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Thank you for your offerings last week of £1,335. Mass attendance was 650. |
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Sunday 24/7/16 |
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
6.00pm Johanna & William Ashton (R. Griffin)
9.15am People of the Parish
11.00am David Bridle RIP (Barbara Bridle)
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Monday 25/7/16
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St James Apostle
9.30am Fr David Camilleri (CWL)
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Tuesday 26/7/16 |
Sts. Joachim & Anne
9.30am Eileen Owen RIP (Mary Parsa)
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Wednesday 27/7//16 |
Feria
9.30am Eileen & Terry Quinlan (Howell Family)
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Thursday 28/7/16 |
Feria
9.30am Mrs Ann Prifti RIP (Deasy Family)
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Friday 29/7/16 |
St Martha
9.30am Jim & Nora Dee RIP (O’Leary)
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Saturday 30/7/16 |
Vigil Mass
6.00pm In Loving Memory of Alexander Canning – Anniversary (Canning Family)
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Sunday 31/7/16 |
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
9.15am People of the Parish
11.00am Ned Finn RIP (Leish O’Sullivan)
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Confessions heard Saturday 5.00pm-5.45pm or by appointment. |
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Morning Prayer takes place Monday – Friday at 9.10am. All are welcome to attend. |
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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…
How we describe the experience of God differs greatly from one another. Some of us say that we experience God through nature, some through intellectual enlightenment, some through a relationship and others following an experience of love, death or loss. Some of us even say that we have experienced God through a profound personal experience of the sacred that changed us forever. Because everybody’s experience of God is different and so deeply personal is it any wonder that people have a difficulty expressing one’s experience and sharing it with others? Yet if we could only let down our own defences or just have the right words to express ourselves, these experiences are probably what we would most want to share with those we care about. Research tells us that faith and spirituality are developmental and most often begin when we are young. Actually according to the theologian and human development professor James Fowler, faith development is intrinsically dependent on biological maturation, emotional and cognitive development, psychosocial experience and cultural influences. When I say it is developmental, I mean that something is dynamic and ever changing. There is nothing static about our understanding of God or our own spirituality. As children, our faith is based on what our parents or others in authority have told us. Most of us are taught to believe that we experience God through church, prayer, relationships, nature and perhaps even animals, pets, gifts or events. Our God concept is rational and based on cognitive ideas that we have developed from many sources. People normally are generally very aware and conscious of their concept of God.
Our God image on the other hand is based on what we’ve experienced about God. It’s emotional and experiential. The God image is much more complex than the God concept. We might not even be aware of our God image. Yet it is often though what drives and motivates us in our spiritual journey – or lack of it as the case may be. This God image comes largely from our early relationships with our parents and other significant figures in our lives. Again research suggests that the attachment style we learn in infancy and early childhood affects our adult relationships throughout our lives. There is little doubt that these relationships also affect our image of God. A child is completely vulnerable. Children come into this big new world entirely dependent on others to meet their basic needs of food, comfort and care. A number of psychologists have applied the attachment style model of relationships to understand how one’s image of God develops. As you can imagine those with a secure attachment to their mothers or significant adults, see God as comforting and secure whilst those with avoidant styles of attachment often avoid an emotional relationship with God. Because of the uncomfortable and stressful experience of emotional attachment, avoidant adults have a tendency to intellectualise their relationship with God, hence keeping God at a distance and remaining self-sufficient which is what they learnt as children. Their God concept is separate and dissociated from their God image. Surprisingly those with resistant attachment styles, over time are often inclined to search for security and stability in a relationship with God. In this sense their relationship with God seems to compensate for what is lacking in their human relationships. They seek closeness with God rather than their typical detached and ambivalent human relationships. You may have been told that God is loving and kind but if you have experienced harsh and non-loving relationships these notions will transfer to your ideas of God. We hold both an external and an internal concept of God, simultaneously. This shows how complex we are as human beings. What we are told and know about God will influence our experience of God and vice versa. Moreover the unconscious knowledge of God we gain comes from many sources; relationships, feelings, art, music and culture. Intellectual knowledge of God is not sufficient. In fact intellectual knowledge absent of experience of God can create a faith crisis.
