1st Holy Communion

We congratulate all the Children who are receiving

the Body & Blood of Christ for the First time this weekend. 

May they always walk with the Lord in their lives, willingly partaking in the Sacraments that are available to them.

Good Shepherd Sunday

In the garden of Gethsemane on the night he was arrested it is recorded that Our Lord was in agony or agonia in Greek. The word agonia describes the conflict Olympians would undergo to win the Olympic games. In that garden Our Lord Jesus Christ came to be in conflict and was fighting for a victory and was a struggling combatant striving with all his might to win. This is the evidence of the scriptures of what the completely unique word agonia means. And this battle, this conflict, this struggle was against an adversary, namely the adversary himself Satan. Satan didn’t want Jesus to undergo the cross for he knew that if Jesus completed his mission he would save the world, so he did his best to convince Jesus that there was a way out. Imagine the choice Jesus faced in that garden. We are told in the scriptures that his sweat fell like drops of blood, such was his agony, the agony of the choice between life and death. One can imagine that many of us would have made the choice to live rather than die. Yet our Lord made the right choice after praying that fantastically honest prayer “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will but Yours be done.” This prayer may easily have been said by the former parish priest of Ongar, Fr. Thomas Byles on the 15thApril 1912 on the Titanic. When the Titanic started to sink we are told that Fr. Byles was offered lifeboats at least twice to save his own life. Imagine that moment when he saw a way out, this was Fr. Byles’ agonia, his agony in the garden, would he choose life or death? Fr. Byles refused twice when offered a place on a lifeboat preferring to let others be saved. Indeed eyewitnesses saw him go down to the very bottom of the ship to help those less able to get to safety. He made a choice to stay with those who had no hope of rescue, praying with them, forgiving their sins and singing hymns. Fr. Byles is an example of a heroic priest. A man who would not give up on his sheep. Jesus said “The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.” Fr. Byles did not run away but instead followed Jesus’ example of The Good Shepherd who “lays down his life for his sheep”. Our hope in the diocese of Brentwood is that Fr. Thomas Byles will one day be recognised as a saint. Please pray that his choice to save others will inspire others to lay down their lives in the priesthood. A priest in the UK will probably never have to make the same choice as Fr. Byles did but his example of selfless giving as a priest is a wonderful role model of priesthood. In Fr. Byles’ last mass he preached that the sacraments are lifeboats back to God. The priest is ordained to give these lifeboats to the people so that they may find a way back to God. In this year of Mercy these lifeboats are being offered especially to those in peril and those on the margins. It takes a special person to be a priest like Fr. Byles so if you think you are being called to the priesthood then pray that Fr. Byles will help you be generous in your response as he was, and say “not My will but Yours be done”

Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy Sunday, celebrated on the Octave of Easter, Sunday after Easter Sunday, is a relatively new addition to the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. Celebrating the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ, as revealed by Christ Himself to St.  Faustina , this feast was extended to the entire Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000, the day that he canonized Saint Faustina. A plenary indulgence (the forgiveness of all temporal punishment resulting from sins that have already been confessed) is granted on the Feast of Divine Mercy if to all the faithful who go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, and "in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy, or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus and recite a chaplet to Divine Mercy

Easter

We congratulate to our catechumens who were received into the full Communion with Catholic Church at Easter Vigil. Special thanks to Jackie, Margaret and Derek for helping in RCIA programme.

Alleluia

He is risen !

(painting from the Tomb of Jesus, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem)

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.