The statue is being transported to the London so that the Holy Father is able to be in touch with the people of Wales whilst he is visiting the United Kingdom. Why is the statue coming to Clifton? As the statue leaves Menevia and Wales, she crosses the bridge into the diocese of Clifton. It seemed most fitting that we should welcome the statue on its historic journey to London to be present at  the Holy Father’s Mass in Westminster Cathedral.

The last time a statue of Our Lady of the Taper was taken to London was in the 1530′s when Thomas Cromwell ‘carted’ the statue off to Chelsea where it was to burned duirng the Reformation.

This event in our Cathedral is a wonderful opportunity for us to gather as the people of Clifton, holding the Holy Father and his visit to our country in our prayers. The evening will begin with the celebration of Evening Prayer for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. The evening’s liturgy will draw together people from across our diocese praying for that one intention. The liturgy will begin at 7.00pm and we are all encouraged to go along and be there with our own Bishop and with Bishop Tom Burns, the Bishop of Menevia.

It will a great gathering and a wonderful start to the Papal Visit. Please do go along and represent our parish. This is a terrific way of taking part in the Papal Visit – a chance to entrust the Holy Father, our country, our diocese and our people into the tender love and compassion of the Mother of God.

The Cathedral will remain open until 10.00pm so there is a real opportunity for people to come and go as they wish, taking part in the devotion and prayer that will make up this exciting evening.

THIS SUNDAY: Today we contemplate a great truth about our life: you can’t take it with you. The old phrase “There are no pockets in a shroud” is what we confront today, in the preaching of both Ecclesiastes and the Lord Jesus. What Jesus makes us think about, however, is not just this truth, but the consequences of it: if we are not to build up treasure here on earth, what are we to do? The answer is simple: by our way of living we “make ourselves rich in the sight of God”!

PARISH BAZAAR: Our Bazaar takes place, this year, on Saturday 9th October. You might like to think about what you might be able to let one of the stalls have. Gordon needs empty jars and sugar for his jams and preserves; Dave & Dolly need anything in a bottle for their bottle stall; Kim and the Children’s Liturgy Group ask all our bakers and cake makers to think about the cake stall; Carmel, Delphine and FrC’s mum are looking for those unwanted gifts or new items you can give to the Gift Stall, Caroline and Sue are looking for your bric-a-brac; and Emma and Judy are looking for toys galore. We also need plants and cuttings as well as anything else you might think is useful for the bazaar. Do think about what you can give and start bring your contributions in. The box is already in the narthex for your gifts. Draw Tickets are still available from the basket in the Narthex – the more you can take and sell, the better. £2000 worth of tickets are to be sold. £1 per book – £5’s worth in an envelope. Please pop money and counterfoils (placed in a sealed envelope) through presbytery door or in collection basket as it goes round.

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION: Confirmation prep begins soon after the summer break. There are five sessions in the autumn: September 8, October 6, November 10, December 8, and January 12. The Bishop will be with us on Thursday 27 January. Each of the sessions will begin at 6.00pm. Information will be sent out to those who registered over the next week or so.

PAPAL VISIT – SEPTEMBER 2010: All the names of those who wanted to make use of the allocated Pilgrim Passes available to our parish have now been sent into the papal visit coordinator. Those of you who have put your names down will be hearing from the Papal Visit coordinators directly. Details of each event can be found on the notice board in the narthex for you to have a look at. Rhiannon Lampard, Sarah Craig and Paige Wise are representing us at the gathering of young people with the Holy Father at the Prayer Vigil in Hyde Park. Our two schools have also been invited to send some students to take part in a schools’ event with the Holy Father – our primary school is sending three of its pupils along with Mrs Bennett to take part in the Papal Big Assembly St Mary’s University, Twickenham. Do look at the website set up for the papal visit: www.thepapalvisit.org.uk as well as cliftondiocese.com

OUR LADY OF THE TAPER: The Holy Father, as you know, is not visiting Wales on this trip and has invited the Welsh contingent to be present at the Mass in Westminster Cathedral. The statue of our Lady of Cardigan is being taken to the Cathedral in London for the Papal Mass. As she leaves Wales she crosses into our own diocese and Bishop Burns of Menevia has given permission for us to welcome her into our own cathedral the eve of the Pope’s arrival. This is a great honour for our diocese and a significant gesture as the last time the statue was taken on its journey to London was in the 1530’s during the Reformation and the statue taken by Thomas Cromwell to Chelsea to be burned. This statue, crafted in the late twentieth century, is allowing the Holy Father to keep in touch with the people of Wales. The Prayer Vigil begins on Wednesday 15 September at 7.00pm and it would be good if as many of you as can took part in that evening. It is a real opportunity for us to take part in the papal visit, uniting ourselves in prayer with the Holy father the night before he arrives on this island. Please make a note in your diaries. Full details will be given out over the next week or so. The Taper (candle) Our Lady holds in her right hand reminds us of the light of Christ coming to set us free from our darkness. We ask our blessed Lady to journey with us towards her Son.

