WE THANK GOD FOR SUCH GOOD NEWS – FROM THE 4th JULY 2020 WE ARE ALLOWED TO CELEBRATE HOLY MASS IN OUR CHURCH

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My Dear Friends, Brothers & Sisters in Christ

THERE ARE THREE DISTINCT PARTS in today’s Gospel: parable, interlude, and explanation of the parable. A way of looking at this division is to regard the parable as being close to the actual words of Jesus. This is followed by a theological ‘interlude’ on “hearing” and finally there is an interpretation of the parable possibly emanating from the early Church and, in effect, producing a related but distinct lesson or message.

In the parable itself the emphasis is on God (the sower) who works and produces results. The interpretation of the parable puts the emphasis more on us (the soil) and the ways in which we can respond. The interlude or comment in between gives the key to our response and subsequent fertility of the seed.

God’s munificence

The parable has strong links with the First Reading from Isaiah. In both we are told that God shares his abundance with us and his plans will not be frustrated. God’s creative and nurturing work is compared with rain and snow falling on the earth and not returning until it has given moisture, “making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating”. In the parable, it is true that the seed falls many times on inhospitable soil but some will undoubtedly fall on rich soil and produce an abundant harvest. “So,” says the Lord in Isaiah, “the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in was it was sent to do.”

This is clearly a message of hope for communities which may at times be discouraged by the meagre results of their evangelisation efforts. We are reading here from Matthew 13. The whole chapter consists of “parables of the Kingdom”. They all say in different ways that the Kingdom of God, in spite of its tiny and weak beginnings will be established for it is “like a treasure hidden in a field” or “a pearl of great price”. Once discovered, all else is given up in order to be part of it.

In the whole of Scripture God’s word is not just a spoken word. It is a doing word, a creating, life-giving word. It is like a life-bearing seed. Where do we encounter that word? If we are sufficiently sensitive, we encounter it unceasingly in every experience of our lives, whether that experience is joyful or sad, a success or a failure, pleasant or painful.

There is clearly, of course, for us one place in particular where God’s word is more clearly experienced and that is in Jesus Christ. For Jesus is the Word of God. Everything that Jesus said, everything that Jesus did was God communicating to us through him. Not just his teaching but his whole life, from the hidden years of Nazareth through his public life to his death and resurrection – in all of this Jesus was, and is for us today, the Word of God.

Barren soil

And yet, as in the parable, much of that Word fell on barren soil. Many refused to hear or to see (hence so many cases of deafness and blindness in the Gospel). Even Jesus’ closest disciples did not provide, at first, very promising soil. Jesus’ life and mission seemed to end in tragic and dismal failure. There was not a single disciple in sight. His enemies laughed and mocked him. And yet… It was precisely at that moment as the seed “fell into the ground and died” (cf. John 12:24) that the Word of God began to take root in people’s hearts. Beginning, like the tiny mustard seed, like the small amount of yeast in a large batch of dough, the seed, the Word of God, began to grow and flourish against all odds.

“The word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.” As with Jesus himself, so with us today we need to be reminded that God’s plans will not be frustrated, that the Kingdom will be established. “Listen, anyone who has ears!”

Why speak in parables?

The part that follows contains some apparently alarming words. Is Jesus saying that he spoke in parables so that only his inner circle would understand and that the rest be left in darkness? That hardly makes sense. It does provide a bridge to the interpretation of the parable to follow. There seems, especially in the quotation from Isaiah, a heavy sarcasm. Those who see but never understand; those who hear and hear but never get the message. Why? Not because they are stupid but because they basically do not want to. If they saw, if they really heard, they might be converted, they might have to change their ways radically – and that is the last thing they want to do. In the context of Matthew’s gospel these words seem particularly directed at those of his people who rejected Jesus but it applies to all who close their ears in prejudice and fear.

But to his disciples and followers Jesus says, “Happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear!” Many before Jesus’ time longed to see and hear but never got the privilege of Jesus’ followers.

