God's Love for You - Sunday 29th March 2026

Webmaster • March 27, 2026

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ


Is there any greater love on earth than this? Oh lovers of this world, your love can never compare before Him! On that day, with ceaseless tears, I accompanied the Mother of our Master Jesus to witness this greatest Love story ever told. It is not some sort of human romance, but a suffering and sacrificing Love. It is on Mount Calvary, when my beloved Divine Master being nailed to the cross, His once most beautiful face became so disfigured and defiled that one can scarcely recognize with their own eyes, His whole Body were covered with wounds and bruises from the most horrific tortures…But it is exactly when the Most Innocent Son of God and Son of Man being branded as a criminal, being crucified shamefully on the cross, being fearfully hanged openly between heaven and earth, a most powerful message was sent deep into the hearts of all those who wish to accept – God’s Love for you. A Love which despite in the midst of great sufferings to a point that no human being could possibly survive, despite surrounded by insults, but still willing to pray to the Father to forgive the enemies. A Love which give graces to realise one’s own sinfulness, and as long as one truly repent, Infinite Mercy and Salvation will still be granted to them. A Love which despite in the midst of great sorrow and felt being abandoned, but can still totally forgot Oneself and thirsted for the Salvation of souls. And how would I forget Your Last Words for me, when You gave Your Mother to me to be my Mother. Not only You showed me a Love which You gave up Your very last earthly consolation which you needed so much, in order that we might be relieved from our terrible grief for You, but also You gave Your Mother as a Mother to all who believe in You, who become children of God. My beloved Lord, this cup of Sufferings, which is so bitter that Your human nature once shuddered with fear and sweated great drops of blood. But You drank it to the very last drop. Not only to accomplish the Will of the Father, but also because the fire of Your Love for us, so through Your Most Precious Blood and Most Sorrowful Passion the whole human race can be redeemed. Even though you knew not everyone is willing to receive this Saving Grace, yet You still did this for us!


Reflection:

 It was not easy to stand at the foot of the Cross. Our Lady, St John and other holy women not only need to overcome their sorrow and grief when looking at Jesus suffering and dying on the Cross, they also need to stand courageously against those hostility from the Pharisees, soldiers and bystanders, as well as the fear of being caught as a follower of Jesus. But love and compassion to Jesus filled their hearts, they were not afraid to show and confess they belong to Jesus and supported each other. They loved because He first Loved them. What about ourselves? Are we willing to go to profess our faith and let this hostile and indifferent world to know about this Love? Follow Him courageously, but most importantly, let your sins die with Him, so one

God's Love for You - Sunday 8th November 2026

By Webmaster • November 6, 2026
Holy Family's Sufferings & Patience (2) Sufferings had not left the life of the Holy Family. Since we should never forget how Our Lord was born in this world: not in a palace but in a cave, not in a comfy baby cot but in a manger with itchy straws, not surrounded by servants but by beasts and animals. Jesus who is our God, who own everything but willing to have nothing, who should receive all glory but willing to be born in such a lowly state on earth, who is almighty but willing to appear in front of us as a helpless babe. If one can image the sufferings that a royalty will have when living as a peasant, then how much more sufferings God had when He lived as one the poorest amongst human! The King of Universe enters the world in extreme poverty, as a model for all to live in complete detachment from things in the world. Our Saviour, from the very beginning, already accepted these hardships with patience for the glory of the eternal Father and for the good of men. Let’s also read about the trials of the Holy Family when they escape to Egypt from the vision of Blessed A Emmerich: ‘…I saw them in the wilderness. No words can depict the difficulties of this journey. They always travelled a mile eastward of the ordinary highway and, as they shunned the public inns, they suffered the want of all necessaries. I saw them quite exhausted with not a drop of water (the little jug was empty)… I saw the Holy Family arrive, worn-out and dejected. Mary was very sad; she wept, for they were in want of everything…’ That really was one of the greatest and dangerous sufferings that they experienced. Not only they left everything behind – family, friends, house, possessions, job, things and places they are familiar with...and setting out on this journey which could cost their lives! Those years of exile in Egypt, living as a foreigner, living as a poor immigrant, in a pagan land, where discrimination and bully is common in those days, it is natural to think how hard and difficult their lives had been. But they persevered, no one abandon anyone, supported and looked after each other in spite of the common tribulation, because of their love to God and to one other, and trusted in Divine Providence in their time of need.  ●www.prayinglatin.com/joyful-mystery-meditations/ ●The Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations, Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

By Wemaster • November 6, 2026
On this day are remembered all those who gave their lives for their country, all who suffered and died through acts of war and those who were left behind to grieve and mourn. O God, merciful and strong, who crush wars and cast down the proud, be pleased to banish violence swiftly from our midst and to wipe away all tears,  so that we may all truly deserve to be called your children..

Sunday 8th November 2026

By Webmaster • November 6, 2026
Almighty and merciful God, graciously keep from us all adversity, so that, unhindered in mind and body alike, we may pursue in freedom of heart the things that are yours. 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.

Solemnity of All Saints

By Webmaster • October 30, 2026
1st November Today the Church celebrates all the saints: canonized or beatified, and the multitude of those who are in heaven enjoying the beatific vision that are only known to God. The feast of All Saints should inspire us with tremendous hope. Among the saints in heaven are some whom we have known. All lived on earth lives like our own. They were baptized, marked with the sign of faith, they were faithful to Christ's teaching and they have gone before us to the heavenly home whence they call on us to follow them. The Gospel of the Beatitudes, read today, while it shows their happiness, shows, too, the road that they followed; there is no other that will lead us whither they have gone. So we all have this "universal call to holiness." What must we do in order to join the company of the saints in heaven? We "must follow in His footsteps and conform [our]selves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. [We] must devote [our]selves with all [our] being to the glory of God and the service of [our] neighbor. In this way, the holiness of the People of God will grow into an abundant harvest of good, as is admirably shown by the life of so many saints in Church history" (Lumen Gentium, 40). Wish you all a very happy Solemnity of All Saints!

