world.
Teachers, and those working in education, offer particular gifts to the world. In committing themselves, in their chosen field, to nurturing and realising the potential of people of all ages, they echo Jesus’ own ministry of teaching and service - informing, as He did, but also affirming, challenging and even provoking. Teachers not only accompany us on journeys of discovery about the world, they help us deal with the things we discover about ourselves as we travel.
For Christians, teaching can be a particularly fulfilling way of following Christ’s call, in which faith can be truly integrated into a professional role. Teachers have the privilege to be a power for good in society, developing understanding of ourselves and the world, celebrating the wonders of creation - art, science and technology - and exploring the whole range of human experience and cultural difference. Learning about ourselves and the world leads us to a clearer understanding of our divine origin and destiny. Teachers who have faith can be assured that they are working to show God’s glory to the world. On Education Sunday, we celebrate all teachers and the ways in which we all teach and learn. As we learn and grow we are being called by Christ into fullness of life.
Today's Gospel gives us a glimpse of Jesus' humility. Here He is rushing about responding to the needs of all sorts of people, all of whom have different but important needs. Jesus does deal with many of them but He was also aware that there were so many that it was just too much. He needs a break. He needs some time for Himself to rest and get some personal space. Jesus' solution for Himself was to find a quiet place where He could be alone.
This gave Him an opportunity for prayer; to be with His Father. From that prayer, He was able to regain His focus as to who He was and what His mission was all about. This gave him renewed energy to continue with His work.
In our lives we all need space and time to rest, otherwise we will soon burn out and be of no use to anyone. We live in a world that is very demanding, expecting more and more from us all the time. We all need to recognise that there is only so much that we can give. We cannot change or save the world on our own, but of course, we can all do our bit. We need to care for ourselves. We need regular rest and space with time for our friends and time for prayer. We need to look at what Jesus did.
We need to take note again that the Lord set aside Sunday as a day of rest when we have a break from our ordinary work.
Today's feast of the Presentation of the Lord is also known as Candlemas Day. It is a celebration of Christ as Saviour and as in the words of Simeon, "The light to enlighten the pagans". Traditionally people bring candles to Church on this feast to have them blessed before bringing them back for use in their homes. In an age of instant electric lighting, our only experience of candles may be on those occasions when we have power breaks then the flickering, dancing, joyful flame of the candle brings light to our darkened world. In many homes there is still the tradition of the lighted candle for Communion in the home.
The candle is given at Baptism linking up with the Paschal candle that is the symbol of the risen Christ bringing light and life to our world.
The little candle can be a sign of hope in our darkened world.
Christ Himself is the real hope for our world. He is the one who really brings life to us. Not everyone recognises him as such, just as in the temple only Anna and Simeon recognised him for who he really was. Today's feast gives us an opportunity to recognise Jesus for who He really is and to give Him a proper place in our lives.
There is urgency about all three readings today. Jonah gives the people of Nineveh forty days to repent and change their ways....or else. Paul is apocalyptic in his urgency; "Our time is growing short...the world as we know it is passing away". In our gospel extract, Jesus is now preaching in a new context; with the arrest of John, Jesus becomes acutely aware of Herod's growing determination to snuff out this movement. He preaches with a new found urgency; "the time has come, and the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Repent and believe the Good News". Jesus began by calling a small group around him. This group He shared so much of his time with. They were to be the community around which He would found his church. They were neither perfect as individuals or as a community. Maybe that is some consolation to us as individuals and as a parish because we too, are only too aware of our shortcomings. The apostles heard and responded to the call that they received. They left a lot behind them and at times they looked back. They were also uncertain and afraid of the future. But in spite of their weakness, they stayed with Jesus.
As we begin this New Year, we need to look at the gospel as Good News to which we are called to share. Like the apostles we too have many shortcomings both individually and as a parish but if we are to achieve anything, then we need to respect, support each other and always treat each other with kindness. We all have to live with imperfection in others and ourselves.
