Thank you for your offering last week of £1,402.05 and for CAFOD’s Harvest Fast Day of £926.43.

Sunday

12/10/14

 

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

6pm Tom Webb RIP

 

9.15am People of the Parish

 

11am Carmen Novaes Suzzara RIP (D Delf)

 

Monday

13/10/14

 

St Edward the Confessor

 

9.30am Persecuted Christians (the Howell Family)

 

Tuesday

14/1014

Feria / St Callistus I Pope

 

9.30am Robert and Hannah West (Anniversary) (T & D West)

 

Wednesday

15/10/14

St Teresa of Jesus (Avila)

 

Please note that Mass today is at 9.05am in St James Primary School. Everybody Welcome.

Sheila Simon RIP (Craft Group)

 

Thursday

16/10/14

Feria / St Margaret Mary Alacoque

 

9.30am Derek Williams RIP (the Salter family)

 

Friday

17/10/14

St Ignatius of Antioch

 

9.30am David Kelly RIP (M Kelly)

 

Saturday

18/10/14

St Luke

 

9.30am Sarah McGowan RIP (Shirley Archer and family)

 

Sunday

19/10/14

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

6pm In remembrance of Joshua Canning - 3rd Anniversary (the Canning family)

 

9.15am For our Missionaries

 

11am People of the Parish

 

 

 

Seeing your Life Through the Lens of the Gospels

Matthew 22:1-14

 

Scripture often speaks of the kingdom of God as a banquet. The image of people being at a meal where everyone is happy and welcome and where all hunger and thirst is satisfied gets across the idea that God loves, accepts and welcomes us and wants us to make that experience available to one another. Think of times in your life when you have had ‘banquet’ experiences and when you have felt accepted and loved?

 

The host enlists the help of his servants to invite people to the banquet. We are commissioned by the Lord to invite people to the banquet of the kingdom, to the fullness of life – as parents, teachers and friends.  What has it been like for you to play a part in leading others to a fuller life?

 

As in the parable last week there is a message about being alert to invitations that offer a fuller life and the danger of losing out if we neglect to respond to such invitations. Perhaps there have been opportunities offered to you that you missed, and now regret. Think also of the blessings you received because you seized the moment and took an opportunity that presented itself.

 

The second parable puts the focus on how we respond to invitations. Some invitations are ones that challenge us to change, to conversion, to put on a ‘wedding garment’. What has been your experience of changing in response to an invitation you received?

 

……The first reading from Isaiah today will be familiar to many, as it is often the reading chosen for funeral Masses. It promises a time of feasting when the tears of mourning will be wiped from our faces and death will be no more. When Gaelic Irish bardic poets spoke of heaven, they loved the idea of the wine-feast where the ‘cup-bearer never fails’ and the hostess (the Virgin Mary) quickly fills up empty wine vessels. At that feast the only thing missing would be a bouncer at the door, for a hospitable God would not want to keep anyone away.

 

 

The Autumn Fair 2014

 

It may have been a wet, dreary day but you were wonderful, bright, cheery and a joy to be with!  So many many thanks to everyone who came along and supported their parish community by their presence, encouragement and, not least, their financial support (£2,799.20 raised!) Special thanks though to those who planned, supplied and ran the day.  It involved a lot of time and energy from a lot of you. Very many thanks and God Bless.

 

Fr. Tom

 

 

October Devotions in Honour of Our Lady

 

These devotions, made up of Rosary, Benediction and Marian hymns, continue today at 4pm. (It was nice to see how many of you attended last week.)

 

 

The Second Collection Today

 

The second collection today is for the Needs of the Diocese.  Please give generously.

 

Thank you.

 

 

Next Sunday, 19th October, there will be a second collection for World Mission Sunday, but no collection for the “Five in One”.

 

Next Sunday, Pope Francis invites all Catholics to contribute to a special collection for Missio, his official charity for overseas mission.

 

World Mission Sunday is a special day that unites Catholics all over the world in prayer, celebration and care for the mission of the Church.

 

Thanks to the sacrifice and witness of missionaries, the Catholic Church is growing and many Churches can now take care of themselves.  However, four out of every ten parishes worldwide still need your help to survive.

 

By supporting World Mission Sunday you are directly helping over 1,000 dioceses bring hope and new life to people yearning to hear of God’s love for them. You will be able to Gift Aid all donations by using envelopes provided by Missio. 

 

Please give generously. Thank you.

 

A suitable donation will be allocated from parish funds to the “Five in One”, i.e., the Catholic Education Service; Apostleship of the Sea; Day for Human Life; Catholic Association for Racial Justice and Catholic Youth Services. 

 

November 15th - save the date!

 

Parish Curry night on Saturday November 15th with live music from the sensational “The Iron Mountain” band and curry from the Rajdoot.  This will sell out very quickly.  Tickets and more information available from next weekend.  Please contact Peter Benson on email .

 

 

An Appeal from Cardinal Vincent Nichols.

 

Cardinal Vincent Nichols is the President of the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) and today 12th October is Prisoners’ Sunday; the first of what will now be an annual event in the church’s calendar.

 

His Eminence has written to parishes commending the work of PACT, which offers practical support to prisoners and their families through helplines, family support workers, parenting and relationship training, and resettlement support for ex-offenders.  If you would like to find out more or would consider becoming a volunteer, e.g., to support an ex-offender on release; or in one of the visitor centres, or prison hall play areas, please see the Prison Advice website at: www.prisonadvice.org.uk/Get+involved.

 

 

Bromley Churches Housing Action - the LATCH Homeless Project

 

The LATCH (Living Amicably Together in a Caring Home) project has been caring for young single people aged 16-25 in Bromley for the past twenty years.  Rev. Duncan Aitkins, who many of you may recall from various services here, is currently the Chair of this project.  The project is seeking bedrooms in ordinary homes to offer accommodation to their clients.  LATCH staff organise the placements and arrange all of the necessary vetting.   In return for the use of a bedroom, a householder will receive the housing benefit attached to that room which is currently £110.00 per week tax-free.

 

If you would like to help or want further information please contact the LATCH office on 020 8965 5537 or on 07957 861404.

 

 

Could you be a Rainbows’ leader?   Two new leaders are needed from January 2015.   Full training will be given. Contact Suzanne Horner by email for more information. Thank you.

 

 

The Parish Duty Rotas

 

The duty rotas, including the cleaning rota, are all available on our parish website.  Please check the lists every week so that you can take your turn!