God's Love for You - Sunday 1st November 2026

By Webmaster • October 30, 2026
Holy Family's Sufferings & Patience (1) Every now and then, we hear people asking these questions: “Why do good people suffer?” “Why isn’t good deeds being rewarded?” “Why is there so many unfairness in this world?” If you also wonder why, then turn your eyes to the Holy Family. From them, you may be ‘reassured’ to know that even the Holy Family is not exempted from all these. Think about when Mary journeyed for days to go back to Bethlehem with Joseph, although Joseph was on foot and Mary was on the donkey’s back, but that did not mean Mary is at a more comfortable position. Because there is no such thing as the Tarmac over 2000 years ago, so you can imagine the road should be dusty or muddy and quite uneven and rocky, also sitting on a possibly bony donkey (because of their poverty) would be quite discomfort and constantly wobbly, together with being heavily pregnant at that time, thus added more tiredness onto the weariness of the journey. But that is not all, when they finally arrived, hoping that they will received some hospitality from the home town, they received coldness, indifference, rejection... doors after doors shutting in front of Joseph’s face especially when homeowners knew Mary is giving birth soon. Will you wonder, where is God in all these? Why is even carrying God in Mary’s womb did not make her life any easier? But Jesus also said: “For the Son of Man also came not to be served but to serve...” (Mk 10:45) Mary left everything is God’s Providence, bear with them patiently, she even asked Joseph to pray with her for those hard-hearted people who refused them. “...love your enemies, ...and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you” (Matt 5:44)

Organ Music for the Bell Tower

By Webmaster • October 30, 2026
Organ Music for the Bell Tower As part of our fundraising for the Church Bell Tower, there will be three organ recitals taking place between now and Christmas. They are:  12th November – Tim Lyons All recitals start at 7.00pm and there will be a retiring collection in aid of the Bell Tower fund. Please come and support the music, the organists, and your Parish.

The Rite of Chrisitian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)

By Webmaster • October 30, 2026
Journey in Faith Becoming a Catholic — RCIA The Parish welcomes enquirers for this new group. Please take a leaflet and speak to one of the Priests.  Meetings will take place at 7pm on Wednesdays in the Presbytery

PARISH NIGHT SHELTER

By Webmaster • October 30, 2026
Volunteers are needed to help run the Parish night shelter for rough sleepers which is due to open on Friday 4th December. The shelter opens each Friday until the end of March 2027. If you wish to volunteer, or want more information, please contact Peter Sullivan on 07906 10 10 15 or petersullivan46@btinternet.com

God's Love for You - Sunday 25th October 2026

By Webmaster • October 23, 2026
Holy Family's Humility & Meekness (3b)  How touching it was to see, during the evening meal that night in the Upper Room, when Jesus as a Rabbi, took off his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist and began to wash his disciples’ feet, in order to show us what humility and servanthood is. But Jesus’ humility and meekness reached its summit during His Passion. He foresaw His Sufferings in the Garden of Gethsemani, yet with His immense anguish of soul He humbly submit to His Father’s Will. When Judas kissed Jesus as a signal for the soldiers to seize his Master, He knew why he done so, but he did not punch him in the face, He did not say ‘How dare you!’, He simply said: “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Lk 22:48) And to the high priest’s servant whom Peter cut off his ear, He healed him. To the men in the high priest’s house who mocked and beat Him, to the soldiers who derided His Kingship by putting thorns on His Head, reed on His Hands and purple cloak on His Shoulder, He remained silent, He bear with all these patiently and meekly. “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent…” (Acts 8:32) He humbly accepted the false accusations by His own people, He accepted the unfair sentence that was given by Pilate, He did not defend Himself with any words, but embraced this shameful cross wholeheartedly. On the way of the Cross, He did not bitterly ask His Mother to take revenge for Him, instead He gently consoled the women of Jerusalem who wept for Him. At the end, our Saviour was not raise by his people to the throne of a king with praises and glory, but to a big wooden cross on Mount Calvary between two thieves with mocking and shame. Although He is the King of kings, but for our sake, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death (Phil 2:8), and died as a criminal. Jesus, my Lord, what more could You have done and have not done for us?

Cardinal Vincent Nichols shared a reflection on Adoration

By Webmaster • October 23, 2026
“The word Adoremus means ‘we adore,’ or maybe ‘let us adore.’ That’s what Adoremus is about – adoration of the presence of Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God, in the Blessed Sacrament before us…when we’re before the Blessed Sacrament, we’re there with that presence of the Lord in his greatest act of love for us and for his Father. And from that love of father and son comes the gift of the holy spirit. So it's not surprising that many people have found praying before the blessed sacrament a very powerful and important experience…There's a French priest called the Curé of Ars or St. John Vianney, and he said the presence of Jesus in the blessed sacrament is God's greatest gift to us because if God had anything greater to give us then he would have given it and this is what he has given… You don’t have to bring anything. Just yourself…place yourself before Jesus…but stay focused on the person of Jesus…You have all the time you want to be silent and just you, face to face, heart to heart with Jesus who loves you, who wants to draw you to himself so that he can tell you what’s in your heart and then together be before Our Heavenly Father.”