The Catholic Bishops have written to parishes throughout the country stressing the current dangers in the fight against euthanasia and drawing attention to the 'Care Not Killing Alliance' which has launched a campaign against the Lord Joffe Assisted Suicide Bill. The Bishops have been joined in this by the leaders of all the Christian Churches, the Chief Rabbi, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and pro-life groups such as Right to Life.
The fact of this unprecedented agreement among all groups of believers in Britain, and the national response of our own Bishops, are both signs of just how seriously we must take this threat to life.
The Joffe Bill is to have its second reading in the House of Lords on Friday 12th May. To show our support of the Bishops it has been suggested that we write letters to the peers urging them to attend the debate in case Lord Joffe should press for a vote. The letters should urge the peers to oppose the bill, stressing that without exception every disability rights group in the country is opposed to the Bill because it would undermine the rights of the disabled and the vulnerable. Lists of peers and the address to write to are on the noticeboards. It has been suggested that you write to the peer with the same initial as your surname.
Leaflets with additional information are available in the church this weekend.
Today's liturgy continues the celebration of Easter. It took a long time before the disciples of Jesus were really aware that Christ had risen. For them it was a gradual awakening of faith. They somehow had heard from Jesus that he would rise from the dead but in reality they did not know what that meant for him or for them. If Jesus is risen, this would mean a life-changing experience for them. That is why today's first reading tells us that the believers were united heart and soul. We will also show our faith in the risen Christ by the way that we live our lives.
Our gospel describes how Jesus came to his apostles after he had risen. He breathed on them and gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit. We, in our diocese need the gifts of the Holy Spirit at this time of decision. At Pentecost, Bishop Crispian will announce the shape of the new pastoral areas. It will then be up to all of us to make sure that this major change in the diocese will work for the benefit of the mission of the church.
Bishop Crispian has asked us all to pray, between now and Pentecost for a new out-pouring of the Holy Spirit on our diocese. Each week we will pray for a different gift of the spirit. The change from independent parishes to larger pastoral areas is one of the biggest changes to take place in our diocese for many years. The changes have only taken place after widespread consultation. What we are finishing up with was never anyone's plan at the beginning. It has gradually emerged from the input of so many different people. We all need to embrace the plan and move forward in faith.
The waiting is over. Easter Day is a day of celebration. We can sing our Alleluia Christ is Risen. We have the signs of new life all around us; buds on the trees, spring flowers and candles. The first Easter Day dawned slowly. The women went to the tomb not thinking about new life or resurrection but of preparing the dead body of Jesus for its final rest. The disciples were scattered and were thinking about getting back to their former way of life.
The tomb was empty. The first thought was that someone had taken the dead body. It took time for people to take on board that Jesus was in fact alive, that he had overcome death. Word spread among the disciples of Jesus that he was alive. Instead of being a day of sadness it was a day of great joy and celebration.
Today in our world, life goes on as normal. Most people seem to be unaware of the risen Christ, they go about their normal life as if it was any other day. For us who believe, it is not a normal day, it is special. Everything we do is done in the context of the risen Christ. It is our task to share our joy with our world. We have good news and if we do not share it, the world will continue to disbelieve. To hope also that the lives of some people will be better through the support of our Lenten Project.
Often life can feel like an uphill struggle, a matter of taking two steps forward and one back. We may know the direction in which we are heading, but be unsure of the route we are taking. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, he was conscious he was riding towards death, but was uncertain how things would unfold. Being heralded as a king and saviour must surely have added another confusing twist in the working out of his destiny.
When we are misunderstood, the way we see ourselves is brought into question. Our identity is challenged. For most of us, this isn't something that happens very often, but for the poor of our world, living with the misconception of others, is a constant reality. All too often, the poor are either blamed for their poverty or patronised as helpless victims with no voice. Exposing prejudice and listening to silence are more important than empty proclamation. Such an undertaking may be hard to achieve but the road to Jerusalem is never going to be an easy one to travel.
