St. Bart's RC Church, Norbury
  • Home
    • Latest News
    • Parish Newsletter
    • Parish Boundary
    • Parish Calendar
    • Parish Finances
    • Parish Location
    • Parish Pictures >
      • Corpus Christi 2019
    • Schools
    • Safeguarding
    • Accessibility
    • Become a Catholic
    • In the event of death
    • Privacy Notice
    • Repository
    • Links
  • About
    • Parish Clergy
    • Church History >
      • Previous Clergy
      • St Bartholomew's Gazette
    • St. Bartholomew
    • Parish AGM
    • Parish Pastoral Council >
      • PPC Agenda Minutes
    • Church Hall + Hire
  • Contact
  • Prayers
    • Catholic Prayers >
      • Daily Prayers
      • Prayers to Our Lord
      • Prayers to Our Lady
    • Dedications
    • Divine Mercy Novena
    • Pentecost Novena
    • Thoughts
  • Sacraments
    • Baptism
    • Penance and Reconciliation
    • Eucharist >
      • Eucharistic Preparation
    • Confirmation
    • Matrimony
    • Holy Orders
    • Annointing of the Sick >
      • In the event of death
  • Music & Liturgy
    • Altar Servers
    • Children's Liturgy
    • Family Choir
    • Hymn Choir
    • Plainchant Choir
    • Polyphony Choir >
      • Polyphony Choir Music
    • The Organ
    • Orchestra
  • Parish Groups
  • Search

A Thought on Reverence

28/4/2017

 
Picture
“Lord, save us or we perish”, cried the terrified Apostles and Jesus, with a gentle rebuke, calmed the raging storm which had threatened to overturn the fragile boat and drown its occupants. This familiar story is, surely, in a way, a picture of everyday life, filled as it is with ups and downs which sometimes seem almost overwhelming.

We live in a very busy, sometimes overactive and often noisy world; the storms that threaten us may be the cares, challenges and troubles of life, whether they be living out our Marriage vows, paying bills or bringing up our children so that they will influence those around them for the better rather than being influenced by those who regard God and Religion as nothing.

For many, Sunday, may be their sole possible weekly visit to church for Mass; those few minutes before Mass starts provide a rare opportunity for a moment of quiet calm contemplation; perhaps it is their main respite from the hurly-burly of life. They may come early because they recognise that they have a real need to prepare themselves for the Holy Sacrifice, and to ask for God’s Grace to help them in the sacrifices they may be called to make during the week ahead.
Whether we, personally, feel the need to pray or not (although we all need to prepare ourselves for, as the Fathers of Vatican II, spoke of, “…full, conscious and active participation…” in the Mass) charity surely demands that we consider those who do wish to speak with God, those who need this weekly oasis in which to rest in God's Embrace, the calm in the eye of the storm of life!

Our lovely new banners will, hopefully, remind us of Our Saviour in the Tabernacle, waiting lovingly and patiently like the Father of the Prodigal Son, calling us to his Divine Embrace. He is ours for the asking!

Divine Mercy Sunday

28/4/2017

 
Last week, on Easter Sunday, the Church, Worldwide, proclaimed, “Christ is Risen, Indeed! The Gloria and Alleluia once more, made their appearance in the Mass. Before imparting his Blessing to us on that day our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Vicar of the Risen Christ, spoke to us, giving us his Easter greetings and touching on some of the many evils by which so many round the world are harmed, evil being the product of a turning away from the Laws of our Creator, with the assumption that we know better than God, it would seem.

This Sunday, thanks to the Apostle of Divine Mercy, Saint Faustina Kowalska and to its institution by Saint Pope John Paul II, is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Pope Francis, from 8 December 2015, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, to 20 November 2016, the Feast of Christ the King, proclaimed a Jubilee of Mercy, recalling to us the Loving and Infinite Mercy of God, who created us to know, love and serve Him here and now so as to be happy forever with Him in Heaven at the close of our earthly life.
Picture
As we must never forget, our final bliss in Heaven is dependent, not just on God’s Mercy but upon our each having freely co-operated with his Grace. God will not force us to be obedient and go to Heaven; the choice is ours! As the highest of God’s creations, we are endowed, from conception, with a spiritual Soul and Free-Will; we are capable of coming to know and understand His Will for us, aided in the formation of our Conscience by our Parents, Priests and Catholic schools and, as we mature (a status marked by the Sacrament of Confirmation) by our own careful study of the often challenging Teachings of the Church. We must pray, often, that we will clearly discern exactly what Vocation (or call) God is giving us. As we see, in following the news media, the traps set by Satan are numerous and, in some cases, presented under the guises of ‘Human Rights’ and ‘Love’, of which they are, in truth, a denial.

