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SCRIPTURE
READINGS
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Proverbs |
8:22-31 |
| Psalm |
8 |
| Romans
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5:1-5
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| John |
16:12-15
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DO
WE HAVE TO GO TO MASS?
"This
is the Lamb of God" says the Priest .
The
Lamb is mentioned once in St
John's
Gospel, but he is the hero in the Book of Revelation
/
Apocalypse.
A
strange Lamb. He is also a Lion. He has seven horns
and seven eyes, which are the "seven spirits
of God "
.
He opens up God's revelation. He is General in the
great war between good and evil .
He
presides at a wedding banquet - his own; and his
Bride is the Church - that's us. The banquet is
the Mass: "happy are those" the priest
says "who are called to his supper". At
communion it seems we wed Jesus.
This
spouse of ours is obviously a sacrificed Lamb .
He's
been killed, but is now "standing erect as
one slain". A neat image of Jesus at Mass.
No
wonder there's a serious obligation to come to Mass
on Sunday .
But
.
....
.
"1
feel bored" says the teenager .
(At
the Wedding Banquet of our Saviour?). "
I
don't get anything out of it when I go to Mass".
(Doesn't Jesus get something?). "I can't pray
properly at Mass". (Who could? But at least
I won '
t
stand Jesus up at our wedding).
How
does it all happen? It looks as if at the Last Supper
Jesus invented a whole new order of reality. Not
the one we know of atoms, molecules and protons
and photons and bosons and space and time .
This
one is mysterious enough, but the new one, the "Sacramental
order "
is
even more unimaginable .
Jesus
evidently devised a way whereby something that hadn't
happened yet – the Crucifixion and Resurrection
- would be as it were pulled out of space and time
whenever we "do this" what He did at the
last supper .
("This
is my Body
. .
.
Blood ... which will be shed for you .... DO THIS").
People
get worked up at the idea of transubstantiation.
But really that is the least of it .
Time
is upset: Calvary
is actually, really (sacramentally not "historical")
happening at Mass.
So is the Resurrection. And space: what happened
in Jerusalem
is happening in our church not again, but as it
was. And eternity: heaven transfixes earth at the
altar and in the tabernacle.
We're
not asked to feel any of this ,
but we're asked to know - and to respond
as best we can.
Let's
be faithful to our "obligation". There
' s a lovely
negro spiritual which sings "Were you there
when they crucified my Lord?" The Catholic
can reply , "
Well, yes ,
I was actually: I went to the 8
o'clock Mass
this morning".
Fr
John Edwards SJ
INTENTIONS
FOR THE MONTH
That
the shameful and monstrous commerce in human beings,
which sadly involves millions of women and children,
may be ended. That ordained ministers, religious
women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic
work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm
into the communities entrusted to their care.
REFLECTION
FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS
The
Word does all these things, and teaches all things,
and uses all things to educate us…. So great is
the Word, this Educator, the Creator of the world
and of man, become the Educator of the world, also,
in His own person. By His command both of us are
united together, awaiting His judgment.… O Educator,
be gracious to your children, O Educator, Father,
Guide of Israel, Son and Father, both one, Lord….
Grant… we may sing eternal thanksgiving to the one
only Father and Son, Son and Father, Educator and
Teacher with the Holy Spirit. All things are for
the One, in whom are all things, throughwhom,
being the One are all things, through whom eternity
is, of whom all men are members, to whom is glory
and all the ages.
St.
CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
Christ
the Educator – Book 3, Chapter 12
CHURCH
CELEBRATIONS
This
week, we celebrated the union of Jason Roufogalis
and Sarah Bateman , Nicholas Bowman and Cordelia
de Freitas , Paul O'Sullivan and Deborah Grant ,
Michael Howley and Jo Wagstaff . May God guide them
all in their life together.
PEDAL
AGAINST POVERTY WITH CAFOD
Join
CAFOD for a sponsored bike ride to help raise funds
for CAFOD's poverty-fighting work overseas. The
family friendly sponsored bike ride will take place
on SUNDAY JUNE 13th in the beautiful Lee
Valley
Country
Park
, Hertfordshire
(10 or 19 mile routes available). For further details
and a registration form, please contact CAFOD on
0208-449-6970 or westminster@cafod.org.uk.
Closing date for applications: MONDAY MAY 24th.
WALSINGHAM
There
are still a few places for the annual parish pilgrimage
to Walsingham on SATURDAY MAY 29th.
This year's pilgrimage will be in memory of Philip
O'Brien, our Parish Council chairman, who died last
summer. The coach leaves from 114 Mount Street at
8.30am and returns to the same spot at around 8:30pm.
Fr Dominic Robinson will be leading the group. Cost
for the day including lunch is £30.
Cheques
payable to Farm Street Church. For further information,
contact Joan Hammett on 0208 657 6367 (after 6.00pm).
SPIRIT
IN THE CITY
3-5
June 2010
in West End Churches and on the streets. Come and
join us for the three-day celebration of our Catholic
faith. Inspiring speakers: Archbishop Vincent Nichols,
Fr. Stan Fortuna from the Bronx
, NY;
processions, prayer and evangelisation events. Saturday
5th June : Catholic festival in Leicester
Square
with an entire afternoon of performances, live music,
prayer and workshops. For detailed programme see
flyers or www.spiritinthecity.org
. For more details email: info@spiritinthecity.org
Tel: 0207 025 1596 .
