SOMETHING NEW FOR 2024
Gospel Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Easter
28th April 2024
Branching Out
There’s a lot of work to do in today’s world. Almost daily, the TV and Radio brings terrible news of atrocities and disasters around the planet. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the bad news and to feel powerless to do anything. We do not consider that we can individually instigate change for lots of reasons. We do not feel clever enough, or brave enough or rich enough. In short it’s hard to know where to begin and even whether change is possible. The inspirational message in today’s gospel is that we can make changes as long as we work together.
We are already familiar with the ethos of trade unions. Trade unions operate on one powerful principle. Individually we can be easily overlooked but together we have the power to bring the whole country to a stand-still and sway governments. If a trade union wanted to promote solidarity and unity, the vine would make an ideal logo. The vine itself is the heart of the union, the part that determines the ethos. The branches do the work of the vine and the fruit they bear is the outcome …. the final result.
Today we are told that with Christ as our vine we can do great things. All too often we become wrapped up in developing our own spirituality, trying to work out what God means to us as an individual ….. striving to find our niche. It’s easy to forget that we are part of a huge family of people the biggest union on the planet. With Christ’s teaching and pruning, we as a body, have the ability to transform the world by putting faith into action. Our individual responsibility is to look for ways in which we can become part of the overall plan. We don’t have to branch out alone, we branch out as a team.
St. Joseph the Worker 'For human work.'1st May
"May Day" has long been dedicated to labour and the working man. It is fitting that St. Joseph, a working man who became the foster-father of Christ and patron of the universal Church, should be honoured on this day.
On this day we are asked to pray for all who work, that they may earn a just wage and be treated with dignity. We also pray for those who are under-employed or unemployed, and we pray for the stewardship of the earth's resources so that all may benefit for generations to come.
Faith In Politics
On Thursday 2 May 2024, voters across England and Wales will head to the polls in a major set of mayoral and local elections. As Christians we have a calling to try and build God’s kingdom here on earth, whether it be by acting differently to our peers, providing for those less fortunate, or random acts of kindness. One expression of this might be to get actively involved in politics. You may hold your own views on whether religion and politics should mix, but if you are of the view that voters should use their Catholic voice, start reading all those leaflets that are currently cramming our letter boxes. If you’re planning to vote, remember to take your photo ID.
National Story Month Teaching Social Conscience
How did you first develop your social conscience? Probably when you were so young that you can hardly remember. May is National Story Month. There are thousands of wonderful stories that you can share with your children that will obviously nurture a love of books, but most importantly, can develop your child’s view of the world and teach them how to think. Jesus himself told his disciples some wonderful parables designed to teach. ‘The Good Samaritan’ is one of Jesus’ most famous stories that has a particular resonance in today’s political climate. Give it a go!
Care for Our Common Home
On the 1st May we traditionally pray for the stewardship of the planet and for the work of human hands. Here are a couple of top tips for caring for the planet and for saving money.
If you have a clothes dryer, there’s a good chance it uses more energy than anything else in your home. Grab a clothes rack, set up a clothes-line outside, or just hang wet laundry on clothes hangers around the house.
Pay your bills online. Not only is it greener, it’s a sanity saver
Schedule your errands back-to-back to save petrol.
Bitesize
A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations but look what they can do when they stick together! Author Unknown
Gospel Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Easter
21st April 2024
Counting On The Shepherd
Today’s gospel is for anyone who has ever felt unloved or insignificant. Today’s gospel is for anyone who feels his or her life doesn’t count for much. At some time or another that probably means most of us.
In biblical days shepherding was a highly dangerous business. Herds might consist of thousands of sheep, and shepherds had to be highly skilled in tending for the sheep and protecting them from wolves and robbers. The shepherd’s care and courage was legendary. A good shepherd would not think twice about his own life in protecting his sheep. This is the image that Jesus chose for himself in today’s gospel. He is the good shepherd. His leadership is a mixture of tenderness, strength and self-sacrifice. Jesus loves us so much that he would lay down his life. That’s a powerful belief to take out into the world!