The key word today is ‘hear’. It is a very scriptural word and contains essentially four elements:

• to listen with a totally open and unconditional mind (“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”)
• to understand what one hears
• to accept and appropriate fully what one understands and, finally,
• this acceptance flows out into our behaviour.

One can listen but not understand and one can understand without accepting and one can accept without implementing. All four are necessary for conversion and healing. All four are necessary for full hearing.

Different responses

All of this leads naturally into the third part, an interpretation of the parable on the level of different kinds of hearing. Some seed falls on the path. There is no soil here. There is no prospect of the seed taking root. Ears and eyes are closed and unreceptive to the Word of God.

The seed falls on rocky ground in the field where there is a thin layer of soil. The seed takes root, begins to grow but soon gets burnt up by lack of water and the heat of the sun. It is like those Christians who, after baptism or after a retreat or some spiritual experience, have a great rush of enthusiasm for God but, under the slightest pressure, soon run out of steam and fall away. Probably there was no real hearing, no real understanding and hence no real commitment. This group, in the text, may be referring to people who became baptised Christians in the early Church and were full of enthusiasm until faced with persecution for their faith. They caved in and gave up.

What is my response?

Some seed also falls on soil where there are many weeds and thorns. As it grows, it gets smothered by the competing plants. This we might call the “having your cake and eating it” response. I do want to be a good Christian but I also want to have all the things that the world around me thinks important, even if they are in conflict with the Gospel vision. It won’t work. We cannot at the same time totally serve God and be a part of the materialistic, consumerist, “success”-hungry world. Probably a very large number of us, in varying degrees, belong in this category. As a result, the Church’s work in building the Kingdom is severely hampered.

Finally, some of the seed falls in rich, nutritious soil. This soil is like the “man who hears and understands [the Word of God]”, he is the one “who yields a harvest” in varying degrees of abundance.

In the long run, as we said at the beginning, the work of God cannot be frustrated either by threats from society or from within the Christian community. But what matters for me as I hear this Scripture is to be aware that I, as this individual, can refuse to provide the fertile patch of soil for God’s Word to take deep root. God’s plan as a whole will succeed but it is up to me to be part of that plan. I personally can say No or Not yet or Yes, but… I can, like many of the people that Jesus knew, resist the radical change of view that conversion entails. In the process I will also miss out, of course, on the deep healing that the Word of God can bring into my life and, with the healing, a sense of liberation, happiness and peace.

with Blessings and prayerful best wishes, Father Marcin Drabik

These weeks of lockdown are difficult for all of us, and we are particularly mindful of those whose jobs and lives are put on hold because of the pandemic. We want to be here for you during these difficult times. Even so, the Church in our Diocese of Portsmouth, its clergy, parishes and schools, is entirely dependent upon your generous charity. So that we can continue to provide the Liturgy of the Lord and our works, both centrally and from our parishes to the local community, I kindly ask all of the faithful who are able to do so, to continue their generous regular-giving to the Diocese and to their parish churches, which would otherwise lose vital income. You can donate via the button on the Parish website – or here 

Standing Order and  other useful Information

 Download Standing Order Form (PDF)

These are difficult times and if you are needing anything from me please message me on Facebook book, email or telephone the office. 02392828305

Lloyds Bank : sort code 30-93-04 ; Account number 01730453

Cheques mad payable to: PRCDTR Our Lady & St. Swithun

with Blessings Father Marcin Drabik

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Our Parish Saint St Swithun’s Day Mass – 15th July 2020 6pm

Join us for a special St Swithun’s Day celebration On Wednesday 15th July at 6pm, we will be celebrating St Swithun’s Day…followed by the prayers for our Parish before The Blessed Sacrament:

Saint Swithun’s Story

(c. 800 to 2 July 862)

