It is appropriate that we should celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family this Sunday when more people are gathered in a family home than at any other time of the year. God Himself chose that Jesus should be born into a family rather than any other circumstance. He also decided that Jesus should be cared for and grow up under the care of loving parents. The home where Jesus was brought up was not the best off materially or educationally, but it was a loving, caring home. As we think of the Holy family it gives us an opportunity to reflect and give thanks for family life, especially our own families.
Jesus was born into a world of confusion and gloom. He came to bring light and love to that world. Each one of us can decide to be people of darkness or we can decide to go with Christ and be people of light and love.
With the arrival of Christmas there is an unspeakable sense of exhilaration and happiness in the air. But we must not lose sight of the first Christmas Day and the birth of Christ as a vulnerable infant in the simple trappings of a stable at Bethlehem. Otherwise we empty the feast of its original meaning and close our eyes and ears to the message of the Good News.
Like the shepherds we ponder the mystery of the Christ Child, the Son of God, entering our world as one of us, clothed in human flesh with all its limitations and weaknesses. The coming of Jesus among us can change our view of life, restore our sense of self-esteem, and enable us to be channels to bring his love and peace to others. God entering our physical world makes everything in it holy and good and helps us realise that we are people of hope, waiting for something great to break into our lives.
The waiting is almost over, Advent is nearly finished and soon we will be into Christmas. Today our gospel turns to St Joseph, an appropriate person for us to focus on, especially this weekend as we look back over the history of our Parish. Joseph must have had his hopes and dreams, and suddenly he was faced with his whole world being turned upside down.
He did not behave rashly but he did work out a plan of action. He was going to put Mary away quietly. But before he could do anything, he was taken into God's confidence by His messenger who came in a dream to explain Mary's uprightness and the divine origin of the baby. Joseph listened to God's will and acted accordingly. As head of the household, Joseph had the specific role of naming the child. Moved by God's grace, he accepted Mary as his wife and adopted the child as his own.
I hope that you will try and visit the exhibition in the Parish Centre this weekend where you will find some interesting items on the history of St Joseph's Church. If any of you have any more information, photos etc we would love to see them as they could possibly be included on our parish history when it appears in book form.
I would also like to draw your attention to what used to be the old porch, which has now been decorated so that it can be used as a display room. At the moment it contains a map of the world, reminding us of our many connections as a parish with so many different places. There is a book into which you are invited to write the names of your loved ones, living or dead that you would like to be remembered in our Christmas Masses. The book will be placed on the altar over Christmas.
The season of Advent is very much a season that revolves around waiting; waiting for the coming of the Lord. We now live in a world that is not used to waiting. When we want something, we want it now. Yet whether we like it or not there are times when we all have to wait. We have to wait for exam results, for hospital medical tests etc. At times like these, waiting is very stressful, time seems to drag and we always tend to expect the worst.
Our liturgy today reminds us that in our Advent season we are waiting joyfully for the coming of the Lord. We are looking forward to his arrival but while we wait, we have many things that we have to do so that we can be properly prepared. It is like looking forward to welcoming a special friend for a meal. We want the friend to come but before they arrive we need to get on with things and have everything prepared so that we don't have to spend all our time in the kitchen after they have arrived.
In today's gospel, Jesus reminds John that he is the One. He shows he is the One by the works that he does. No one had ever done works like these before; he is the one that they had been waiting for. We will be able to enjoy Christmas all the greater if we are able to welcome Jesus as the one and find a place for him in our lives.
Today St John the Baptist makes a dramatic entry into our liturgy. He comes out of the desert after his many years of preparation to announce the coming of the Christ. He reminds us of the importance of preparation. He reminds us that if God is to come into our lives we have to prepare for his arrival by mending our ways. Through the words of Matthew's Gospel we hear him calling us to conversion, inviting us to take a journey inwards to the spiritual self, which is thirsting and hungering for God.
In our age we tend to live very much on the surface, rushing from one thing to the next without ever giving ourselves any time to reflect on what is really happening in our lives.