But what if we don’t quite believe it? Surely there are too many of us to love and look after individually. People fall by the wayside all the time. We hear tragic stories of elderly people who die alone and are not discovered for days because no one cares enough to visit. We see down and outs sleeping in subways because their family and friends have given up on them. Can God really be looking out for each and every one of us? Surely there are too many of us to look after – to love individually. Not so! Jesus we’re told would not let even one of his sheep stray without coming to the rescue. He knows each and every one of us by name. If we are one of his, then he will recognise us and take care of us. That’s another powerful belief to wake up with. The next time you are feeling lost and forgotten, try looking for the Good Shepherd’s love in your life. God’s help is always there when we look to him.
Day of Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life
'It's Your Call' 21st April 2024
For each of us God has a plan, and for some, that plan is for priesthood and consecrated life. On this day, we are invited to
Pray for the priests who have ministered to us throughout our lives, both living and dead.
Keep our parish priests in our prayers throughout the week.
Pray the Rosary for more young men and women in our communities to respond to God’s call.
Saint George "For the Persecuted" 23rd April
When the pagan Emperor Diocletian started persecuting Christians. St George came to their defence. St George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine on 23rd April, 303. There is much talk nowadays about the apathy surrounding Saint George's day and about what we should do to celebrate it, but we could do no worse than make St George’s commitment to stand up for the persecuted our own.
To do:-
Support a charity that actively supports those who are persecuted. 'The Church In Need' is a good starting point.
Saint Mark April 25th
Most likely Mark's is the first of the four Gospels. The Gospel of Saint Mark is brief and to the point. Saint Mark has one goal, to present Jesus as God’s crucified messiah, and he fulfils that goal concisely. This is the shortest of the gospels. You could sit down and read it in under an hour and a half. Give it a go!
Care for Our Common Home Earth Day 22nd April 2024
The theme for this year’s ‘Earth Day’ is ‘Plastics versus Planet’. The idea is to build a plastic free planet, reducing plastic use, eliminating single use plastic and reducing plastic pollution.
To do
Look at the drinks you normally buy in a plastic bottle. Can you buy the same in a glass bottle or a can? Can you use a flask for work or school rather than a plastic bottle?
CAFOD UK Reach Out Raffle.
Last shout for Cafod’s ‘Reach out’ UK raffle. Every ticket sale helps people in developing countries and isolated rural areas. The closing date for this raffle is May 3rd 2024. Still time to buy your ticket online at www.cafod.raffleentry.org.uk/entries
Bitesize
When at night you cannot sleep, talk to the Shepherd and stop counting sheep.
Author Unknown
Gospel Reflection for the Third Sunday of Easter
14th April 2024
Finding the Meaning
Were the other disciples really so very different from Doubting Thomas? When they saw Jesus in their midst, they took some convincing that it really was Jesus and not a ghost that had come to visit them. The gospel outlines four pieces of proof that Jesus uses to convince them that he really has risen from the dead. They can look at the marks on his hands and feet, they can touch him to check that he is really flesh and bone, and they can watch him eat a meal that they have prepared. The fourth proof is when Jesus opens their minds so that they can understand the prophecies that were made in the Old Testament, and which he has fulfilled by rising from the dead.
We are not as lucky as the first disciples. Two thousand years down the line we do not have the benefit of their first-hand experience. We cannot look at Jesus, we cannot touch him, or share a meal. The fourth proof though, the prophecies in the Old Testament are still there for us to read. The only trouble is, the Bible isn't always an easy book to read. We read a passage and fail to understand it. Sometimes we think we understand the literal meaning but the words fail to offer any significance. It would be good if Jesus could open our minds up as he did for those first disciples when they had trouble understanding the meaning of his death and resurrection.
One thing is for sure, understanding the Bible isn't going to happen magically, just as it didn't happen overnight for the disciples. We know that everything worthwhile takes effort. Playing a musical instrument takes years of practice. Being good at a sport takes considerable training. Learning a language demands a concerted amount of study and hard work. So too, we have to apply ourselves to understanding what we read in the Bible. We have to consider each passage for some time before we can really grasp it … sometimes a single verse or phrase. Often we can derive great satisfaction from knowing that those parts we struggled with the longest hold the greatest meaning. The Bible yields up its greatest treasures to those who persevere.
