Thirty-third Sunday 18 November 2018
Fr Frank writes:
The readings from the Book of Daniel and the Gospel of Mark teach us of the Second Coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead.
According to Daniel, the wise and the righteous will shine like stars. Jesus reminds us that the Son of Man will come in the clouds and his angels will gather the elect. Is the second coming of the Lord imminent? We do not know, and Jesus makes clear “that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mk 13:32).
The Church wants to remind us of the need to remain prepared, not in worry and fear, but in the love of God and in charity and compassion towards the needy. We need to read the signs of the times. The events of everyday life, like natural calamities, accidents, epidemics, wars, terrorist attacks, economic recession etc., should lead us to think of the shortness and vulnerability of our life on earth and of our true destiny which is heaven where we shall enjoy eternal happiness.
We need to be ready….and we are to begin now! After all, this is what we pray for each and every day of our life when we say the words “Thy Kingdom Come”.
Three things for us to do, then:
Pray for Christ’s Second Coming
Long for Christ’s Second Coming
Live as if it is here already.
May Christ, our Risen, Ascended and Glorified Lord, bless you now and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
The easiest time to add insult to injury is when you’re signing somebody’s cast.
You know you’re getting old when you get that one candle on the cake. It’s like saying: ‘See if you can manage to blow this out’.
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Remembrance Sunday 11 November 2018
Fr Frank writes:
In this month of the Holy Souls and on this Remembrance Sunday I offer you a classic poem about Christian death.
Death, be not Proud
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
for those whom thou thinkst thou dost overthrow
die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
much pleasure – then, from thee much more must flow;
and soonest our best men with thee do go.
Rest of their bones and soul’s delivery.
Thou’rt slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
and dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell;
and poppy or charms can make us sleep as well,
and better than thy stroke. Why swellst thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
and death shall be no more, Death, thou shalt die.
John Donne
1572-1631
May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
I went to the doctor and he said, ‘You’ve got hypochondria.’ I said, ‘Not that as well.’
I’ve just read a book about Stockholm syndrome. It started off badly, but by the end I really liked it.
Twenty-eighth Sunday 14 October and Twenty-ninth Sunday 21 October
Fr Frank writes:
There is so much to go into this Newsletter, that I will keep my letter very brief.
There are so many good things to look forward to. One of these is our Parishes outing to Huntingfield and Southwold on Thursday 25th. Note the times of the coaches at each of the two churches. It might be a good idea to take a picnic along with you to eat after the midday Mass in Huntingfield (possibly in the coach as we travel to Southwold). The total cost for the day is £15.00 per person, but if you cannot afford this, just let me know.
My prayer is that this day out will help to build up our fellowship and will fill us with spiritual joy.
May the God of all good things continue to pour out his blessing on us.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
Say a prayer: Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his grandmother’s house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away. “Johnny! Please wait until we say grace”, said his mother. “I don’t need to”, the boy replied. “Of course you do”, his mother insisted. “We always say a prayer before eating at our house.” “That’s at our house”, Johnny explained. “But this is grandma’s house and she knows how to cook!”
A child’s blessing: A woman invited some people from church to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year old daughter and said, “Would you like to say grace?” “I wouldn’t know what to say”, the girl replied. “Just say what you’ve heard me say before”, the mother answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, “Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”
Twenty Fifth/sixth/seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 23/30 Sept and 7 October
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- There will be an Adam and Eve Social in the parish hall next Thursday. Starts at 8.00pm; leaves off at midnight
2. A clergyman and keen cricketer was concerned over whether or not cricket was played in heaven. He prayed that he might have a vision to find out. His prayer was answered, and an angel appeared to him in a dream. The angel said: ‘Yes, the good news is that cricket is played in heaven. The bad news is that you are in the team for next week.’
- Have you heard of the dial-a-prayer service for atheists? You dial a number, and no-one answers.
- There will be an Adam and Eve Social in the parish hall next Thursday. Starts at 8.00pm; leaves off at midnight
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 9 September 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
The healing of the deaf and dumb man, which we hear of in today’s Gospel, occurs immediately and the confirmation of the healing is shown in the man’s ability to speak. Jesus orders the crowd not to divulge the news, but is disobeyed and his reputation keeps spreading. The comment of the crowd indicates that they are becoming aware that with Jesus the messianic age has dawned, since according to Isaiah (35:5f), healings of the blind, deaf and the disabled are signs of its beginning.
