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Our Lady of Lourdes and St Swithun Parish, Portsmouth

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105 Waverley Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire. PO5 2PL
Telephone 023 9282 8305

Parish Priest	Rev Marcin Drabik
Pastoral Assistant	Sr Marie Elise Tay

Safeguarding Representative	Mo Griffiths	Tel: 023 92 737559
Safeguarding Representative	Anne Worden	Tel: 023 92 817586
Parish Secretary	Ms Kathleen Margaret Jones

5/12 Day PreparationDay 5 of 33 - WEDNESDAY 24th FEBRUARY 2021 1. Read during: God reveals himself to the childlikeA Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew:At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Matthew 11:25-27) From Benedict XVI’s homily to the International Theological Commission (Dec. 1, 2009):We have heard that our Lord praises the Father because he concealed the great mystery of the Son the Trinitarian mystery, the Christological mystery from the wise and the learned, from those who did not recognize him. Instead he revealed it to children, the nèpioi, to those who are not learned, who are not very cultured. It was to them that this great mystery was revealed. ...[I]n our time there have also been "little ones" who have understood this mystery. Let us think of St Bernadette Soubirous; of St Thérèse of Lisieux, with her new interpretation of the Bible that is "non-scientific" but goes to the heart of Sacred Scripture; of the saints and blessed of our time: St Josephine Bakhita, Bl. Teresa of Calcutta and St Damien de Veuster. We could list so many! But from all this the question arises: "Why should this be so?". Is Christianity the religion of the foolish, of people with no culture or who are uneducated? Is faith extinguished where reason is kindled? How can this be explained? Perhaps we should take another look at history. What Jesus said, what can be noted in all the centuries, is true. Nevertheless, there is a "type" of lowly person who is also learned. Our Lady stood beneath the Cross, the humble handmaid of the Lord and the great woman illumined by God. And John was there too, a fisherman from the Sea of Galilee. He is the John whom the Church was rightly to call "the theologian", for he was really able to see the mystery of God and proclaim it: eagled-eyed he entered into the inaccessible light of the divine mystery. So it was too that after his Resurrection, the Lord, on the road to Damascus, touches the heart of Saul, one of those learned people who cannot see. He himself, in his First Letter to Timothy, writes that he was "acting ignorantly" at that time, despite his knowledge. But the Risen One touches him: he is blinded. Yet at the same time, hetruly gains sight; he begins to see. The great scholar becomes a "little one" and for this very reason perceives the folly of God as wisdom, a wisdom far greater than all human wisdom. We could continue to interpret the holy story in this way. Just one more observation. These erudite terms, sofòi and sinetòi, in the First Reading are used in a different way. Here sofia and sìnesis are gifts of the Holy Spirit which descend upon the Messiah, upon Christ. What does this mean? It turns out that there is a dual use of reason and a dual way of being either wise or little....Then there is the other way of using reason, of being wise—that of the man who recognizes who he is; he recognizes the proper measure and greatness of God, opening himself in humilityto the newness of God's action. It is in this way, precisely by accepting his own smallness, making himself little as he really is, that he arrives at the truth. Thus reason too can express allits possibilities; it is not extinguished but rather grows and becomes greater. Sofìa and sìnesis in this context do not exclude one from the mystery that is real communion with the Lord, inwhom reside wisdom and knowledge and their truth. Let us now pray that the Lord will give us true humility. May he give us the grace of being little in order to be truly wise; may he illumine us, enable us to see his mystery in the joy of the Holy Spirit.Reflection:Do I see my own littleness? Do I see the greatness of God? Let us pray for true humility and the grace of littleness. Mary’s womb is the Seat of Wisdom where we can be both little and wise. It is where we learn the Wisdom of Jesus who saved us by becoming small and weak. When we place ourselves in Mary’s womb and do all of our reasoning from that perspective, we take ourselves lessseriously, empty out our intellectual pride and learn to delight in the wonders of God. We can think of the Baby Jesus in Mary’s lap as He reaches out to discover the world from that place ofperfect love and safety.2. Pray During a day:St. Louis De Montfort's Prayer to MaryHail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father!Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son! Hail Mary,faithful spouse of the Holy Ghost! Hail Mary, my dearMother, my loving Mistress, my powerful sovereign!Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul! Thouart all mine by mercy, and I am all thine by justice.But I am not yet sufficiently thine. I now give myselfwholly to thee without keeping anything back formyself or others. If thou still seest in me anythingwhich does not belong to thee, I beseech thee totake it and to make thyself the absolute Mistress ofall that is mine. Destroy in me all that may bedispleasing to God, root it up and bring it to nought;place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasingto thee.May the light of thy faith dispel the darkness of mymind; may thy profound humility take the place of mypride; may thy sublime contemplation check thedistractions of my wandering imagination; may thycontinuous sight of God fill my memory with Hispresence; may the burning love of thy heart inflamethe lukewarmness of mine; may thy virtues take theplace of my sins; may thy merits be my onlyadornment in the sight of God and make up for allthat is wanting in me. Finally, dearly beloved Mother,grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spiritbut thine to know Jesus and His divine will; that Imay have no other soul but thine to praise andglorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart butthine to love God with a love as pure and ardent asthine I do not ask thee for visions, revelations,sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures. It is thyprivilege to see God clearly; it is thy privilege toenjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy privilege to triumphgloriously in Heaven at the right hand of thy Son andto hold absolute sway over angels, men anddemons; it is thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts ofGod, just as thou willest.Such is, O heavenly Mary, the "best part," which theLord has given thee and which shall never be takenaway from thee-and this thought fills my heart withjoy. As for my part here below, I wish for no otherthan that which was thine: to believe sincerelywithout spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully withouthuman consolation; to die continually to myselfwithout respite; and to work zealously andunselfishly for thee until death as the humblest of thyservants. The only grace I beg thee to obtain for meis that every day and every moment of my life I maysay: Amen, so be it's all that thou didst do while onearth; Amen, so be it's all that thou art now doing inHeaven; Amen, so be it-to all that thou art doing inmy soul, so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesusin me for time and eternity. Amen. 3. Prayer - Veni Creator & Ave Maris StellaCome, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,and in our souls take up Thy rest;come with Thy grace and heavenly aidto fill the hearts which Thou hast made.O comforter, to Thee we cry,O heavenly gift of God Most High,O fount of life and fire of love,and sweet anointing from above.Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;Thou, finger of God's hand we own;Thou, promise of the Father,Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue.Kindle our sense from above,and make our hearts o'erflow with love;with patience firm and virtue highthe weakness of our flesh supply.Far from us drive the foe we dread,and grant us Thy peace instead;so shall we not, with Thee for guide,turn from the path of life aside.Oh, may Thy grace on us bestowthe Father and the Son to know;and Thee, through endless times confessed,of both the eternal Spirit blest.Now to the Father and the Son,Who rose from death, be glory given,with Thou, O Holy Comforter,henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.Ave Maris StellaHail, O Star of the ocean,God's own Mother blest,ever sinless Virgin,gate of heav'nly rest. Taking that sweet Ave,which from Gabriel came,peace confirm within us,changing Eve's name.Break the sinners' fetters,make our blindness day,Chase all evils from us,for all blessings pray.Show thyself a Mother,may the Word divineborn for us thine Infanthear our prayers through thine.Virgin all excelling,mildest of the mild,free from guilt preserve usmeek and undefiled.Keep our life all spotless,make our way securetill we find in Jesus,joy for evermore.Praise to God the Father,honor to the Son,in the Holy Spirit,be the glory one. Amen.3. Magnificat, and Glory Be- during HOUR of MERCY MagnificatMy soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is from generation to generations, to them that fear Him. He hath showed might in His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.He hath put down the mighty from their seat; and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.Examine your conscience, pray, practice renouncement of your own will; mortification, purity of heart. This purity is the indispensable condition for contemplating God in heaven, to see Him on earth and to know Him by the light of faith. The first part of the preparation should be employed in casting off the spirit of the world which is contrary to that of Jesus Christ. The spirit of the world consists essentially in the denial of the supreme dominion of God; a denial which is manifested in practice by sin and disobedience; thus it is principally opposed to the spirit of Christ,which is also that of Mary. ... See MoreSee Less

