Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
We should always be thankful for God’s goodness to us. As Catholic Christians we always say grace before meals, thanking God for the food we are to eat and for those who prepared it, as well as remembering all those who have too little to eat. This is an everyday practice, but today our minds are more keenly focussed on this need to thank God for our daily food as we celebrate the harvest of land and sea. We thank God for our food, we thank God for all those who work to bring us this food (farmers, fishermen and those who provide transport, finance, insurance etc., together with wholesalers and retailers). We also focus our minds and our prayers on all those people for whom life is a daily struggle to find food and clean water.
As I didn’t make a specific request for Harvest gifts in last week’s Newsletter (mea culpa) could I ask that, if like me it passed you by, to please bring your offerings to church during the week or next weekend. The foodbanks in both parishes would appreciate tinned foodstuffs.
At today’s Mass we also remember our young people and the work of the Brentwood Catholic Youth Service. BCYS has been based on Canvey Island for many years, but from the beginning of next year will be more centrally located at Abbotswick. In order to equip Abbotswick for its new role the Youth Service needs to raise £430,000. There will be a retiring collection at all Masses this weekend.
Last week was wonderful (as always), but especially at Dovercourt as we Confirmed Francetta Twumasi and Received and Confirmed Anabel Cardenas. May God continue to bless them and their families.
May our good and generous God bless you now and always.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
I can still remember the Latin grace that I had to recite at college – but not what it meant. I sympathise with the panic-stricken priest, who faced with ‘Dominus vobiscum’ from his bishop, murmured the reply, ‘Er…….et tu, Brute!’