<![CDATA[St. Bart's RC Church, Norbury - Thoughts]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2024 21:36:48 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[The Questions on Thoughts]]>Wed, 06 Nov 2019 21:56:27 GMThttp://stbartsnorbury.co.uk/thoughts/the-questions-on-thoughtsWe've had a number of enquiries now about the apparent cessation of our popular Thoughts blog.

Be assured that as things stand it's only been rested on a 'needs-must' basis, and we hope to see it continued at some stage in the future.]]><![CDATA[(Liturgical Year B - 14th Sunday)]]>Fri, 06 Jul 2018 14:09:39 GMThttp://stbartsnorbury.co.uk/thoughts/liturgical-year-b-14th-sundayPictureThe Incredulity of Saint Thomas as depicted by the Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) in 1601-2
​Last Tuesday, we celebrated a very encouraging role model for those whose faith may sometimes waver, namely Saint Thomas the Apostle, famously known as ‘Doubting Thomas’, whose story clearly demonstrates the power of God’s Grace in overcoming the weaknesses of human nature. Thomas was not with his fellow Apostles when the Risen Jesus first appeared to them. On being told of this momentous visit, he flatly refused to believe unless he could both see and touch Our Lord’s Wounds. Jesus duly granted his request, causing the shamefaced Apostle to cry out, “My Lord and My God!’ Thomas was gently chided by Our Lord for requiring physical proof of His Resurrection. Jesus praises those such as ourselves who, nowadays must, through the Teachings of the Church, believe in His Triumph of Life over death without having seen Him in His Human nature.
PictureAn image of Saint Maria Goretti painted by the Italian Giuseppe Brovelli-Soffredini (1863-1936) in 1929
On Friday of the same week, we celebrated an Italian Martyr, Saint Maria Goretti, a vital role model in these times when Chastity, Virginity and Marriage are consistently denounced and mocked. When just 11 years old, she refused the advances of a young man, Alessandro, who then attempted to rape her. In resisting him, she was fatally stabbed, living long enough to forgive him for his crime. Maria defended, with her life, Virginity before Marriage. Her actions also point us to acknowledge the Sanctity of the sexual act which is reserved to Man and Wife in Marriage, in stark contradiction to what we might see and hear in the media! We need to pray earnestly for God’s Grace that we might truly love one another and resist the declining Moral climate of the present age, whatever criticisms may be levelled at us!

Alessandro, through Maria’s intercession, repented and was converted, making his peace with God and with Maria’s mother, who gave him the good news that Maria had, indeed, forgiven him. He became a Capuchin Lay Brother and, later, was privileged to be present at Maria’s canonisation in 1950.
The power of Grace over evil is limitless; Grace which is there if we should just ask for it. Morals and self - control are often not presented as 'relevant' to the modern age and, indeed, may well present challenges to our fallen nature. The modern concept of ‘freedom of choice’ does not necessarily acknowledge the rights of our Creator and our duty to inform our conscience in Truth, that we may make the correct decisions. It is crucial that, in all one’s life choices, one looks beyond the ‘here and now’ to the end of one’s earthly life and to one’s Judgement, asking oneself, ‘Am I returning Love for Love or is self-love taking me away from true Love?’
 
As we prayed today’s Entrance Antiphon (Ps. 47:10-11), we recalled God’s Love for us and, necessarily, His Justice. Unlike a certain revered naval hero, God cannot, in justice, ‘turn a blind eye’ to deliberate transgressions. In His Love for us, however, should we fall into sin, Christ left us the Sacrament of Penance. Through this wonderful Sacrament He restores to our Soul the Graces we have discarded and offers us His Help to pick ourselves up and continue our journey safely on to Heaven.
]]><![CDATA[The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (Liturgical Year B)]]>Fri, 29 Jun 2018 14:44:11 GMThttp://stbartsnorbury.co.uk/thoughts/the-solemnity-of-saints-peter-and-paul-liturgical-year-bOn Friday, 29th June we celebrated the Solemnity of two great role models for Catholics, Saint Peter, the first Pope (succeeded by our current Pope, Francis) and Saint Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews). The Church declares this to be a Holy Day of Obligation; we were bound to go to Mass on that day as we are on all Sundays. The word ‘holiday’, (i.e. rest from work) is derived from this term. Centuries ago, Holy Days were the only days off, apart from Sundays, for the poor.
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A painting of Saint Peter (on the left) and Saint Paul - Anon. c.1620
Peter and Paul came from relatively ordinary backgrounds. Peter, originally called Simon Bar Jonah (i.e. Son of Jonah), was a fisherman whom Jesus, in recognition of the Pope’s fundamental role of leading the Church and confirming us in the Faith, renamed Peter (Rock, in Latin, Petrus). Initially fearful of those who sought the Death of his Lord and Master and who might well treat His followers in the same way, Peter denied, on the eve of the Passion, even Knowing Jesus! However, on Pentecost Sunday, Confirmed by the Power of the Holy Spirit, Peter would counter a potentially hostile crowd’s mockery, converting three thousand with the Truth! We do not today, generally, risk our lives for correcting error and promoting God’s Laws. Are we prepared, though, to risk our ‘image’ for displaying Moral Courage?!
 