One might say that the “bottom line”, regarding our hope to receive God’s Mercy, lies in the words we say, sometimes, sadly, with little thought, virtually every day of our Life: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” or, to put it another way “Do not forgive me if I refuse to forgive others”. That is not to say that to forgive is easy; hurts and harm can penetrate deeply. It may well be, too, that it is hard, if not impossible, to forget wrongs done to us. Pope Francis, among other matters, referred to the abuse, not by strangers, but by those close to the victims. Christ, in His Passion, showed just how forgiving we must be; In the end, it is Satan who thrives on hatred and unforgiveness.


As Christians, we are called to be merciful as God is merciful. That means that we must, as well as forgiving, not forget our duty to correct error; it is just as merciless to, for instance, fail to warn someone we know to be living in a sinful state as it is to refuse to forgive those who repent and ask forgiveness of us. It is NOT being judgmental and may see us fall in the ‘popularity ratings’ but this duty supersedes our possible inclinations. God, grant us the Graces we need to spread your Divine Mercy.

The image above, entitled Divina Misericordia, was painted by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in 1934. This is the only painting which was done under the indications of Sister Faustina

A Thought about Easter

14/4/2017

 
Picture
Once more we are celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead, recalling the momentous event which is the basis of our faith; this, more than anything, conclusively proved that Jesus is, as He claimed to be, God and, therefore, Conqueror of Death.

Through the Pope, Bishops, Priests, Mass and Sacraments, Christ is, as promised, with us,"...until the end of time
". Through the teachings of the Church we can be sure of what we must do (or not do) in order, one day, to share in His Risen Life in Heaven.
Sadly there can sometimes be presented to us a somewhat one-sided view of Divine Love. God loves us. Of that there is no doubt; He created us to, ultimately, enjoy Eternal Happiness - again true! We do well to remember, though, that if we are to get there, we, too, have a part to play. As St. Augustine noted, "God, who created you without your consent, will not (or cannot) save you without your co-operation."; in other words, if we are to attain Heaven we must, to the best of our ability, obey God's Laws - challenging as they may be - or, to put things another way, to reach our journey's hoped-for end we must follow the route-map!

If we misuse a domestic appliance, and it goes wrong, it is no use claiming under the guarantee! Likewise with our God-given life; it must be lived in accordance with the Maker's Instructions in order to lead us to Heaven
.

Palm Sunday

8/4/2017

 
Picture
How often has one friend turned away from another because, in being truthful, one has told the other something he or she didn't like hearing; the fact that what was said, was said out of loving concern for the friend's future happiness, is completely overlooked. Today we see such a situation in the making as Jesus, having spent three years teaching about the Love of God, healing souls and bodies and bringing Truth, life and joy, having exposed their hypocrisy has now, in the eyes of the powers that be, had the temerity to object to the abuse of the Temple for base financial gain rather than its being reverently used as a place of Prayer.​
On Good Friday we shall hear how, encouraged by those who rejected Christ's Truth, many who had, today, acknowledged Jesus as King, were to call for His Death on the Cross. Our Lord, in chastising those who profaned the Temple, knowing full well the response He would receive, taught us a vital lesson. As Catholics, we are living in an increasingly liberal age, when the Teachings of the Church on, among other things, Marriage and sexual morality are openly attacked and being charitable is, at times, confused with permissiveness. It is that world in which our children are growing up. We must equip them to live the Truth, to be witnesses to God, “...in season and out of season...”.

We may, perhaps, have to risk resentment and worse, in order to stand up for what is right. Our promotion of the Truth may see us falling in the 'ratings', perhaps even being actively opposed but, in sticking to the truth, we know that God's Will prevails. It is our fidelity to God which will bring us safely into Heaven, not our being prepared to compromise on truth and so be well thought of in the here and now! Remember the saying that, “Silence gives consent!”. How might that apply to me?

We can draw courage from Saint Thomas More. As he faced death, the ultimate punishment for his defence of the indissolubility of Marriage and his concern for immortal souls, he declared, “I die, the King's good servant, but God's first!”.


