Throughout the Easter season we are invited to reflect on what it means to be baptised and to live as a member of Christ's Body, the Church. One consequence of our baptism is that we are all called to live the Christian vocation, and each of us has a particular vocation in life.
Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter is a day of prayer for priesthood and consecrated life kept by the universal Church. We pray not only for those who are already in these life-states, but also that others will be called by God to these wonderful vocations. We also give thanks for all those priests and religious in our diocese who celebrate important jubilees this year.
A parish is a community of individuals and families. God calls us all to do something with our lives. We need to be open to the possibility that a call to priesthood or consecrated life might come to one of our own, even to me. As a community of faith, family life and the work we do with our young people should include assisting them in the discernment of their life vocation.
The distressing breaches of trust and the human failures of some in leadership roles in the church have caused great pain to many and sapped the morale and confidence of many more. One current temptation is to yearn for the more secure days of the past and to settle for safe religious practices to ensure one's own salvation, to avoid the challenging questions of the young, to retreat from proclaiming that Jesus is alive and well and still present powerfully among us through the gift of his church.
Such temptation also faced Peter and his companions. After the traumatic experience of the passion and the debacle of his own cowardice in denying the Master, and despite having met the Risen Lord, Peter was still so devastated that all he wanted to do was to go back to the fishing that had been the backbone of his life for so long. But Jesus came and called him out of himself again to show his love for the Lord by caring for his brothers and sisters by bringing them the good news of the Father' love. In ever-changing circumstances, Peter responded to the call generously and courageously. So must we. It is not a time for faint hearts. It is a time for a radical living of the gospel of justice, mercy, responsibility, service, fidelity and trust in the Lord. Such is our calling today, lay, religious and clergy. We must enable and support one another in responding to it.
Tradition tells us that St Patrick lit the Easter fire on Slane, so highlighting for the pagan royalty at nearby Tara the central importance of the Easter mystery in the Christian faith. This faith was evoking a widespread and enriching response throughout the country even in Patrick's lifetime.
Standing on Slane I reflected on how that faith has waxed and waned again and again throughout the centuries, spreading worldwide from this little island on the periphery of Europe. I wondered would Patrick see us now as an Easter people filled with joy in the Risen Lord and empowered by his spirit to live out the gospel.
Fire is both a powerful reality and an inspiring symbol. As well as being a source of light and heat, it refines and tests gold. It enflames what it touches. Even dying embers when brought together can release new flames, radiant with power and energy. Fire as a symbol of our faith challenges us to live as joyful apostles of the Risen Jesus, believing in his love and enabling his presence to transform our world.
This fire of faith must refine our values and test our lifestyles. It must inspire all those whose lives we touch and the society in which we live. The Easter candle is a symbol of the Risen Lord, the source of all our courage, hope and love. But we must not reduce the energising flame of faith to the flickering flame of a simple candle. Easter is a time to fan the flame of faith into an inferno that will burn away all fear and selfishness and enflame all hearts with love. Such is the vision. Easter people will not settle for less.
It is often said nowadays that the young know little about their religion and less about their faith. Sometimes adults are honest enough to admit that they are not much better off and unsure what to do about their ignorance. Next week, Holy Week, is one of the church's answers to the difficulty. For centuries, the liturgy of Holy Week has been directed to renewing faith, deepening love and awakening hope. Its purpose is to celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, to hear and heed his teaching and to be enriched by the boundless generosity of his passion. The week's first passion story is in the Palm Sunday gospel.
This story touches each person in a different way as did the original experience. The centurion was doing a routine job, supervising the execution of a criminal. It seemed to be a soft number. The one to be executed was spun out already through the rough treatment the security forces had given him. His followers had run away. Despite the crowed streets slowing down the execution procession, he should be finished early and be able to get back to barracks for a long lazy afternoon. Then it happened. He saw Jesus die and was convinced immediately and forever that here was a man of God. Peter, Pilate, Simon of Cyrene, soldiers, friends were all affected, each in his or her own way. For the centurion, a routine job had become a miracle of grace. For others, it remained just another execution.
Something similar will happen even among believers today and throughout the week. The experience will transform some, enrich many and leave others apparently untouched. But the mystery of the cross is that nobody is left unaffected by the passion story. The heart of every believer will be either enriched or hardened by Holy Week. The better option is available to everyone who is willing to stand at the foot of his cross this week and to be open to being convinced that Jesus is truly the Son of God.
This year marks the 125th Anniversary of the founding of Portsmouth Diocese. Before then we were part of Southwark. One of the major events for parishioners will be a Mass in Portsmouth Cathedral on Monday 21st May at 6pm. Bishop Crispian has asked for this to be a truly diocesan celebration, with good representation from all of our parishes.
Each Pastoral Area is being asked to produce an image (icon) that in some ways symbolises their area. These should be one foot (30cm) square and can be a photograph, drawing, painting, collage etc. Our Pastoral Area is called Great Park and is made up of parishes in Ascot, Windsor and Maidenhead. If you have any ideas please see Fr Tom so that he can pass them onto our Pastoral Area Council. These images will form part of a display at the Anniversary Mass and other celebrations and exhibitions throughout the year.
