SCRIPTURE READINGS (A)
Deuteronomy
11:18 , 26-28
Psalm
30
Romans
3:21 -25, 28
Matthew
7:21-27
ORDINARY
TIME
From
the exalted and majestic horizon of last Sunday's dedication
to the Trinity we are jolted from the sublime into the
banal. Having gazed upon the wonder of God, we are now
presented with what in the Church is called Ordinary Time.
And so it must be since this is our reality. The psalmist
tells us that “our span is short, perhaps seventy
years, or eighty for those who are strong. And most of
these are emptiness and pain; they pass swiftly and we
are gone” ; he speaks the human cry for
meaning and contact with God. However, we must not think
of Ordinary Time as somehow
neutral
because it is not.
Our
recent history has seen the rise of what might be called
“Media Time” or “Corporate Time”. These are ways given
to us by others to which we have to conform in order to
live and they have their own priorities and preferences.
Not so long ago Media Time was filled with images of the
Asian Tsunami: where is it now, we might wonder. According
to this time, it is over and has little value now; other
newsworthy items come into view and it is these that it
wants us to pay attention to. Corporate Time also has
its own structure and view. It sees people in terms of
their usefulness and productivity and adjusts only to
suit its ends. The rise, however, of brutality management
and extended hours of work simply reinforces the unrelenting
desire to have us all conform to its understanding of
time and our disposable place in their scheme of things.
The
Church, however, takes quite a different view; she gives
us another understanding, that of Liturgical Time. For
her, all time is contained within the life of God; hence
the thrust into the reality of Ordinary Time after the
Trinity. Here, each day is connected to the work of God
made manifest throughout historical time; each day is
linked to the eternal life of God. So it may be true to
say, as the thinker Thoreau said, that we live lives of
quiet desperation, but this must not blind us to our reality:
the idea of being left to ourselves has a long history
in Christian thought which holds that sometimes God hides.
At these moments, as St Ignatius reminds us in his Spiritual
Exercises, we are free to form our characters and to mature
in experience and understanding. The Church, however,
never leaves us alone: Liturgical Time, including Ordinary
Time, gives meaning and shape to our lives that each day
can count for something meaningful, however ordinary it
is.
James
Campbell , S.J
EVENTS
CALENDAR
WANTED:
ALTAR SERVERS
We
are urgently seeking boys and girls to train as Farm St
Altar Servers for the 9.30am Sunday Family Mass. No experience
is needed as Fr Campbell will provide a short training
course. All that's required is to let Fr Campbell know
either in person or leave a note for him to contact you.
MONASTIC
WEEKEND
Following
the interest in the tv programme about monastic life at
Worth Abbey, there is an opportunity for Catholic men,
18-30, to experience Benedictine life at Pluscarden Abbey,
Moray , Scotland on the weekend of 8-11 July at no charge.
em:
monks@pluscardenabbey.org
DIOCESAN
CONSULTATION
Copies
of the Green Paper which draw on the Graced by the Spirit
consultation are available in the church. Please take
one home. It is clear that every parish in the diocese
will be affected so your views are needed in order to
influence future planning.
SADHANA:
A WAY TO GOD
Those
who have just completed the six-week beginner's course
have asked that we continue. We will therefore be running
for a further six weeks from 2 nd June until 7 th July,
6:30-7.45pm . Beginners are welcome to join this new course.
See notice board for details or ring 8374 6959 or leave
a message at Mount St reception for Lynne.
FOUR
TALKS ON CONTEMPORARY ISSUES FOR THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY
These
will be held each Monday in June from 7:30-9:30pm in the
Mount St Jesuit Centre. Topics include: Faith & Politics,
Jewish-Christian Relations; The Church since Lumen Gentium
and Catholic Social Teaching. Each will be given by a
visiting Jesuit. Admission is £5 .
For
information and booking:
brianpurfield@hotmail.com
tel: 020 7495 1673
Back
to the Homepage
The
Church Team
Fr
William Pearsall SJ (Parish Priest)
Fr
James Campbell SJ (Asst Priest)
Fr
Anthony Meredith SJ (Asst Priest)
Philip
O'Brien (Parish Council Chairman)
David
Graham (Director of Music)
Patrick
Mallon (Sacristan)
Fr
Hugh Duffy SJ ( Superior
of the Jesuit
Community)
NOTE: Fr William
will be in the USA until June 4th.
All business to Fr James, please.
