Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 26 August 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
Today, in the readings with which we are presented, the Church encourages us to choose Christ always.
At times when we come to a crossroad in our life we can become confused because we need to make a choice, a choice that will make or mar our future. The First Reading and the Gospel present us with two choices; to abandon or remain with God. Using the analogy of marriage, Paul, in our second reading, reminds us that just as a man or woman chooses wife or husband out of love so Christ chooses those who remain a faithful part of his Church. The sensible, and wise choice is always to follow Christ, the one who embodies and presents us with the message of eternal life.
We look forward to welcoming Bishop Alan to the two parishes in September. He will visit Frinton and Walton parish on Wednesday 12th September 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. This Mass will be preceded by a visit to St Philomena’s school at 2.00pm when he will speak to the children at a special assembly, and to the school staff at the end of the school day. On the following Wednesday (19th) he will visit the Harwich and Dovercourt parish where he will celebrate a special Mass at 7.30pm, at this Mass Rachel Twumasi will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Prior to the Mass Bishop Alan will visit St Joseph’s School for a special assembly with the children at 2.00pm and a meeting with staff before the end of the school day. The Bishop will also take time to meet with Fr Bill. 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 date 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 on both dates.
May Christ, the Way the Truth and the Life, bless you now and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile: W. A. Spooner, an Anglican clergyman, was at one time warden of New College, Oxford. A nervous man, he had difficulty in getting his words out, resulting in numerous verbal blunders (which came to be known as Spoonerisms), to the delight of the undergraduates, who undoubtedly added to the range.
Addressing a group of farmers, he intended to great them as “sons of toil”, but instead began, “I see before me tons of soil.”
In another sermon he said, “There is no peace in a home where dinner swells.”
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 18/19 August 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
Throughout the month of August we have had the great privilege of hearing and contemplating the teachings of Jesus as given in the magisterial sixth chapter of St John’s Gospel. In these gospel readings (set in the context of the feeding of the 5,000) Jesus reveals the true meaning of the Eucharist – the sacrament which is central to our lives as Catholic Christians. These gospel readings remind us of the importance of the Eucharist in our Christian life.
‘Eucharist’ means thanksgiving. So, filled with the Holy Spirit, we give thanks to God today for inviting us to share in His Wisdom, and in the Body and Blood of Christ.
In our First Reading God Himself, who is Wisdom, invites us to His banquet. However, only those who are humble accept this invitation.
In today’s Gospel many refuse to accept Jesus for who he truly is, they refuse to be fools for Christ in order to be made wise in the ways of God. In refusing Christ’s invitation they exclude themselves from receiving the living bread which Christ gives for the life of the world.
At times we can be tempted to turn away from Christ, or fail to recognise him when we come to Mass. We often do this by assuming that we can analyse and understand the mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ with our limited human insight and with the wisdom of this world. If we are tempted to this, the remedy is to turn to God in humble prayer and ask Him to open our eyes to the wonderful truth he sets before us.
May Christ Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, bless you now and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
An account from the past………………..”I was a Sunday School teacher in Glasgow in the late 1960s, and had been discussing with my group of five to seven year olds the story of the Last Supper. When the story and all the discussions were finished we set out illustrating it. Shortly afterwards one wee girl proudly showed me her stickmen disciples with a big stickman Jesus. In the background was a very non-Galilean mobile fast-food van with a line of customers. ‘What’s this?’ I asked. She looked at me in pity. ‘That’s where they got their supper from.’”
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 11/12 August 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
As Catholic Christians we are linked by a shared Communion in the Body and Blood of Christ. This sharing enables us, as individuals making up the Church, to become more truly The Body of Christ. Communion and community, of course, have the same root. For this reason I have always believed that social events are important for parish life – that is, if we are to become a community (a family) and not just a crowd of strangers. Getting to know one another is always worthwhile. The difficulties of bringing together two parishes some distance apart and without good public transport links proves challenging. However, with the aim of coming closer together, Anne and I (but mainly Anne!) have arranged a Boules afternoon at Frinton Presbytery. We are hoping that as many as possible from both parishes will be able to come along and get to know one another. There will be an opportunity to play Boules and/or sit and enjoy the spectacle whilst engaging in conversation accompanied by cheese and wine. Proceeds from this afternoon will be divided equally between the two parishes and the charity, ‘Wheels for the World’ which reconditions and supplies wheelchairs for disabled children in Kenya.
Another social event – rather more cultural than Boules – also takes place this month (again at Frinton) with a recital by the talented harpist Ilza Robertson on 26th (see enclosed flyer). Tickets can be ordered in advance or purchased at the door. The recital will be followed by Afternoon Tea in St Cedd’s Hall. This recital is open to all, please give it some verbal publicity if you get the opportunity.
