Thank you for your offerings last week of £1,482.  Mass attendance was 660.

 

Sunday

11/09/16

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

6.00pm Dr Margaret Evelyn Ledger RIP

 

9.15am Danuta & Zygmunt Kukula RIP (S.  Kukula) 

 

11.00am  People of the Parish

 

Monday

12/09/16

 

The Most Holy Name of Mary

 

9.30 Andrew Healey (RIP) (T & H Forde)

 

Tuesday

13/09/16

St John Chrysostom

 

9.30 Mary Casartelli

 

Wednesday

14/09/16

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

 

9.30am Sr Agatha Nicholl

 

Thursday

15/09/16

Our Lady of Sorrows

 

9.30am Sidney & Dorothy O’Leary RIP

 

Friday

16/09/16

Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian

 

9.30am Parker Family (Howell Family)

 

Saturday

17/9/16

Vigil Mass

 

6.00pm Patrick Meehan RIP (Meehan Family)

 

Sunday

18/9/16

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

9.15am Josephine Dobbin RIP

 

11.00am People of the Parish

 

Confessions heard Saturday 5.00pm-5.45pm or by appointment.

 

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.

“Drop-In” – Evening Surgery

The next Surgery will take place on Tuesday 13th September 5.00–8.00pm.  Please call at 281a Crescent Drive.  No appointments necessary.

Fr David writes…

My sister’s family, like a lot of parents at this time of year, is going through another transition in their lives.  My youngest niece, through the Erasmus programme, is moving to Newcastle University for a scholastic term.  I was chatting with my sister this week and as all parents she has mixed feelings about the move.  Part of her is happy to see her daughter growing up and feeling so excited about this stage in her life whilst another part of my sister is totally bereft.  This is the first time that one of her daughters is moving away from home for four months.  My niece on the other hand is experiencing the transition differently.  She is quite sensitive herself and so she understands that her move is going to impact the dynamic of the family and that they will be missing her.  In her own way, she knows that she will miss them too.  But a larger part of her can’t hide the fact that she is excited about the adventurous side of this forthcoming term.  Meeting and socialising with new friends, living in a foreign country and studying in a different university.  She is also excited by the prospects of what this move will provide for her.  She can’t wait.

This situation took me back to the time when I too left my family and homeland to go and work as a priest in Australia.  Somehow at this age in my life, I understand something of the pain of my parents at the airport, saying goodbye to me and knowing that they would be seeing me in three year’s time.  That must have been heart breaking for them.  On my part, although I knew that I was going to miss them and all the familiar and security back in Malta, a large part of myself was very excited to move on and experience life and ministry in a new country.  I couldn’t wait to fly the nest too.  That particular move in 1993 set off a series of transitions which led me eventually here to Petts Wood.  Somehow being away from “home” was instrumental to no longer hang on to the familiar securities to escape the pain of facing my own demons and my own true self.  Being away from my geographical home, I set off on a journey of self discovery.  It gave me freedom and permission to explore, even maybe of making some mistakes on the way.  It didn’t matter.  I consider them to be learning experiences.  The hurts, the struggles on the way has helped me to come “home” to myself and hopefully provided me with growth and wisdom.

The story in today’s gospel is about a father who has two sons and who loses them both.  One son is lost in a far country and the other son is lost in the wilderness of his own hostility.  One leaves home in the fond hope that he will experience happiness in the unfamiliar, only to discover it is found at the heart of the familiar.  One stays at home but is such a stranger to the love and acceptance which surround him that he might as well be an alien in a foreign land.  The younger son yearns for a life different from that at home.  He leaves home and quickly learns that his promised land is barren.  He experiences failure.  Through his failure he comes to himself.  It appears that the younger son has gone on a fruitless journey to end up where he started; but if he ends up in the same place, he is now different.  At the journey’s end he is a man with new insight.  As T.S. Elliot wrote: “… and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time”.  The older brother has not left home, but staying home has not led him to hospitality.  When he found out that his brother had returned home, unlike his father, he does not have the generous instinct to rush to meet him.  He gets angry and resentful.  His own anger immobilizes him.  He is “the separated one”, far away from home.  The father’s attitude reflects the generosity of Jesus’ way of dealing with sinners.

Jesus has both sons represented in his audience; the separated ones – Scribes and Pharisees, who like the elder son refuse to welcome their brother sinners; and the sinners who, like the younger son hope to be accepted when they make for home.  Jesus is aiming here at religious intolerance.  The “Religious” people believe that they should separate themselves not only from sin but also from sinners.  They believe in segregation.  Jesus on the other hand, rather than separating himself from sinners, he welcomes them and eats with them.  One group believes in hostility, whilst Jesus believes in hospitality.  One group is fuelled by judgement the other by compassion.  Pope Francis is encouraging us once more, especially us priests “to smell like the sheep” (EG 24).  As followers of Jesus we are called to get our hands dirty, to contact the lost or marginalised.  The entire gospel message is based on the premise that God seeks those who have strayed from his love.  Which son do we identify with?  What is the good news for us this week in God’s word for us?

Holy Baptism

This weekend we welcome into our parish family:

Millie Grace Kelly and her parents Paul and Nicola, Isla Mary Fenne Scutts and her parents Oliver and Danielle and Amy Olivia Blythe and her parents Jonathan and Theresa. 

Parish Groups

Youth of the Parish

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL AND THE YOUNG CHURCH

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 who 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.

Christ The King Youth Day – 19th November

The Catholic Youth Ministry Christ the King Youth Day will take place on Saturday 19th November here at St James’ from 12.00pm-5.30pm and will be followed by a Youth Mass at 6.00pm.  There will be activites throughout the day and refreshments will  be provided.  This event is open to all young people across the Bromley Deanery in school years 7 and above.