There will also be a celebration of Word and Music on Friday 15th June at 7pm in Winchester Cathedral.
We are awaiting further details of both celebrations and will pass them on as soon as they are available.
Over the past few weeks a number of people have come to me to inquire about adult baptism. Where do we start? I have thought about it and perhaps the first thing to do is run an alpha course in May and June, then those who wish to go ahead and prepare for Baptism could join the Journey in Faith group in September. So, if we are going to run an Alpha course we need people to run it and people to join it. You can have the best course in the world but if no one joins, it is wasted. There will be a meeting for helpers on Wednesday 28th March at 8pm in the Presbytery and my hope is that we can put a team together from that meeting. There is a list on the notice board for those who would like to help.
St Joseph's missionary society has been leading a novena to St Joseph up to the feast day so I hope that we will have a good attendance to celebrate the feast day. This year it is extra special for us all because the society and the parish join together to celebrate our joint patron.
As one gets older, there is less hype about birthdays. The loved ones still share the happiness and the wider circle enjoy celebrating the major milestones. But as well as a sense of achievement, the reminder of advancing years has a sober side. For those with birthdays at this time of year especially, there can be a realisation that the number of Lents that is left to one is rapidly declining. As each year passes, there is one less opportunity to live through this season of faith, reconciliation, generosity, service, culminating in the Easter mystery. It is a season that is meant to bear fruit in our lives.
In today's gospel, Jesus tells us the chilling parable of the landowner who finds no fruit on his fig tree for the third year running. The tree looked well but was barren. The owner was disappointed and practical. He ordered it cut down. The gardener pleaded for a one year reprieve, one more opportunity to bear fruit. This Lent is one more opportunity from God to each of us to grow through prayer, through his word and sacraments, in appreciation of the wonder of the all holy God. He is the God who called Moses to lead his chosen people but who reminded him that contact with God is always sacred and he must be approached with reverential love. He is the giver of all good gifts and talents who enables us to bear fruit in fidelity, patience, kindness, forgiveness, courage and love. Otherwise, we may be taking up ground like the barren fig tree, admired by many but appreciated by none because of our failure to enrich our world as God meant us to do.
In order to grow, friendship needs space, sharing and trust. Time alone is not enough to build friendship. Some people can be work colleagues or neighbours for years without any real bond growing between them. Friendship can only grow where people make space in their lives for each other and use it to get to know each other, to share hopes, joys, fears and secrets, to trust the other person with what is deepest in oneself.
What was deepest in Jesus of Nazareth was his relationship with the Father. He was the beloved Son. Time and again, he went aside from the crowds to be alone with the Father in prayer. Oftentimes he took the apostles with him, especially Peter, James and John. With them he shared his fears about his future sufferings, his hopes of glory, but above all else, his bond with the Father. One such occasion was on Mount Thabor where the trio glimpsed that their friend was the promised Messiah, the fulfilment of all their hopes. They had left their fishing behind to be with him. They had made space in their lives for his friendship and trust. He responded by strengthening their faith.
Today is our day for making space and a time for Jesus in our lives. His response will always be generous. Today is Thabor Sunday.
It is often suggested that each stage of a person's life is deeply influenced by a particular drive or instinct. While pride is ever-present in our hearts, the suggestion is that the young seek pleasure, the middle-aged want power and the old put their hope in possessions. Some people find such wayward trends alive and well in every stage of their lives, and are happy in the ongoing human struggle by inviting Christ to be with them as they grow gradually in the gospel values that redirect these strong human drives.
Today's gospel recounts in a vividly descriptive way how Christ himself experienced similar temptations. The bread he was offered when he was hungry is a symbol of how easy it is to justify putting our own comfort and pleasure before the needs and rights of others. His trip to the high mountain with its offer of control over many kingdoms, alerts us to many ways in which we can be tyrants in small ways through emotional blackmail in our families and through pressure groups on the job or in school.
The desire to be accepted and popular can be so strong that we are often tempted to do what will please rather than what is right, as happened to Christ on the parapet of the Temple.
In each situation, the choice is between selfishness and the other's good, between settling for human limitations or accepting our greatness as God's children. Lent is a time to strengthen the choice to belong enthusiastically to God's family.
For centuries, our Lenten observance has had as its mainstay those three actions that are so strongly highlighted in Ash Wednesday's Gospel. Jesus says, "When you give alms…when you pray…when you fast…". Note that he doesn't use the word "if" but "when". Lent is a time for generous giving and sharing; it's a time for discipline and asceticism and it's a time for prayer - this is what the season means for us.
This year, we are being encouraged to live more simply. "livesimply" is the slogan and it challenges us to live with an emphasis much less on our own needs and with a much greater emphasis on the needs of others and on the needs of the environment, especially for generations coming after us. We are called to reach out to the whole human family and to the world in which we live in solidarity and love. It means not only that we "livesimply" but that we "simply live" in the fullness of all that is meant by those words.
