Newsletter- 24th Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners
This Sunday, the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B we keep Evangelii Gaudium Sunday A few years ago, the Bishops of England and Wales gave the day of prayer for Home Mission Sunday a new title, Evangelii Gaudium Sunday. This was to reflect the changing focus of evangelisation presented by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation of the same name. His 2013 letter is seen by many as the way in which our Holy Father launched some of the important themes of his new pontificate, but it found its basis as the summary document of the previous year’s Synod of Bishops on the theme of The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith.
On Evangelii Gaudium Sunday we are all encouraged to firstly pray for the work of evangelisation across our countries and to see ways in which as Catholics within a parish setting, we may become more involved in this work. It is also a moment for us all to see if there is anything more that we could be doing to support each other to grow in a living faith.
The Bishops’ Conference has a mission team which is based at their secretariat in Eccleston Square in London. This office supports the bishops in their work to promote evangelisation activities across England and Wales. Alongside this work of outreach, the mission team is also involved in providing prayer resources and catechetical advice. At all Sunday Masses this weekend there will be a Second Collection which supports this important work.
The readings this week at Mass invite us to reflect on the person of Jesus, the Christ, and the challenges and possible suffering involved in being his modern-day disciples in the world in which we live. In the First Reading, from Isaiah’s third song of the Suffering Servant, we see a description of the ideal disciple. Despite intense suffering and misery, this person never loses hope and trust in the Lord. The Psalmist, like the Suffering Servant, also calls on the Lord from the depths of his anguish and sorrow. The Lord hears and saves him. However, as James points out in the Second Reading, we cannot call ourselves followers of Christ if we do not do what we can to help the needy, the sick and the poor and all those who live upon the margins of our society today. When we come to the Gospel, we are invited, like Peter, to make our own profession of faith. However, proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ also means accepting that sometimes during our lives hardships will come our way. We may well have to take up our cross to follow him.
Changes to the Mass Schedule for the coming week:
Friday 20th September: The Mass times change today to allow for the Funeral Mass of Joyce McGarvey – 11 am at St Mary’s followed by committal for cremation at Grantham Crematorium at 12.30 pm.
Looking ahead:
- Confirmation Mass at St Mary’s – Friday 27th September 2024 at 7 p.m.: Later this month we shall welcome Bishop Patrick to celebrate Mass in our parish and to administer the sacrament of Confirmation to our 32 confirmandi who for the past year have been preparing to make this next important step in their faith journeys. Please keep them in your prayers and if time will allow come to join with them and their families at this special Mass celebrated by bishop Patrick in our parish.
- Fr Jonathan – will be away in Walsingham – Monday 30th September – Wednesday 2nd October: I shall be away at the “Under 10’s” in Walsingham for a few days with the bishop and my brother priests who have been ordained for less than ten years. This is an important opportunity for us to spend time away together, to pray and to reflect and is part of our ongoing clergy formation. The church will be closed from Monday 30th September until Wednesday 2nd There will be no public worship on Tuesday 1stnor Wednesday 2nd October. Normal Masses resume, and the church will be open again throughout the day from Thursday 3rdOctober. Please keep me in your prayers during my time away. I will be remembering our parish each day during my time at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. If you have special prayer requests that you would like me to offer on your behalf at the Shrine, please give these to me please by Sunday 29th September.
This week, let us try to focus our prayer on all who suffer for their beliefs in the Lord, and for all those who are in need of safety, food and shelter, wherever they may be. Let us reach out in love, kindness and compassion to all whom we encounter in our daily lives and show them by our care and concern the loving face of Christ.
With my prayers for you and for your families during the coming week,
Your parish priest and friend,
Fr Jonathan
2024 15th September – Newsletter – Download