The life of St Swithun, an Anglo-Saxon bishop, is rich in legend. A century after his death in 863, he was chosen as patron saint for the Cathedral’s Benedictine monastery. His bones, housed in a splendid reliquary, became …
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Practical Advice – St Swithuns Opening for Masses from Saturday July 4th 2020

Our Government’s announcement that places of worship will be able to open for services from Saturday July 4th is welcomed by all within our Parish of St Swithun’s and Our Lady of Lourdes. However it also presents challenges for us all around making our churches safe places to attend mass and other services. Father Marcin based on advice from our Diocese of Portsmouth , led by Bishop Philip, has been working hard with a small team of volunteers to …
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Pope Francis appoints new Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain

Pope Francis has named Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti as Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain. Claudio Gugerotti was born in Verona, Italy, in 1955 and ordained a priest of the Diocese of Verona in 1982. He studied Eastern Languages and Sacred Liturgy and was a professor of Patristics, Eastern Liturgy at the Institute of Ecumenical Studies in Verona from 1981 to 1985. In 1985, he was appointed as an official working at the Congregation for the Eastern Churches and he became …
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Pope at Mass: Seek God’s face in the poor, sick, abandoned and foreigners

Pope Francis on Wednesday urged Christians to discover the face of Jesus in the migrants, refugees and the displaced who are forced to flee because of the many injustices that still afflict our world today. Celebrating a Mass in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta chapel, to commemorate the 7th anniversary of his visit to the migrants in the Italian island of Lampedusa, the Pope recalled the words of Jesus – “Whatever you did for one of these least …
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Entering the Fields of Poverty and Resurrection – New Chaplain, Fr. Dan Leary!

World Villages for Children’s New Chaplain, Fr. Dan Leary! “Time here is like Magdalene’s perfume; it is precious for us.”

In an empty chapel in weather-miserable Banneux, Belgium, Aloysius Schwartz made a vow to spend the remainder of his life serving the humiliated and disregarded. Louvain’s lone American seminarian had a streak to him. “Al” was disarmingly direct and even bull-headed, but from an early age, he manifested holiness. So when he consecrated his life that night to …
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A return to Mass for Catholics at St Swithun’s and in England

At St Swithun’s we welcomed back a lot of our parishioners to Holy Mass. last Saturday and Sunday with good attendances at our 4 services. Message from Bishop Philip Dear Friends, It was a great weekend last weekend. It was the weekend when a number of our parishes reopened for Mass and the Sacraments, thanks to our clergy and all the volunteers who assisted with the process. On Saturday in Oxford, we had the ordination of the Dominican Brother …
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We can see Jesus’ face as Apostles did: Pope says how in homily (Full text)

In our effort to seek the Lord’s face, we can recognize him in the face of the poor, the sick, the abandoned, and the foreigners whom God places on our way.

It is possible to see Christ’s face, to look into his eyes, just as the Apostles did, Pope Francis assured on Wednesday at a Mass celebrated in the Casa Santa Marta. This kind of personal encounter with Jesus Christ is possible also for us, who are the …
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How do you say the Jesus Prayer?

There are many ways to say the Jesus Prayer, including the most common, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”

One of the most popular devotional prayers in Christianity, besides the Rosary and the Our Father, is the “Jesus Prayer.”The Catechism of the Catholic Church even devotes an entire paragraph to explaining this biblical prayer.

This simple invocation of faith developed in the tradition of prayer under many forms in East and West. The most usual formulation, transmitted …
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Dr. Scott Hahn – Gospel Reflections 12-07-2020

The Word’s Return: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Today’s readings, like last week’s, ask us to meditate on Israel’s response to God’s Word—and our own. Why do some hear the word of the kingdom, yet fail to accept it as a call to conversion and faith in Jesus? That question underlies today’s Gospel, especially. Again we see, as we did last week, that the kingdom’s mysteries are unfolded to those who open their hearts, making of them a rich soil in which the Word can grow and bear fruit. As we sing in today’s Psalm, in Jesus, God’s Word has visited our land, to water the stony earth of our hearts with the living waters of the Spirit (see John 7:38; Revelation 22:1). The firstfruit of the Word is the Spirit of love and adoption poured into our hearts in Baptism, making us children of God, as …
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Children – Read today’s Holy Readings here again 12-07-2020

