Calling Altar Servers New and Old to a Formation Meeting – 15th September 2018

15/09/2018 (Saturday) – formation meeting in the church hall (St Swithun) for the present Altar Servers will start at 11.15am (formation, fun & lunch) until 2.30pm; All children who are interested to become an altar server are very welcomed to join us there.

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DAILY MEDITATION:Friday of the 28th Week of Ordinary TimeMemorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, MartyrsOctober 19, 2018Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are present here as I turn to you in prayer. I trust and have confidence in your desire to give me every grace I need to receive today. Thank you for your love, thank you for your immense generosity toward me. I give you my life and my love in return.Petition: Lord, give me the courage to keep following you even in the face of temptation.Today's Readings:Ephesians 1:11-14Psalm 33:1-2,4-5,12-13Luke 12:1-7Today, we contemplate in the Gospel our Lord Jesus Christ who turns to the crowds after confronting the Jewish religious authorities who are the Pharisees and the scribes. The Gospel tells us that the crowd was so big that they crushed one another. It is clear here that they were hangry to hear the words of Jesus who spoke with an extraordinary authority to their religious leaders. But St. Luke informs us that before anything else, Jesus begun speaking to his own disciples saying: «Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy» (Lk 12:1). Our Lord Jesus Christ wants to lead us to practice sincerity and transparency rather than hypocrisy as the Pharisees and the scribes do. For they show an external attitude which is not conform to their interior way of life: they pretend to be who they are not. It is against this that our Lord Jesus Christ warns us in today’s Gospel when he says: «Nothing is covered that will not be uncovered, or hidden that will not be made known» (Lk 12:2). Yes, everything will be revealed. This is why we ought to try to accord our life with what we profess and proclaim. This is obviously not easy. But we don’t have to be afraid for our God is in control. As St. John Paul II said «God’s love doesn’t impose burdens upon us that we cannot carry… For whatever He asks of us, He provides the help that is needed.” Nothing happens that He is not aware of. Even our hairs have been numbered. Yes we have a price before God. Let’s not be afraid because His love for us is endless. Lord, grant us the wisdom to well match our life to the exigencies of our faith, even amidst the tumults of this world. Amen.Conversation with Christ: Lord, when I look at the difficulties and rough spots I know I will be facing today, I worry about the sacrifices I’ll have to make. Maybe events won’t turn out as I hope. Help me to have confidence and trust in you like St. Ignatius. Help me realize that you have taken care of every minute detail of all that will occur today.Resolution: When faced with any worry today I will pray, “Jesus, I trust in you.”#dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-19102018 ... See MoreSee Less

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Jesus I Trust in You.

TODAY, FROM 8PM TO 9PM - the expiation HOUR for the Sexual Abuse Scandal in the Catholic Church. ALL ARE VERY WELCOME! ... See MoreSee Less

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DAILY MEDITATION:Good News ReflectionThursday of the 28th Week of Ordinary TimeFeast of St. Luke the EvangelistOctober 18, 2018Today’s Prayer:Beloved Master, I am one of the workers of Your harvest. Thank You for choosing me and for trusting me each day! Strengthen me with Your Holy Spirit to take Your Word and Your Love wherever You send me. Help me always focus on You! Amen.Today's Readings:2 Timothy 4:10-17bPs 145:10-13,17-18Luke 10:1-9Today, in St. Luke's feast —the Evangelist of Christ's gentleness and meekness— the Church proclaims this Gospel where the main traits Christ's apostles must have, are established. In the first place, the apostles have been directly called by the Lord, and mandated by him, to go out on his behalf: it is Jesus himself who calls whom He wants to entrust with a concrete mission! «The Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place, where He himself was to go» (Lk 10:1).And, because the apostle has been delegated by the Lord, he is, on top of everything, entirely dependent upon him. «Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know» (Lk 10:4). Jesus' prohibition to his disciples mostly implies they must completely rely on their Lord Jesus, abandoning themselves to him, up to the point of leaving in his hands whatever is most essential for their lives: the Lord, who takes care of the iris flowers in the prairie and feeds the little birds, wants his disciples to look, in the first place, for the Kingdom of Heaven and not, instead, «to seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and not worry anymore. All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them» (Lk 12:29-30).The apostles are still who prepare the path for their Lord, by announcing his peace and healing the sick, thus, evidencing the coming of his Kingdom. The apostle's task is, therefore, of paramount importance in and for the life of the Church, because the future welcome of the Master amongst men will depend upon it. The best testimony of the feast of an Evangelist —who has narrated the announcement of the Good News—, is to make us think of the apostolic and evangelizing dimension of our Christian life.#dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-18102018 ... See MoreSee Less

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DAILY MEDITATION:Good News ReflectionWednesday of the 28th Week of Ordinary TimeMemorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and MartyrOctober 17, 2018Today’s Prayer:Forgive me, Lord, because I'm more concerned about appearances than about giving Your love to my neighbors. Amen.Today's Readings:Galatians 5:18-25Psalm 1:1-4, 6 (with John 8:12)Luke 11:42-46How to give warnings and preach woesWhen we see someone sinning, how should we handle it? Saint Paul, in today's first reading, gives "warning" to his listeners in the church at Galatia. Jesus, in the Gospel reading, warns the Pharisees of their sins with exclamations of "Woe!" Do we dare to be as bold? When we do, won't we chase people away?The key to doing this right is at the end of the first reading: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit." This means that we only give our warnings under the direction of and in the Spirit of Christ: with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.But did the Galatians realize that Paul loved them and was being patient with them? Probably, since they were all community members who already knew he was as caring as he was loud. And Paul, who is a prototype for all leaders in the hierarchy of the Church, did not speak with an attitude of superiority; he admitted publicly his own struggles with sin.Did the Pharisees realize that Jesus loved them and was being patient with them? Ho-ho. Definitely not!It didn't matter what the Galatians thought of Paul. The only thing that mattered was what God thought of Paul. Nor did it matter what the Pharisees thought of Jesus. Even though Jesus never sinned, and even though Jesus was in fact superior to the Pharisees, he did not scold them with an attitude of superiority. Teaching all of us by his example, he spoke the facts clearly, simply, and directly, with no motive other than to invite them to true holiness.Nor does it matter what others think of us when we speak the truth. The only thing that matters is what God thinks of us. Does he see anything in us that is not guided by the Holy Spirit? Does he see us rejecting or neglecting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control? Yes, he does, because none of us have perfected our sainthood yet.We must not hold back from speaking up with the warnings and woes that the Spirit inspires within us, but first we need to examine our motives and our consciences. There is a way to invite others into greater holiness without being a hypocrite: Like Paul, be honest and let the person you're speaking to know that you, too, struggle with sin. From the humility of admitting your own vulnerabilities grows your compassion for the sinners you want to help. From that compassion flows God's love and patience and all the other fruits of the Spirit.We have a limited understanding of the reasons why the people around us choose to sin. Therefore, we cannot make a true judgment against them. From this non-condemning position, we can invite them to trade up to a better life. Our invitation is based on what we've learned from our own shortcomings. It doesn't matter if they still reject us anyway. What matters is that God appreciates us for trying to convey the truth with passion for Christ and compassion for the person we're trying to help.#dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-17102018 ... See MoreSee Less