St Bernadette Soubirous 16th April Millions of people have come to the spring Bernadette uncovered for healing of body and spirit, but she found no relief from ill health at Lourdes herself. Bernadette moved through life, guided only by faith in things she did not understand—as we all must do from time to time. Our curiosity in the miracles of Lourdes can be fuelled by our human need for proof of God’s healing, yet St Bernadette always emphasised faith over proof. She once said, “My job is to inform, not to convince.”
Mary’s Meals Crisis in Ethiopia Appeal 2024
This week most of our children will be back at school, and most of us will be settling our school dinner accounts for the coming term. But whilst we are settling our accounts, could we be sparing a thought for children who are not so lucky?
Mary’s Meals’ vision is that every child receives one daily meal in their place of education and that all those who have more than they need, share with those who lack even the most basic things.
Mary’s Meals is currently highlighting the pending catastrophic famine in Ethiopia. A combination of drought, displacement, and brutal conflict has left huge areas of the country in crisis. In Tigray, the war has undone years of progress in Tigray’s education system. For now, there is an urgent dual priority – ensuring that children in Tigray have food and boosting their chances of engaging with education again.
To support Mary’s Meals school feeding programme across Tigray, which is a lifeline to children living in poverty, we are invited to make an online donation at www.marysmeals.org.uk/campaigns/crisis-in-ethiopia A donation of £19.15 will feed a child for a whole year, but you can of course make any donation you can afford.
General Election UK 2024 Using Your Catholic Voice
CAFOD is offering an online training session for parishioners who would like to use their Catholic voice to influence MPs ahead of the general election. The training will cover:-
Our faith and political participation.
How our parishes can draw attention to the issues we care about.
Three simple, different ways to reach our local candidates.
Resources, materials, and support available.
There will be two sessions. Thursday 25 April 6:30-8:30pm or Saturday 4 May 11am-1pm
You will need to register at https://cafod.org.uk/news/events/using-our-catholic-voice-at-the-next-election-training-session
Care for our Common Home
Mitigate Flooding. Plant Evergreens
It's featuring in the news more and more each year. There are now over 5 million households in the UK at serious risk of flooding, and there’s lots of advice out there on how to protect our homes, at least to some extent. The RHS has been looking at practical ways to reduce the environmental impact of flooding, and how we design our gardens is part of the solution.
One thing you might consider is replacing fences with hedges. Consider planting evergreen hedges which are in leaf all year. In winter, when there are no leaves on the deciduous trees and hedges, the presence of evergreens is invaluable to retain and remove rainfall.
Other benefits include noise reduction and air quality improvement.
Bitesize
Life is a long road on a short journey. James Lendall Basford
Gospel Reflection for The Second Sunday of Easter
7th April 2024
Doubt and Disbelief
The story of ‘Doubting Thomas’ is aimed at all those generations of people who will not see the risen Lord, yet are asked to believe. So are we really being asked to believe in what we cannot see or hear or touch, when even those closest to Jesus had problems in accepting what was happening?
In today’s gospel we see Thomas struggling with a problem that many of us still struggle with today. Thomas desperately wanted to believe in the risen Jesus, but he wasn’t the sort of person to pretend he understood something when he didn’t. He wasn’t the sort of person that could pretend that he didn’t have doubts when he did. There are many of us today who desperately want deeper meaning in our lives. There are those amongst us who have become disillusioned with the Church and wish they could embrace what it once meant. There are many of us who would like to find a deeper faith but have found only stumbling blocks. Like Thomas, we find that the gap between faith and doubt too big a leap.
For those who find belief elusive, there is an uncomfortable beatitude in today’s gospel. “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” This can feel like a reproach to those of us who harbour doubts, but the important thing to remember is that doubt isn’t the same thing as disbelief. Doubt can be a good thing even. Doubt means that we are still questioning something that we care about. Doubt means that we are still looking for answers ….. that we are still learning and growing. Doubt is a tool that we can use to carve a mature faith. Belief isn’t something we either have or haven’t got … belief is a process, and the end product of that process, is one’s own spiritual self.
The Annunciation Saying Yes to Jesus 9thApril
At the Annunciation, Mary's consent was one of the most important moments in the history of salvation and in the unfolding of the Eucharistic mystery. We call that moment her ‘fiat’, the first word in a Latin phrase that means "Be it done unto me according to your word." When we say yes to God, we allow his grace to be fruitful. When we say no, we are missing big opportunities to be part God's picture.