When - and not if - we give generously to those in need at
this time;
when - and not if - we discipline our appetites with fasting
and share what we have with others;
when - and not if - we pray with renewed faith and fervour
in these days,
then, we do all these things in the simplicity of spirit which
recognises that God is at the heart of everyone and everything.
Since June 2006 the Catholic Church has been in dialogue with the Government over the impact of proposed discrimination regulations on applications from same sex couples. Sadly, we did not obtain the exemption from the Government we had sought from these regulations.
During the debate it has become clear to everyone that our Catholic adoption agencies do an excellent job and are generously supported by our community. Our bishops, working together with their agencies, are determined to do everything they can to find a way through the difficulties we face and ensure that the future of Catholic adoption services in this country can continue. Our agencies will remain open for business and are continuing their work with local authorities. Therefore, do please pray for this work and do continue to give generously to support our diocesan agencies.
As Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor has pointed out, this public dispute with the Government has raised wider issues about the role of faith and conscience in the public space. We need to promote mutually respectful cooperation between public authorities and religiously motivated agencies so they can work with integrity and good conscience in the service of the common good.
Everyone can be inwardly transformed…and the price has already been paid by God…all it takes is faith.
On Education Sunday each year, the Christian community celebrates its mission in education. This mission of hope helps children, young people and adults appreciate and know of God's love for them. God's love transforms and brings about personal change that is not skin-deep but life changing.
Catholic schools and colleges are founded by communities of faith and characterised by a commitment to personal excellence and social justice. Through the example of parents, teachers, teaching assistants, chaplains, governors and the wider community, students will learn how to be truly happy and fulfilled. Through learning more about their own faith students will learn how to talk to people of other faiths and none; thus building a more content and peaceful society.
It is a day set aside to remember all victims of the Holocaust and other 20th century genocides. During the Nazi regime people were persecuted just for being different. Some were considered to be racially different, some were physically or mentally disabled. Others were homosexual or from other minority groups. Still others were persecuted for their religious or political beliefs.
Intolerance and exclusion still affect many regions of Britain today. Those who are different from the majority face discrimination. Racism, anti-Semitism, islamophobia and homophobia prevent people living together in a community where different backgrounds and circumstances are valued.
Pope Benedict, following his predecessor Pope John Paul II, said, "The terrible events of the Shoah must "never cease to rouse consciences, to resolve conflicts, to inspire the building of peace."
At his election the Pope asked all Catholics to co-operate for true social development, one that respects the dignity of all human beings.
The week of Prayer for Christian Unity is actually eight days, an octave of prayer, observed between 18th and 25th January regardless of the days of the week on which these dates fall.
This year, the theme is reflecting on the suffering and death caused by HIV/AIDS in South Africa, and that the shame of the victims and ignorance of the ways of preventing it.
Prayer
We give thanks for the power of Jesus to change life
We pray for those living with terminal illness and those who
care for them
We pray for those who suffer in silence
Provider God, we thank you for revealing yourself creatively
in broken lives
DAILY SERVICES AT METHODIST CHURCH
PLEASE SEE PROGRAMME ON THE NOTICEBOARDS.
SUNDAY 21ST JANUARY UNITED SERVICE
6PM AT ST LUKE'S CHURCH, NORFOLK ROAD MAIDENHEAD
We all have a great a deal to do over the Christmas period and this includes the preparation of the churches for the Christmas services. Many people contribute to these preparations and do so in a quiet way so that it appears that the whole process is effortless; this of course is an illusion, there is a great deal of hard work that goes on and tireless commitment from many people in order for us all to have a spiritually uplifting liturgy at Christmas time.
So many parishioners help in countless ways within the parish and this work helps to build and develop a sense of community and increase the quality of our spiritual lives. On behalf of the Pastoral Parish Council I would like to thank all those parishioners who now and over many years have helped to build St JosephÕs and St ElizabethÕs into a prayerful thriving catholic community. We are extremely grateful for your continuing commitment to the parish and wish you all a very Happy New Year.
First of all, a Happy New Year to every one in the parish. May be the new year does not feel any different from the old year and in may ways it is not, but at the same time the new year does give us all the opportunity of making a new start and leaving the old behind. The new year should mean more to us than an opportunity of join weight watchers.
My sincere thanks for your exceptional generous Christmas offerings. I would like to thank you for the offerings but also for the great kindness shown to me by so many different people, without the support of so many people I would not be able to survive in my role as your parish priest which at times can be a lonely role.
We now need to start to look ahead. We need to think of the Lent Project. Over the years the people of this parish can be proud of our Lent Projects. A lot of people have been helped and the lives of many people are so much better because of the support given from the people of this parish. What will we do for this year? Again it would be good if again we could all make a big effort. What charities do we support: We need to hear of what you would like to support. This year I hope that we will do more than ever. My hope is that we will be able to do a joint project with St Edmund Campion parish; working together we could do so much more and have such a great time together. But for this to happen we need a lot of people to say "yes we will make this happen". I am looking forward to hearing from a lot of people who will make this possible.
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)
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