The painting entitled Entry of Christ into Jerusalem by Pietro Lorenzetti 1320

The Stations of the Cross

7/4/2017

 
At every Mass offered anywhere in the world, participants have the privilege, through the words and gestures of the Mass, of accompanying Christ in His once-for-all Sacrifice of His Life to His Father on Calvary.
 
Lent gives us yet another means of meditating on the Passion; the fourteen Stations (or Way) of the Cross, put before our mind's eye the events of Christ's Passion from His condemnation by Pilate to His burial. This devotion, which can, of course, be practised every day of the year, is available in a variety of formats; very young children will benefit from being taken and shown the pictures in church, with a very simple explanation from Parents (or, maybe, they can be asked to tell the story in their own words). 
Picture
Others of us may already have a 'favourite' Stations book we use; even those who are now housebound can still make the Stations this way. There is probably even an App for our Smart-phone!
 
A beautiful, simple and soul-searching version is that by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, published by CTS. For those of us who are 'into' mp3 players etc. this version can be downloaded free from HERE. A further, more contemporary meditation by Father Hugh Thwaites, S.J. is available HERE. Of course there are many versions available; it all depends on what we hope to gain, spiritually, from this great Devotion. EWTN Catholic TV is well worth looking at.
 
How we meditate on the Passion is up to us. If we really don't have time to come and make the Stations in church (on our own, if we prefer) or to spend a half-hour or so making them at home, why not try, daily, during Lent, to say the beautiful Act of Contrition which is often part of the Way of the Cross: 
"I love Thee, Jesus, my love above all things! I repent with my whole heart of having offended Thee! Never permit me to separate myself from Thee again. Grant that I may love Thee always and then do with me what thou wilt!

The image is of Michelangelo's Pieta, sculpted from marble between 1498 and 1500, and seen in the Basilica of St. Peter, Rome

Divine Mercy

7/4/2017

 
On the Sunday after Easter we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, instituted, at Jesus' request, by Saint Pope John Paul II, who died on the eve of this day, in 2005. In 2001 he spoke of Divine Mercy as, "...the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity...". On April 30, 2000, he had canonised Saint Faustina Kowalska, the Polish Nun to whom Jesus had appeared, asking her to spread devotion to His Mercy, telling her of Mankind's urgent need of Mercy and His great desire, in Love, of forgiving those who repented of their sins. He asked that, at 3 o’clock, the hour of His Death on the Cross, we pray and meditate on His Death. There is even a special prayer for this hour.
 
Saint Faustina, at Christ's request, kept a diary of His appearances and Teachings; He told her, "Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy." (Diary, 300). Great promises were attached to the day itself: “I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My Mercy” (Diary, 1109).

Picture
Christ also, as we will readily understand from praying, "....forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...", expects us to show mercy to others.
 
We must, of course, regularly seek God's Mercy in Confession, so increasing (or, indeed, restoring) the Grace we need in order to avoid sin and attain Heaven. Is regular Confession a priority in your life? How about saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as part of your preparation? Find out more about Divine Mercy HERE, and read what our Holy Father has said to us about it. This November, Month of the Holy Souls, we come to the close of the Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis. Let us ever have before our eyes the beautiful Image of our Merciful Lord, His right hand raised in Blessing, the left indicating the rays issuing from His Pierced Heart, and say the Prayer, “Jesus, I trust in You”. Jesus explained the meaning of these rays as follows: “The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls…” (Diary, 299).  Loving Mercy is continually and freely offered to us. We are in great need of It! How eager are we to repent of our sins and to ask for and accept Divine Mercy?
 

Extracts from Saint Faustina's diary: Used with permission of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.
The image above, entitled Divina Misericordia, was painted by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in 1934
. This is the only painting which was done under the indications of Sister Faustina

The Sacred Heart

7/4/2017

 
Picture
On the Friday following the Second Sunday after Pentecost we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Seat and Symbol of His Burning Love for us, Love which moved Him to Die for us, in agony, on the Cross on Good Friday and also moved Him to, at the Last Supper, institute the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in which, through Holy Orders and Father’s words and gestures, that once-for-all Sacrifice will be made present in our churches and offered 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.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is often linked to one Saint, in particular, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque who, round about 1673, was privileged to have Jesus show her His Sacred Heart, lamenting that although He showers unlimited Love on Mankind, so many 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 live a life which would bring them safely to Heaven. Of course, as we must recognise, this does not guarantee that one will get to Heaven, come what may. 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 helps! Jesus  asked for the setting up 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, Jansenism, presented God as anything but Loving, Merciful and Forgiving, but rather as someone to be feared, totally at variance with the Church’s Teachings.