The Parable of the Sower! A fun Catholic homily for kids based on the readings for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, cycle A. In Sunday’s  Gospel Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 The parable is asking us to open and have our hearts receptive to God’s teaching. As Jesus traveled around the countryside with his disciples, large crowds often gathered around him to hear him teach. He often taught them by using parables. A parable is a story that Jesus made up to help people understand what he wanted to teach them. Our Bible lesson today is one of the parables of Jesus. It is called The Parable of the Sower. It was a story about a man who planted seeds in the field. Listen to the story that Jesus told. A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he scattered the seed, some fell on the hard path nearby and the …
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Thoughts on Today’s Gospel and Readings for the Week – 12-07-2020

Background on the Gospel Reading Today’s Gospel marks the beginning of the third long discourse given by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Over the next few weeks, the Gospel readings will consist of the entire 13th Chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, a lengthy teaching discourse. Throughout this discourse, Jesus will offer several parables to illustrate for his listeners what he means by the kingdom of heaven. He begins with the parable of the sower, which appears rather straightforward—of course seeds grow best in good soil. Seeds that miss the soil, are sown on rocky ground, or are sown among other plants will not grow. The surprise in the parable is the enormous yield of the seed that is sown on good soil. Jesus then explains his use of parables. Jesus seems to suggest that he uses parables to teach because the meanings of parables are not self-evident. The hearer must engage …
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Liturgy of the Word with Children – Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Liturgy of the Word with Children Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A 12 July 2020 Matthew 13:1-23 (shorter form Matthew 13:1-7) Catechist Background This resource recommends using the shorter form of today’s gospel, as the full version is rather lengthy to hold young attention spans. For the next three weeks, we hear portions of the same scene of Jesus speaking to the crowds. He tells several parables from the boat which he sits on for a better hearing. Parables were frequently used in Jesus’ day; they are stories which use a familiar image to illustrate a point, and they normally make use of repetition and have a surprising twist at the end. Sowing seed would have been a common activity in ancient times, one his audience would have been very familiar with. The surprising twist Jesus inserts is the abundance of the harvest. People would have considered a five-fold …
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REQUEST FROM St Swithun’s St Vincent de Paul Society – ITEMS NEEDED

The St Swithun’s St Vincent de Paul Society Conference – Items Needed Dear Parishioners. In response to our appeal last weekend, we have received a request for a cooker (either gas or electric) with 4 hobs and an in-built oven and also a single mattress. If anyone has any of these items in good condition going spare or that they are willing to give away, please get in touch with the parish office on 02392 828 305 or email stswithunssvp@gmail.com. Thank you for your generosity! …
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Places available at St Swithun’s Catholic Primary School Sep 2020

Due to a number of families moving out of the area, our school has a couple of spaces for children in years 5 and 6 for September. All other year groups are full and have a waiting list but, unusually, these two year groups currently have a space in each year. If you are interested or know another family who may wish their child to join, please do contact the school as soon as possible …
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The 7-word prayer Pope Francis learned from his grandmother

“Jesus, make my heart more like yours.” Pope Francis recommends a simple prayer he learned from his grandmother. Often translated in English with the more archaic, “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine,” the Holy Father led those in St. Peter’s Square in praying it after the midday Angelus on Sunday June 7th, 2020: “Jesus, make my heart more like yours.”June is the month traditionally focused on devotion to the Sacred Heart, which the pope said is a “devotion that unites the great spiritual teachers and the simple among the people of God. Indeed, the human and divine Heart …
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Why do nuns (and others in religious life) wear habits?

