Today’s first reading resonates with the present Syria crisis. Moses prayed and God spared the people: we, likewise, must continue to pray for a lasting peace in Syria and in all the violent trouble spots of the world. Pope Francis’ call for sustained prayer for peace last weekend will surely go down as one of his most significant initiatives to date (and there have been many.)

It is significant that a peaceful negotiation has come from Russia, and from a leadership that is avowedly atheist. God cannot be contained. As Jesus said, the Spirit blows where it wills, and sometimes blows from the most unlikely places. Disturbing, maybe, but also life-giving.

May God’s Spirit bring peace to Syria, and to all places of war.

Jeu-d’Esprit   by Ann Lewin.

Come, flame-dancing Spirit, come

Sweep us off our feet and

Dance us through our days.

Surprise us with your rhythms,

Dare us to try new steps, explore

New patterns and new partnerships.

Release us from old routine

To swing in abandoned joy

And fearful adventure,

And in the intervals,

Rest us,

In your still centre.

Thanks to everyone who left their car at home today in support of our Live Sustainably initiative for LiveSimply.  The prayer below will be said after the bidding prayers to remind us of our responsibility to the environment.

Walk Lightly

Each leaf, each petal,

each grain, each person,

sings your praises,

Creator God.

Each creature on the earth,

all the mountains and great seas

show your glory,

Spirit of love.

And yet the hand of greed

has patented and plundered

your splendour,

has taken and not shared

your gift,

has lived as owner of the earth,

not guest.

And so

the ice is cracked

the rivers dry,

the valleys flooded

and the snowcaps melt.

God our Father, show us

how to step gently,

how to live simply,

how to walk lightly

with respect and love

for all that you have made.

Through Christ Our Lord, Amen

Linda Jones / CAFOD

Mass Attendance at Mass last week was 695.
Saturday 14/9/13		The Exaltation of the Holy Cross 9.30am – Peace in Syria
Sunday  15/9/13		24th Sunday in Ordinary Time 6pm (Sat) – People of the Parish 9.15am – Neil Joyce, RIP (Mary-Ellen Munnelly) 11am – Michael Feeney (Mary Feeney)
Monday 16/9/13		No Monday Mass
Tuesday 17/9/13		Feria 9.30am – Private Intention
Wednesday 18/9/13		Feria 9.30am – Teresa Lynch, RIP (M Jackson)
Thursday 19/9/13		Feria 9.30am – Relatives and friends of James Porter
Friday 20/9/13		Ss Andrew Kim Tae-gon & Paul Chong Ha-sang 9.30am – Concetta Borg, RIP (Paul West)
Saturday 21/9/13		St Matthew, apostle 9.30am – Jo White, RIP
Sunday  22/9/13		25th Sunday in Ordinary Time 6pm (Sat)  – International Day of Peace (Justice & Peace Group) 9.15am – Rachel Cronin, RIP (Jackson Family) 11am – People of the Parish
	Many thanks to everyone who took part in/was involved in the Quiet Day and the Fun Run last weekend!  Thanks to Doreen (Hairs) and her team, and to Sr. Sheila Barrett, DMJ, for a most stimulating and prayerful session.  Her talk will be available for those who missed it.  Pondering the Word (Mondays, 11am-12 noon) will continue this quiet and contemplative approach and hopefully many of you will come along (starts tomorrow). Thanks also to Chris (Delf) and his team for the Fun Run which was a great parish event (111 runners!)- and also to Sue (David) and her team for the fantastic barbecue! And even the weather held off! Photos on website.
	Next Sunday – second collection for our maintenance fund.  The toilets are almost finished and we want to steam ahead with the redecoration of the hall.  Thank you all so much for this great effort, but please keep on giving!  And if possible, Gift Aid every penny you give! Our hall is a great facility and hopefully we can encourage more people to use it.  Do come in for coffee after Sunday Masses. (Re: Gift Aid, or any financial matter, please contact Geoff Ford .
	Next Sunday also sees the start of our new confirmation group and we have 22 young people registered. (6.30-8.30pm).  We also start our brand new ‘Sevens and Eights’ group (5.00-6.15pm) for all our young people in school years 7 and 8.  Some parents have offered to help with this and there will be a meeting (1 hr. max.) at 8pm tomorrow (Monday) in the meeting room.  The group will be led by Quyen Patel who has run similar groups in Birmingham- but she will need back up. Both confirmation and 7’s and 8’s will run fortnightly.
	Monday: Meeting for 7’s and 8’s helpers at 8pm (meeting room). Pondering the Word – 11am-12 noon (church) –take a flyer.
	Tuesday: Journey in Faith- 7.30pm – meeting room.  Please pray for Simone Ebah, Meihua Li, Faye and Keith Mace, Frank Vorstenburg and Paul Haylock, who will receive the sacraments of initiation here at the end of this month.  They have been on the Journey in Faith for almost a year, and we shall warmly welcome them in to the communion of the Catholic Church. Library Team meeting (library) at 8pm.
	Wednesday: Mass with St. James’ School, 9.30am in church. Site meeting 11 am.  Confirmation catechists: 8pm in meeting room.
	Thursday: Pastoral and Advisory Team (presbytery 7.45pm). This team is: Doreen Hairs, Joanna Longhurst, Mary Hutchinson, Owen Clutton, Graham Price, Keith Lams and Fr. Bryan.  Do contact them if you would like any parish matter to be discussed.
	Friday: Parents (or grandparents) and Toddlers. 1.30pm to 3pm- all most welcome.
	Saturday Church cleaning – year 5 parents please (ALL not just St. James school!).  Hopefully everyone will take their turn when it occurs... LiveSimply Gardening- 9.00am-1.00pm: can you help?
	Autumn Festival-Saturday October 5^th. Please bring in things for the day and leave them in the boxes provided in the porch.  It’s only three weeks away......! This is one of our major fund-raising events and I hope that all members of our community will pull together to make it a success.
	Please let Fr. Bryan know (asap) if you are going into hospital, have had an accident, or would like a visit for any reason.  If you go into hospital make sure that you (or a close relative) informs the hospital that you are a Catholic and would appreciate the ministry of a Catholic priest.
	My colleague Fr. Paul Fennessy (St Michael’s, Farnborough) will be leaving at the end of this month to become parish priest of English Martyrs, Strood, in Kent. Fr. Paul has ministered here from time to time and we shall miss him. Please remember him in your prayers and for the parish as they prepare to receive their new priest.
	Every blessing, Fr Bryan