Holy Family

Pastoral Letter of Bishop Alan Williams, sm

THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY

My Dear People,

This past year has seen two very significant moments in the life of the Church.  The Synod on the Vocation and Mission of the Family met in Rome and we have now begun The Year of Mercy.

The Synod reminded us that the family is an "image and likeness of the Blessed Trinity", a reflection of the mystery of love which is the life of God.  This essential truth can easily be lost amongst the realities and challenges experienced by many families.

During this Year of Mercy Pope Francis calls us to "gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father's action in our lives".  Mercy is a fundamental attribute of God but it is also often missing in human relationships whether within families or in the wider human community.

During this year Pope Francis asks all of humanity, those of faith and those without, to walk forward into a new world- a world transformed by the mercy of God and mankind.

During these days of Christmastide we have been gazing upon the newborn infant Saviour.  Jesus Christ is the human face of God- quite simply, the closer we are to Jesus the closer we are to God. 

On this Feast of the Holy Family therefore we are consoled and encouraged by the scene at Bethlehem as Mary and Joseph gather around the newborn Son of God.  We hope and pray that the blessings and consolations of the Holy Family will be ours during this Christmas season.

Of course we must never forget that Jesus and His family lived in the real world of which we are very aware.  Today's Gospel tells us of a lost child- the twelve years old Jesus has gone missing during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  Understandably, His parents are anxious and troubled even when Jesus reassures them, "Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father's affairs"?  During the life and ministry of Jesus there were many other occasions of difficulty and conflict which were healed by the mercy and love which Christ alone brings.

You will recall the occasion when Jesus used the image of a family to teach us about our lives, our struggles and the redemption that is possible if we turn towards God.  In the Parable of the Prodigal Son there is discord between the younger son and his father and brother.  I will return repeatedly to this parable during the Year of Mercy; let me simply note here that transformation is only possible by the Father's mercy.  

During this Year of Mercy we all need to make the journey of the prodigal son and daughter.  Only when we experience the mercy of God ourselves can we be merciful to others- "Merciful like the Father".

I wish you many blessings over Christmas and into the New Year.  We can all too easily lose sight of Christ our Redeemer; in today's Gospel Mary and Joseph lost Jesus but found Him again.  During this Year of Mercy "Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith."

Yours in Christ and Mary,

+Alan, sm

Bishop of Brentwood

Christmas

Father Mariusz & Fr Chris, 

wish ALL parishioners; their Family & Friends, 

a Holy, Happy & Healthy Christmas.

Advent 2015

Pastoral Letter of Bishop Alan Williams, sm

For the First Sunday of Advent

[Please read and/or make available at all Masses on the weekend of 28th/29th November 2015]

As we begin Advent today's Gospel strikes a note of urgency- "Stay awake, praying at all times", whilst our opening prayer asks for the “Resolve to meet your Christ”.

During our Advent journey we will look to the examples of John the Baptist who prepared his people for the coming of the Saviour and Mary the Mother of Jesus who received God's Word in complete freedom and love.

Each day in the Divine Office- the official daily Prayer of the Church- we make the prayers of the Baptist and Mary our own: John’s mission was to make “known to his people their salvation through forgiveness of all their sins” and it is Mary who “Rejoices in God my Saviour”.

John preached to all kinds of people including soldiers and tax collectors who were familiar with the reality and tragedy of human sin but he also witnessed to the loving-kindness of our God which gives light to those in darkness.

In her prayer The Magnificat, Mary talks repeatedly of the mercy of God- "His mercy is from age to age on those who fear him". 

During this Advent a Year of Mercy will be inaugurated by the Holy Father on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception- "This liturgical feast day recalls God's action from the very beginning of the history of mankind... When faced with the gravity of sin, God responds with the fullness of mercy.  Mercy will always be greater than any sin and no one can place limits on the love of God who is ever ready to forgive", (Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, n3).

In any Holy Year pilgrimage always has a special place.  It was Pope John Paul II who summed up the whole of life and human history as a "Pilgrimage to the House of God the Father”.  This year Pope Francis is asking us all to become pilgrims, to walk through a Holy Door- the Door of Mercy- whether in Rome or Brentwood Cathedral, that we might "experience the love of God who consoles, pardons and instils hope".