THE DIARY OF GOD: John Huntriss is leading a course spread over eight weeks during the autumn on the scriptures taking us gently through the story of God and his love for his people and enabling us to deepen our understanding of the Word of God. Full details and application forms for the course (which is taking place here at St Bernadette’s) can be found in the narthex. The eight week’s course (beginning 29 September) costs £24. It is a most valuable course and well worthwhile signing up for. Do pick up one of the forms and if you want to know more, have a word with FrC. You can hand your form into FrC or send it onto the Adult Education Office. Poster on the notice board.

ROOTED IN CHRIST: The Diocesan Department for Adult Education and Evangelisation is hosting a course which begins 12th October enabling us to deepen our understanding of faith. The course runs through until July of 2011 and flows gently through our creed and what it is we hold dear as a Christian people. The course is aimed at those who simply want to know more and to grow in confidence in the faith they possess whilst having the opportunity to ask questions. The sessions are not deeply academic nor overwhelmingly theological but they allow those who take part to familiarise themselves with what we believe and so root ourselves more firmly in Christ who calls us to follow him. The talks take place at Holy Family, Patchway, (7.30pm – 9.00pm) and the full details of the course as well as application form are available from the narthex. You don’t have to attend each session – you can dip in and out as suits you. It’s well worth going along to so pick up a form and sign up!

CATECHISTS CERTIFICATE COURSE: The New Year may seem so far away at the moment but forward planning is not such a bad thing. The second catechists’ course begins in January 2011 (taking place at Alexander House, Pennywell Road) and seeks to form and equip those who hand on faith to others with the skills and resources they need in their ministry. Our parishes rely on catechists in so many ways. If you think this course may be something that might appeal to you, have a word with FrC. There are forms on the notice board next to the poster. You will need a supporting signature on your application. Do consider taking this ministry on. It is a most important ministry in parish life seeking to hand on and build up faith in others.

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME to Lily Olivia Vince and Dawson Shepperd who were baptised here last weekend. We keep them in our prayers.

EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION meet with FrC on September 2 at 7.00pm in the Church.

WE WELCOME Father Laszlo Kasza from Romania who is studying in Rome and is here in the Diocese on supply for the month of August.  If you see him, do make him welcome. he will be with us until the 14 August.

Living ‘in the world’ as we do, we necessarily are Martha for most of the day.  As a poem that adorns many a kitchen reads, ‘Although I must have Martha’s hands, I have a Mary mind‘².  That ‘Mary mind’ – or contemplative heart – must compete with our daily work for our attention… and there’s always so much to do, isn’t there?  But before we Marthas dismiss St Francis de Sales as laudable but impractical, consider this poem written by a veritable Martha, aka Fay Inchfawn:

The Housewife

See, I am cumbered, Lord,

With serving, and with small vexatious things.

Upstairs, and down, my feet

Must hasten, sure and fleet.

So weary that I cannot heed Thy word;

So tired, I cannot now mount up with wings.

I wrestle – how I wrestle! – through the hours.

Nay, not with principalities, nor powers –

Dark spiritual foes of God’s and man’s –

But with antagonistic pots and pans:

With footmarks in the hall,

With smears upon the wall,

With doubtful ears, and small unwashen hands,

And with a babe’s innumerable demands.

I toil with feverish haste, while tear-drops glisten,

(O, child of mine, be still.  And listen – listen!)

At last, I laid aside

Important work, no other hands could do

So well (I thought), no skill contrive so true.

And with my heart’s door open – open wide –

With leisured feet, and idle hands, I sat.

I, foolish, fussy, blind as any bat,

Sat down to listen, and to learn.  And lo,

My thousand tasks were done the better so.

Just a few minutes in the midst of our busy-ness can open up our hearts enough to let God in and sanctify our work.  As we remember St Martha, whose feast it is today, let us ask her to pray for us that we will not ‘worry and fret about so many things‘ but remember to keep re-focusing our attention on the Lord, who is to be found among the pots and pans and things – if only we care to look.

St Martha of Bethany, pray for us.

__________________________

¹ I’ve looked, but I’m afraid I can’t find the quotation now.  If I find it subsequently (or if you know, post a comment and) I’ll update the post.

² ‘Lord of all pots and pans and things‘ .  Authorship is there attributed to Klara Munkres, but I’ve also seen it attributed to Cecily Rosemary Hallack (1898-1938) or even ‘unknown’.