In today’s gospel, Jesus once again revolutionizes the concept and image of God for his disciples. From a distant, cold concept of God, Jesus is telling his disciples that the real Image of God is that of Abba – Father. As we have seen psychologically, although maybe we do say the prayer of the Our Father so many times, some of us do not experience God as such. We find it difficult to feel his unconditional love for us. May these insights help us to grow in our spiritual life and also let us ask God to heal us where we lack and fear closeness to God. Let us risk ourselves in surrendering ourselves to God‘s loving embrace.
“Drop-In” – Evening Surgery
The next Surgery will take place on Tuesday 6th September 5pm – 8pm. 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.
Holy Baptism
This weekend we welcome through Holy Baptism:
Holly Grace Harrington, her parents Louise and Geoff and godparents Elizabeth and Margaret;
Sophie Charlotte Sargeant, her parents Felicity and James and godparents Holly and Ben; and
Noah Doda Cornejo, his parents Artur and Vanessa and godparents Gloria and Gezim.
Summer Prize Draw
Thank you to everyone who supported this. A total of £782 has been raised for the parish. The winners of the raffle were:
1st – Mrs B Walters £500
2nd – Mrs Pearce £250
3rd – Sue David £100
Parish Groups
CWL - The next meeting of the Catholic Women's League will be held in the Community Centre at 8pm on Monday 25th July. Breda will talk about the CWL Relief and Refugee charity which is one of the charities we support with the money raised from our fundraising activities. If you would like to learn more please come along.
Bromley Foodbank
Has asked all supporters including the parishioners of St James' to donate the following types of food and toiletries because stocks have run low: sponge puddings, potatoes (tinned and dried), custard, sweets, biscuits, shampoo, shower gel, toothbrushes, toothpaste and deodorants. Other items are gratefully received but please NO beans, soup or tinned tomatoes because they have lots. Please place your contributions in or on the labelled box near the church entrance. Thank you, especially to the faithful regular donors who bring things every week. J&P Group.
easyfundraising.co.uk milestone
Thank you to all those who have helped us to reach £2,000 for parish funds simply by using a link on the parish website when they shop online. Every item bought through that link attracts a small donation so please think about using it every time you buy. It is completely confidential! Just go to our home page (see header on this Briefly) and follow the simple instructions. Thank you.
Youth of the Parish
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.
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 folowed 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. If you would like to attend please inform the Parish Office.
Deanery Events
Deanery Pilgrimage to Cathedral
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 notify the Parish Office early September. There are no costs incurred but parishioners will need to cover their own transportation costs and may want to take lunch.
Lost Property
If you lost a bank card at the Parish garden party, please contact the Parish Office.
Mission Appeal
Father Donato from the Comboni Missionaries and who is based in Malawi will be visiting the parish on 13th and 14th August to talk about the Mission’s work. Father David will be away at this time, so do please give him a warm welcome and also do give generously to this important work.
I, Fr David would like to thank you all for making the Annual Feast Day of St James’ a success. It was such a delight to see parishioners of all ages celebrating together as One community of Faith. Thank you and may we continue to build a cohesive and inclusive community. I would like to thank in a special way the Friends of St James in organising it.
Thanks from the Friends of St James’!
We hope that everyone had a good time at the garden party and fun-run last weekend – because we certainly did!
Thank you to everyone who helped with the fun run, tea and coffee, music, bar, hot dogs, cakes, decorations, and face painting - and especially to everyone who came along to enjoy the party. You all made it a great afternoon and we couldn’t have done it without you!
See you next time and thanks again!
Parish Office
I would like to thank wholeheartedly Paula and Suzanne who have been of the utmost help to me during my first year and a half being amongst you at St James’. I would have been lost without their support. I am truly indebted towards them. In the name of the Parish, I would like to thank you Suzanne and Paula and wish you well for your next endeavour. At the same time, I would also like to welcome Elizabeth Melling who has commenced working at the Parish Office this week in the role of Parish Administrator. I am sure you will make her welcome and I am sure you will also get to know her. She brings with her a wealth of administration experience and social skills. We are blessed to have her working in the office. Please keep us all in your prayers during this time of transition.