April, Month for Spiritual Renewal
Top Tips
Talk to God. Nothing will restore your soul like time with God. Put everything into his hands, including yourself.
Choose a Bible passage and write down your reflections. Read an inspirational text or webpage.
Take time to relax and replenish your batteries. You're probably not enjoying much growth if you're continually running on 'empty'.
Use your gifts to make your mark on the world. There's nothing more energising than doing the things you love.
UK general election 2024: A guide for Catholic voters
With a UK general election due to take place in 2024, politicians are looking for our votes – and will be listening to what voters want. As Catholics, we have a responsibility to make sure political parties commit to tackle the injustices that affect our global family and to care for our common home. CAFOD has launched an information page to share resources as the election draws closer. You can find this at www.cafod.org.uk/campaign/latest-campaigns/uk-general-election-2024-a-guide-for-catholic-voters
Spring Clear-out for Charity
We've emerged from winter, the sun is struggling through, and the house is looking dusty and cluttered. Time for a spring clean! Before you start hiding things in the loft, give our charity shops a second thought. Charity shops are always looking for quality items, and passing on your unwanted gifts, books, and clothes is a great way of making money for charity. It's great for the environment too... far better than recycling!
Care For Our Common Planet Eco Tip for April
Growing your own food is nowhere near as complicated or time-consuming as it sounds, and it’ll eliminate the Yeti-sized carbon footprint of all those refrigerated trucks and planes importing berries from South America. Cherry tomatoes, salad greens, and green beans are the best foods to grow if you haven't done this before. For those of us who don’t have a garden, simply growing herbs on a windowsill can be very fulfilling.
Bitesize
Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety, or by the handle of faith. Author Unknown
Gospel Reflection for Easter Sunday
31st March 2024
Approaching the Empty Tomb
Traditionally at this time of year thousands of new Christians are baptised all over the world. A young man baptised recently was asked, “Do you feel different now that you are baptised and a Christian?” “Yes,” he replied,” I went from believing nothing to believing everything sort of vaguely. I hope God will make things clearer to me as I continue on this journey.”
Easter is a good time to reaffirm our faith. The Resurrection is the culmination of Christ’s journey on this earth, and the beginning of our journey in faith. Our journey begins with belief in the Resurrection, but approaching the 'Empty Tomb' isn't easy. Who moved the stone we wonder. Why were the linen wrappings removed, and why was the cloth that wrapped Jesus’ head rolled neatly and placed separately? In our modern day times of detective stories and forensic science there is an inclination to turn the empty tomb into a crime scene, but the problem with looking at the empty tomb from an investigative point of view is that we’re in danger of missing a greater truth, and the amazing implications of a Resurrection that was after all predicted.
If we were to fully embrace the reality of the Easter story we would pour out of church bouncing with a newfound enthusiasm for life. So how do we embrace the reality of a story for which there is no proof? Jesus promised all along that death couldn’t contain us, and the empty tomb points to this not necessarily as proof, but as something that was promised. Why therefore, in the context of everything else that Jesus did and said, should this surprise us?
The empty tomb gives our life purpose. Belief in the resurrection means we can live life boldly and well, looking forward to eternal life. The empty tomb gives us a means to deal with pain and suffering, it means that death is not a meaningless end of life, but the door to the fullness of life with the risen Christ.
Urbi et Orbi
Sunday 31st March 2024 BBC 1 11.00am
Live from St Peter's Square in Rome, on the eleventh Easter of his pontificate, Pope Francis gives his Easter message and blessing, Urbi et Orbi, to the city and to the world. Petroc Trelawny sets the scene.
Season of Easter
Easter isn’t just one day; it’s a ‘season’. The fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost are celebrated in joyful exultation as one feast day, or better as one “great Sunday”. The gospel readings for the first three Sundays recount the appearances of the risen Christ. The readings about the Good Shepherd are assigned to the Fourth Sunday. On the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Sundays, there are excerpts from the Lord’s discourse and prayer at the last supper.
