Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 15 July 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
Never fail to thank God for His gift of faith and that we are privileged to live in a relatively peaceful part of the world where we can live out that faith.
Allow me to share with you news from our fellow Catholics in Nigeria (received from Aid to the Church in Need):
Sadly the violence against Christians in Nigeria has intensified in recent months.
Since the beginning of the year, numerous attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt have left over 100 Christians dead and forced a huge number of families to flee for their lives.
In the worst atrocity to date, Father Joseph Gor and Father Felix Tyolaha were celebrating early morning Mass at St Ignatius parish, Makurdi diocese, when the extremists struck and started firing at the parishioners indiscriminately. Both priests were killed, along with 17 of the faithful.
The atrocity which took place in Benue State, where 99% of the population are Christian, sent shockwaves across the country culminating in peaceful protest let by the Catholic Church.
Bishop Anagbe told ACN: “There is a clear agenda – a plan – to Islamise all of the areas that are currently predominantly Christian in the so-called Middle Belt of Nigeria.”
Aid to the Church in Need is offering practical help – do support them financially if you can (www.acnuk.org/nigeria or tel. 020 8642 8668). Also, please remember to pray for all our persecuted sisters and brothers throughout the world.
May the God of peace bless you today and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
A little boy couldn’t understand the verse of the hymn that says: “Satan trembles when he sees/The weakest saint upon his knees.”
“Why would anyone want to sit upon Satan’s knees?” he asked.
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Sea Sunday 7/8 July 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
Clergy Moves (September 2018):
Parish Priests
Fr Joseph Whisstock from Westcliff to Halstead
Fr Alex Poblador from Colchester (Assistant Priest) to Westcliff
Assistant Priests
Fr David Pearce from Halstead to Dagenham, Holy Family
Fr John Victor from Upton Park to Colchester
Fr Rick Fernandez to Holy Trinity, Basildon
Deacon
Gary Dench will go to Colchester as Deacon following his ordination to the Diaconate.
Student from the Priesthood
Jonathan Burden will commence his studies for the priesthood at Oscott College from September.
Please pray for these priests as they prepare to take up their new posts in September.
It is with great joy that we welcome Pat Ezra to all our Masses this weekend. Pat is the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) chaplain for East Anglia.
May our good and gracious God bless you now and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
A priest working in a widespread community in the Australian outback dropped in on a small rural school. He talked to the children about their lives and got the impression it was a happy, contented community.
Finally he said, “This really is a land flowing with milk and honey. Where does that come from?”
There was a short pause, then a hand shot up at the back of the class.
“Cows and bees, sir.”
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
Today’s readings seem to take us back to Easter: Death, Healing, Raising from the Dead!
Our first reading tells us that death is not God’s doing. He wants us to live. However, we are not speaking of physical death here, but spiritual death, a separation from God. Eternal life isn’t just something for the future – it is ours now. Remember Jesus’ promise: I have come to bring you life, life in all its fullness. It’s not really a question of this life ending and another beginning, we are already on that journey to God – it’s a continuity.
The Gospel is about two healings. First the faith of Jairus ensures that his daughter is raised from the dead. In fact it is faith that links the two accounts. Faith and then healing. The woman has faith in Jesus – she reached out and touched and was made whole. This gift is ours too. We have only to acknowledge our need of him, and then reach out! He will do the rest.
This second healing is of particular interest as the woman concerned was ‘beyond the pale’. According to Jewish Law and Custom her condition excluded her from society – even from worship. She was unclean. Anyone touching her would become unclean too. Imagine her desperation. But for Jesus she was not ‘beyond the pale’, she was not unclean, she was not unworthy of his attention. What matters to Jesus is the thing he focusses on. Like Jairus she had FAITH.
We may consider ourselves to be ‘beyond the pale’ on occasions – but if we have FAITH we can reach out and receive that healing touch. We are never beyond Jesus’ attention.
Next weekend it will be a great joy to welcome Pat Ezra to all our Masses. Pat is the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) chaplain for East Anglia.
May our loving God deepen our faith and so bring us the healing we need.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
Notice from the maintenance committee at a Baptist chapel:
The toilet has had a face lift, including new light and tiles. The floor and windows still need to be done. An amplification unit has been installed which should be a great help to those who are hard of hearing.