Paul, previously Saul, was a Pharisee, earning his living as a tent maker. He was firmly convinced that his mission was to stamp out the Christian Faith which was regarded by the Jews as a heresy. His spectacular and sudden conversion (sometimes called his ‘Damascene conversion’), whilst on the road to Damascus to arrest yet more Christians, led to his Baptism as Paul, the fearless Apostle to the Gentiles! We must continually seek his intercession that those who, even today, are convinced that it is their mission to kill ‘in God’s Name’, are brought to discover and accept God’s Truth and turn their zeal to spreading the Gospel of Love. Again, there is so much that our lovingly faithful practice of our Catholic Faith (‘Actions speaking louder that Words’) can do to convert the hearts of those who have been led astray!
 
Both these men, as they made converts and established new Christian communities, wrote follow-up letters (in Latin, 'epistola') to these young cells of the Church over the years, confirming and strengthening them in their Faith and resolving queries or disputes which arose. Saint Peter, charged by Christ with leading the fledgling Church, is credited with two Epistles, while Saint Paul’s writing, as with his missionary travelling, is far more extensive; extracts from his letters feature regularly at Mass. In Peter and Paul’s times, much was passed on by word of mouth as widespread literacy and printing were yet to come.
 
Peter and Paul died Martyrs’ deaths. Peter, like his lord and Master, was crucified; humility moved him to request that he be crucified upside down, as he felt unworthy to die in exactly the same manner as had Jesus.
 
Paul, as a Roman citizen, requested that he be taken to Rome for trial by the Emperor. In agreeing to this request his enemies unwittingly aided his Missionary endeavours. Throughout his lengthy journey to Rome, including being shipwrecked on the Mediterranean island of Malta, Paul seized every opportunity God gave him to evangelise. On reaching Rome, he continued to teach, further spreading the Gospel there, making converts, suffering two terms of imprisonment, and was eventually beheaded during the reign of Nero.
 
As we know, Rome’s central location as what we might, today, term a ‘communications hub’, was to lead to its establishment as the centre of the Catholic world, from where the Head of the Church still governs the now approximately 1.2 billion Catholics around the globe. Just contemplate the wonderful power for Evangelisation by the Church if each and every one of her members actually practises the Faith into which they are baptised! Another of our duties, in Love, is to pray that lapsed (non-practising) Catholics will heed God’s continual Call and return to the Fold! How much do we contribute, through example, to bringing back ‘the lost sheep’?
 
Both Peter and Paul returned that ‘Love unto death’ shown them by Jesus and, in the following centuries, many men and women, drawing courage from their example, would (and, indeed, still do!) lose their freedom and, indeed, their lives on this earth, rather than deny the Truth. Generally speaking, we are probably very unlikely to be asked to make this ultimate Profession of Faith. We may well, however, need to be prepared to face disbelief and even scorn for living as faithful Christians. Are we willing to make the sacrifice, probably not of our life, but of our reputation?
]]><![CDATA[The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (Liturgical Year B)]]>Fri, 22 Jun 2018 16:12:43 GMThttp://stbartsnorbury.co.uk/thoughts/the-nativity-of-saint-john-the-baptist-liturgical-year-bBeing a Catholic in today’s world can present many a challenge. Take a look at the Ten Commandments then see, in the news and, sadly, in what often passes for the entertainment media, how so many of God’s Laws are openly flouted. One may well be regarded as very ‘uncool’ among one’s peers, for instance, perhaps even among some fellow-Christians, should one manifestly live according to the Moral Teachings of the Church. Should a person have the moral strength to promote these laws and point out how they are so often ‘watered down’ or simply disregarded, they may, paradoxically, be labelled ‘unchristian’. Our First Communicants, the Church of the Future, will, next Sunday, look towards the vital role which they, too, are called to play as they ‘Go Forth’. Let us pray for them and their Parents, that they will not falter in their God-given Mission!
 