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.

The image above depicts the statue of the Sacred Heart in St. Bartholomew's church

The Feast of Christ the King

7/4/2017

 
For Catholics this day is a liturgical ‘New Year’s Eve’. Once again we have reached the end of the Liturgical Year and,  next Sunday, we begin the Season of  Advent. Throughout the space of a year we will re-live the history of Salvation; we will recall how, in spite of the sin of our First Parents, Adam and Eve, God did not, on His part,  renege on  His side of things.
 
Through the Scriptures we will hear of how God promised a way back, chose and prepared His people, the Jews then, through His Son, gave them the means, i.e. the Catholic Church, the Priesthood, Mass and Sacraments, which gave them, once again, the chance of getting to Heaven, so giving life a purpose beyond the grave.
 
Sunday’s readings bring out the image of the tender, self-giving Love of God with references to shepherds, underlining God’s unstinting care for His often straying flock. The Prophet Ezekiel shows how, as the Good Shepherd, God seeks out and (should they be willing) brings back the sheep which have strayed into dangerous territory. Once safely back in the sheepfold, there is healing of injuries, food, and security from predators.
 
The Psalm is the familiar, “The Lord is my Shepherd”, again portraying clearly the real benefits of staying close to Christ; He will never abandon us!
 
Saint Paul, writing to the Corinthians, recalls Christ’s Resurrection through which we were, once again, given the chance of Life after death with God in Heaven. He shows how, just as a Human Being lost the way to heaven for us, so, in taking flesh as a Human Being, living in perfection, Dying and Rising from the dead, Christ put Mankind back on track; by faithfully co-operating with Grace we will share, one day, in Christ’s final victory over evil.
 
Lest we grow complacent, through a one-sided image of God’s Love for us, forgetting that Love is a two-way process, the Gospel gives us a vital and salutary warning that, for each and every one of us, life will come to an end; Christ will judge us and, if we are to share in the final Victory, in Eternal Happiness, we must have, during our lives, done what we can to exercise the virtue of Charity towards our fellow Human beings, many of whom do not have the Spiritual and material advantages that we so often take for granted. It is made abundantly clear that, if we are to receive a welcome in Heaven, we must, here and now, have extended help either directly or indirectly, to those around us who lack the material and Spiritual necessities of life. How well are we preparing for Eternity?

Prayer for the Holy Souls

7/4/2017

 
"Help, Lord, the Souls that Thou hast made, the Souls to thee so dear! In prison for the debt unpaid of sins committed here".These words, throughout the year and particularly in November, recall us to our duty of performing the Spiritual Work of Mercy of Praying for the Souls of the Faithful Departed; these include family, friends, acquaintances and also those who we have never known. Almost daily, the news media remind us of many for whom death comes suddenly and unexpectedly. As we pray for these souls we must also pray for ourselves; may we be prepared in order that death does not take us by surprise. Prayer for the dead goes back to Old Testament times. It is, for us, a recognition that our Christian Family extends far beyond the confines of our Parish. As members of the Communion of Saints, we have Brothers and Sisters without number. Some are already enjoying the Eternal Bliss of Heaven while we are sustained by God's Grace, on Earth. However, for those who have died, as will most of us, with some sins not atoned for, the chances to respond lovingly to God have ceased; those who have died in the State of Grace are waiting in the state the Church calls Purgatory where, before they can 'feel at home' in God's Presence, they must be cleaned (purged) of all that, from this life, remains between them and God. God knows that, until all traces of sin are removed, a soul will be unable to enjoy His Presence. These souls are, of course, assured of Heaven but can no longer do anything to help themselves get there; as with any loving family fitter members care for the sick and helpless; Saints in Heaven pray; we on Earth assist Souls in Purgatory through our Masses, Prayers and other sacrifices.
 
To emphasise our hope of Heaven we will, on Tuesday, celebrate All Saints in Heaven. On Wednesday we will recall All Souls who look to us (maybe some have nobody specifically praying for them) to help them into Heaven.
 