That life is born out of death is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith. Every time we celebrate the Mass we become part of that paradox. When we are offered the bread of life, we are being asked to die to ourselves, to become one with Christ and live his risen life. We are reminded of our call to service and of the cost of discipleship. We can only bring life to others if we are prepared to let go of ourselves and to change like a grain of wheat that ceases to be a seed in order to yield a harvest.
This is a hard concept for many of us, for the more we have, the more difficult it is to let go. The more we believe ourselves to be in control, the harder it is to surrender to another. Perhaps those who live with least are better equipped than those who have most to understand the true nature of service. For they understand best their dependence on God.
Just as music can speak to our heart, arousing feelings of joy and pain, laughter and love, the gospel message speaks to our humanity, communicating a love stronger that death, a love that desires life for all.
In John's Gospel, Jesus' crucifixion is a moment of unsurpassed glory. It reveals the ultimate paradox: Christ's death is the gateway to life. On the cross, Christ's sacrificial love finds ultimate expression. His mission to bring light to the world is accomplished: "It is finished."
The light generated by sacrificial love is reflected in the lives of many in our world who struggle against the odds to keep their families alive and strive to make their communities beacons of hope. Working against the darkness of oppression and injustice, they communicate light and truth. Theirs is the music of hope and solidarity. The tune in their hearts communicates life and is in harmony with Christ's message from the cross: that darkness will never overcome light.
Many of us are wary of anger. Brought up on “Gentle Jesus meek and mild”, we wonder whether it is permissible even to feel anger, let alone show it. Yet in today’s Gospel reading we see Jesus doing just that. He cannot be passive in the face of injustice. Where the weak and powerless are being exploited, he is compelled to act. The temple, the centre of Jewish religion and also of government and justice, has lost its way. The increasing divisions between rich and poor, in a country where collusion with the Roman occupying force meant wealth and power, is nowhere more self-evident than m God’s house What should be a place of protection for the poor and powerless has become a source of division and exploitation. No wonder Jesus is angry.
Many in our world live with injustice and are exploited daily. Yet we fail to get angry. Our own inertia is tantamount to collusion. Can we turn the tables on ourselves? Will we allow God’s passion for justice to reach and motivate us to act?
Over the past few weeks in the newsletter, we have been giving the background and the proposals for the new pastoral areas in the reorganisation of our diocese. I know that the reorganisation is a cause of concern to many people within our parish. Maybe it is the first time that people have realised that there are going to be major changes in the organisation of our diocese. There is no room for discussion about the fact that there will be change. That has already been decided and we all need to get used to the idea that things are going to be different. But there is still time for discussion as to what the shape of our new pastoral areas will be.
At the moment our deanery is made up of the parishes of Twyford, Windsor and the two Maidenhead parishes. The proposed new pastoral area is made up of Twyford, Woodley, and the two Maidenhead parishes. I know that many of you wonder why we should be grouped with Woodley rather than Windsor. I have to say, personally, that I wonder that too. We have until 7th April to make our feelings known to the diocese. Clearly, the more arguments that are made by the greater number of people and groups, the stronger the case.
Next Sunday we will hand our voting slips where we can propose that we remain with the present deanery area or go with the new proposed area. The votes will be counted and Claire Samber will give the result in her letter to the diocese. I would also urge anyone with views to write to the address below.
Implementation Steering Group, Peterhouse, St Peter Street, WINCHESTER, Hants, SO23 8BW.
Fairtrade Fortnight is an opportunity to remind everyone about Fairtrade. Buying Fairtrade products is a commitment we can all make to challenge unfair international trading rules. A growing number of churches are making the connection between trade and poverty and committing to use Fairtrade items including tea, coffee, sugar and biscuits. Buying products with the FAIRTRADE mark:
• Guarantees farmers a fair and stable price for their products.
• Guarantees extra income for farmers and estate workers to improve their lives.
• Guarantees a greater respect for the environment.
• Guarantees farmers a stronger position in world markets.
