Sixth Sunday of Eastertide

 

“Liberavit Dominus populum suum. Alleluia!”

The Lord has delivered his people. Alleluia!

Introit from the Mass of the Vigil of the Ascension.

Dear Friends,

The news this week indicates that it will be July at least before we may be together to celebrate Holy Mass once again. I know that for many of you, as for me, this is a great trial. The everyday things of the Faith can feel far from us. But Our Lord transcends all physical and human barriers. Some words of Pope Benedict on the Feast of the Ascension which falls this Thursday remind us of this.

From a homily in the Basilica of St John Lateran, Saturday, 7 May 2005.

"What does the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord mean for us? It does not mean that the Lord has departed to some place far from people and from the world. Christ’s Ascension is not a journey into space toward the most remote stars; for basically, the planets, like the earth, are also made of physical elements. 

Christ’s Ascension means that he no longer belongs to the world of corruption and death that conditions our life. It means that he belongs entirely to God. He, the Eternal Son, led our human existence into God’s presence, taking with him flesh and blood in a transfigured form. 

The human being finds room in God; through Christ, the human being was introduced into the very life of God. And since God embraces and sustains the entire cosmos, the Ascension of the Lord means that Christ has not departed from us, but that he is now, thanks to his being with the Father, close to each one of us for ever. Each one of us can be on intimate terms with him; each can call upon him. The Lord is always within hearing. We can inwardly draw away from him. We can live turning our backs on him. But he always waits for us and is always close to us."

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Your Mass intentions will still be offered as requested and you may continue to send them in: this week for...

For the people of the parish

For the homeless

Louise Beardsmore and Family

Members of the Peake and Campbell families

Your Prayers are asked for all the sick, including: Rita Sarbrick, Rosena Stacey, Vivienne Lee, Tom Miller, Paul Casey, Linda Melling, Tilly Gee, Kathleen Ward, Clare Butler, Maureen MacDonald, Louie Baines, Maureen O'Brien, Margaret McNiff, Elle Miller, Mark Duncan, Hild Gibbons, Bill Sutton, Barbara Fow, Mary Ann Monaghan, Bernard Lawson, Mick Marshall, Carol Parkinson, Margaret Cheston, Eric Neilson, Alan Cottam, Seámus McLoughlin.

Please also pray for Bishop Vincent Malone, our retired Auxiliary bishop, who has tested positive for coronavirus. He has mild symptoms and is resting at home.

We pray for those who are housebound and for those who love  and care for them.

O Mary conceived without sin - Pray for us who have recourse to thee.

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If you would like to pray through the Mass online or via TV here are some links below. Some people find it a way of preparing in some fitting way to make a Spiritual Communion in these times when the actual Mass is not available:

If you have access to Facebook, the beautiful little church of Corpus Christi on Maiden Lane in London has Mass each day.           https://www.facebook.com/corpuschristimaidenlane

Also on Facebook, the Canons at St Walburge's in Preston stream many Masses and Devotions: https://www.facebook.com/icksp.preston/

If you have Sky TV or you can also access EWTN at: https://www.ewtn.com/

With many other programmes that you might find useful.

The Oratorians at Cardiff: http://cardifforatory.co.uk/live-stream/

 
The Fathers of the Fraternity of St Peter also stream their Masses and devotions from Warrington St Mary's at: http://s3.amazonaws.com/livemass/warrington/index.html 

You can even join in Mass live from Westminster Cathedral: http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/index.php

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Please do continue to keep in touch via our Parish Facebook page and my blog. I continue to be in touch with parishioners via phone calls in particular.

Like many parts of society, the financial effect of the lockdown is also a concern for our parish. Although some people give through standing orders at the bank, our weekly cash income from various sources is around the £350 mark, so that is what we are losing each week at the moment. All the usual bills such as gas, electric and community charge continue to come in and other work is still undertaken. So, for example, the heating boilers have had their annual service and the annual check and inspection of the fire alarm system and emergency lighting have taken place in the last couple of weeks. 

May I ask that, if you are able, please continue to put aside your weekly offering each Sunday and bring it with you when things return to some normality. If you would like a Standing Order form, please contact me. 

God keep you,

Fr Simon.

Fifth Sunday of Eastertide

“Putting up with any sacrifices that are asked of us in our day-to-day lives becomes a slow martyrdom which purifies us and raises us up to the level of the supernatural, through the encounter of our soul with God, in the atmosphere of the presence of the Most Holy Trinity within us. We have here an incomparable spiritual richness!”

Words of the Servant of God, Sr Lucia in 1997.

Dear Friends,

Wednesday is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Her words quoted above might be particularly appropriate for these days if we are finding things difficult, to be away from loved ones, to be struggling at home, to be in financial difficulties and, of course, to be unable to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Whatever befalls us in life can be offered to Almighty God for His grace to transform it by bringing forth good out of adversity or by raising up the merely human to the supernatural.

The Daily Offering.

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 

I offer you all the prayers, works, sufferings and joys of this day

in union with the holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered throughout the world.

I offer them for all the intentions of Your Most Sacred Heart:

for the salvation of souls

reparation for sin

and the reunion of all Christians.

Amen. 

Archbishop Malcolm produced a video message about Vocations for last Sunday. You my view it here: https://youtu.be/HiQ3X0vCbnw

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Your Mass intentions will still be offered as requested and you may continue to send them in: this week for...