Fr Tom
St Mary’s Hall
From 2nd January, St Mary’s Hall will have a complete change of use. It is being leased to Positive Steps Nursery who will have exclusive use of the hall, except for occasional use by the Parish. The decision to lease St Mary’s was taken by the Parish Centre Committee after much soul searching. They were aware that some parishioners were not in favour of a lease that involved exclusive use. The committee had to weigh the under utilisation of the hall with the benefit of the increased income from Positive Steps.
This income will be available to move ahead with the necessary improvements to the Parish Centre. A building that is in constant use needs regular upkeep to maintain the standard that people expect nowadays. For the past few years very little money was available for upkeep. The Centre Committee did not feel it appropriate to borrow for maintenance.
Some weeks ago, I asked all Parish Groups that intended to use the Centre for the coming year to book immediately to make it easier for all involved to plan the way ahead.
I am sure that you all join me in welcoming the nursery as they begin to build their community in St Mary’s Hall. It is in our interest to be good neighbours as we all have use of some common facilities. A whole new range of people will pass through the Church door every day and my hope is that in some way it will be a grace filled experience for them and their children.
Hospital Chaplaincy
Every hospital in this country has an appointed catholic Chaplain. Some work full-time in the hospital, usually as a member of a team, but with special responsibility for catholic patients. Others are part-time, usually coming from the local parish. In the past, the chaplain was able to get the list or file from the ward sister then go from ward to ward to see the patients. Anyone who was in hospital for a week or more would normally get a visit from the chaplain who would care for the patient’s spiritual needs; confession, sacrament of the sick and communion. This situation has now changed because the hospital is no longer allowed to give the list of names. This makes it very difficult for the chaplain to know which patients he should visit.
Patients and families should now inform the ward sister that they would like a visit from the catholic chaplain so that she can inform him. Please note that if you do not inform the sister, it is unlikely that a visit will be made.
When people are in hospital, they are under the care of the Chaplain and not their own parish so the chaplain should provide the sacraments. Other priests or special ministers should not normally take the sacraments to the hospital unless there is permission from the chaplain.
Personally, I try to visit parishioners who are in hospital for a long time. Clearly in order to do this I need to know that people are in hospital. I am not a mind reader.
Where possible, I also like to visit people in their homes after their release from hospital. Again I would ask people to let us know if they or a member of their family are sick.
On this the first Sunday on the New Year, I would like to start off by wishing all of you a happy New Year and that the year will bring everything that we hope for that is good for us. I would also like to express my appreciation to all who were involved in the Parish over Christmas. It is only when we begin to name groups that you realise how many people are involved in the Parish and for that I give thanks. Those who prepared the Churches: cleaning, flowers and cribs. Those involved in the liturgy: Readers, Musicians, Servers and Deacon. To one and all I say "Thank you". My hope is that being involved helps you to be more at home in the Parish. I would also invite anyone out there who would like to be involved to come forward. We can find a spot for you.
I would also like to express my appreciation to those involved in the Christmas Day Lunch. It was great to see so many from this Parish involved. I know that lunch for many people, is the highlight of their Christmas.
On a personal note, I would like to thank you for your more than generous Christmas offerings. As you know these offerings are for the personal use of the Priest of the Parish so I will be able to tax and insure my car for the coming year and maybe even pay my golf club membership.
I am sure that you all have many hopes for the New Year and I hope that they will be realised. Our big event in the life of the Parish for the coming year will no doubt be David’s ordination to the priesthood on 19th July. There will be a lot of preparation needed for that great event and we will be talking shortly of putting all of this in hand. In the meantime, please continue to pray for David as he enters the final phase of his studies.
Contact Details
Parish Priest: Fr. Tom McGrath, Tel: 01628 783988
Parish Office: 01628 783988 Fax: 01628 776863 (Monday to Friday 9.am to 12 noon)
Parish Centre: 01628 636312 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 12.30pm)