Pope Francis Prayer Intention for April 2024
For the Role of Women
Regardless of where you live in the world, gender equality is a fundamental human right. Advancing gender equality is critical to all areas of a healthy society, from reducing poverty to promoting the health, education, protection and the well-being of both girls and boys. There has been progress over the last decades, but there is still lots to do in order to achieve the UN gender equality goal by 2030. Pope Francis invites us to join his prayer intention “…that the dignity and worth of women be recognized in every culture, and for an end to the discrimination they face in various parts of the world.”
Peace Actions for April
Pray for Peace in Israel and Gaza. Donate to the emergency appeal at cafod.org.uk/news/emergencies-news/israeli-palestinian-crisis-how-you-can-help?form=israelipalestiniancrisis
Pray for the people of Ukraine. Donate to the crisis appeal at www.donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal
The shops are filled with chocolate Easter eggs and most of us will be buying chocolate treats for the children in the family. Remember where possible to buy Fair Trade. Fair Trade aims to protect the exploitation of third world farmers and the trafficking of children for the purposes of exploitive labour.
Read and pray the Beatitudes, (Matthew 5: 1-16) and reflect on their meaning for your life.
On Saint George’s Day pray for all those who are persecuted, or make a stand for the persecuted in your own community.
Walk To Work Day 5th April 2024
Today is a day we are urged to leave the car at home and walk to work. If this isn't possible, at least use the opportunity to 'car share'.
Care for Our Common Home
Spring into Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning
Most supermarkets now have a range of eco-friendly cleaning products. Give them a try. Compare with your usual brand, and if you’re happy, write a review on your supermarket online shopping website. These products tend to cost a little more, so try using a little less.
Bite Size
Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will.
Vernon Howard
Gospel Reflection for Passion (Palm) Sunday
24th March 2024
Walking the Walk
What are we thinking when we pick up a palm and process into church on Passion Sunday?
It’s likely that we feel we are commemorating an historic event. When Jesus rode his donkey into Jerusalem all those centuries ago, he was the centre of attention. Some thought he would be a powerful leader who would lead the people in an uprising against the occupying Romans. Others were just swept along in a sense of pageant. Few had grasped the true significance of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jesus had not come merely to overturn the Romans. Jesus’ picture was a much more universal one. Jesus’ mission was the salvation of the whole world for future generations.
How many of us would remember Jesus today if his mission had been simply to lead an uprising against a Roman occupation? Jesus was riding into Jerusalem to meet his destiny. He could have heeded the warnings of his disciples and bypassed Jerusalem altogether. He could have continued his ministry of teaching and healing into old age; but whatever else Jesus was about, he wasn’t about compromise. In riding into Jerusalem, Jesus was telling us that his mission to save each and every one of us was more important than life itself.
We can all walk into church waving our palms. We can all commemorate an historical event, but the more discerning of us know that this day is about ‘walking the walk’. We are the reason Jesus rode into Jerusalem. On this day we honour him not with palms but with the quality of our lives.
Fasting and Abstinence
The Church sets aside certain penitential days and invites us to observe Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as days of fast and abstinence. ”Fasting means that the amount of food we eat is considerably reduced. Abstinence means that we give up a particular kind of food or drink or form of amusement”. Fridays throughout Lent, and during the rest of the year are also days when we are encouraged to do some form of penance.
Triduum
Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil …
The Easter triduum, marking the days of Jesus’ passion and resurrection, is the most important time of the Church year. It begins with the evening Mass of Holy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes on Easter Sunday evening.
The services during Holy Week tell a continuous story, so try if you can to attend them all
Holy Thursday
“Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper.”
The Easter Triduum begins with Mass on Holy Thursday evening, when Jesus sacramentally anticipated the gift he would make of himself on the cross. His command to serve others is dramatically recalled this night in the ceremony of the washing of the feet, which he
performed in the supper room for his disciples.
Good Friday
The Good Friday rites centre around the reading of the Passion of Jesus. With simple dignity that story is retold, followed by prayers for the entire world, for this powerful mystery brings blessings to the world. On this day we are invited to venerate the cross. It is a day of fasting and quiet mourning.
Holy Saturday
The Easter Vigil is the high point of the Easter triduum celebrating the passion and resurrection of Jesus. The vigil opens with a service of light. The lighting of the fire and the Easter candle is a sign that Christ is “the light of the world,” and celebrates the victory of light over darkness that humanity has ever longed for.
