Bidding Prayers - Pentecost Sunday We are looking for parishioners to say one bidding prayer in their own language on Pentecost Sunday. Please volunteer in the entrance on your way out. Nationalities in the Parish We wish to celebrate the diversity of Parishioners in our Parish on Pentecost. Please add your own Nationality or Ethnicity to the list in the entrance. The list will be typed up and attached to the newsletter on Pentecost Sunday. National Dress To celebrate the diversity in our Parish and if you have an ethnic costume, perhaps you may wish to wear it at the Pentecost Sunday Mass. The Our Father At the Pentecost Mass, we will ask parishioners to say Our Father Prayer in their own language (all at the same time) if they wish.
The Virtues of Mary - Humility Humility is the foundation and guardian of the virtues, because a soul cannot possess other virtues without humility. The world does not know it at first, but Jesus Himself came to teach it by His example, He told us: "Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart." Mary was the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus Christ in all the virtues, and humility was the first virtue which she especially practised from childhood. Mary always thought so lowly of herself, remembering that all was God's gift; she also refused praises, and gave them all back to God, like in the Annunciation and the Visitation. Out of humility, Mary concealed the gifts of heaven thus did not tell St Joseph that she became the mother of God. Despite being pregnant, Mary still went and served Elizabeth for three months partly due to humility. Mary's humbleness also caused her to retire and choose the lowest place; like when she wished to speak with Jesus while He was preaching in a house, she waited outside until invited; and she took the lowest place when she was in the "upper room" with the apostles. Finally, the humble one loves contempt; as Mary did not appear on Palm Sunday when Jesus received so much honour, instead she appeared in public on Calvary and did not shrink from fear of the shame of being known as the mother of a criminal who was condemned to an infamous death. Indeed, humility is not easy to practise, but if we are not humble, we can never be the true children of Mary. Oh, how dear is a humble soul to Mary! St Bernard wrote: "The Virgin recognizes and loves those who love her, and she is near to all who invoke her, especially to those whom she sees like herself in chastity and humility. Emulate this virtue if you love Mary." (Source: St Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary, P J Kenedy & Sons, 1888)
Holy Rosary will be held in Our Lady’s Garden at St Peter’s every Sunday in May at 11am Please join us today! Why not use this great opportunity to also take part in the Word on Fire’s ‘50,000 Rosaries Challenge’ this month? So far over 25,000 Rosaries have been prayed around the world for the "lost sheep" to return to the faith. To log your Rosary and join this international movement please visit: https://www.wordonfire.org/pray-rosary/#log
You can read Pope Francis’ message for the day via: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/wcd24-papal-message/ May advances in communications technology and artificial intelligence assist us so that we may all grow together and share our common humanity. (Bidding Prayer from CBCEW) This weekend there is a Second Collection for Catholic Communications Network
Graciously hear our supplications, O Lord, so that we, who believe that the Saviour of the human race is with you in your glory, may experience, as he promised, until the end of the world, his abiding presence among us. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
We discussed at our Parish Council meeting that parishioners will know about the deluge of water that entered over the Repository shop last December just in Christmas week. We were mopping up each day and St Francis statue had to be moved for safety. We now know that it was a slipped ridge tile and other tiles that damaged the leadwork on the roof. We also had water slowly entering on the St Peter’s side. This side had faulty lead work and a damaged valley nest to the tower. This has now been rectified with a new lead valley. The cost of this side has been £13,000.00 and it still needs to dry before repainting the walls. The shop side is not yet complete but will be equally costly. Please consider these costs in maintaining our beautiful church in the opportunity of the collections, or a special yellow envelope that can be ‘Gift-Aided’. Many thanks. Fr Chris This weekend there is a Second Collection for the restoration of the water damage in St Peter’s Church
& Call to Priesthood (continued from last week) If you look back once more, after Jesus said He will give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and after Jesus died on the Cross and resurrected, it is then that Jesus asked Peter this question face to face. And now, over 2000 years later, in a different space and time, He gave you this thought to be His Priest, He showed you His greatest Love from the Cross and reminds you during every Mass you attended, with His glorious Body hidden in the Eucharist He comes to you and asks you: Do you love me? Do not be afraid to give Him your love, since your love will not be an unrequited love, remember: you are already being loved with an everlasting love… If you are ever in doubt or have worries along the way, do not fear, because you will always have Our Lady who will support and protect you, call on Her, as She is your Heavenly Mother given by Our Lord, who has accompanied the Apostles in the Early Church. Jesus needs you, to work in His field to gather His 'harvest', in his pasture to feed His 'sheep', in His Church to nourish and strengthen His children with His Words, His Eucharist and His Sacraments. Would you lend Him your lips, your hands, your feet? You did not choose to have this Vocation, no, He chose you. You are chosen. He gave you this desire, this invitation, this thought in your heart; and He waits for your reply. "Come and see." "Follow Me." Do not wait until you are 100% sure, do not wait until you think you are perfect. There is no such thing that you need to have the 'character of a Priest' in order to be a Priest, look at Jesus' disciples: they are people from all walks of life. Go now, and pursuit His Call. It is all worth it, because when Peter asked what will they get at the end after abandoning everything to follow Him, Jesus has promised that they will receive a hundredfold more and inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) Almighty ever-living God, constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us, that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism may, under your protective care, bear much fruit and come to the joys of life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
& Call to Priesthood If you want to appoint someone to work for you, you would certainly want that person to have various skills, knowledge, experience, etc. But if you want to work for God, He only ask you one thing: 'Do you love Me?' And that was exactly what He asked Peter after the Resurrection, no doubt about it, because He asked him three times. After Peter expressed his love to the Lord, Jesus then put 'His sheep' into Peter's hands — all the people of His Church, which He bought with His own most Precious Blood. Such great responsibility He gave Peter, why does He only ask for that? You know, God can give you all your talents you need in this world; but only you and you alone can gives God your love, your 'fiat'. Because God can only ask but cannot force upon you, He invites, yet you need to be willing to respond. You might ask: is it enough to just have love? Do not treat 'love' lightly, because as St Paul wrote to the Corinthians:"Love is patient, love is kind..." (See 1 Corinthians 13:47). Therefore love is the source of every goodness, like a white light shines through a clear glass prism and gives all kinds of colours of light. Love makes everything complete, because God is Love. With love, God created this Universe, with love the Son came down from Heaven, willing to suffer and die to save us. Therefore what is not possible with love? When you love someone, you will do everything gladly and willingly for that person. When you fall in love, you will do anything for that person and even beyond. Hence Priesthood is Jesus calling you in love to follow Him and be His shepherd with love. ( To be continued )
We have a new member of our Rosminian community, Brother Cong is from Vietnam. He is here for the next few months and will be studying to improve English. Please make him welcome, and if you can offer to take him to see parts of our area, he will be grateful.