Today, though a Sunday, the Church ‘sets aside’ Ordinary Time and focuses our attention on a man who, most certainly, would not have many fans today, rather probably many enemies! During his own lifetime, his preaching of the unchangeable Truth landed him in prison and eventually cost him his life! Saint John the Baptist, whose nativity (or birth) we celebrate today, was truly, as should we all be, ‘a Sign of Contradiction’. Today’s readings emphasise the qualities required of a practising Catholic. John is ‘introduced’, so to speak, in the Entrance Antiphon (John 1: 6-7; Luke 1:17), ‘…He came to testify to the Light, to prepare a people fit…’ for Christ’s Coming. In the First Reading, we hear the familiar prophecy of John’s Mission by the Prophet Isaiah (49:1-6): the Baptist, chosen as the Last of the Prophets, is to preach incisively, cutting through evil like, ‘…a sharp sword…’ penetrating to the Truth like ‘…a sharpened arrow…’. His task is to form God’s Chosen People, equipping them for the mission (in which we are, today, through Baptism, called to join) to be ‘…the light of the nations…’ spreading the Truth world wide.
 
The Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 138: 1-3, 13-15 response v 14)) is a beautiful hymn of praise to our Creator who, ever lovingly watchful, knows us better than we know ourselves, offering us His Grace if we will accept and cooperate with it.
 
The Second Reading (Acts 13:22-26) highlights Jesus’ descent from King David, ‘… a man after my (God’s) own heart…’ and John the Baptist, his humble herald, who was only too aware of his ‘littleness’ before the Lord whose Coming he was announcing. How often is one guilty of the sin of pride in refusing to accept ‘…the way of the Lord…’?
 
The Alleluia Verse (cf Lk. 1:76) quotes John’s father Zechariah’s words (as we may pray them in the Prayer, the Benedictus) again echoing the Old Testament Prophecy of John’s coming Mission.
Finally, through the words of the Gospel (Luke 1:57-66, 80), we witness a profound moment. Zechariah had been bereft of speech since he had expressed doubts over the Angel’s prophecy that, in their old age, he and his wife, Elizabeth would conceive a son. Now, in publicly confirming that his God-given son will be named, as God wills, inscribing on a writing tablet, “His name is John.”, Zechariah is given back the power of speech, leaving his hearers in no doubt, surely, of God’s active Presence among His people.
 
John the Baptist points us towards the Lord. Indeed, if you go into the retro chapel, there you will see a statue of St John the Baptist, with one arm raised, pointing upwards with his right forefinger. Our task is not an easy one but, at Fátima, addressing the three little shepherds and referring, at the time, particularly to the Conversion of Russia from atheism, Our Blessed Lady prophesied that ‘…my Immaculate Heart will Triumph…’. She still calls out to us, her children, today. Our Lady and the Saints are ever watchful over us. They, above all, know the great challenges we face in living and proclaiming our Faith. May we, like John, work tirelessly and with determination towards the ultimate triumph of Good over evil!
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The statue of St. John the Baptist overlooking the Baptismal Font in the retro-chapel at St. Bartholomew’s
]]><![CDATA[(Liturgical Year B - 11th Sunday)]]>Fri, 15 Jun 2018 15:12:25 GMThttp://stbartsnorbury.co.uk/thoughts/liturgical-year-b-11th-sundayDuring the month of June, we are meditating particularly upon the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Source of His Love for us, which calls for our wholehearted Love in return. During July, we will be invited to meditate especially upon His Precious Blood which, in Love, He shed to the very last drop for us on the Cross, so undoing the devastating consequence of Original Sin which had closed to us the Road to Heaven. How appropriate that during June our young First Communicants have been and are to be wrapped in His Loving Embrace as they receive His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity into themselves, body and soul, for the very first time!
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The Last Supper painted by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and depicted as restored in 1999
This Sunday our second group will, for the very first time, invite the Author of Love to come and dwell in them. They will be followed by the third group on Saturday next. As the month of the Precious Blood of Jesus begins, on Sunday, 1st July, all our new First Communicants will, together, prepare to ‘Go Forth’, living and growing as vital and active members of the Church, sustained by the Bread of Life Himself!
 