Holy Places Collection
In most Catholic parishes around the world, a Good Friday Collection will be taken up to aid Christian parishes and their outreaches in the Holy Land. This initiative has been an annual tradition in the Church since its institution by Blessed Pope Paul VI.
According to Paul VI, the collection was created “not only for the Holy Places but above all for those pastoral, charitable, educational, and social works which the Church supports in the Holy Land for the welfare of their Christian brethren and of the local communities.”
The small Christian presence in the Middle East relies very heavily on this worldwide collection.
Recommended Listening Good Friday Meditation:- The Story of the Tree
Fri 29 Mar 2024 15:00 BBC RADIO 4
In this meditation for Good Friday, Bishop Helen-Ann reflects on the potential of trees to bear witness to pain, strength and new life. Readings from the Dream of the Rood are woven together with music from the Northumbria community and the Northumbrian pipes to offer an original and compelling angle on an age-old story.
Fairtrade Thank You
As another school term rattles to a close, don’t forget to thank your teachers and support staff with a large bar of Fairtrade chocolate or a bunch of Fairtrade flowers.
Care for Our Common Home Use Old Clothing to Spring Clean.
The weather is getting warmer and the sun is illuminating all those dusty corners we didn’t notice during winter. It’s time to spring clean. In the interests of reducing your footprint, think about ways you can save on waste, limit the use of chemicals and save money to boot. This week’s tip is to cut up old clothing which isn’t good enough to donate. Cut up old T-shirts to make cleaning and polishing rags. It's a great way to save money, reduce waste and extend the life of fabrics.
Bitesize
Let God's promises shine on your problems. Corrie Ten Boom
Gospel Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
17th March 2024
Unless A Grain of Wheat Falls
‘Eat drink and be merry …..for tomorrow we die.’ In a life or death situation, human nature would always prompt us to hold on to life no matter what the consequences, but in today’s gospel a grain of wheat is used to teach us a valuable lesson. The selfless grain of wheat falls and dies to enable a fresh harvest. What point is there in choosing life, if that life boils down to nothing more than self preservation? On the other hand, what great value death, if that sacrifice gives others life. Many of us fail to understand why Jesus perceived the necessity of going to Jerusalem where he knew he would die. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for him to bypass Jerusalem and carry on teaching into his dotage? Jesus however, isn’t about to compromise his purpose.
Jesus determines to give his life so others can find true life. This is what Christianity is all about. Jesus teaches us that we must ‘die to self’ before we can be of any use to God. Letting one’s own ambition die to be replaced by God’ plans for us? ‘Dying to self’? Could we be blamed for not feeling enthused? How many of us really see the wisdom in ditching our own exciting life plans to go around being holy? Perhaps we need to think again about how exciting our ambitions really are. Perhaps sacrificing our own agenda and recognising God’s plan in our lives could be the best and most exciting thing that ever happened to us. Perhaps sacrificing something of ourselves for a greater purpose could put us in touch with who we really are.
“Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” This epitomizes everything as Christians we are not!
St Joseph Husband of Mary 19th March
Joseph was wholeheartedly obedient to God …. In marrying Mary, in naming Jesus, in shepherding the precious pair to Egypt, in bringing them to Nazareth, in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage. The Bible pays Joseph the highest compliment in calling him a “just” man. This just man lived his life by faith, seeking to do good in every concrete circumstance of life …. a model for fathers everywhere.
Israeli-Palestinian Crisis Appeal
We have all been shocked and saddened by the devastating conflict in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. After weeks of intense conflict, over 18,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis have been killed, thousands more injured, and over 1.9 million people in Gaza are displaced. Food, water and fuel are in increasingly short supply. Families need urgent help. You can donate online at www.cafod.org.uk/give/donate-to-emergencies/israeli-palestinian-crisis-appeal
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 21st March
How can we create a future free of racial discrimination? The first thing is not to see it as an insurmountable problem. There are things that every generation can do to bring about racial harmony.
Here are a few starters.
Educate yourself. Learn something new about someone else's culture.
Read up on the political background of the countries of our refugees and asylum seekers.