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Our Today's Schedule of a day is cancelled😞 For all disappointments I'm truly sorry. Hopefully - see You tomorrow🙏 Fr Marcin ... See MoreSee Less

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I am so sorry Father that you are not well - take care of yourself

Praying that you are better soon 🙏

Sending best Fr Marcin 🙏

God bless you 🙏🏻🙏🏻

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Will miss you today Fr Marcin but pray you are having a well deserved rest 🙏 💕 even if forced to by your body if it is saying you have worked it too hard. (Your energy is that of a super hero).

Hoping that your recovery is rapid and complete? 🙏❤️🥰😘

Please dont burn yourself out Father. You do over and above what is expected. You do need to rest. Take care. God bless. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Thank you father for letting us know and hope you are ok. You are as always in my 🙏🏻

Hope you are rested now. Take it easy. God bless and grant you the rest you need.

We hope you get better soon <3

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Oh dear I hope you're okay. 🙂

Father Marcin is OK, 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

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LECTIO DIVINA- Tuesday 23/02/2021 at 6.00am ... See MoreSee Less

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4/12 Day PreparationDay 4 of 33 - TUESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2021 1. Read during: God hears our cryA Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans:I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So then it is no longer I that do it,but sin which dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I donot want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. …So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are childrenof God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 7:15-20; 8:12-17)From Pope Benedict XVI Urbi et Orbi Christmas Message 2011:This is the great evil, the great sin, from which we human beings cannot save ourselves unless we rely on God’s help, unless we cry out to him: “Veni ad salvandum nos! – Come to save us!”The very fact that we cry to heaven in this way already sets us aright; it makes us true to ourselves: we are in fact those who cried out to God and were saved (cf. Esth [LXX] 10:3ff.). God is the Saviour; we are those who are in peril. He is the physician; we are the infirm. To realize this is the first step towards salvation, towards emerging from the maze in which we have been locked by our pride. To lift our eyes to heaven, to stretch out our hands and call for help is our means of escape, provided that there is Someone who hears us and can come to our assistance. Jesus Christ is the proof that God has heard our cry. And not only this! God’s love for us is so strong that he cannot remain aloof; he comes out of himself to enter into our midst and to share fully in our human condition (cf. Ex 3:7-12). The answer to our cry which God gave in Jesus infinitely transcends our expectations, achieving a solidarity which cannot be human alone, but divine. Only the God who is love, and the love which is God, could choose to save us in thisway, which is certainly the lengthiest way, yet the way which respects the truth about him and about us: the way of reconciliation, dialogue and cooperation.Reflection:Do I recognize that I cannot save myself? Do I believe that God will always hear my cry? Can I see that Jesus Himself is the answer to my cry, that He is God who has come close to me and Hewill never abandon me. He is my Savior. We are crying for a home, crying to belong, crying for the things we need to grow, crying tomake sense of the pain and find support, crying for others. When we cry out, Mary responds to us and brings us into her arms and even into that tighter, safer more beautiful embrace in herwomb. In coming to share our human condition, Jesus made her womb the perfect place for all our needs to met and also the place that we can always find Him, who is always the Son ofMary.2. Pray During a day:St. Louis De Montfort's Prayer to MaryHail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father!Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son! Hail Mary,faithful spouse of the Holy Ghost! Hail Mary, my dearMother, my loving Mistress, my powerful sovereign!Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul! Thouart all mine by mercy, and I am all thine by justice.But I am not yet sufficiently thine. I now give myselfwholly to thee without keeping anything back formyself or others. If thou still seest in me anythingwhich does not belong to thee, I beseech thee totake it and to make thyself the absolute Mistress ofall that is mine. Destroy in me all that may bedispleasing to God, root it up and bring it to nought;place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasingto thee.May the light of thy faith dispel the darkness of mymind; may thy profound humility take the place of mypride; may thy sublime contemplation check thedistractions of my wandering imagination; may thycontinuous sight of God fill my memory with Hispresence; may the burning love of thy heart inflamethe lukewarmness of mine; may thy virtues take theplace of my sins; may thy merits be my onlyadornment in the sight of God and make up for allthat is wanting in me. Finally, dearly beloved Mother,grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spiritbut thine to know Jesus and His divine will; that Imay have no other soul but thine to praise andglorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart butthine to love God with a love as pure and ardent asthine I do not ask thee for visions, revelations,sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures. It is thyprivilege to see God clearly; it is thy privilege toenjoy heavenly bliss; it is thy privilege to triumphgloriously in Heaven at the right hand of thy Son andto hold absolute sway over angels, men anddemons; it is thy privilege to dispose of all the gifts ofGod, just as thou willest.Such is, O heavenly Mary, the "best part," which theLord has given thee and which shall never be takenaway from thee-and this thought fills my heart withjoy. As for my part here below, I wish for no otherthan that which was thine: to believe sincerelywithout spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully withouthuman consolation; to die continually to myselfwithout respite; and to work zealously andunselfishly for thee until death as the humblest of thyservants. The only grace I beg thee to obtain for meis that every day and every moment of my life I maysay: Amen, so be it's all that thou didst do while onearth; Amen, so be it's all that thou art now doing inHeaven; Amen, so be it-to all that thou art doing inmy soul, so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesusin me for time and eternity. Amen. 3. Prayer - Veni Creator & Ave Maris Stella at 6.00amCome, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,and in our souls take up Thy rest;come with Thy grace and heavenly aidto fill the hearts which Thou hast made.O comforter, to Thee we cry,O heavenly gift of God Most High,O fount of life and fire of love,and sweet anointing from above.Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;Thou, finger of God's hand we own;Thou, promise of the Father,Thou Who dost the tongue with power imbue.Kindle our sense from above,and make our hearts o'erflow with love;with patience firm and virtue highthe weakness of our flesh supply.Far from us drive the foe we dread,and grant us Thy peace instead;so shall we not, with Thee for guide,turn from the path of life aside.Oh, may Thy grace on us bestowthe Father and the Son to know;and Thee, through endless times confessed,of both the eternal Spirit blest.Now to the Father and the Son,Who rose from death, be glory given,with Thou, O Holy Comforter,henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.Ave Maris StellaHail, O Star of the ocean,God's own Mother blest,ever sinless Virgin,gate of heav'nly rest. Taking that sweet Ave,which from Gabriel came,peace confirm within us,changing Eve's name.Break the sinners' fetters,make our blindness day,Chase all evils from us,for all blessings pray.Show thyself a Mother,may the Word divineborn for us thine Infanthear our prayers through thine.Virgin all excelling,mildest of the mild,free from guilt preserve usmeek and undefiled.Keep our life all spotless,make our way securetill we find in Jesus,joy for evermore.Praise to God the Father,honor to the Son,in the Holy Spirit,be the glory one. Amen.3. Magnificat, and Glory Be- during HOUR of MERCY at 3.00pmMagnificatMy soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is from generation to generations, to them that fear Him. He hath showed might in His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.He hath put down the mighty from their seat; and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. Amen.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.Examine your conscience, pray, practice renouncement of your own will; mortification, purity of heart. This purity is the indispensable condition for contemplating God in heaven, to see Him on earth and to know Him by the light of faith. The first part of the preparation should be employed in casting off the spirit of the world which is contrary to that of Jesus Christ. The spirit of the world consists essentially in the denial of the supreme dominion of God; a denial which is manifested in practice by sin and disobedience; thus it is principally opposed to the spirit of Christ,which is also that of Mary. ... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago

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