YOUNG
ADULTS RETREAT
Join
Bishop Alan and other Young Adults on a Retreat
Day to St Jude's shrine, Faversham on JULY 24th.
Meet, Pray and Relax with other Young Adults from
the Diocese. All Young Adults (17-35) are welcome
to attend. Cost: £15 includes coach travel.
For more information and to book your place, contact
David Burke on 0207 798 9357 or davidburke@rcdow.org.uk
.
APPEAL:
NEW CATECHISTS!
We
need new volunteers! The work is very enjoyable
and rewarding and only requires being with the children
on Sunday mornings (not necessarily every Sunday)
and special occasions. Training will be provided
by the team. If you are interested, contact Patsy
Cummings pcummings@rcdow.org.uk.
MARTYRS
WALK
A
Walk in honour of the Martyrs of England who died
to uphold the Catholic Faith, on JUNE 20th. Meet
at 1:30pm
for
2pm
start
at St Sepulchre's Churchyard (opposite the Old Bailey,
Tube Station: St Pauls). Walk along the Tyburn
Way
to St Anselm's and St Cecilia, St Giles-in-the-Fields
and Tyburn Convent. Confessions, benediction at
the end of the 2 ½ hours walk and a reception
will be held by the Tyburn Nuns. See flyers for
details.
SUMMER
FAYRE AT THE FRIARS
In
the heart of Kent
, at
Aylesford, on June 20 th from 11am
to
4:30pm
, followed
by Mass at 5pm
. The
event is aimed towards adults and children, with
Eagle/Vulture and Falconry displays, a farm experience,
quad bikes and lots of entertainment. See flyers
for details or visit www.thefriars.org.uk
or call 0162 271 7272.
PROVIDENCE
ROW RUN
Join
the team to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Providence
Row, a charity which helps homeless people in London
. Walk
or run 10k in Hyde
Park
on Sunday 11 th July - kick-off time at 9:35am
at
Hyde Park Corner. For more information, call 0207
422 6763 or visit www.providencerow.org.uk
.
DATES
FOR YOUR DIARY
SUMMER
GARDEN PARTY SUNDAY JULY 4th
This
is our annual social get-together with lots of food
and drink and good fellowship. We call this our
Open Day and we make a special effort to introduce
new friends to our church. The event takes place
in Mount Street Garden and begins at noon , finishing
with a tour of the church at 3pm and ending with
Benediction at 4pm .
ST
IGNATIUS MASS AND CELEBRATION FRIDAY JULY 30th
The
Feast of St Ignatius, Founder of the Jesuits, is
celebrated on the 31st, but in order to ensure that
as many as possible can be with us for the Mass
and reception, we are having a Vigil Mass on Friday
at 6pm
. The
choir will be performing, there will be a guest
preacher and we will be gathering Jesuit alumni
and alumnae from all over the world. A very special
event!
MOUNT
STREET JESUIT
CENTRE
114
Mount Street , London W1
Bookings
and information:
Lynne
Galloway 020 7495 1673 lynne@mountstreet.info
JOURNALING:
Finding
God in all Relationships
TWO
SATURDAY WORKSHOPS - 5th and 26th June 11
am - 4 pm
Led
by BILLY HEWETT SJ
Practical
applications in daily life of the Ignatian principle
of finding God in all “things”, i.e. relationships
to world around us, between us, within us, beyond
us. Theoretical input will be followed immediately
at each stage by private, written exercise/response
. No
previous knowledge required.
FINDING
GOD THROUGH ART
ONE-DAY
WORKSHOP
THURSDAY
10th JUNE, 10 am - 2 pm
Facilitated
by MICHAEL BARROW SJ and ANNIE BROMHAM IBVM
Many
people without any expertise find the use of paint
or clay or even dance, a wonderful way to deepen
their prayer. This day offers a chance to look at
paintings as well
as to use colour to find God in your own particular
way.
TWO
TALKS IN PREPARATION FOR THE VISIT OF POPE BENEDICT
XVI
Presented
by BRIAN PURFIELD
7
- 8:30pm
Cardinal
Newman: The “Father” of Vatican II
Monday
14th June
One
hundred years before Vatican II, Newman, often called
the “Father” of the Second Vatican Council, was
teaching the ideas that would come to fruition at
the Council. This talk examines how the whole Church
is challenged to live out the roles of priest, prophet
and king in our own day .
Pope
Benedict XVI: “Charity in Truth”
Monday
21st June
Love
or charity is at the heart of the Christian vision
and is the key to the fulfilment and development
of the human person. This talk offers an overview
of the main points of this profound and powerful
vision of the Christian faith applied to the complex
problems involved in human development.
DEEPENING
OUR AWARENESS OF GOD WITH US
from
SEPTEMBER 2010 to JULY 2011
Once
again Fr TONY HORAN SJ is offering his popular course
on the Spirituality of St Ignatius. You can either
apply for the course on Tuesday evenings, 7pm to
9pm , or on Thursday mornings, 11am to 1pm. Nearly
100 people have done this course since 2006, as
one of them said, “ The course is a very special
time to reflect, pray, explore, and share with others.
We come together as a group, sensitively and gently
guided -- all of us seeking to deepen our lives
with God. It is a time for going further into the
heart of things, and for lesser things to fall away.”
Application Forms can be obtained from the MSJC
(see contact details above) or at tony.horan@btinternet.com
. Limited number for each course . It is important
to fill in the application form carefully and submit
it by 15th JUNE 2010 to the above
address.
Details
of these programmes can be found in the leaflets
at
the doors of the church.
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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