|
Thank you for your offerings last week of £1440.26 and £75 for Peter’s Pence. Mass attendances were 657.
|
|
|
Sunday 10/7/16 |
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
6.00pm Peter Keen RIP (Keen Family)
9.15am Safe Arrival of Baby Albert Ward (A Ward)
11.00am Anthony Olivelle RIP (M Olivelle)
|
|
Monday 11/7/16
|
St Benedict
9.30am Peggy Geoghegan RIP (E Melling)
|
|
Tuesday 12/7/16 |
Feria
9.30am John Ponting RIP (Troy Family)
|
|
Wednesday 13/7/16 |
Feria
9.30am Hugh Owen & Family (CWL)
|
|
Thursday 14/7/16 |
Feria
9.30am Private Intention (Lanaine)
|
|
Friday 15/7/16 |
St Bonaventure
9.30am Peggy & Tom Duffy (H&T Forde)
|
|
Saturday 16/7/16 |
Vigil Mass
6.00pm Sheila & Austin Barradell – 50th Wedding Anniversary (Barradell Family)
|
|
Sunday 17/7/16 |
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
9.15am People of the Parish
11.00am Sheila Simon RIP (Foundation)
|
|
Confessions heard Saturday 5.00pm-5.45pm or by appointment. |
|
|
Morning Prayers - Takes place Monday – Friday at 9.10am. All are welcome to attend. |
|
Pondering the Word (Lectio Divina)
A quiet reflective look at the following Sunday’s Gospel. Mondays 11-12 noon here in the church. All welcome.
Fr David writes…
One of the ways that any group of people maintains its own identity is by asserting their own difference from other groups. That pride in difference shows itself in symbols and rituals like badges, flags, attitudes and beliefs, collected stories and traditions. Whatever the nature of the group – a tribe, a political party, a religion, a race – loyalties within the group can foster the growth of its members. On the other hand, intense loyalty can also promote hostility towards outsiders. The real danger comes when members of one group believe that their difference gives them a sense of entitlement and superiority. That usually spells violence. The question that arises here is that, can you maintain the identity of your group while still respecting the dignity of the “outsiders”? If you need help from those outside of your group, does that say something about your group’s claim to self-sufficiency? We are living more so in a very inter-connected culture nowadays. No culture can do it on its own. We need each other for survival on every level. I do believe that with a self-sufficiency mentality we do loose something very enriching.
These questions make for today’s gospel. In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus faces the old antagonism between his own people and the Samaritans. The Samaritans were despised as the mixed race descendants of northern Jews who had intermarried with foreign settlers. That racial difference made for religious difference, and when the southern Jews returned from exile in 520BC they refused to allow the Samaritans to help them rebuild the Temple. In response the Samaritans established their rival priesthood and temple. Each group’s loyalty to its own tradition served to nourish its hostility towards the other group. The Jewish lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbour” gives Jesus the opportunity to confront this old hostility. For the traditional Jew, to love one’s neighbour was understood as loving someone who belonged to the Jewish community. A neighbour was someone within the boundaries of your own racial and religious circle. To love outsiders while rejecting their beliefs was totally alien to their tradition. Jesus’ story tells of three travellers on the same road who sees the same naked and wounded man by the roadside. The question is how are they going to react to what they see? Will their seeing oblige them to act? Two Jewish officials, a priest and a Levite, continue their journey as if the purpose of living is to hurry on. At this point in the story, the hearers who thought of their community as priests, Levities and Israelites – like many Christians think of their Church in terms of bishops, priests and lay people – were probably expecting the hero to be an Israelite. But the shock to the system is that the hero is a despised Samaritan, the one who is publicly cursed in synagogues. He is the one Jesus holds up as the neighbour in the kingdom of God. He is the one who went the limits of religion to extend the boundary of compassion.