Many members of religious communities wear habits as an outward sign of their consecration to God and their belonging to an order. Many Catholic nuns and other religious (monks, friars, sisters, brothers, priests, etc.) can be seen wearing a particular set of clothing called a habit. One of the most common questions is, “Why do they wear it?” Habits have developed over the centuries, but have always been used as an outward sign of a religious’ consecration to God. St. John Paul II affirmed this purpose of the habit in his apostolic exhortation, Vita consecrata. Since the habit is a sign of …
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What is an encyclical in the Catholic Church?

An encyclical is an official document sent by the pope to all the bishops of the world, focused on a particular Catholic doctrine. Occasionally Catholics will refer to papal encyclicals when trying to explain certain teachings and beliefs.What is an encyclical and why do they matter? Originally this type of document was simply a letter sent around by the bishops. This reflects the etymology of the word, as explained by the Catholic Encyclopedia: “an encyclical (from the Greek egkyklios, kyklos meaning a circle) is nothing more than a circular letter.” However, over time an encyclical became known as an official papal document that …
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Can anger be righteous? – Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, OP 

Anger, in itself, is not a bad thing. However, it needs to be governed. If the last several weeks have taught us anything it is that Americans are angry. The death of George Floyd has brought to the surface, in no uncertain terms, the incredible frustration felt by many people in this country. And, what is more, is that this frustration does not seem to be divided along party lines or relegated to certain parts of the country. Frustration is real, perhaps for differing reasons, but real nonetheless.And in these past weeks this frustration has turned into anger. Protesters and …
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PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN TIMES AND DATES FOR ALL CHURCH SERVICES FROM 4th July to September 11th 2020 

Dates	Time	Service	Location	Comments
EVERY SATURDAY IN POLISH from 4th July till August 1st	6:00am	Mass in Polish	On Line Only via facebook	Continuing mass in Polish via our Facebook page followed by The Holy Rosary in Polish.
EVERY SATURDAY from 4th July till August 1st	10:00am	Holy Mass	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	Maximum of 130 people allowed. Mass will be continued to be shown online via our facebook page as well for those not able to attend mass
EVERY SATURDAY – Vigil Mass from 4th July to 12th September	6:00pm	Vigil Mass of Saturday	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	as above
SUNDAY SERVICES from 5th July to 13th September	8:30am 10:15am	Holy Mass	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	as above
SUNDAY SERVICES from 5th July to 13th September	12:00 NOON	Holy Mass in POLISH	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	as above
Daily Masses MONDAY TO FRIDAY from 6th July till July 31st	10:00am	Holy Mass followed by the Holy Rosary	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	as above
ON TUESDAYS and FRIDAYS ONLY from 6th July till July 31st	7:00pm	Holy Mass	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	as above
Other Services Daily MONDAY to SATURDAYS from 4th July till August 1st	9:30am	Divine Mercy Chaplet with the readings from the Diary of St Sister Faustina	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	as above
Other Services Daily MONDAY to SATURDAYS from 4th July till August 1st	9:55am	Bendiction	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	as above
NO DAILY MASSES MONDAY TO SATURDAYS (English or Polish) from August 3rd till 11th September	NO MASSES	NO MASSES	N/A	Father Marcin is away from 3rd August to 11th September. Masses will be available at St John’s Cathedral
Confession – Daily MONDAY to SATURDAYS from 4th July till August 1st	9:00am to 9:30am	Individual Confession	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	You can arrange confession by appointment if you cannot attend between these times.
Confession – ON TUESDAYS and FRIDAYS ONLY from 4th July till August 1st	6:00pm to 6:30pm before the 7pm Mass	Individual Confession	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	You can arrange confession by appointment if you cannot attend between these times.
Daily Devotions – Daily MONDAY to Fridays from 3rd August till 11th September	10:00am	We Pray the Rosary and Daily Devotions	St Swithun’s RC Church Southsea	DJ will be conducting these while Father Marcin is away.

