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SCRIPTURE
READINGS
|
Deuteronomy |
30:10-14 |
| Psalm |
68 |
| Colossians
|
1:15-20 |
| Luke |
10:25-37 |
THE
HELPER OF THE AFFLICTED
Help
is something we all need from time to time; when
we look to others to do for us what we can't do
for ourselves, and we also seek to help others when
they are in difficulties. Sometimes, however, we
seek the kindness of strangers and this is the theme
of the parable of the Good Samaritan in today's
gospel.
For
us, our need for God comes usually at times of real
crisis when we are in desperate need and have only
prayer and petition to turn to. Whether it's a child
or a spouse or a parent who may be ill or in difficulties,
or at times when we ourselves realise we are lost
or trapped, these kinds of situations tend to be
when our need for God's help is felt most keenly.
But then the dreaded event occurs or is not alleviated
and we are left wondering why God did not answer
our prayer.
Take
a look at our Prayer Petitions book in the small
chapel at the back of the church and you will see
reams of requests asking for help from God. Such
requests are never in vain. However, often we pray
for a particular outcome, one which we want and
can recognise. It is the case that God sometimes
gives us what we want in prayer but there is, I
think, something more important which we need to
see.
As
we know, our loved ones will fall ill and die and
reconciliation between people can be difficult,
if not almost impossible, for us fallen creatures.
Prayer in all these circumstances is not asking
for magic but asking for what God wants. In His
eyes there is absolutely nothing to fear: even the
worst human affliction or event is saved and redeemed
by Him. Not for nothing did His Son enter into death
since this is the one event that comes to everyone
and appears to be the end of everything. We often
think of it as catastrophic, but in God's eyes it
means only a change of life for us and not the end.
Jesus
urges us to follow his example of taking care of
everyone we meet and castigates the people of his
own Jewish faith for preferring to help some people
and not others especially if they are Samaritans
who were a despised and dehumanised people. He does
this to remind us that to follow him, there can
be no discrimination of race, colour or creed in
those whom we should look after and care for, and
we see this in the current example of the Church
which is the largest provider of healthcare and
education on the planet.
We
have to face sometimes traumatic things in our lives
but we must learn to look at personal and communal
affliction as times of change and growth, given
that God is all-powerful and is present to us, even
if we cannot recognise that. He does answer our
prayers. We have to live with the simple faith that
everything is in His hands even when this seems
contrary to appearances and we remain afflicted
by what is within each one of us, whether through
illness, sin or our sometimes awkward and difficult
nature. We have to rest in our dependence on Him
and accept the humility that comes with that acknowledgement.
Then we can accept that God does help us and that
our lips can tell of His help for events which,
at the time, make no sense to us but which our faith
assures and comforts us: that God is very near to
each of us; closer than we can imagine for, as Scripture
says, the Kingdom of God lies within.
Fr
James Campbell, SJ
INTRODUCING
A NEW MEMBER OF THE PARISH TEAM
Fr.
Lawrence Nam SJ joins
the parish team. Of Chinese descent, he studied
theology in the United
States .
After ordination in Edinburgh
,
he
worked there as a curate. From the land of haggis,
neeps and tatties, he moved to the land of strawberries
and cream: Wimbledon
and the Sacred
Heart
Church
,
a residential parish of 4000 souls. A decade or
so later, he joined the New York University Medical
Centre where he ministered to the sick and dying
and then the Infirmary in Edinburgh
and the Borders. He then pitched his tent in the
East End ,
at
Our Lady Immaculate, Limehouse (including school
chaplaincy), St. Edmund, Millwall (59 nationalities)
and the Children's Catholic Society Westminster
in North Kensington .
He will be with us three days a week at
Farm
Street ,
while continuing
his work as an adult psychotherapist in the N.H
.
S
.
He
looks forward to meeting the parish community and
we give him a big welcome!
CONCERT
IN THE CHURCH
The
Japanese Catholic Community invites you to a concert
in support of the Jesuit Refugee Service on WEDNESDAY
14th JULY at 7:30pm
. Harpist
Yuko Tomonaga with ensemble will perform music by
Bach, Respighi, Elgar, Debussy and others. Admission
£10 (students £5). For further information,
contact Mr Matsuo on 0207 240 4250 or see Fr James.
MEET
YOUR NEIGHBORS
Churches
Together in Westminster
invites
you to visit the French church (Notre Dame de France,
Leicester
Place ,
off Leicester
Square ,
Soho
) on
WEDNESDAY 14th JULY at 6:30pm
. Talk,
tour and refreshments. The event is free. See Fr
William for more information.
JESUIT-RUN
SUMMER SCHOOL
The
2010 Living Theology Residential Summer School will
take place at the new venue of Mount St. Mary's
College, Spinkhill, Sheffield
, S21
3YL ,
from MONDAY 26th JULY to SATURDAY 31st JULY. The
week is also open to non-residents.