John the Baptist is not the easiest of people to get on with because he confronts. In his day he confronted the religious leaders of his time for their hypocrisy and complacency in thinking that because they were children of Abraham, God would be on their side.
We too will be confronted, provided that we read and listen to the Gospel and allow John to speak directly to us so that we can put our way of life before the mirror.
Our new season of Advent opens with the words of Jesus, "Stay awake, you do not know on which day your Lord will come". We would perhaps prefer a cheerier beginning to this season, but no. "At an hour you do not expect the Son of Man will come".
The Advent story is dominated by three people!
Isaiah, more than any of the prophets, foretold the coming of the messiah. His words addressed Israel at a time of transition: a period of exile and a period of return. He comforted a traumatised nation with words of hope for those who repented.
Mary's struggle turned inward. God's message posed a personal question, but one that would change other people's lives. Mary's acceptance of God's will altered the history of the world.
John the Baptist challenged sinners to repentance, but he frightened civil authorities by his charisma. John did not try to change the government. He challenged human hearts, one by one. Still the world came crashing in on him.
All these figures dramatised the impact of the spiritual life on nations and individuals. Advent goes after it all. It opens with the end of time and it ends at a manger in Bethlehem. It takes you, whoever you are and wherever you are. It names your fears and it beings you hope.
Today we present the fourth team in our journey together in growing together in Christ. Section Four revolves around the Eucharist. How do we understand the Eucharist? What part does the Eucharist play in our lives?
Bishop Crispian calls the Eucharist the heartbeat of the church. It is something we do together which makes us the church. Sunday Mass is the visible expression of the communion that we share. It also creates and nurtures that communion. The church makes the Eucharist, and the Eucharist makes the church. It is for this reason that participation in the Mass is the heart of Sunday for every baptised catholic.
If a stranger came to our church on a Sunday would they be impressed by what they see? Would they immediately see people actively engaged in what was taking place? Would they feel welcomed to take part and feel included?
We need to look at what we do and what part each one of us plays.
This week we are looking at the third theme of growing together in Christ, which is how each one of us, is gifted by the Holy Spirit. How as a community we create a climate where we can discover our special gifts and then how these gifts can be put at the service of the whole community.
"Each one of you has received a special grace so that like good stewards responsible for all these various graces of God, put it at the service of others." (I Peter 4) What gifts have I received? How am I using and developing these gifts? If I don't use my gifts then everyone is the poorer and everyone the loser. Not only our individual gifts, but also our gifts as a parish need to be on offer to the wider community.
Certain conditions are required for us as individuals and as a community to develop and grow. Above all we need to be loved and encouraged so that we may grow in confidence and become more fully ourselves. We also need to listen and give each other space.
I hope that you are taking up these themes for study and discussion in your homes and in the groups that you belong to. As you complete the questionnaires, post them in one of the boxes in the church or send them on to Angela Wills at Park Place. What we submit will be used to prepare for the next stage of the consultation that will take place in the Spring.
I know that many of you would prefer to stay as we are. That is not an option; the diocese and the parishes are going to change whether we like it or not.
WE would be wise to be involved in developing that change.
In our reflection and study this week we will be looking at the notion of communion, especially the notion of the church and the parish being communion. We all have an idea in our heads of what communion is but do we experience communion in our day-to-day lives, in our parish and in our church? During his life, Christ gathered people around him. He shared with them. They in turn responded to him, they became friends and they supported each other.
We all need community, the friendship and support of other people. Where in our lives do we find that community? Clearly, most people find support in their own family and from there they can then move out in giving and receiving from other people.
Who is the church for? Who owns it? Clearly the church is for everyone. No one has special rights. It is so easy for us to feel that the church belongs to the small group and no-one else matters. The church is there for all to reach out to and to be of service to all. The church is there only to be of service to other people, to reach out and to support.
Many of us prefer to stay in isolation with our eyes closed to the needs of others. We look at the diocese, made up of little groups just like us. We can achieve very little working on our own but working with others means all things are possible.