Keep up with what’s Happening in our Parish over this coming Year

14
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Tuesday 14th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Tuesdays

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15
July
2020

Saint Swithun -Our Parish Patron Saint

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15
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Wednesday 15th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Wednesdays

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16
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Thursday 16th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Thursdays

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17
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Friday 17th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Fridays

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18
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Saturday 18th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Saturdays

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20
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Monday 20th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Mondays

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21
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Tuesday 21st July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Tuesdays

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22
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Wednesday 22nd July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Wednesdays

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23
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Thursday 23rd July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Thursdays

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24
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Friday 24th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Fridays

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25
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Saturday 25th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Saturdays

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25
July
2020

Alton Day of Renewal – 2020 Programme – The God who speaks

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27
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Monday 27th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Mondays

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27
July
2020

Ascent Group -Events 2020 Timetable

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28
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Tuesday 28th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Tuesdays

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29
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Wednesday 29th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Wednesdays

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30
July
2020

Parish Devotion for Thursday 30th July 2020 – Month of the Precious Blood – Thursdays

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Scroll through to see all the events happening from the 14th July 2020 till the 31st July 2020

Or Go to our Parish Events Diary and search a specific date or event  here https://stswithuns.org.uk/events/

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CLICK HERE – NEW SECTION: LINK TO THE LATEST PORTSMOUTH DIOCESE E_NEWSLETTER

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2020 Programme

The next sessions are cancelled due to the Coronavirus emergency for the foreseable future.

For our First Communion Preparation this year, we have 34 children, who would like to start their journey of faith. Please keep them and their Dear Parents in your prayers. At the same time our First Communion Children from THE LAST YEAR are very welcome to come and encourage the new children with their presence, and also to receive their special gifts from Fr Marcin, which he will bring from Assisi, from the place where Carlo Acutis is buried, their special friend from the last year’s

 

Prayer of the Month – July 2020 

Prayer of the Month – Pope Francis Prayer Intentions July 2020 – Our Families

Comment – Pope’s Prayer Intentions for July 2020: Our Families

Accompany families with love, respect and guidance. As we passed the year’s longest day last month, many families felt that this was the longest year ever as so many suffered at various levels from the effects of the pandemic. Families grieved the loss of beloved elders and loved ones while enduring job losses and economic uncertainty. At the invitation of the Pope, in June we contemplated the wounded side of the Saviour and took solace and strength from the blood and water that flowed from his Sacred Heart. We prayed with Pope Francis that many hearts would be touched by … Read more here

Pope Francis Prayer Intentions July 2020 – Our Families

Our Families We pray that today’s families may be accompanied with love, respect and guidance. July Reflection – Our Families Guest Author–June 29, 2020 Much writing about the family, for example in letters of the Pope and bishops, emphasizes the mission or tasks of the family – what the family should do, and what we expect of families. But the intention of this month shifts a bit to what we should do for the family to make their mission possible. This is important because we know the many challenges facing the family today. We see photos of children separated … Read more here

and for those in Our Own Parish…..

Please pray for those who are ill especially:  Robert & Eileen Steward, Louie Muscat, Tony & Julie Duffy, Brian Girling, Shelia Langford; Catherine Morgan, Pam Brown Ward, for all the children suffering and their poor families with them Aidan Molloy, David Shields, Bob Guy, Ms Sini Chacko, Kathleen & Kevin Jones, Heidi Badnell, Rosemary Devonald, Dominic, Carol Langsford, Patricia Ward, Stan Whitnell, Patrick McCreesh, Eddie Coppani, Tony Denny, Betty Foster, Bobby, Eileen Stewart, Joan Smith, John Williams, Margaret Bager, Fred Vuksani, Tom & Lily, Greta Kemp, Magda K, Mary Wallis, Micheline Thompson, Pat Needham, Margaret Badger, Anne Sullivan, Josephine Butler.