In the parable Jesus questions his own people’s attitude to the Samaritans. In the parable he is questioning an attitude that has been taken for granted for hundreds of years, one which is enshrined in tradition and the law. And Jesus is challenging the lawyer to be disloyal to that tradition. If your religious tradition invites you to despise other people, then you must be disloyal to your tradition. If loving your neighbour means being disloyal to your tradition, then disloyalty itself becomes a virtue. The ultimate loyalty is Love according to Jesus. Risk to push your own boundaries. If religion needs hate to nurture itself, then who needs that kind of religion? If being a part of a country demands us to look down on others who do not belong to our group or tribe, who needs that kind of nationalism? The gospel comes to challenge the boundaries of our love to include our traditional enemies. If the Gospel does not liberate, then Christ died in vain. He dies so that everyone could have life in his name. Let us pray for the gift of openness to risk continuing to enter into relationship with others who are different than us even within our parish.
The Pastoral Parish Council (PPC)
The next PPC meeting will take place on Tuesday 19th July at 7.30pm in the Community Centre, to which all parishioners are welcome to attend. If you would like to have any issues raised at the meeting (whether you are attending or not), please email the Secretary of the PPC at ppc@stjamespettswood.org
“Drop-In” – Evening Surgery
The next Surgery will take place on Tuesday 19th July, 5.00pm-7.00pm. Please call at 281a Crescent Drive – no appointments necessary.
After Mass on Sunday
Please do come in to the Community Centre after both the 9.15am and 11.00am Mass on Sunday for a coffee. All are invited.
Second Collections
This weekend the second collection will be for the Maintenance Fund.
Summer Prize Draw - all Cash Prizes: 1st - £500, 2nd - £250 & 3rd £100
Please support this draw which will take place on Sunday 17th July. Tickets are being sold after each Mass at the back of the church. Please ensure that all completed ticket stubs and monies are handed in to the Events Team after Mass or to the Parish Office.
The Sacrament of Baptism
This weekend we welcome:
- Lorenzo Miguel Dela Luna, his parents Maria and Peter and godparents Alvin and Joy;
- Olivia Mazzini, her parents Carolina and Pablo and godparents Rebeca and Horacio; and
- Alistair John Price, his parents Claire and John and godparents Emma and Ian.
Baptism Preparation Classes
Will take place this Monday 11th July for those parents that have been invited
Parish Social Evening
The next Social Evening will take place this Saturday 9th July after Mass is the Community Centre.
Come and Celebrate St James’ Feast Day on Sunday 17th July between 3-5pm!
This year we are celebrating our patron saint’s feast day with a 1950s themed garden party and the annual parish fun run. Everyone is welcome.
At 2pm - Registration for the fun run will start at 2.00pm at the entrance to Jubilee Park next to St. James’ Primary School. The run will start promptly at 2.30pm and finish in the parish garden.
At 3pm -The tea party starts at 3pm and entry will cost £1. Food will be available to buy including hotdogs, scones, cakes, tea, coffee, and drinks. There will be face painting and music too - what’s not to like! You can bring a picnic too if you prefer.
If you have previously purchased a £5 or £2.50 ticket for the Tea Party, please bring your ticket to the back of the church where we will give you a refund or you can do this on the day.
The party will include prize giving for the winning runners and the summer raffle prize draw.
Parsh Group Activities
Thank you to everyone who generously supported the Traidcraft Stall last weekend. Sales were £291.17. J&P
Hotdogs!!
The next youth social evening will take place this Saturday 9th July after Mass in the Community centre. Come along for a chat with your your friends. There will be a tuck shop available, games, bingo and a hotdog or two!
Youth Retreat 30th September-2nd October 2016 – few remaining spaces!
The Parish Youth Team are organising a retreat on the above dates at St Vincent’s Centre Whitstable. All young adults that have been confirmed are invited to attend this retreat. The cost will be £75.00.
If you could confirm your interest to the Parish Office via telephone 01689 827100 or email parish.office@stjamespettswood.org.
The youth of the Parish are encouraged to join the St James Catholic Youth Ministry – CYM Facebook page to find out all the up to date news on events that are happening within our church.
Running for the Manna Centre today 10th July
Thank you for your support and encouragement for my 10k run today for the Manna Centre. I (Martin Smith) have never been a runner. However, I was inspired to put my name forwards to run the British 10k today 10th July for the Manna Centre as I really wished to help raise funds for their fantastic work for the homeless and those in need. Your sponsorship has been very generous and will make a real difference to the Manna Centre's support for the homeless. Thank you.
Any last minute donations are still very welcome and can be made via: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RunningManna