This Advent may we all resolve to meet our Christ anew; in the words of the Venerable Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, "May God preserve you and bless you and grant you all the graces and precious gifts reserved for this holy time".

With all good wishes and continued prayers,

+Alan, sm

Christmas Bazaar 2015

MANY THANKS to all those who attended and supported our BAZAAR, especially to those who helped, in ANY way to make it such a resounding success, mainly those who actually ‘Run, or helped’ on a stall.

November

We remember and we pray...

19.09

Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners, 

pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to you.

Salmata 2015

La Salette Youth Gather 2015, Salmata - film from Rainham.

After holiday

We are back to school and new school and pastoral year.

During summer holiday a small groupe from our parish joined La Salette Youth Gather in Salmata (Italy). I want invite you  to have a look at 2 films prepared by other parishes from England.
Next week I will publish film from Rainham...  Fr. Chris

Salmata from Goodmayes

Salmata from Peterborough

Pentecost

Please pray for those teenagers from our Parish who are receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation this Sunday.  May they continue to walk with the Lord, guided by Him and serving Him in whatever way they feel He is leading them.

May

May is the ‘Month of Our Lady’. It would be nice therefore to say a ‘Hail Mary’ or more before the Statue of Our lady, or in either of the Chapels. Another thing could be ‘to bring a White Flower to place in front of Our Lady’s Statue, showing your love and devotion to the Mother of God. IF you have the time? You could say the Rosary. If you don’t have one, think about buying one. Carry it in your pocket or have it in your bag. If it is on your person you are more likely to use it . . . even if you just say a few “Hail Mary’s”, you are doing something that lifts your heart and thoughts to God. Why not try and say a decade of the rosary every day during the month of May?

polish party

... awesome party plus financial support for youth from our parish going to Italy this summer :-)

Easter

Easter is God’s blessing to the world. It is his way of telling us that, love and hope still exists in the world. 

Very Happy and Blessed Easter

Fr. Mariusz & Fr. Chris 

The Passion

Palm Sunday - polish community in our Parish...

Bishop Alan for Lent

 Pastoral Letter of Bishop Alan Williams, sm

 

 

We have now begun the great journey of Lent. All of us, whether as catechumens preparing to enter the Church, or as experienced Catholic Christians, are called to go forward towards the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus. Lent is a grace filled time, a sacred time; a time for conversion and a time for change.

In today’s Gospel on this first Sunday of Lent we hear that Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days where he struggled with temptation and the extremes of the desert.

This example of Jesus had a profound effect on the early Church when many Christians followed Jesus into the desert and it was in the desert that the first flowerings of Christian monasticism were found. These brothers and sisters consecrated themselves to God and embraced the struggle alongside Christ.

In the desert, “human life is precarious, indeed almost impossible… the only living things are thorns and thistles, poisonous serpents and stinging insects”.

The first Desert Fathers and Mothers left many accounts of their experiences of successive nights and days in the wilderness; they discovered that following Jesus can mean faithfulness but also failure. They learnt about sanctity and about sin; about the intimate presence of God but also about times of desolation.

Their rule of life in these early monasteries was based on the commandments of Jesus regarding love of God and neighbour. One story tells of a visitor who had sought out a hermit and on leaving said to him, “Forgive me father for having taken you away from your rule”. The hermit answered, “My rule is to refresh you and send you away in peace.”

The Gospel we heard on Ash Wednesday suggests a threefold rule for each of us during Lent: self-control, love of God and love of neighbour. We may choose to give something up, or perhaps to exercise charitable giving; Lent is also a privileged time for prayer. However we decide to celebrate Lent we need to go forward with Jesus, from struggling and death into life.

We can also be encouraged if we remember that Lent is a wonderful time to be reconciled with the Lord and with each other.

Like those early Christians we need to be clear that our only way forward is the way of Christ. Pope Saint Leo the Great wrote in the fifth century about the temptations of Christ- “He fought then that we might fight after Him; He conquered then, that we also might conquer.”

Pray for me, as I will always pray for you,

 

In Christ and Mary,

+Alan, sm

workers party

few moments from fantastic evening...