Thank you for your offering last week of: £1,440.22 and of £1,133.06 for the Maintenance Fund.
Sunday 21/9/14	25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time 6pm For the Parish and all Parishioners 9.15am People of the Parish 11am Marjorie Price, John & Joseph Hennessy and all deceased members of the Hennessy Family (G Price)
Monday 22/9/14	Feria 9.30am George Oliver RIP (M Stanley)
Tuesday 23/9/14	St Pius of Pietrelcina [Padre Pio] 9.30am Eileen Brown RIP (M Stanley)
Wednesday 24/9/14	Our Lady of Walsingham 9.30am Sean Byrne RIP (Mowat family)
Thursday 25/9/14	Feria 9.30am Theresa Saunders RIP (Teresa West)
Friday 26/9/14	Feria or Ss Cosmas and Damian Martyrs 9.30am Angela Denman RIP (Diana Betts)
Saturday 27/9/14	St Vincent de Paul 9.30am Mary Peachey RIP (T West)
Sunday 28/9/14	26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time 6pm Tom Benson RIP, Maureen Connolly RIP, Sheila Simon RIP (KSC) 9.15am People of the Parish 11am Susan Fry RIP (Barbara Bridle)

Seeing your Life Through the Lens of the Gospels –Matthew 20:1-16

“I was there first.” Envy easily comes to the surface when faced with the good fortunes of others especially when compared to what seems less favourable treatment of ourselves. Can you recall that feeling in yourself and what it did to you? Can you also recall times when you were content with your lot?  Even though it seemed that others had greater gifts and better opportunities.

A parent or teacher who gives a lot of time to a difficult child does not love the others less, but if we are one of those other children we may not see that.  Recall a “Jesus” person in you life who helped you to overcome feelings of envy and helped you to appreciate that the apparently more favourable treatment of another did not mean a lessening of love for you.

This leads to the core message of this parable, namely that God’s love is a free gift and not earned. Recall moments when you were particularly conscious of the gifts that God has given you by counting all the blessings that you have, no matter how small.

“It is too late now” are words sometimes uttered to justify doing nothing about a situation.  This parable tells us that where love is involved, it is never too late. Can you recall times when you received a positive response after taking action when you thought it was “too late”?

… And those who had been working all day long in the landowner’s vineyard grumbled.  They had been there from early morning and yet the latecomers who had worked for only a single hour received the same payment (a day’s wage).

This was simply not just. Surely the latecomers needed to be penalised in some way.  Surely those who had been faithful workers from the start should be set apart from the rest of the crowd.  Surely they were entitled to be favoured. 

It is the protest of the self-righteous: “after all I have done for you…”

John Byrne and Salvador Ryan – Intercom

Welcome!

We offer a special welcome this weekend to Bishop Patrick Lynch who presides at our 6pm Mass and Induction ceremony for Fr. Tom.

Welcome too to Fr. Tom’s brothers, John and Danny, and their wives, both Marys. Several friends and members of Ashford and Norbury parishes join us, as do Canon Tom McHugh the Dean, Deacon Aitkin, Fr. Barry Hughes and I hope a number of other colleagues too!

All are most welcome here.

Today is Home Mission Sunday and this year’s theme is “Evangelisation in the heart of the family”.

Many children and young people will never see their parents receive the sacraments.  Every Catholic who goes to Mass knows someone who currently is distant from the family of faith - the parish community.

So today, the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales ask that Home Mission Sunday is celebrated in every parish to invite prayer and support of evangelisation. 

Please pray for and help the Bishops to reach out to non churchgoing (lapsed) Catholics.   For more information and to donate online go to:

www.catholicnews.org.uk/hms14; and pick up a free prayer and information card about Home Mission Sunday as you leave church today.

Traidcraft goods are on sale here after Masses today so please support this initiative if you can.

Meeting of the Refurbishment Project Board on 22^nd September

Would all members of the Project Board, including the Finance Committee, please make a special effort to attend the meeting on Monday 22^nd September at 8pm in the Presbytery. The Agenda has been circulated to members. Thank you.

Next Weekend (27^th September) we are having our annual Mission Appeal.

Fr. Joe Brown of the Salesians of Don Bosco will be speaking at all Masses and there will be a second collection at each Mass. Please give generously if you can. Thank you.

Firm Believers - our Interchurch fun-fitness group has restarted, from 7 to 7.45 pm in our hall. Suitable for all levels of fitness.  Go at your own pace and wear any comfortable clothing and shoes. Relaxed and friendly atmosphere Come and Give it a try. £4. Stay on for tea and a chat. Please email Doreen Hairs for more information.

Marriage MOT!

Two evening sessions are being held on 6^th and 9^th October, at St William of York Parish Centre Forest Hill SE23, to consider the “nine tasks of marriage”; and models of good practice for married life.  For more information email marriagese@tiscali.co.uk or phone 020 8690 9310.

Temporary Changes to the Presbytery’s Phone

The BT account is in the process of being transferred to Fr. Tom.  The usual phone number will be unavailable for a few days next week.  Please ring 01689 872075 if you find the usual number is unobtainable.  Emails can be sent as usual but there will be no broadband service from Tuesday to Friday for Fr. Tom to reply to them.  Everything should be back to normal after that.

The Autumn Festival 4^th October 12- 3pm. Please leave contributions in the box at the back of the church.  If you can help please fill in a flier, or contact Sue David on: sue.david@stjamespettswood.org. See you there!

Thanks for your Offers of Help!

The garden shed is full of “stuff” needing to be sorted (and some of it binned!)

When the leaves drop, they’ll need gathering up.  There is a sort of “hoover” or two in the same shed. So that’s another job.

The cupboards in a room by the sacristy are FULL of some sort of tools and equipment – needs sorting! Roger Wright has a third world outlet for what might be useful if unclaimed. 

Also, a heap of redundant electronics need taking to the tip. “Any offers?” 

PLEASE!

Parish Choirs – can you sing or play an instrument?   If so, we need YOU for the Family Choir (9.15am) or the Folk Choir (11am).   Please talk to Susan before Mass if you would like to join her group!

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

The Monday Club has restarted and meets each week in the hall between 1.30 - 4.30pm.  Come and join in for a laugh, chat, a cup of tea and table tennis too!