Today we welcome Fr. Philip Banchong Chaiyara CSsR who is going to speak at the 10.45am Mass. He took over the running of the five establishments in Pattaya from Fr. Brennan, who died last year. These are the Orphanage, Schools for the Blind, Deaf and Disabled, and the Street Children's Centre.
Two years ago we were the fourteenth to be placed on their 'Roll of Honour' at the entrance to the Administrative Office block in Pattaya. This was in recognition of our major contributions over the previous eight years.
We can be proud of the fact that we made a major contribution to the building of a home for 150 Street Children. That we then paid an outreach worker's salary for one year, to get destitute children off the streets and out of bars, clubs and brothels in Pattaya. In 1997 there were eight, now there are one hundred and forty-three, it is planned to grow to four hundred and fifty!
As you know, we are currently sponsoring two children, Ann and Tong and look forward to continuing our support of this very worthwhile charity.
For the past two Sundays, the newsletter has contained extracts from Bishop Crispian's pastoral letter. The Bishop has introduced to us the whole process of growing together in Christ that will conclude with the diocesan conference next July in Reading University. The Bishop wants to work out a strategy for our diocese for the future. His wish is that as many people as possible are involved in the consultation process. The Bishop is inviting all of us to take part in the consultation process that will take place between now and next July. Next Sunday we will give details of what our parish proposes to respond. My hope is that the maximum number of people in the parish will be involved.
There is to my mind, two reasons why we should get involved. First of all it gives us an opportunity to meet together to examine our basic beliefs and secondly we will be able to make our contribution to what is happening in the diocese.
You might ask "Why do we need a new diocesan strategy?" I am sure that it cannot have passed anyone's notice that our catholic way of life is changing and will continue to change. We now have fewer priests and we have less people attending Sunday Mass. Do we just allow this change to continue in its own way or do we try to understand what is happening? Because of this we may do things differently to cope with our needs in the future. I am sure that all of us would prefer to play our part in helping shape the future.
Second excerpt from Growing Together in Christ from Bishop Crispian
This process is designed to make us increasingly aware of the Lord's call to us to be his disciples. Disciples are called to proclaim and live the Gospel and we need, therefore, to be asking ourselves searching questions about the why and the how we proclaim the Gospel. The process will help us to ask and answer these questions of ourselves, both individually and as a diocesan family, and I invite you all most warmly to share in it.
My dearest wish is that when we come to the Diocesan Pastoral Assembly, being held in the University of Reading next July, we will be able to celebrate the fruits of the work and prayer of all who have participated in the process I have described. We will have a plan for the way ahead for our diocese and it will reflect your ownership, your input, your enthusiasm and your commitment to living out your call to discipleship. The Assembly will be a celebration of the fact that, under the guidance of the Gospel, we have arrived at a pastoral strategy for the diocese that will represent a real investment of the rich heritage of faith that we have received. In our turn, we will be building a treasure house of faith and commitment for those who come after us.
This work is being undertaken in the way that we have planned because, at the end of the day, I want everyone to have the opportunity to speak out of their own faith and commitment, have their voice heard and so make their contribution to this great enterprise.
TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (C)
Our future consists in constantly venturing into the deeper waters of the Lord's call in our journey of faith, but for this we need a map or a chart. We need something that will enable us, as individuals and as a diocese, better to seek the face of Christ and respond to his invitation to holiness in communion and mission. We need a pastoral strategy.
This is not something that I can impose from on high. A pastoral strategy for the diocese, which has credibility, needs to come from all of us, working and praying together. Only then can it belong to us all. Only then will we own it and be able to work for its implementation with real enthusiasm and commitment.
The discernment necessary for pastoral strategy needs a process; this has already begun and so we are not starting from scratch. Already our parishes and communities are preparing for a series of discussions and consultations that will be taking place this autumn and next spring. I have written a framework document - "Growing Together in Christ" - for this purpose and copies are available for everyone who wants one. Excellent study material and suggested proposals for the forthcoming consultation are also now available in every parish.
TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (C)
For the bird watcher, binoculars are essential. For the botanist, the magnifying glass is the constant companion. For both, their enjoyment of the wonders of the world is enhanced beyond measure by means of their chosen lens. These specially chosen lens reveal aspects of nature that are hidden from the naked eye. The lens allows the explorer to have an inside view of nature and have to be specifically selected for a particular task and be properly cared for.