Not so long ago, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, reminded us that we are all called to Evangelise, i.e. to spread, through word and deed, the Liberating Truth of the Gospel far and wide and also, indeed, not so far away, within our own Family Circles and among our Friends. If our Precious Children are to grow into their role as Evangelisers, they must be able to count on the supportive example and help of their Parents, their First teachers in the Faith. Read Pope Francis’ words on this subject here.  The crucial role of Practising Catholic Parents in their Children’s growth in and practice of the Faith cannot be overstated!
 
Each and every one of us needs to strive to grow in love of this wonderful Sacrament, receiving Our Lord as often as possible. From this Sacrament will our youngsters, the Church of the Future, draw encouragement as they, Apostles all, face an increasingly (it would seem) Godless world!
 
Please God their loving responses to this awesome Gift will include a firm determination to receive Our Lord as often as they can, certainly on Sundays and Holy Days and also, as they grow older and more able to make such choices, encouraged by their Parents’ example, at weekday Mass during school holidays. If God Incarnate sacrificed His Life for His creatures, the occasional ‘extra’ Mass is not too much to ask of them!
]]><![CDATA[The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Liturgical Year B)]]>Fri, 08 Jun 2018 15:51:31 GMThttp://stbartsnorbury.co.uk/thoughts/the-most-sacred-heart-of-jesus-liturgical-year-bJune is, for Catholics, the month highlighting our devotion to the Sacred Heart. Last Friday and Saturday, following our recent Celebration of Our Lord’s loving Gift of Holy Communion (i.e. Corpus Christi), we had two more celebrations of Love, sorely needed to highlight the true meaning of Love in an age when what may be termed ‘love’ can be directly opposed to the Will of our Creator.
 
Friday was the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Seat and Symbol of His Burning Love for us. This Love moved Him to Die for us, in agony, on the Cross on Good Friday and had also moved Him, at the Last Supper, to institute the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Through Holy Orders and Father’s words and gestures, that once-for-all Sacrifice will be made present and offered in our churches until the end of time. Christ, of course, does not suffer any more; He just wishes us to join ourselves, in our own particular time and place, to His Sacrifice, and longs to give Himself to each of us in Communion. On Fridays, Father may offer a Votive (optional) Mass of the Sacred Heart.
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The Heart of Mary as depicted by the Austrian artist Leopold Kupelwieser (1796-1852). This painting hangs in the side-chapel of St. Antony in the Peterskierche, Vienna
Saturday, traditionally a day on which we honour Our Blessed Mother, marking her wait, on Holy Saturday, for her Son to rise from the dead, was the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, again a Heart moved by Love, that Love which caused her to give herself to God, completely and unconditionally (‘…I am the handmaid of the Lord…’) as an instrument in His Plan to save the Human Race from Original Sin and to set us back on the way to Heaven.
 
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is linked to Saint John Eudes, who also propagated devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart, although we are probably more familiar with Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque’s mission to promote this Devotion. She was a French Nun of the Visitation Order who, round about 1673, was privileged to be shown by Jesus His Sacred Heart, as He lamented that although He showers unlimited Love on Mankind, so many of us simply show ingratitude in return.
Among the revelations Jesus made was what became known as the Great Promise, namely that those, who on the First Friday of nine months in a row, would receive Communion, would be granted all the Graces they needed to finally repent of their sins, and receive the Sacraments, bringing them safely to Heaven. Of course, as we must recognise, this promise does not guarantee that one will get to Heaven, come what may, any more than having a knowledge of road safety will, if it is not practised, keep us from injury or death. Rather it promises that all the spiritual assistance we need to overcome sin and move closer to God are ours for the asking. We are, of course, expected to make our best efforts to use these sources of help! Jesus asked for the establishment of this Feast, to make up for Man’s ingratitude.
 