On 15th August we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady. This is a Holy Day of Obligation, a day when all Catholics should be at Mass. In order to give parishioners maximum opportunity to attend I will be celebrating four Masses in the two parishes –please come along and celebrate with me. There will be a Vigil Mass (on 14th) at Frinton at 7.30pm followed by a Mass on the morning of the 15th at 9.15am. At Harwich/Dovercourt there will be a Mass on the morning of the 15th at 11.30am and one in the evening at 7.30pm.
May Christ, our Redeemer and Brother, bless you today and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile: It was Shrove Tuesday – Pancake Day – and a mother was preparing pancakes for her two sons, Patrick aged five and Jeremy aged three. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake, and their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.
“If Jesus were sitting here,” she reproached them, “he would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake.’”
Patrick immediately turned to his younger brother and said, “Jeremy, you can be Jesus.”
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 5 August 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
Longing for food, looking forward to the next meal, is a popular human pastime – food shopping (as well as planning menus, baking, cooking and eating out) could now be classed as a hobby!
In today’s first reading the whole community of Israel complain to Moses and express their longing for good food. They have their new found freedom, but the menu that goes with it offers little variety and very small portions.
With slavery in Egypt behind them they look back through ‘rose coloured spectacles’ as they reminisce about the food available to them in those days and they express their complaint to Moses.
In today’s Gospel reading another crowd follow the instructions of their stomach and express their longing for food. This time it is the crowd of Galileans who, on the previous day, ate to their heart’s content when Jesus offered them a meal of barley loaves. Now they follow Jesus to Capernaum and, again, they are hungry.
Jesus tells his hungry pursuers that they are only following him because they have enjoyed the food that physically satisfies them; they would be better employed, he says, working for the food that endures to eternal life.
The Galileans promptly ask Jesus for a sign to aid their belief in him – a sign like the manna their fathers ate in the desert. Jesus then declares that he himself is the bread of life, the bread which comes down from heaven. He tells them that whoever believes in him will never be hungry.
May the God who feeds us with the only food fitting us for eternal life bless you now and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
A lad came home from the church youth club and said, “Dad, I’ve got a part in the play.”
“What is it?” his dad asked.
“I play a man who’s been married for 20 years.”
“Never mind,” said his father. “Next time you may get a speaking part.”
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 29 July 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
In today’s first reading and in the Gospel we hear of signs: signs of God’s power and love. We can note three things in these two readings, plus an additional point from our second reading, which is more to do with our response to God’s power and love in our lives.
- God can and does use our ordinary day-to-day needs (in this case for food) to manifest his power. The multiplication of loaves both by the prophet Elisha in the first reading and by Jesus in the Gospel bring home this point: God is involved even in the very ordinary things of our life.
- God uses these ordinary things to show his extra-ordinary love. In both readings the loaves are made of barley which was considered the food of the poor. It is this food of the poor which is transformed into food of immeasurable worth.
- God’s power is unlimited and his loving generosity is boundless. After feeding a large number of people there is still more food remaining. There is, in fact, no end to His bounty.
- Finally, in today’s Second Reading Paul proposes that in experiencing this power and love, as we do at Mass, we, in turn, should be motivated to extraordinary love of our neighbour.
A question, then, for all of us to ponder: How have I experienced God’s power and love in my life, and how did I respond to it?
We wish Fr Bill a happy holiday, and look forward to his safe return at the end of August. During Fr Bill’s absence the Eucharistic Ministers in both parishes will be providing additional services of the Word and Holy Communion. My thanks to them for their generosity.
May our good and generous God bless you now and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile: Young Robert was playing in the cupboard under the stairs when he discovered a dust-covered Bible.
“Mummy, is this God’s book?” he asked.
“Yes, dear,” she replied.
“Then why don’t we send it back to him? We never use it.”
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 22nd July 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
In today’s First Reading Jeremiah prophesies God’s plan to appoint a shepherd after his own heart. We see this prophecy being fulfilled in Jesus when he describes himself as the Good Shepherd.
We draw three insights from the readings of today’s liturgy:
- The Church always needs good, caring and selfless shepherds.
- Such shepherds need to be people sensitive to the needs of their flock as in the case of Jesus who had compassion on the people because “they were like sheep without a shepherd”. In this, we remember that Pope Francis asked the pastors of the Church to be “shepherds living with the smell of the sheep.”
- Such shepherds are ready to lay down their life for their sheep.
It seems to me there are two things we can all do.
Firstly, we can pray for vocations to the priestly and religious way of life. Secondly, we can each ask ourselves the question: in what concrete ways can I be a good shepherd to my family, community, society and parish?
May Christ the Good Shepherd bless us all as we seek to live out the life of Faith in our own communities.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
A catechist was endeavouring to instil in her class the difference between right and wrong.
“Let’s take another example,” she explained. “If I were to get into a man’s pocket and take his purse with all his money, what would I be?”
A little boy raised his hand. “You’d be his wife.”