And all whose anniversaries occur at this time: 12th July 2020:  Eileen Inkpen, Mary Hehir, Jo Wheeler, Shirley Parker, Dennis William Johnson, Carmen Muscat, Simon Paul Urwin, Mary Denny, Sheila Merrett, George Cowley, Bernard Donaghy, Bridget Nolan, Terry Kendal, William Lynch, Isabella Graham, Michael Collins, Anne McGowan, Wanda Gant, Suzanne Severs, Rosanna Schofield, Winifred Tripp, Catherine Henney, Johanna Davis, Leonard Hayles, Davina Cameron, Charles Cummins, Frank Hilton, Charles William Rolph, Patrick John Tyrrell, William Deary, Frances Barrett, Albert Brain, Jane Lattan, Gladys Whittle, Mary Young, May Flood, Miriam Keane, Ellen Gray, Janice Margaret Johnson, Archbishop John Henry King, William Smith, Eileen Orme, Herbert Diemer, Ann Mary Froggatt, Mary Patricia Tovey, Christine Ann Hogan (Ann), Bridget Hanvery, Florence Ellen Healey, Annie Evison, Albert Mensell, Elizabeth Mary Hawkins, Nora Parker, Lugrezia (Grace) Veronica Tynan, James Madigan, William Morgan, David Calder, Ellen Green, Percy Spicer, Hilda Clifton, Anne Woolfe, James Patrick Madigan, John Stephen Feeley, John Young (Frank), Ethel Penwell, Florence Casey, Alice Whiles, Mary Diver, Eileen Field, Mary Shute, Antoni Brown, Beatrice McIver, Hilda Lowe and Christina Perseltic Carter., ,Lizzie and Patrick McSharry ,Gemma Litchfield and Jozef Michalczuk.

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the Mercy of God rest in peace. Amen 

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“CAN-DO CHRISTIANS” A MESSAGE FROM FATHER MARCIN

Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Dear Friends: I would like to share with You some things which are about our Parish and for our Parish.  I’m absolutely sure, that You have noticed how many things already happen in our Parish to help in our spiritual grow to love God more and more in His Word to us, in His Sacraments for us (which is His real presence among us). We also go out to meet those who still searching for God, or who were not so lucky to have personal contact with Jesus Christ.

 

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Parish Devotions this month

CategoryAllDD Jul 2020 OtherDD Jul 2020 Headlines

The month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus

The Precious Blood of Jesus In the past, the feast of the Most Precious Blood of Christ was celebrated on the first Sunday of July as confirmed by past Popes and recalled recently by Pope Benedict XVI in His speech after praying the Angelus on July 5, 2009.[1] He made special mention of Pope John XXIII’s apostolic letter “Inde a Primis” (dated June 30, 1960) which explained the devotion’s significance and approved its litanies. The feast of the Precious Blood of our Lord was instituted in 1849 by Pius IX, but the devotion is as old as Christianity. The early Fathers … Read more here

The Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The New Testament Catholic doctrine teaches the faithful that the blood of Jesus Christ is part of His Sacred Humanity and hypostatically united to the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. And as such, it is worthy of adoration and veneration proper to latreutical worship (cultus latriae) which is rendered only to God. In other words, we adore the human nature of Christ because of its intimate and eternal union with the Person of the Divine Word. • It is for this same reason that we honour the Most Sacred Heart or the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The … Read more here

The Symbol of the Precious Blood

Adam is sleeping an ecstatic sleep. God opens his side, removes a rib and forms Eve, the mother of all the living. But our view transcends this action and in spirit we behold the second, the divine Adam, Christ. He is sleeping the sleep of death. From His opened side blood and water flow, symbols of baptism and the Eucharist, symbols of the second Eve, the Church, the Mother of all the living. Through blood and water Christ willed to redeem God’s many children and to lead them to an eternal home. At Jerusalem a service in Yahweh’s honour is taking … Read more here

