Bishop's Pastoral Letter

Read the Bishop's Pastoral Letter for the Feast of the Holy Family here.

Almighty God, heavenly Father,
it was your will that your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of the human race,
should form a holy family with Mary, his blessed Mother,
and her spouse, Saint Joseph.
In Nazareth, the life of every home was sanctified,
and a perfect example was given to every Christian family.
Grant, we humbly pray,
that by your grace and the work of the forthcoming Synod of Bishops,
we may grow in understanding of family life,
and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
Amen.

Newsletter for 28/29 December - Holy Family

Click here to read this week's rather smaller newsletter.

O come, let us adore him....

Et incarnatus est

In my weekend homilies I spoke of what we mean when we talk of the Incarnation, and how Jesus Christ is truly fully divine and fully human. I mentioned that many classical composers reserve some of their most sublime music for the section of the Creed which tells of the Incarnation. One of my favourites is this one by Mozart.

Just close your eyes. Listen to the music. Hear the fluttering of Gabriel's wings and Mary's 'Yes.' Know that God himself takes our human flesh in Mary's womb.

Then pray the Angelus in gratitude.

Christmas week at a glance.

Newsletter for 21/22 December - Advent 4(A)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

If you would like a copy of the newsletter to by email each week, please email Fr Colin. Even better, submit your email address using the box in the right hand column on this site, click the link on the confirmation email you will receive. You will then get an email each day that this site is updated, and never miss the newsletter or any other item of parish news.

Every blessing for a very happy Christmas.

Newsletter for 14/15 December - Advent 3(A)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

You are Living Stones - Latest

Click here to read the report of the open Deanery Meeting at the end of last month. This has been sent to the Bishop for further consideration by him and his advisers.

Who is 'Time' magazine's Person of the Year?

Click here to find out!

From Bishop Malcolm and Pope Francis

Click here to read the Pastoral Letter from Bishop Malcolm read at all Masses this weekend.

Click here to read the Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, (The Joy of the Gospel) of Pope Francis to which the Bishop refers in his Letter.

Newsletter for 7/8 December - Advent 2(A)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

Preparing

The parish Christmas cards are being prepared for distribution. Don't forget to take some to put through letter boxes at the weekend.

We also need to prepare spiritually for the coming of the Lord. To help my preparation I am rereading Maria Boulding's The Coming of God  this Advent.

If you want God, and long for union with him, yet sometimes wonder what that means, or whether it can mean anything at all, you are already walking with the God who comes.If you have ever had an obscure intuition that the truth of things is somehow better, greater, more wonderful than you deserve or desire,...that there is a mercy beyond anything you could ever suspect, you are already drawn into the central mystery of salvation. Your hope is not a mocking dream; God creates in human hearts a huge desire and a sense of need, because he wants to fill them with the gift of himself.

So begins this much acclaimed, modern spiritual classic in which Maria Boulding explores the self-giving nature of God and the many ways that he comes to us: in the events of our lives, in others and in prayer.
Maria Boulding was a Benedictine nun of Stanbrook Abbey. She died in 2009

It is better to be red once than yellow a thousand times

This coming weekend we hear John the Baptist calling us to repentance. As I think about the readings I recall the words of Pope Francis about the importance of the sacrament of reconciliation at his general audience a couple of weeks ago. I have put a brief extract in the newsletter for the second Sunday of Advent, but the full text is well worth reading. Our Holy Father has an wonderful turn of phrase, and you may enjoy looking for the intriguing words which form the title of this post!

Day of Prayer for Syria

The Bishops of England and Wales have called a Day of Prayer for Syria on Wednesday this week, December 4th. You may like to make a special effort to come to Mass on Wednesday morning at 9.30.