• Guarantees a closer link between consumers and producers.
The theme for Fairtrade Fortnight 2006 is MAKE FAIRTRADE YOUR HABIT. The idea is to encourage everyone to buy a range of Fairtrade products and adopt a Fairtrade lifestyle in order to bring even greater benefits to farmers and workers around the world.
Our church of St Joseph's, with St Elizabeth's, is now a Fairtrade church. This means we have committed to serving Fairtrade products for all meetings for which we have responsiblily, to moving forward on using other Fairtrade products (e.g. sugar, biscuits, fruit) and to promote Fairtrade when possible.
Have you got the Fairtrade Habit?
'The fields of the poor produce abundant food but injustice sweeps it away' - Proverbs 13:23
Over the past few weeks the newsletter has contained extracts from the diocesan discussion document on larger pastoral areas. The document gives the principles, which will guide the formation of the new pastoral areas. The basis principle behind the whole process is to provide Sunday Mass in each pastoral area for as many people as possible, while trying to respect each parish community. Ideally, each pastoral area will be served by three priests. Within each pastoral area, there will be a collaborative leadership team, including both clergy and laity, led by the coordinating pastor (priest).
It is proposed that we, St Joseph's will be joined up with St Edmund Campion, Twyford and Woodley. This area at the moment is served by four priests but in time will reduce to three. At the moment there are thirteen Sunday Masses with 1897 people attending regular Sunday Mass. As the area will be reduced to three priests then the number of Sunday Masses will need to be reduced to nine.
I do need to emphasis that the above option is only a proposal at the moment.
There are other options, which may prove to be more suitable for our parish.
It is important that there is discussion among parish groups. Any thoughts
should be sent to the address below. Suggestions coming from groups carry
more weight than those from individuals, but it is important that all thoughts
be sent before 7th April.
Implementation Steering Group, Peterhouse, St
Peter Street, WINCHESTER, Hants, SO23 8BW.
• Ensure that Sunday Mass is accessible to as many people as possible on a local basis;
• Affirm and support priests in the essentials of their pastoral and sacramental ministry;
• Maintain the distinct identity of smaller pastoral groupings e.g. churches, Mass centres, schools, hospitals;
• Enable the continuing growth of hospital, prison and school chaplaincy teams, which may include priests, deacons, religious and lay people;
• Develop more effective catechesis for all in order to nourish the faith life of each individual,
• Provide wide-ranging pastoral care with a particular emphasis on the elderly, sick and housebound;
• Share gifts and expertise on a wider basis;
• Create opportunities for the further development of leadership skills by a larger group of people;
• Promote stewardship, e.g. the appropriate, efficient and coordinated use of resources, especially people and buildings;
• Recognise the importance of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue and shared initiatives;
• Give priority to how we live and share our faith, especially evangelisation and involvement in the local community;
• Encourage each community to be a place that is open and welcoming to all.
• The only boundary that cannot be changed at this time is the boundary of the diocese. Existing parish and deanery boundaries can be changed.
• The team for each Larger Pastoral Area will include at least two priests, along with deacons (if these are present in the Area) and lay people. This highlights the need for the Areas to be viable in terms of a range of resources, e.g. people and buildings.
• In ten years' time it is estimated that there could be just 70 active priests in the diocese. Your suggestions need to be sustainable in the future. Consider the future as well as now.
• The shape of your own Larger Pastoral Area will have an impact on the shape of neighbouring Larger Pastoral Areas.
• Responses to this document will come from people all over the diocese, so there are bound to be suggestions that will not 'fit' with each other when the diocese is seen as a whole. There may even be two or three different suggestions from within the same parish!
Key to the Pastoral Plan is the development of Larger Pastoral Areas which, in most cases, will be larger than existing parishes but smaller than existing deaneries.
• There are currently 100 parishes and 18 deaneries
• There are likely to be some 20-30 Larger Pastoral Areas, each of which will include a number of existing parish communities and at least two priests, as well as schools, hospitals, prisons, etc.