The Devotion to the Precious Blood

This devotion is one of the most ancient of pious Church practices. It is said that the Blessed Virgin venerated the Most Precious Blood of her infant Son on the day of His circumcision as she collected the first relics of His Precious Blood on a piece of cloth. On that momentous occasion she united her tears with that of the Word Incarnate on account of not so much of the sensible pain but of His supernatural sorrow for the hardheartedness of mortals. Devotion to the Precious Blood is not a spiritual option, it is a spiritual obligation, and that not … Read more here

The Old fulfilled in the New Covenant

Sacrifice is the highest form of religious worship which man offers to God as an act of praise, thanksgiving, petition or atonement.The most singular and pre-eminent sacrifice of the Old Law was the immolation of the Paschal Lamb which celebrated the sparing of Israel’s firstborn from the fatal sword of the Angel of Death in Egypt at the time of Moses and Pharaoh. The imagery of sacrificial blood from slain animals is made more vivid and meaningful if we recall Moses’ words from the Book of Exodus, “And he took the blood and sprinkled it upon the people, and he said: … Read more here

Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus

The Precious Blood of Jesus “The Precious Blood which we worship is the Blood which the Saviour shed for us on Calvary and reassumed at His glorious Resurrection; it is the Blood which courses through the veins of His risen, glorified, living body at the right hand of God the Father in heaven; it is the Blood made present on our altars by the words of Consecration; it is the Blood which merited sanctifying grace for us and through it washes and beautifies our soul and inaugurates the beginning of eternal life in it.” In the past, the feast of … Read more here

 

Blog Topic: The Eucharist is ‘the School of True Love for Us’

My Dearest Brother and Sister in Christ, my Friend Last time, I tried to show You that the Holy Mass, The Eucharist is the revelation of the unfinished of God’s love towards us, and must be measured as a gift. Today, please let’s see that true love cannot be measured …
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Blog Topic: “Mystery of the Holy Trinity”

04/06/2020

Church promulgates new decrees for Causes of Saints

29/05/2020

World Communications Day 2020 – May 24th

22/05/2020

 

These weeks of lockdown are difficult for all of us, and we are particularly mindful of those whose jobs and lives are put on hold because of the pandemic. We want to be here for you during these difficult times. Even so, the Church in our Diocese of Portsmouth, its clergy, parishes and schools, is entirely dependent upon your generous charity. So that we can continue to provide the Liturgy of the Lord and our works, both centrally and from our parishes to the local community, I kindly ask all of the faithful who are able to do so, to continue their generous regular-giving to the Diocese and to their parish churches, which would otherwise lose vital income. You can donate via the button on the Parish website – or here 

Standing Order and  other useful Information

 Download Standing Order Form (PDF)

These are difficult times and if you are needing anything from me please message me on Facebook book, email or telephone the office. 02392828305

Lloyds Bank : sort code 30-93-04 ; Account number 01730453

Cheques mad payable to: PRCDTR Our Lady & St. Swithun

with Blessings Father Marcin Drabik

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Calendars

  Daily Services Calendars for all times

  Saints Calendar to learn about this weeks Saints

  Daily Reading Calendar for the prayers this week

  View All of our Parish Events Here

PARISH CONTACTS

• PARISH PRIEST: Father Marcin Drabik tel: 02392 828305 email: mdrabik@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk 
• Address: 105 Waverley Road, Southsea, PO5 2PL;
• Pastoral Assistant: Sr Marie Elise tel: 07747 728734;
• Safeguarding Representative: Mo Griffiths  tel: 023 92 737559;
• Safeguarding Representative: Anne Worden  tel: 023 92 817586;
• Parish Office Hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 8.00am –12.30pm. tel: 02392 828 305
  email: southseaparish@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk

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NEW SECTION ON OUR WEBSITE IF YOU JUST WANT TO SPEND SOME SPECIAL TIME WITH GOD

  Read More on our Renewal Pages here

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