Many
participants return each year, but ‘first timers'
will find a ready welcome and an atmosphere of sharing
and warmth in which no one should ever feel excluded.
Young people are particularly welcome.
Full
details including lecture titles, names of lecturers,
cost, and a downloadable booking form, timetable
and poster can be found on their website www.livingtheology.org.uk
. Enquiries to dedicated e-mail: lt@heythrop.ac.uk
SEA
SUNDAY
TODAY
there will be a collection at the doors in support
of the Apostleship of the Sea. 2010 is the “Year
of the Seafarer” and this annual appeal gives us
a chance to remember both in our prayers and in
a practical way those who go out to sea for their
livelihood and their families and friends. Their
Chaplain Bishop Tom Burns reminds us that to be
a seafarer is one of the top most dangerous occupations.
Please be generous.
FILMS
AT FARM STREET
FFS
screens and discusses films that raise moral and
spiritual issues for contemporary Christian living.
Each screening is followed by wine and nibbles.
Every two weeks, from September to April: see calendar
for dates. On Saturday
2 October 2010
there will be a workshop on “The Language of Film”
with special reference to Pasolini's “Gospel According
to St Matthew”. This
autumn we will begin our new season of films including
Winds of Desire , As It Is in Heaven
, Juno and The Last Temptation
of Christ .
VOLUNTEERING
IN THE JESUIT TRADITION - COULD THIS BE YOU?!
Have
you ever thought about volunteering, but never been
quite sure how to start? Do you have between 2 and
8 hours a week that you could set aside to work
with people in London
who
are suffering the effects of poverty and exclusion?
Would you like the opportunity to reflect prayerfully
with other volunteers on how we embody the Gospel
values of the Beatitudes in our volunteering and
daily living? If so, this is an invitation
to become an active member of London
Jesuit Volunteers! We
work with many organisations across London
–
starting with our own vibrant section of the Society
of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) in this parish. We also
work as advocates, mentors and friends alongside
people in hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters
as well as in communities of people with learning
disabilities, and with outreach agencies (such as
the Jesuit Refugee Service) for refugees, asylum
seekers, forced migrants and many other marginalised
people. Most recently we have started to work closely
with Farm Street Parish to set up our own local
project for older people who are frail and/or housebound.
LJV volunteers range in age from 25 to 75+ years
old, represent a wide diversity of cultural and
international backgrounds, and are often full-time
professionals with family, work and study commitments,
as well as people making transitions, including
those moving towards and into retirement. The combination
of volunteering placement with an opportunity to
reflect upon that experience has proved to be a
powerful magnet, and meets a deep need to make modern
living meaningful. Volunteers regularly comment
on how rewarding this experience proves to be –
and are unanimous that they receive back far more
than they give!
For
more information phone Andrea Kelly on 0207 499
7002 or email andrea@mountstreet.info
YOUNG
READERS
There
will be a training day for all young readers on
SATURDAY 17th JULY at 10.45am
.
For further details contact Patsy Cummings (pcummings@rcdow.org.uk).
YOUTH
MINISTRY AND SUMMER EVENTS
For all those
interested in taking part in planning events for
young people over the summer, please come to the
meeting TODAY (Sunday 11th JULY) in the meeting
room after the 9.30am and 11am Masses.
MOUNT
STREET JESUIT
CENTRE
114
Mount Street , London W1
Bookings
and information:
Lynne
Galloway 020 7495 1673 lynne@mountstreet.info
END
OF YEAR COMMUNITY MASS
SUNDAY
11th JULY at 5pm in the House
Chapel 114, Mount Street. If you have ever attended
any event at the Centre then this mass is for you,
come along and celebrate bring family and friends.
The celebrant will be Fr Holman SJ our provincial.
Drinks and nibbles afterwards. (Please note change
of time from 7pm , due to world cup..!)
MONTHLY
CENTRE/COMMUNITY MASS
(provisionally)
every second Sunday of the month at 7.15pm .
Once
you have attended any event here, we like to think
you are part of our ever-growing community of participants
and facilitators. Our monthly Community Mass is
an opportunity to meet for an informal ‘house Mass',
held in the Upper Room of 114 Mount Street, and
to share wine and nibbles afterwards. At present
it takes place on the second Sunday of each month
at 7.15pm
, though
we will be consulting with you by email about whether
this is the best time.
IGNATIAN
PRAYER DAYS
Led
by TONY HORAN SJ
Second
Saturday of each month (except August) from 11am-4.30pm
These
are days of prayer run in an Ignatian way, in which
there is a talk, time for personal prayer and the
opportunity to listen to each other, ending with
the Mass of the Sunday. There is no need to book
for these days just come along.
If
you would like us to put on a course or a one day
workshop on a particular topic of interest to you
now is your opportunity to make your requests.
Please
use Gift-Aid envelopes for your donations if you
are a UK
Tax-payer .
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