Newsletter- 17th Week of Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners
‘Ask, and it will be given to you’ The readings for this Sunday – 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C remind us again of the boundless love God offers to those who believe. Our faith in God will be rewarded more than we can imagine, if we but ask in prayer. God’s mercy for the sinful people of Sodom and Gomorrah is revealed in the First Reading. Abraham pleads with the Lord not to destroy them, even though few good people remain there. Abraham’s persistence and belief in God are an example for us of the power of prayer. The Responsorial Psalm similarly speaks of God’s constant faith and mercy. The psalmist offers praise and thanksgiving to the God who hears the cry of all people in distress. In the Second Reading, St Paul reminds the community in the city of Colossae – and us too – that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has brought everlasting life and forgiveness for all our sins. As Jesus teaches the disciples in the Gospel how to pray to the Father, he also encourages us to believe that we can ask God for anything, and that our faith will be rewarded simply because of the immensity of God’s unconditional love for us. But always be aware that the ways of God are not always our ways and so sometimes he answers our prayers in ways which we can never imagine and often times to with an answer which may on the surface of it appear contrary to our desires but in the end will always prove to be what is best for us or those who we hold before him in prayer!
In the week ahead, we might like to renew our efforts to take every opportunity to show our faith and trust in God by placing the needs of those who are suffering before the Lord who loves us all. We particularly remember those who are suffering in war and conflict in Gaza and the Ukraine and on many other areas of the world too; all who live in poverty or upon the margins of our society; those who feel alienated or excluded from the Church; those too who are carrying great worries and concerns or maybe grieving the loss of a loved one. We hold all who suffer pain and anguish before the Lord and ask that through the power of his great love for us they may be held close to Christ in his Most Sacred Heart and know his loving presence in their midst at this time.
During the next few weeks, many within our parish will be taking a well-deserved rest, a time away for holidays and to visit friends and family at home and abroad, many of our regular volunteers at the weekend Masses and in the parish office will be doing the same, this means at times our Sunday Liturgies will be a little simpler than normal. For the next few weeks, we shall also have a Bulletin that covers two weeks at a time.
I hope and pray that each of you will enjoy some well-earned rest and relaxation during August….and if you are going away that you will return rested and refreshed! We warmly welcome all who may be visiting our parish during the summer. Please do make yourself known to me at the door after Mass. It is a great pleasure to have you come to worship with us here at St Mary’s and we hope you will enjoy your stay in the locality.
With my prayers for you and for your families during the holiday period,
Your parish priest and friend,
Fr Jonathan
2025 27th July – Newsletter – Download