Don't be put off befriending neighbours, just because their accent might be difficult to understand.
World Water Day Water for Prosperity and Peace
Campaign for Clean Water 22nd March 2024
Sustainable water management generates a plethora of benefits to individuals and communities, including health, food and energy security, protection from natural disasters, education, improved living standards and employment, economic development, and a variety of ecosystem services. It is through these benefits that water leads to prosperity. And equitable sharing of these benefits promotes peace. When it comes to water, sharing truly is caring.
To Do
Become an e-campaigner and support WaterAid. To find out how visit www.wateraid.org/uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us
Care for Our Common Home Carbon Fast
On average an electric shower costs 42p for a ten minute shower. This week's challenge is to save energy, save water and save money by halving the time you spend in the shower.
Bitesize Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got. Janis Joplin
Gospel Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent 10th March
How To Make Good Choices
From the minute we open our eyes in the morning, we are faced with choices. By the end of the day we have made hundreds of choices and not all of them good. In fact, we probably fail to choose God in a hundred and one different ways, yet God still loves us. How do we know? We know because every time we look at a Crucifix we are reminded of the sacrifice Jesus made out of love for us. Just as Moses held up a bronze snake on a pole to remind the Israelites of God’s love, so we look to the Crucifix as a reminder that God doesn’t condemn us for our mistakes, but offers us a second chance of salvation. Too often we take God’s love for granted. How could we make ourselves more deserving? We could begin by looking at all those choices we make on a daily basis. Do we choose to fritter our lives away in inconsequential activities, or do we choose to make the world a better place? Do we choose to bury our heads in the sand when we see someone bullied at work, or do we make a brave stand? Do we determine to look after ailing family members or do we put it off until we are less busy? Do we shroud our decisions in darkness and secrecy, or do we walk in the light with our heads held high?
But how do we start making good choices when we have spent so much time making poor ones? This is the beauty of reconciliation; our mistakes are part and parcel of making better choices from now on. We remember how it felt to make a bad choice and we don't want to go there again. Knowing what we are about is also a part of making good choices. Jesus knew what he was about and so must we. There's no better time than Lent to sit down and think about who we want to be. Lastly, once we have decided what choices we are going to make, we mustn't procrastinate. The Bible never tires of telling us that time is of the essence.
Laetare Sunday "Happy Mothering Sunday"
The Fourth Sunday of Lent is traditionally called Laetare Sunday, a celebration very much like Gaudete Sunday in Advent. For each of those Sundays, we can use rose-colored vestments, and both Latin words can be translated, “rejoice.” Both also announce to us that we are drawing ever closer to the feast for which we are preparing (Christmas for Gaudete Sunday, and Easter for Laetare Sunday). This day has also come to be known as 'Mothering Sunday'. Four hundred years ago, people made a point of visiting their nearest big church (the Mother Church) on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Young girls and boys 'in service' were only allowed one day to visit their family each year, and this was usually Mothering Sunday. Often the housekeeper or cook would allow the maids to bake a cake to take home for their mother. Sometimes a gift of eggs; or flowers from the garden was allowed. A day to show our mothers our appreciation. Happy Mothering Sunday!
Too Late for Lent?
So you haven't got round to doing anything for Lent and wonder if it's too late? Are you thinking that you might as well forget about it now and try it next year instead? The answer is that it's never too late to do anything for God. Even if there is only one day left to do something, it's worth the effort because, after all, an effort made even if it is small and late, it is still an effort God will see. It’s not too late to do something for Lent and one of the places we might start is to say we are sorry, whether to God or to another person.
Housing Justice Lent Appeal 2024
You will have seen in the news that the number of refugees being forced into sleeping on the streets has risen dramatically over the last few months. The Government’s efforts to reduce the huge backlog of asylum seekers has led to many newly-granted refugees (people who have recently been granted asylum) being evicted from their Home Office accommodation with nowhere to go.