Dad and Me – 17th September

The next session will take place on Saturday 17th September 10 – 11.30 am in the Community Centre

Year of Mercy – Growing in Faith - 13th September

We will be continuing our informal discussions on the theme of the Year of Mercy on Tuesday 13th September at 8pm in the Community Centre.  We will be considering “Mercy is Greater than Prejudice” and the passage we will discuss is John 4: 5-42.  Everyone if welcome.  I do hope you can join us. 

Deanery Pilgrimage to Cathedral – 17th September

There is a home-school-parish deanery pilgrimage to St George’s Cathedral Southwark taking place on Saturday 17th September 10.30am for 11.00am.  It would be great to have some parishioners at the service representing our parish.  If you are able to attend please add your name to the list in the Church porch.  There are no costs incurred but parishioners will need to cover their own transportation costs and may want to take lunch.   

Monday Club

The Monday Club meets in the Hall at 1.30 – 4 pm each week.  Everyone is welcome, all ages.   Activities include crafts, outdoor French Boules (in the garden) indoor curling, tri-dominos, table tennis and lots more including the Craft Group.    Tea and Coffee and a chat.  £1 contribution welcome.

Bromley Foodbank

The Foodbank has reported that it has almost run out of jars of pasta sauce.  They are also very low on custard, rice puddings and tined fruit, and ‘cold’ meat (ham, spam etc.) ‘hot’ meat (i.e.  tinned meat that can be heated to form the basis of a hot meal) and tinned vegetables.  Please help if you can.  Thank you, J&P Group

Leave the Car at Home Weekend 24–25th September

If you normally come to Mass by car, please will you try to leave it at home when you come at the weekend of 24-25th September.  The J&P Group is asking the parish to repeat this annual event which started when we worked to achieve the CAFOD LiveSimply award in 2014.  Please note that this suggestion is only for those fit enough to travel by foot, cycle, bus, scooter, push chair, etc!  There will be special stickers for children who don’t come by car.  Help the parish to renew its promise to live simply and support one of the many principles in Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si.  If you live a long way from St

James’, why not park the car and walk the last half mile, perhaps.  J&P Group

Traidcraft stall

after all Masses next weekend.  Your support benefits people in some of the world’s poorest countries, helping them build sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families.  Thank you.  J&P Group

CHILDREN who sowed sunflower seeds

at the plant sale in May, please tell us about your successes or even failures!  There will be a box at the back of church for the next 2 weeks for your notes, pictures and photos (without a recognisable image of child please) which we will then display.  J&P Group & Garden team

CWL Military Whist Drive Saturday 24 September 7.30 for 8pm start

This is a fun evening for all ages from 10 years old upwards.  Children must be able to play cards and join in.  Tickets cost £6 and includes a Ploughman’s Supper.  If you would like to learn how to play or practise, please come

along at 7.30pm.  To enable us to cater, please phone 0208 467 3697 to book places and do remember to mention any dietary requirement.  CWL

Shoe boxes – 19 September

Every two years, the CWL make up Christmas Shoe Boxes for children in the Romanian Orphanages supported by the Biggin Hill Romania Group.  We will be making up the boxes on 19 September from 1.30 in the Community Centre here at St James’ and would welcome any donations or offers to come and help pack the boxes.  A list of suggested items will be on the CWL noticeboard.  We have been asked to consider boxes for older teenage boys as not so many people provide these.  CWL

Eucharistic Ministers and Readers

Diary dates

Fr David would like to meet with both the Eucharist Ministers and the Readers in September as follows:

Eucharistic Ministers on Monday 12 September at 8pm in the Church

Readers on Monday 19 September at 8pm in the Church.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Readers – 12th November

The annual day of recollection for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Readers for the South East area will take place at Bishop Thomas Grant School, Belltrees Grove, SW16 2HY on Saturday, 12th November.  The theme for the day is ‘Encountering God’s Mercy in the Eucharist’.  The day will start at 11.00am and finish with a Mass said by the Bishop Rt Revd Patrick Lynch.  Please contact the Parish Office and let us know if you plan to attend.

Children’s Liturgy

Children’s Liturgy will start back again on 18th September.  If you child is 3 years old or above, they are welcome to join us for Liturgy sessions at the 9.15 am Sunday Mass each week.   We hope you all had a lovely summer break and we look forward to seeing you all. 

Firm Believers – Tuesdays

Our inter-church Fun-Fitness class to music will be held on Tuesdays from 7 - 7.45 pm in the Community Centre, here at St James’.  So come and give it a try with a group of friendly ladies of all abilities.  You are welcome to just turn up or contact us at firm.believers@stjamespettswood.org).  Bring a friend if you wish.  We meet every Tuesday during term time and the cost is £5.  Wear trainers and any comfortable clothing and bring a mat or towel and get fit and trim. 

Bethlehem Nativity

The missionary group from Bethlehem Nativity who visited the parish last weekend wish to convey their grateful thanks to all the parishioners who purchased their religious articles from the Holy Land.  They sold items totalling £1,643 all of which will be put to good use for the Christians in need in the Holy Land. 

If you did not get a chance to see the items for any reason, we have contact details for Nicholas Khader so call the Parish Office if you want to get in touch with them.  Thanks again on behalf of the Bethlehem Nativity Group. 

Blessing of Pets – St Francis of Assisi Feast Day

In anticipation of the Feast of St Francis of Assisi on Tuesday 5 October, we are planning to hold a blessing of pets in Church on Sunday 3 October  at 3pm.  St Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) was the patron saint of ecologists, florists and poets.  Please bring along your pets to Church at 3pm, hopefully they will all be well behaved.

 

A reminder for parents – food and /or drink should not be brought into the church for consumption during Mass.  Thank you for your co-operation.