It is significant that these visions occurred when they did because, at the time, a heresy, known as Jansenism, presented God not as Loving, Merciful and Forgiving but, rather, negatively as someone to be feared. Free Will, given to each and every one of us, was replaced by predestination to Heaven or to Hell, something totally at variance with the Church’s Teachings which make it very clear that, far from wishing to exclude us from Heaven, God will not cease to call us to Him until our last conscious moment when we are capable of willing to love Him and go to Heaven. Only our knowing and deliberate choice of evil can separate us from our Loving God. We cannot lose the opportunity to enter Heaven by accident!
 
In an age when the meaning of the word ‘love’ has been so distorted and debased, this Devotion is another priceless asset to us in our journey to Heaven.
]]><![CDATA[Corpus Christi]]>Fri, 01 Jun 2018 14:31:44 GMThttp://stbartsnorbury.co.uk/thoughts/corpus-christi5177765Last week, we celebrated the Three Divine persons in the One God, i.e. the Most Holy Trinity. Today we celebrate the Sacrament to which all the other Sacraments point the way, Holy Communion itself. Each time we receive Communion, we take to ourselves that same Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity which Christ first gave to His Apostles at the Last Supper and which, as our Risen Lord, He longs, every day, to give to us. This is not to be regarded as a reward for being good, but to strengthen us in our resolve to be good Catholics.
One of the descriptions of the Mass is ‘...a public act of worship…’ Another public proof of our adherence to the Fullness of the Faith is how we ‘…love one another…’. Many of us will recall, from our own childhood, that a prominent part of the celebration of Corpus Christi was a public procession around the neighbourhood of our church. Father, accompanied by the Parish First Communicants, their Families and other Parishioners, carried the Blessed Sacrament in the Monstrance, taking Our Lord out to those of all Faiths and none. This very ‘high-profile’ demonstration of our love for and devotion to the Bread of Life is taking place, after a gap of many years, in our Parish today.
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The Corpus Christi Procession at St. Michael's Convent in 1982*
​Thanks to the present English translation of the text of the Mass, we can acknowledge, just before receiving Communion, our total unworthiness to have God come into our body and soul. We repeat the words of the Roman Centurion, declaring, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the Word and my soul shall be healed.” We not only admit to our fallen human nature, but we proclaim our firm belief that Christ can, in His Goodness, providing that we are truly sorry, drive out the sins which distance (and, sometimes) completely separate us from Him.
 
It is because Jesus, God the Son, actually comes to each of us personally that the Church insists upon our being in the State of Grace, i.e. free from Mortal Sin, requiring us to confess any such sins of which we are aware before approaching the Altar. She requires us, also, under normal circumstances, to fast for one hour (water and medicines are the only exceptions) before receiving Communion. Hopefully, realising the importance of the Food of our Souls, this is no big deal. Decades ago, the fast lasted from Midnight on Saturday; it was then reduced to three hours by Pope Pius XII in 1957, then to the present one hour by Pope Paul VI in 1964.
 
You might like to read the stories of Saint Tarcisius and Little Li, two children who gave their lives as Martyrs for love of the Holy Eucharist. They will inspire you and your children! Why not see how many more Saints of the Eucharist you can discover! If ever one goes unwillingly to Mass and Communion, one will do well to recall that in various parts of the world, our Brothers and Sisters are still risking their lives for this Privilege. Our Procession today will be a clear sign of our gratitude for the freedom we enjoy to practise our Faith in this country, and a sign of Solidarity with our persecuted Brothers and Sisters. Have a Holy and Happy Solemnity!
*The picture within the article above depicts the Corpus Christi Procession at St. Michael's Convent in 1982.