These refugees have escaped conflict, persecution and unimaginable hardship, only to be made homeless once they have finally been granted asylum. Please help ‘Housing Justice’ to help these individuals find somewhere safe and warm to sleep so they can recover from the trauma they have experienced and start to rebuild their lives. You can donate online at
www.housingjustice.org.uk/donate-or-get-involved/lent
Care for Our Common Home Carbon Fast
Individually we create on average 3 tonnes of carbon per year, or 8.2kg per day, from the food and drink we consume. So how do we reduce this? One way is to know when food is in season. Many vegetables and fruits have a low carbon footprint, but we need to check where they are grown and packaged before buying. Seasonal produce tends to create less greenhouse gas because it’s grown without artificial heat, and if it’s homegrown it doesn’t have to be shipped or – worse – flown in. This Lent, consider giving up fruit and veg that has been transported great distances and buy locally or grow your own. Share on social media to get other people doing it too.
Bitesize
It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. Roy Disney
Gospel Reflection for the Third Sunday of Lent
3rd March 2024
Living Temples
Once a year at Passover, Jews visited the Temple and offered a sacrifice to God. At this time of year the number of visitors to Jerusalem swelled and the moneylenders, with their eye to business, took to operating a scam. When visitors came to the Temple they were able to purchase animals or doves to offer as sacrifices. Because the Jews considered Roman coinage bearing Caesar’s head as idolatrous, they were given the opportunity to exchange their Roman coins for Temple coinage. The idea was originally a good one, but the moneylenders were operating an unfair exchange rate for over-priced animals. What had started out as a good idea had turned into an abuse. ….. and this in God’s name! Was it any wonder that Jesus was so angry?
To see Jesus angry enough to take a whip and drive out the villainous traders might surprise us. We are brought up with a vision of a Jesus as both meek and mild. In our modern times, where disputes have to be settled over a table and those who display temper are sent off for anger management counselling, the story might even make us raise a disapproving eyebrow. But what this story makes us realise is that there are situations that warrant our righteous anger. Jesus simply could not tolerate injustice, and neither should we.
What injustices do we need to drive out of our society today? We don’t have to look far. How can we claim to be Christians yet settle for injustices that Jesus would not have settled for? Can we really sit back and allow rich countries to profit greedily at the expense of poor countries? Can we really condone the unfair distribution of our planet’s resources just for our own convenience? Can we continue to let governments ride roughshod over those who cannot speak up for themselves?
What has to be driven out of our lives and communities because instead of bringing us closer to God they prevent us from meeting him? Today's story is not about protecting a sacred building. God after all does not live in a building. Each of us is a living temple. God lives through us.
Pope Francis' Prayer Intention March 2024
Pope Francis tells us that we are “to be truly committed to discipleship and prepared to take risks for the cause of the Gospel.” By risks we understand that we should be unafraid of what others might think of us. In certain countries it might even mean risking persecution. Pope Francis promotes that we should have a ‘zeal’ for promoting the gospel. But how should we do that? How should we promote the gospel with enthusiasm? Catechists are sometimes asked to conduct a simple exercise. We are asked to look back through our lives and identify a significant crossroad and reflect about where we think God was for us during that time. How did God use this change to make us who we are today? Are we willing to share that story and invite others to share their stories too?
This month we are invited to join Pope Francis' prayer intention, “…for those around the world who risk their lives for the Gospel, to inspire the Church with their courage and missionary zeal.”"
Peace Actions March 2024
Pray for Ukraine on the second anniversary of the invasion by Russia.
Pray for a lasting ceasefire in the Holy Land.
Support 'Water Aid' on World Water Day (March 22nd).
Hunt down the 'Real Easter Egg' this year – of 80 million Easter Eggs sold in the UK every year, this is the first to tell the story of Easter. Not only that, the chocolate is Fairtrade. If you can't find it in your supermarket you can order online at Traidcraft.
Welcome Home
One of the themes of Lent is welcoming back Catholics who no longer come to Mass. If there is someone in your family who no longer comes to Mass, you might explore ways to bring them back. Sometimes people who have ceased to attend might keep meaning to come along but just need some gentle encouragement. You could encourage them by offering a lift, inviting them for a coffee afterwards or sharing the newsletter.
Care for our Common Home Carbon Fast
Have you ever noticed how some of your best ideas come to you whilst you’re out walking? Lent is a time for reflection. Take time out. Slow life down. Allow more time to get to the places you need to get to. Leave the car at home and enjoy walking and reflecting.
Bite Size
Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. Lou Holtz
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