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SCRIPTURE
READINGS
|
Daniel |
7:13-14 |
| Psalm |
92 |
| Apocalypse |
1:5-8 |
| John |
18:33-37 |
There
is a painting entitled Women at the Crucifixion
and it portrays the faces, lit from close by, of
a group of women looking with horror on the sight
of Christ on the cross. The scene of this terrible
execution is absent from the painting. We are simply
invited to view their eyes of terror, their faces,
contorted and grimacing at the awful sight in their
seeing, their hand raised to their mouths in horror
making the gasps of sympathy almost audible, such
is the appalling vision before them - that of Jesus
on the cross. For two millennia, we have tried to
come to terms with this event and for a thousand
and more years hence, we will still gaze upon that
scene of suffering and be appalled by it and recall
the words of the prophet centuries before the event:
.. .so disfigured he was that he seemed hardly human.
What kind of kingship is this? Who in their right
mind would look to such a scene and say, yes, this
is a victory? What kind of imperative is it that
urges this execution as something for us, a place
where we should look to find our leader?
Death
and suffering are things we want nothing to do with.
We know they are there but we ignore
them
and we deal with them, usually badly, when their
reality thrusts itself into our lives. And then
we push them away from our vision and return to
what is called normal life. And yet … is there not
the faint echo of a voice within us calling us to
look again? Do we not resonate with the suffering
and death of Christ in our own times of trial and
say, yes, there is a meaning to all this? Have the
giants of Bach and Raphael and all the other masters
of music and art, not expressed in their creations
the very power of the paradox of the cross? And
make no mistake about it - it is, at least, a paradox.
Others, with their honesty and disbelief, have rejected
this standard as irrelevant to us, so incredulous
before such an image that atheism has seemed to
them the only honourable response. Can we blame
them? Do we truly understand the starkness and emptiness
of what they see? The Church hears another, different
and stranger sound and proclaims: Dying you destroyed
our death, rising you restored our life, Lord Jesus
come in glory.
Fr
James Campbell SJ
Today
is Youth Sunday. We thank God for our Young people
and ask God for His blessing on them.
The
Book of Remembrance for those you would like to
be remembered in prayers and at Mass is in the Calvary
Chapel at the back
of the church.
NEXT
SUNDAY
The
First Sunday of Advent will be marked in a special
way at two of our morning Masses. At the Family
Mass (9:30am) we will celebrate the formal inscription
of our First Communion children who, together with
their parents, godparents and catechists, will be
undertaking the commitment to make their full preparation
for this great Sacrament. First Communions will
be celebrated on June 6th, the feast of Corpus
Christi . Even if you will
not be present, we invite your prayers. There will
be a poster at the back of the church to remind
us of those taking part. At the Sung Latin Mass
( 11am )
we will be commissioning the members of our Parish
Council. There is a special board at the garden
entrance dedicated to Parish Council activities
and news with photos to help get to know the members.
On that Sunday at all the Masses, there will be
a member of the Parish Council at the main doors
after Mass to say Hello and to answer any questions
you may have.
MASS
OF THANKSGIVING
On
December 3 rd (Feast of St Francis Xavier) Bishop
John Arnold will celebrate a Mass organized by Jesuit
Media Initiative at 6pm
in the church to thank all those who have supported
and contributed to Pray-as-you-go . This
is the 10-minute reflexion updated daily which has
been downloaded 12 million times since its creation
three and a half years ago by Fr Peter Scally SJ.
JMI is based at 114 Mount
Street where the team works
each day on this and many other media projects.
All are welcome. www.pray-as-you-go.org
FEAST
OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
On
December 8 th Archbishop Nichols will celebrate
the Sung Mass at 6pm
with the Farm Street Choir. This is our Patronal
Feast and there will be a parish party in the Hall
following the Mass.
FAITH
MATTERS
"FUNDAMENTAL
OF FAITH"
A
lecture series at Vaughan
House, behind Westminster Cathedral
7pm
– 8:30pm
November
25 th : Presented by
Fr Steven Wang. Theme: The Catholic
Moral Vision: a guide to finding true happiness.
December
2 nd : Presented by Fr
James Hanvey, SJ. Theme: God, Creation and Ecology.
December
9 th : Presented by Mgr
John Armitage. Theme: Catholic Social Teaching:
a guide in troubles times.
Registration
necessary. Please e-mail faithmatters@rcdow.org.uk
or call 0207 931 6078. £2 donations suggested.
MOUNT
STREET CAROLS
Shops
and businesses in Mount Street will open their doors
to Christmas carollers from 6pm till 8:30pm on this
Thursday November 26 th . If you would like to join
in the singing, come to the Parish Hall at 6pm to
get your carol sheet and lantern. See Fr James Campbell
for details.
ADVENT
MUSICAL MEDITATION
On
Sunday November 29th at 5pm
in the church there will
be an hour-long musical meditation on Advent themes
from Scripture with the Farm Street Choir providing
a selection of music from Handel's Messiah .
This will be a good opportunity for those who do
not normally have a chance to hear our choir and
a good spiritual start to the season of Advent.
Please put this in your diary. There is Mass at
4.15 and at 6.15 as usual.
ADVENT
TALKS
We
are very happy to have Fr Anthony Meredith back
with us after his knee operation. Fr Anthony will
give three talks in Advent in honour of the Year
of the Priest. His theme will be The Priesthood
of Christ, the Priesthood of all believers and the
Ordained Priesthood. 5pm
in the Hall, beginning on Sunday 6 th December.
All welcome.
CHRISTMAS
FAIR
On
December 6 th we will have our annual Christmas
Fair with a sale of selected goods in the Hall,
from 10am
till 3pm .
There will be games and activities for the children.
Details next week .
LIVING
STONES PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND
15th
to 26th JUNE 2010
A
pilgrimage for Farm Street Parish and friends led
by Fr Tony Nye SJ and Deacon Duncan Macpherson of
Living Stones. A unique opport-unity to meet and
worship with our Christian brothers and sisters
in the Holy
Land
and to experience spiritual renewal in the land
where Jesus walked. For further information contact
Fr Tony Nye SJ tel 0207 493 7811or by e-mail: tonynyesj@jesuits.net.
Please
use Gift-Aid envelopes for your donations if you
are a UK
Tax-payer .
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