This annual event brought together clergy and parishioners from St. Bartholomew's Norbury, English Martyrs Streatham, St. Michael's Pollards Hill and St. Matthew's West Norwood - the convent, at the top of Streatham Common, was originally a mansion called Park Hill. Built in 1829 it was the home of Henry Tate from c.1880. It became a nursing home run by nuns of the the Congregation of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God in 1923. The nuns left the building in 1996 when the property was put onto the market. It was sold in 2002 and the site was developed as Henry Tate Mews. The Grade II* listed building (including the chapel) was sympathetically converted into apartments.
]]><![CDATA[The Most Holy Trinity]]>Fri, 25 May 2018 15:31:34 GMThttp://stbartsnorbury.co.uk/thoughts/the-most-holy-trinityBlessed John Henry Newman wrote some beautiful Hymns and Prayers, one of which begins, “Firmly I believe, and truly, God is Three and God is One….”, very appropriate to herald today’s Celebration of the Three Persons in One God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Turn to number 962 in our hymn book.) Read more of Newman’s writings here.
This is, indeed, a mystery of Faith! The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which we considered last week, will help us to accept this fundamental Teaching of the Church. The Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity is, to our limited human minds, not the easiest Truth to comprehend. This, of course, is where the Gifts of Faith, Hope and Charity come into play; we believe and trust that God, Infinitely Perfect, in His Love for us, can never tell us anything which is untrue, and will not ask the impossible of us in terms of belief. We can be certain that He will bring us, if we do our best to love and obey Him, to Heaven.
Scutum Fidei (Shield of Faith) or The Shield of the Trinity
If you are looking to better understand this Truth, for your own knowledge or to explain it to others, then one of the clearest explanations of the Three-in-Oneness of God is to be found in Frank Sheed’s book, Theology for Beginners, chapter 5, The Three Persons. This can be further simplified in order to explain it to our children; they also have a right to the Truth, and we have a duty to do our best to teach them. It is vital to remember, though, that to simplify does not mean to water down or to omit truth.
 
For those who would postpone such teaching until children are ‘old enough’ (and who of us will ever be ‘old enough’ to fully understand this particular Doctrine?!), they would do well to heed the words of a renowned educational psychologist, Jerome Bruner, who said that “…anything can be taught to any one, at any age, as long as it is properly thought out first…”. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (whose Mother died when Thérèse was four years old) once asked her mother (Saint Zélie Martin) about our capacity for God and was shown two very different sized containers, each filled to the brim with water; as Zélie explained to her daughter, just as each vessel was completely filled, God fills us with His Grace according to our created capacity and our openness to it. Any preparation required to teach our precious young people will be very beneficial to teachers as well as their pupils.
 
Take heart in that if you find yourself pondering and puzzling over this Doctrine, so did the great Theologians! Only God can fully understand Himself! For a more detailed exposition of the subject we have, of course, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Section 2, the Profession of the Christian Faith) intended by the Teaching Authority (or Magisterium) of the Church as the ‘yardstick’ against which all publications claiming to be Catholic, including your children’s R.E. materials, must be assessed.
 
In this day and age, this Doctrine may be a stumbling block to be overcome in a journey of Faith. It takes Prayer and perseverance to break down barriers; we cannot allow our human limitations to be transferred to God. We have to make a ‘leap of faith’ over the barrier! Our loving Belief in and Witness to this fundamental and deep Truth will effectively help to overcome any doubts and objections which can be raised. Our lives must be permeated by this belief which we express, among other ways, in making the Sign of the Cross and in reciting the Creed every Sunday and Solemnity.
]]><![CDATA[Pentecost]]>Fri, 18 May 2018 16:15:25 GMThttp://stbartsnorbury.co.uk/thoughts/pentecostThere is a very beautiful hymn, thought to have been written in the 9th Century AD, by Rabanus Maurus, which is very appropriate to this Solemnity and which, fortunately, has not been excluded from modern Catholic hymn books. In it we pray, “Come Holy Ghost, Creator, Come…….take possession of our Souls and make them all thine own”.
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Pentecôte - Jean II Restout (1692-1768)
Today, we open our Mass, proclaiming, in the Entrance Antiphon (Wisdom 1:7) that ‘The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world…’. Today we celebrate what is sometimes called the Birthday of the Church, when, enlightened and emboldened by the Holy Spirit, the previously timid, fearful and, perhaps, uncertain Apostles, the first Bishops of the Catholic Church, energetically emerged from their hiding place. Strengthened by the Gifts of the Spirit, the same Gifts given to each of us at our Confirmation, to be received by the Candidates today, through Bishop Pat, they gave, quite literally, their all. They received the following seven gifts and attributes:
 
Wisdom, which helps us choose God’s way of living, understanding the often challenging teachings of the Church, having compassion and tolerance for the weak, whilst also being ever ready to ‘grasp the nettle’, to be unpopular – in other words, ‘un-politically correct’ - pointing out error, even if we aren’t thanked for it!
 
Understanding helps us to see the deep meaning of the truths of our Faith, and to hold onto them.
 
Right Judgement (Counsel) helps us make choices to live as a faithful follower of Jesus, to see the danger of certain ‘alternative’ ways of living.
 
