Newsletter- 30th Week of Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners
It was good to be back in the parish again after my 10 days break away on the beautiful Island of Kefalonia, staying in the summer house of a local Greek family, close to the sea, in the northern part of the island, outside the ancient fishing village of Fiscardo. My sincere thanks to all who so kindly and generously covered in the parish during my absence.
This Sunday, the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B the readings at Mass invite us to worship Christ Jesus, who opens our eyes to the marvels that He has done for us as our high priest and reveals to us the Father. The readings also assure us that God never abandons us, even when we feel downhearted or at times fail in our loving and in our living.
Using tender, compassionate imagery, Jeremiah in the First Reading addresses the exiled people of Israel with a poem of restoration. He promises that God will bring them home again: they will be restored to their own land, and God’s loving purpose will again be triumphant. The account of the miracle in the Gospel reveals another type of restoration: the restoration of sight to Bartimaeus, the blind beggar at the roadside who cries out to Jesus in desperation. Not only is Bartimaeus healed, and his sight restored, but he also models discipleship for us by following Jesus without hesitation. In the Second Reading from Hebrews, the theme of restoration appears again: Christ Jesus is our compassionate high priest who restores us as daughters and sons of God. The Responsorial Psalm is a pilgrim song of hope and joy, reminding us of God’s goodness in the past and his ongoing deliverance of His people.
This week, we pray for the eyes of our heart and mind to be opened, so that we might receive the life-giving revelations and blessings of Jesus. We also pray for all who are living lives of bondage and slavery in our world today. In our own lives too, we may like to reflect upon those things which ensnare us, those besetting sins or addictions that each of us struggle with and which on our own we seem powerless to overcome or to change. Let us ask for God’s grace to help us, as we seek peace and renewal through the power of Christ’s restorative love.
Bishop’s Pastoral Letter: This Sunday the Bishop has issued a Pastoral Letter, to be read at all Sunday Masses celebrated in our Diocese in place of the homily over the weekend of the 26th and 27th October. It concerns assisted suicide and the Bill currently before Parliament.
November – Month of the Holy Souls. You will find in the entrance to church the November Dead List Envelopes, and printed sheetsfor writing the names of deceased family members and friends to be included in the envelope with a donation, which can either be given to me personally or dropped through the letter box of the Rectory. The names of your deceased relatives and friends will then be placed in a basket close to the Altar throughout the month of November after which I will divide the names up into special Masses for the intentions of ‘The Holy Souls – November Dead List.’ These Masses will be offered throughout the year.
Remembrance Sunday – 10th November – The Vigil Mass on Saturday 9th November at 6.p.m. will be a Mass for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. On Sunday 10th November our parish Mass at 9.30 a.m. will be a Requiem Mass in anniversario. At this Mass there will be an Act of Remembrance before the Final Blessing, and we shall keep Two Minutes Silence. We offer Mass on this day for all who died in the service of their country and for our freedom in the past two World Wars and all subsequent conflicts since.
Changes to the Liturgies for this coming week:
Tuesday 29th October: I need to attend a formal dinner at Bishops House. There will be no Mass/Holy Hour/Benediction in the evening today. Mass will be celebrated instead at 9.30 am and there will be a period of Silent Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament from 9am – 9.30 a.m. just before Mass begins.
Friday 1st November – Solemnity of All Saints – We welcome St Marys Primary School to Mass in the parish this Morning. Mass will be celebrated in church at 10 am. The school will assist with the Liturgy today, offering the Readings, Prayers, Music and serving at the altar. In addition, there will be an extra Low Mass in the evening at 6 pm.
Saturday 2nd November (Morning) – All Souls Day – A Requiem Mass commemorating All the Faithful Departed will be celebrated in church at 9.30 am today. The sheets of names from the envelopes handed to me for the November Dead List will be placed in a basket close to the altar at this Mass as we pray for them and for all the faithful departed. The basket will remain close to the altar throughout the month of November.
Sunday 3rd November – Annual Blessing of Graves – Grantham Cemetery – on Sunday 3rd November, at 2 pm we shall go to the local cemetery for the Blessing of Graves – I invite you to come and join us there that afternoon as we offer a simple liturgy of prayer and blessing with holy water of our Catholic graves. A chance too to pray for the repose of the souls of family members and friends buried in the cemetery. Please meet promptly at the stone archway as you enter the main cemetery gates at 2 p.m.
With my prayers for you and for your families during the coming week ahead.
Your parish priest and friend,
Fr Jonathan
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