The ability to hear and speak are great gifts from God. We can use these gifts for good or for bad. The choice is ours, God’s gift of free will imposes responsibility!
During the last two years both parishes have enjoyed interesting Autumn Outings (Pilgrimage Lite!); the first to Norwich where we celebrated Mass in the cathedral and finished the day at the Julian Shrine; and last year to Cambridge, celebrating Mass at the church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs and finishing the day with Choral Evensong in the stunning chapel of King’s College. This year will be slightly different. We will travel to Huntingfield, a tiny Suffolk village, to see the remarkable painted ceiling in the village church (the church is known as Suffolk’s Sistine Chapel). At the church we will hear a talk about the painting of the ceiling and about Mildred Holland, the amateur Victorian artist who executed it, and have been given permission to celebrate Mass in this wonderful medieval church (now used by Anglicans, but run very much as a pilgrimage centre open to all…..it is a very welcoming place). In the afternoon we will travel to Southwold before returning home. This ‘pilgrimage’ is designed to appeal to all ages and for this reason will take place during the October half-term, on Thursday October 25th. To prepare for this experience, which I guarantee you will find interesting, uplifting and joyful, you could visit the Church’s web site and see the paintings on line, or (and I would recommend this) you could read the novel ‘The Huntingfield Paintress’ by Pamela Holmes.
Details of timings and a sign-up sheet for the coach will appear soon.
May the words and actions of Christ prompt us all to words and deeds of kindness.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
A church deacon really enjoyed playing golf. His loyalties were divided when an important tournament was planned for a Sunday morning. Phoning his rector to apologise for his absence in church he explained. ‘Sorry I can’t make it this morning. I am spending a few hours with some handicapped people.’
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 2 September 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
We look forward to welcoming Bishop Alan to the two parishes later this month: Frinton and Walton parish on Wednesday 12th (where he will celebrate a Mass at 7.00pm marking the second anniversary of the Dedication of the church following the installation of the new altar), and Harwich and Dovercourt parish on Wednesday 19th (where he will celebrate a Mass at 7.30pm at which Rachel Twumasi will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation). Prior to each of these Masses Bishop Alan will visit our schools (St Philomena’s on 12th and St Joseph’s on 19th) for a special assembly with the children at 2.00pm and a meeting with staff at the end of the school day. On both occasions there will be a reception after Mass giving the Bishop the opportunity of speaking to parishioners.
I am hoping (and praying) that both Masses will be memorable and special occasions, please put the dates in your diary now and make sure that, if at all possible, you will be present. We will, of course, need as full as possible complement of musicians, ministers and servers at both.
During the last two years both parishes have enjoyed interesting Autumn Outings (Pilgrimage Lite!); the first to Norwich where we celebrated Mass in the cathedral and finished the day at the Julian Shrine; and last year to Cambridge, celebrating Mass at the church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs and finishing the day with Choral Evensong in the stunning King’s College chapel. This year will be slightly different. We will travel to Huntingfield, a tiny Suffolk village, to see the remarkable painted ceiling in the village church (the church is known as Suffolk’s Sistine Chapel). At the church we will hear a talk about the painting of the ceiling and about Mildred Holland, the amateur Victorian artist who executed it, and have been given permission to celebrate Mass in this wonderful medieval church (now used by Anglicans, but run very much as a pilgrimage centre open to all…..it is a very welcoming place). In the afternoon we will travel to Southwold before returning home. This ‘pilgrimage’ is designed to appeal to all ages and for this reason will take place during the October half-term, on Thursday October 25th. To prepare for this experience, which I guarantee you will find interesting and uplifting, you could visit the Church’s web site and see the paintings on line, or (and I would recommend this) you could read the novel ‘The Huntingfield Paintress’ by Pamela Holmes.
Details of timings and a sign-up sheet for the coach will appear soon.
May God always walk alongside you through life’s pilgrimage,
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:Remember: Amateurs built the Ark.Professionals built the Titanic.(footnote: ‘amateur’ comes from the Latin for heart. Amateurs do things out of love).