Courage (Fortitude) helps us stand up for our faith in Christ, avoiding anything which, while the worldly-wise might approve, will separate us from God. Such courage may even separate us from friends who cannot or will not see why we believe and live as we do.
 
Knowledge, again, helps us choose the path that will lead to God. It encourages us to avoid whatever will keep us from Him.
 
Reverence (Piety) helps us worship and serve God, and inspires us to joyfully want to serve Him and others.
 
Wonder and Awe bring us to see how utterly great God is, and to love Him so much that we do not want to offend Him by anything we say or do. This Gift is also known as Fear of The Lord, which, if explained correctly, emphasises love and devotion which move us to obey God. Indeed, far from fearing so Loving a Father, we fear the sins which can separate us from Him.
 
How childlike are we in our following of God? Let us pray anew for a renewal of these Gifts in our souls and in those of all our young people who are growing up in an increasingly godless world. Let us pray especially for all our Confirmation Candidates receiving this great Sacrament today. May these young men and women be continually inspired to be instruments of the call to, ‘Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth’, as they, the Church of the future, set out to fulfil the awesome responsibility they have assumed through this Sacrament!
]]><![CDATA[The Ascension (Liturgical Year B)]]>Fri, 11 May 2018 16:23:42 GMThttp://stbartsnorbury.co.uk/thoughts/the-ascension-liturgical-year-bLast week, on Ascension Thursday, 10th May, the fortieth day of Eastertide, in the Entrance Antiphon (Acts 1:11), we pronounced the words of the Angel to the Apostles who, following their beloved Master’s departure from their sight into Heaven, remained for a while gazing (surely sadly and longingly) into the empty sky. The Angel assures them that, one day, Jesus will return when He comes, of course, to Judge us all at the end of time.
 
This year, as the Solemnity fell on the exact day, i.e. Thursday, that day was, of course, a Holy Day of Obligation, binding on the Faithful, as are all Sundays, giving us the very clear message that the Eucharist has an indispensable and central role in our lives.
 
The First Reading (Acts 1:1-11) narrated that familiar scene in which Our Lord took leave, so to speak, of His Apostles.
The Ascension as depicted by the Anglo-American artist Benjamin West in 1801
Jesus had, of course, promised to be with us, His Church, always. Through the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 46:2-3, 6-9 response v6) we celebrated this continuity of our Saviour’s presence among us as, indeed, we do every time we participate in the Mass. In order to fulfil this promise, Jesus and the Father were to send the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This word, again, has a numerical significance, coming from the Greek for 50, i.e. the number of Days after Easter that the Spirit came to transform the twelve timid first Bishops and Priests into fearless Crusaders, eleven of whom would eventually be Martyred for preaching the Truth, and with one in exile. The Apostles were Confirmed or ‘energised’ as it were, to “...Go out to the whole world…”, come what may, and ‘…proclaim the Good News…’ that Christ is, indeed, Risen and that, through His Body, the Church, with her Pope, Bishops, Priests and Deacons, and Her seven Sacraments, we have the infallible link to God and our Heavenly destiny. Only knowing and persistent refusal to live God’s Way can, ultimately, deprive a soul of the Life God wishes to give to us eternally.
In the Second Reading (Ephesians 1:17-23) Saint Paul prayed (as must we!) for the necessary Graces to aid us in understanding and living by the Teachings of Our Lord who, alone, can give us Eternal Happiness. We must recognise that those who consider themselves ‘worldly-wise’ among us will, at times, not accept Jesus as ‘…the ruler of everything…’, as is evidenced by the continual challenges to Catholic Moral Teaching around the world. We may be challenged, sometimes shunned, because we practise and profess the ‘unpalatable’! In the Gospel (Mark 16:15-20) we heard the Apostles (now ourselves!) being told to, ‘…Go out into the whole world, proclaim the Good News to all creation…’.  We are assured that we, and those we evangelise (and who embrace the Faith) ‘…will be saved…’.
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In France and Germany, among other countries, the importance of this day was emphasised by its being a Public Holiday, echoing the deep Catholic Faith of former times. In the days when England proudly proclaimed herself the Dowry of Mary, Holy days were, very often, the only days off in addition to Sunday, especially, probably, for the Poor. From this extra day of rest, of course, comes our word, holiday. Hopefully the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord was a joyful day in our Families, encouraging not only us and our children but, also, through us, those of other faiths (or none) that we may encounter, to see beyond the limits of this world.
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