Nativity of St John the Baptist 24th June 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
Our Lady’s cousin, Elizabeth, was married to a priest of the Jerusalem Temple named Zechariah. Both had hoped for a child, but grew old. When Zechariah was in the Temple, an angel appeared and promised that Elizabeth, despite her age, would bear his son. The angel added that their son would prepare people for the coming of the Lord. After his birth, many wanted the boy to be called after his father, but Elizabeth called him John, and Zechariah agreed.
To prepare people for the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, John went into the desert, living on locusts and wild honey. This alarming figure wore clothing made of camel hair with a leather belt. He attracted a great number of followers and many Jews came to him, confessed their sins and were baptized in the River Jordan. Jesus himself came from Galilee to be baptized by John, who objected at first saying that it ought to be the other way round.
John was both a typical figure and original. His was a troubled age which produced many vagrant preachers with wild imaginings; he himself had a special urgency and a special offer, insisting on the imminence of the advent of the Messiah and introducing the idea of baptism by water as a step on the road to salvation.
In the Orthodox Church John is very aptly called the Forerunner.
We congratulate and pray for all our First Holy Communion children in Frinton & Walton who have just celebrated their First Holy Communion Mass. May God continue to bless you all.
May our loving God bless you, and may SS Peter & Paul and St John the Baptist pray for you,
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
From a church newsletter:
Due to the minister’s illness our weekly healing service has been cancelled until further notice.
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 16/17 June 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
Both the parables in today’s Gospel point to the role that we are called to play in God’s plan. He takes care of the major part and leaves us with a small but important role: the role assigned to us is fundamental.
The farmer has to first of all scatter the seed and only then will God be able to do the rest, i.e., making the seed sprout, grow and bear fruit. Likewise, although the mustard seed itself is small it has to be first sown into the ground. Once it is sown then its hidden ability to grow into the greatest of shrubs is triggered and it becomes one in which even birds can take shelter.
Since “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” we are given the task of taking a decisive step and play a crucial role.
.
We congratulate, and pray for, all our First Holy Communion children in Harwich and Dovercourt who celebrated their First Holy Communion Mass yesterday, and for our Frinton and Walton children who will be receiving the Blessed Sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time at their First Holy Communion Mass next Saturday (23rd)
It is also a great joy to welcome Edward Wilson to our community at Frinton. He will be Received/Confirmed at the Saturday Vigil Mass. Our prayers are with you Edward as you take this significant step in your spiritual pilgrimage.
May the God of all good things bless you today and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile: From a church magazine:
Next Saturday:
Parish dinner, Church Hall, 8.00pm.
(Weightwatchers in the Vestry).
Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) 9/10 June 2018
Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
Today we welcome Bro John McAllister sm to both parishes. Like our Bishop, Bro John is a Marist and will be talking to us about the Society of Mary’s mission work in education and pastoral care in Oceania, South Asia, Africa and South America. There will be retiring collections after all Masses for the work of the Marist Fathers and Brothers.
My personal thanks to all who helped me to celebrate my 70th Birthday. I was particularly touched, as always, by your immense kindness. The cards, cakes and gifts (including Mass offerings) were lovely and your generosity overwhelming, thank you. We feel fortunate to be members of such warm, caring and welcoming communities.
My thanks to all who attended our parishes’ Annual General Meetings. Special thanks to all those elected to our PPCs, including new members: Denis Foster and Marcus MacGowan (Frinton and Walton) and Dave Attrill, Ann Duggan, Jane Dunbar and Jeanette Sands (Harwich and Dovercourt). I can let you have a full list of members and a who’s who after our first PPC meetings at which Chairs and Secretaries are elected and other responsibilities allocated.
I shall be visiting Bolton from Tuesday to Thursday this week to bless the gravestone of my oldest friend who died last June (and whose funeral I conducted in July). I am grateful, as ever, to the Eucharistic Ministers who will be providing services of the Word and Holy Communion at Frinton and to Fr Bill who will be celebrating the Masses at Dovercourt.
Our congratulations to Fr Bill who celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 8th June. There will be a special Mass at Our Lady Queen of Heaven (at which the Bishop will be present) at 7.00pm on Monday 11th. Please do come along to pray for and support Fr Bill.
We also congratulate all our First Holy Communion children in Harwich and Dovercourt who will be receiving the Blessed Sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time on Saturday 16th.
May our loving Father richly bless you today and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile: From a church newsletter: Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and the deterioration of some older ones.