Faith could be likened to a lens for the believer. It enables us to see in a totally new way because so much more is opened up to us. Aspects of God that were hidden are now opened up for us and we are invited into a whole new world. The more that we explore the more there is for us to see and enjoy.
As we go down the road of faith, the more God will become central to our lives. We cannot explore in faith without being affected by our experience. We are invited in and that invitation will mean that our lives will be changed and we become new people - if only we allow it to happen.
TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (C)
As we settle into the new millennium we should be haunted by the shocking statistic that 20percent of the world's population consumes 80percent of the world's resources. It is these 20percent that eat 45percent of all meat and fish, consume 67percent of all electricity, 84percent of all paper and own 87percent of all automobiles. Tonight one thousand million people will go to bed hungry.
Nothing seems to have changed from the time of Amos through Christ down to our own time. While some people have too much, there are so many people who go without.
Today's parable tells us the story of the rich man who lived his life unaware of the needs of the poor man Lazarus. He did not do him any harm, he was just not aware of his presence and his needs.
We can easily find ourselves in the same situation. There are so many needy in the world at a time that we all have so much, that if we ignore their needs, we too can be condemned like the rich man in the parable. We need to constantly challenge ourselves as to what we do and how we live our lives and how aware we are of the needs of others, otherwise how can we claim to be following the gospel of Jesus? We have to play our part in making society more aware of those who are in need. Our wealth can be a source of life for us and others, if used in the correct way.
TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (C)
Today is Home Mission Sunday, a day of prayer for the spread of the Gospel in England and Wales. Please pray that we will find ways to share our faith with others.
As the seed grows silently in the earth,
as the yeast rises in the dough,
may your power,
spirit of God, be at work in us.
Like a city set on a hill,
like a lamp shining in the darkness,
may we witness together,
calling our brothers and sisters
to the glory of your light
and the peace and justice of
your kingdom.
Amen
The Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation (CASE) was launched by the bishops at Easter to continue the work of the Catholic Missionary Society. If you would like more information about CASE there is a website - www.caseresources.org.uk
TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (C)
Last Thursday at our pastoral council meeting, new officers were elected but first of all I would like to express my thanks to the outgoing chairperson, Stephanie Stokes and vice chairperson, Pat Pope for the wonderful service they gave to the parish while holding office. The newly elected chairperson is Pat Weavers with Clare Samber as vice chairperson. I am confident that they will enjoy the full support of the parish.
The way the church is developing nowadays, means that more and more lay leadership in our parishes will be needed. It is important that those who take on leadership are supported in their new role. There is no point in any of us hankering back to the good old days; life always moves on. It is only by taking on new roles that people will gain experience and confidence.
For many years now the importance of the formation of adults has been seen as vital to the future development of the life of the church. Even though this has been seen as important, very little has been done about it. The few courses that have been provided have not been well supported. It is also true that very few of our parishioners regularly read a catholic newspaper. We need to create a new hunger in our parishes for learning about our faith so that we have a renewed interest and energy.
I hope that the new Faith Alive programme will be well supported by our parish. If you feel that you do not know very much about your faith and the new developments in the church, then Faith Alive is for you.
With the first Sunday of September we begin a new academic year with schools reopening and colleges of further education also getting under way. Now is the time when we as a parish get back into action again after the summer break.
Parish activities take place at all sorts of levels and many different people are involved. So today is a call that we make a good start and a call to new people to get involved. It would be great to hear from parishioners who are new or who have never been involved, coming forward and taking ownership of the parish by taking part in some activity. The more people who are involved in the many and varied activities, the better chance we have of building community.
Those who give of their time and talents to the parish, feel more at home and part of the parish.
Today, I appeal to all of you who come to Mass week after week and yet know no-one in the parish, to come forward and join some activity and as you get to know a few people, that will open the way to getting to know many more.
That first step is always the most difficult.
For previous "Thoughts" click here
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)