The imperfect state in which we die is further highlighted by the Priest's purple vestments (black may still be an option) when saying a Requiem Mass; the general exception, of course, is white, worn at a Mass for a baby or very young child who, of course, died before they were able to understand sin and, so, offend God. The sombre colours are an essential reminder that, however good our fellow human-beings may have seemed to us, they are, with their fallen nature, far from perfect and, therefore, in need of all the help they can get. We owe it, in love, to those who have died (and this is NOT judging them) to beg God's forgiveness as He sees they need it. One day we will be in that state! Please God this loving service will be performed for us!

The Rosary - United in Prayer

7/4/2017

 
As we say the Rosary we can unite ourselves with our Brothers and Sisters around the world, both those who, like us, are free to publicly profess their Faith and those who, as the news constantly portrays, are being persecuted, sometimes martyred for their Faith, the tragedy being deepened by the fact that the persecutors appear to believe that they do these things in God's Name! The Rosary has, throughout history, been the undoing of many who have sought to wipe out the Church; a notable example of its Power was at the Battle of Lepanto; why not read of this and other more recent demonstrations of Our Lady's intercessory Power. Read the story of Our Lady of Fátima or download an audio version, very suitable for children, HERE.

​Of course the Rosary, although highlighted during May and October, should never be confined to two months of the year! Again, as with so many of the treasures of our Faith, there are ample resources (probably even Apps!) on the Internet as well as numerous books to aid and deepen our meditations. The Rosary knows no bounds! Our Lady has presented it to everyone with the good will to pray it. Another bonus these days, through the communications media, is the facility to join in online via webcams (at Fátima and Lourdes for instance) and, possibly, satellite TV, with the prayers of the faithful children of Mary all round the world. There are probably Apps for smart-phones. Mary is calling her children to come and pray for her Intercession. Are we heeding that call?
<<Previous

    From St. Bart's

    Thoughts on the traditional teachings, devotions, seasons and matters of the Catholic Church

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Christmas
    Church Feasts
    Church Teaching
    Eastertide
    God & Jesus
    Lent
    Mary
    Ordinary Time
    Other Religions
    Our Church
    Prayer
    Sacraments
    Saints
    The Mass
    Triduum

    Archives

    November 2019
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017

    RSS Feed

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark
A Registered Incorporated Charity - CIO No. 1173050
Accessibility - St. Bartholomew's does its utmost to accommodate those with additional needs. Whilst the main body of the church is wholly accessible to people with mobility disabilities, the choir gallery is both approached by stairs and the seating is then stepped by design. The church has a wheelchair-accessible toilet, and baby-changing facilities. There is a Loop System (AFIL) in place in the church.
​
​St. Bartholomew's Catholic Church cannot be held responsible for the content of links to external sites. To contact the church and our priests, click here.
For Website-related matters only, click here.
Picture
Website Copyright © St. Bartholomew's Roman Catholic Church and/or the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark 2016 - 2025
  • Home
    • Latest News
    • Parish Newsletter
    • Parish Boundary
    • Parish Calendar
    • Parish Finances
    • Parish Location
    • Parish Pictures >
      • Corpus Christi 2019
    • Schools
    • Safeguarding
    • Accessibility
    • Become a Catholic
    • In the event of death
    • Privacy Notice
    • Repository
    • Links
  • About
    • Parish Clergy
    • Church History >
      • Previous Clergy
      • St Bartholomew's Gazette
    • St. Bartholomew
    • Parish AGM
    • Parish Pastoral Council >
      • PPC Agenda Minutes
    • Church Hall + Hire
  • Contact
  • Prayers
    • Catholic Prayers >
      • Daily Prayers
      • Prayers to Our Lord
      • Prayers to Our Lady
    • Dedications
    • Divine Mercy Novena
    • Pentecost Novena
    • Thoughts
  • Sacraments
    • Baptism
    • Penance and Reconciliation
    • Eucharist >
      • Eucharistic Preparation
    • Confirmation
    • Matrimony
    • Holy Orders
    • Annointing of the Sick >
      • In the event of death
  • Music & Liturgy
    • Altar Servers
    • Children's Liturgy
    • Family Choir
    • Hymn Choir
    • Plainchant Choir
    • Polyphony Choir >
      • Polyphony Choir Music
    • The Organ
    • Orchestra
  • Parish Groups
  • Search