For the people of the parish

Margaret Dickinson, RIP

Charlotte and William Whittam, RIP

Ray Watkinson, BR

A Special Intention

Turner and Taylor Families

Your Prayers are asked for all the sick, including: Rita Sarbrick, Rosena Stacey, Vivienne Lee, Tom Miller, Paul Casey, Linda Melling, Tilly Gee, Kathleen Ward, Clare Butler, Maureen MacDonald, Louie Baines, Maureen O'Brien, Margaret McNiff, Elle Miller, Mark Duncan, Hild Gibbons, Bill Sutton, Barbara Fow, Mary Ann Monaghan, Bernard Lawson, Mick Marshall, Carol Parkinson, Margaret Cheston, Eric Neilson, Alan Cottam, Seámus McLoughlin.

We pray for those who are housebound and for those who love  and care for them.

O Mary conceived without sin - Pray for us who have recourse to thee.

----------------------------------------

If you would like to pray through the Mass online or via TV here are some links below. Some people find it a way of preparing in some fitting way to make a Spiritual Communion in these times when the actual Mass is not available:

If you have access to Facebook, the beautiful little church of Corpus Christi on Maiden Lane in London has Mass each day.           https://www.facebook.com/corpuschristimaidenlane

Also on Facebook, the Canons at St Walburge's in Preston stream many Masses and Devotions: https://www.facebook.com/icksp.preston/

If you have Sky TV or you can also access EWTN at: https://www.ewtn.com/

With many other programmes that you might find useful.

The Oratorians at Cardiff: http://cardifforatory.co.uk/live-stream/

 
The Fathers of the Fraternity of St Peter also stream their Masses and devotions from Warrington St Mary's at: http://s3.amazonaws.com/livemass/warrington/index.html 

You can even join in Mass live from Westminster Cathedral: http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/index.php

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At the time of writing this, there seems no immediate light at the end of the tunnel in knowing when we will be able to celebrate public worship again. I pray that it will be soon so that we can once more be present together as God's family at the source and summit of Christian life - the Holy Sacrifice of Calvary.  

Please do continue to keep in touch via our Parish Facebook page and my blog. I continue to be in touch with parishioners via phone calls in particular.

Like many parts of society, the financial effect of the lockdown is also a concern for our parish. May I ask that, if you are able, please continue to put aside your weekly offering each Sunday and bring it with you when things return to some normality. If you would like a Standing Order form, please contact me. 

God keep you,

Fr Simon.

Fourth Sunday of Eastertide

Tristitia vestra vertetur in gaudium. alleluia!

Your sorrow shall be turned to joy. Alleluia!

Communion antiphon for the third Sunday after Easter (EF).

Dear Friends,

Our social isolation sadly continues and one of the most difficult separations is surely that of being separated from the Real Presence of the Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament and finding ourselves unable to be present at the Sacrifice of Calvary and the inspiration of the Resurrection in this Easter season.

We have entered the month of May - Mary's month - and I find myself wondering how the Holy Family might have lived out their lives in the home at Nazareth if they were in lockdown. Reliance on each other, patience and prayer and a certain confidence in the love of God our Father would surely have marked their days. Pondering human difficulties and tragedies in their hearts and still managing to say "Yes" in co-operating with God's grace.

Pope Francis encourages us to pray the Rosary most especially in these trying times. Click on the link to read his exhortation: Pray the Rosary.

Let us accept that invitation to ponder the mysteries of life next to the Mysteries of our Salvation

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Your Mass intentions will still be offered as requested and you may continue to send them in: this week for...

For the people of the parish

Mary Walmsley, RIP

Chris Thewlis and family

Kirsten Base and Family

Thanksgiving to Our Lady of Mount Carmel for prayers answered

For those contemplating abortion and their families

Your Prayers are asked for all the sick, including: Rita Sarbrick, Rosena Stacey, Vivienne Lee, Tom Miller, Paul Casey, Linda Melling, Tilly Gee, Kathleen Ward, Clare Butler, Maureen MacDonald, Louie Baines, Maureen O'Brien, Margaret McNiff, Elle Miller, Mark Duncan, Hild Gibbons, Bill Sutton, Barbara Fow, Mary Ann Monaghan, Bernard Lawson, Mick Marshall, Carol Parkinson, Margaret Cheston, Eric Neilson, Alan Cottam, Seámus McLoughlin.

We pray for those who are housebound and for those who love  and care for them.

O Mary conceived without sin - Pray for us who have recourse to thee.

----------------------------------------

If you would like to pray through the Mass online or via TV here are some links below. Some people find it a way of preparing in some fitting way to make a Spiritual Communion in these times when the actual Mass is not available:

If you have access to Facebook, the beautiful little church of Corpus Christi on Maiden Lane in London has Mass each day.           https://www.facebook.com/corpuschristimaidenlane

Also on Facebook, the Canons at St Walburge's in Preston stream many Masses and Devotions: https://www.facebook.com/icksp.preston/

If you have Sky TV or you can also access EWTN at: https://www.ewtn.com/

With many other programmes that you might find useful.

The Oratorians at Cardiff: http://cardifforatory.co.uk/live-stream/

 
The Fathers of the Fraternity of St Peter also stream their Masses and devotions from Warrington St Mary's at: http://s3.amazonaws.com/livemass/warrington/index.html 

You can even join in Mass live from Westminster Cathedral: http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/index.php

---------------------------------------------

Please do continue to keep in touch via our Parish Facebook page and my blog. I continue to be in touch with parishioners via phone calls in particular, although I've realised my database is woefully inadaqute in this area. Updating project for when things get back to normal.

Like many parts of society, the financial effect of the lockdown is also a concern for our parish. May I ask that, if you are able, please continue to put aside your weekly offering each Sunday and bring it with you when things return to some normality. If you would like a Standing Order form, please contact me. 

God keep you,

Fr Simon.