• Within each Pastoral Area, there will be a collaborative leadership team, including both clergy and laity, led by the Coordinating Pastor (Priest).
• Larger Pastoral Areas will be made up of smaller (and often diverse) communities. A Larger Pastoral Area will flourish when the small communities within it work together as partners, concerned for the good of each and of all.
Our diocese is in the process of major change. In fact, since its foundation in 1882, it has always been changing as populations have changed - new churches and schools being built, villages becoming towns and towns expanding as motorways were built. Most of that change has been largely ad hoc, responding mainly to local need.
In 2003, Bishop Crispian took time to reflect on his 1997 Vision for the diocese, A Church for the 21st Century, and updated this Vision in 2004. He was aware that the Church in the diocese of Portsmouth is facing many challenges, but that it is also full of people who have the gifts and talents to meet them. Bishop Crispian placed his trust in the Holy Spirit to work through the people of the diocese, and set in train a process called Growing Together in Christ. Thousands of people in parishes, schools and other groups throughout the diocese took part in Growing Together in Christ sessions in Autumn 2004 and Spring 2005. The feedback received from these meetings was used in the development of a Pastoral Plan, which is founded on the prayer, discussion and discernment of the people of the diocese. This Pastoral Plan, Go Out and Bear Fruit, was launched and celebrated at the Diocesan Assembly held at Reading University in July 2005.
Today we are in danger of being drowned in bad news.
Jesus began his ministry by announcing good news.
What was this good news?
That the kingdom of heaven had come.
The kingdom stands for the fulfilment of the promises,
the fullness of God's blessings,
in short, the new order of things.
Forgiveness is available. Recovery is possible.
God's love is unconditional
and is available to us in Christ.
All we have to do is recognise our need,
and seek his help with humility and sincerity.
Unless we repent we can't hear the good news.
John McGahern has written very movingly in his latest book, Memoir, about his childhood walks with his mother through the lanes of Leitrim. He wrote 'I was safe in her shadow. My chattering at times grew so wild that mother let go of my hand and placed her fingers on my lips in reproof and amusement and love.' God, who mothers us and fathers us, must feel like doing that too because in our prayer we babble and gabble and use so many words that love gets lost.
Samuel, we are told in the first reading, 'had as yet no knowledge of the Lord and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.' And so when God called he mistook his voice for that of Eli's. Eli was a discerning man and a good teacher. He did the equivalent of placing his fingers on Samuel's lips telling him to stop babbling and to listen instead. The third time God called, Samuel was ready: 'Speak Lord, your servant is listening,' he said. And from then on, the reading tells us, Samuel grew up and the Lord was with him and let no word of his fall to the ground.' No words were wasted.
The evangelists introduce the public life of Jesus with his baptism by John in the Jordan, in this way setting the tone for the whole of their account.
After thirty years of hidden growth, here is a surprising happening, and one full of consequence. Here, among the crowds of people called to repentance by John, Jesus undergoes an indescribable experience. The Precursor's baptism becomes for Jesus, the sinless One, a kind of door through which he passes in search of sinners. He will share in their lot and redirect towards God a creation, now at last, on its true course. So Jesus descends into the Jordan to 'do all that righteousness demands' (Mt 3:15).
To this humble inauguration of a new and purified future, the very heavens open and reveal divine secrets. The Holy Spirit comes down on Jesus and a voice speaks: 'You are my son…' (Mk 1:11). Jesus has always been the well-beloved of the Father, but today he finds himself established in his role of servant - like a new Isaac ready for sacrifice. Jesus will show himself to be truly the Son and Servant of his Father as, under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, he forms step by step a new and entirely filial humanity.
'There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over' (Lk 12:50). Do you, a Christian, not realise that baptised as you are in Christ Jesus, you are also baptised into his death, so that you may live a new life? (Rom 6:3). Attuned, like him, to the invisible, you must keep to your baptismal promise or fall from grace.
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)
Web author : webmaster@stjosephsparish.co.uk
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