The only explanation you can find upon seeing the empty tomb is a cruel, cruel theft of hope.  Grave robbers have taken the body of your beloved Rabbuni.

But have courage, Mary of Magdala, for the one whom you seek is there, behind you!

The woman of misery in a moment is filled with the joy that is beyond all telling and becomes the first missionary: ‘Go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’ (Jn 20).  Imagine her intense passion in that nadir being transformed to the zenith in a moment, then imagine her using that tremendous energy for spreading the Good News.

Mary of Magdala has much to teach us about prayer, hope and trust and service.  When we find ourselves in what we perceive to be a dire situation, we can perhaps see one very unlikely solution or have one very feeble hope, which then becomes the focus of our petition.

… but Mary of Magdala shows us how short-sighted such a perception can be, because we don’t have the vision to see what plans God has for us.  Remember the prayer of Mary, mother of Jesus, ‘they have no wine’.  Another person might have prayed that the guests suddenly have no thirst, or an overwhelming desire to go home, or to drink water, but not Mary.  Her great open-ended hope – which enabled her to respond so positively to Gabriel at the Annunciation – enabled her in Cana to in trust Jesus to find a way.

When we ‘ask, seek, knock’, let us leave the finer details to God, who already knows what we need before we ask him.  And, as we’ve remembered Mary of Magdala this week (yesterday, I know, but we had no Internet connection here), let us remember to ask her prayers that we might open our eyes and recognise Jesus wherever we are.

Mary of Magdala, pray for us.

THIS SUNDAY: Sacred Hospitality is our theme: as the letter to the Hebrews says: “remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” True hospitality lies in two things: first the welcome, encouraging the stranger to enter the house and be at home there: secondly, the gift – not just of food or drink, but of time: listening to the stranger, and giving of ourselves to them. This is what makes hospitality costly, but holy, and a true service of Jesus Christ.

PARISH BAZAAR: Our Bazaar takes place, this year, on Saturday 9^th October. You might like to think about what you might be able to let one of the stalls have. Gordon needs empty jars and sugar for his jams and preserves; Dave & Dolly need anything in a bottle for their bottle stall; Kim and the Children’s Liturgy Group ask all our bakers and cake makers to think about the cake stall; Carmel, Delphine and FrC’s mum are looking for those unwanted gifts or new items you can give to the Gift Stall, Caroline and Sue are looking for your bric-a-brac; and Emma and Judy are looking for toys galore. We also need plants and cuttings as well as anything else you might think is useful for the bazaar. Do think about what you can give and start bring your contributions in. The box will be in the narthex next weekend. Draw Tickets will are available from the Narthex – the more you can take and sell, the better. £2000 worth of tickets are to be sold. £1 per book – £5’s worth in an envelope.

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION: Fr Christopher invites all those who would like to take part in this year’s confirmation preparation course to meet with him in the parish hall on Tuesday 20^th July at 7.00pm. This will be a very short get together just outlining the course that will begin in September. The Bishop will be here with us at St Bernadette’s on Thursday, 27^th January 2011, to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation with our young people.

PAPAL VISIT – SEPTEMBER 2010: St bernadette’s, with the other parishes in our diocese, has been invited to send representatives to two of the Papal celebrations whilst the Pope is in the country. Fifteen people have asked to go to the beatification Mass of Cardinal Newman at Cofton Park, Birmingham on Sunday 19^th September (so there is one place spare if anyone would like it), and we are fortunate to have been allocated 30 passes for the Prayer Vigil in Hyde Park on Saturday 18^th September. This Prayer Vigil will also involve the great gathering of young people from across our country and the Holy Father will speak to those gathered with him, preaching on the Beatitudes, as well as celebrating time before the Blessed Sacrament with all those around him. The Hyde Park event is a whole day event and set to be a superb day…whispers are that there will also be some very attractive entertainment as part of the day! If you feel you would like one of the remaining passes you will need to put your name on the list in the narthex this weekend. There will be coach laid on for us to take us to the Birmingham mass and the contribution per person will be £30 for return coach and will include the Pilgrim Packs being distributed for the day. If there is a good group wanting to go to London for the Saturday (and for security reasons we have to travel in our parish groups), the £10 contribution towards the event will mean you get a London Underground Pass as well as your Pilgrim Pack. Fr Christopher will sort out transport if there is a group wanting to go. This is a fantastic opportunity – and in some ways, a once in a lifetime opportunity to be at a Papal event in this country, with this Pope. Some of our young people have been invited to the gathering in central London. Rhiannon Lampard, Sarah Craig and Paige Wise are representing us at the gathering of young people with the Holy Father. Our two schools have also been invited to send some students to take part in a schools’ event with the Holy Father. Do look at the website set up for the papal visit: www.thepapalvisit.org.uk as well as cliftondiocese.com

THE DIARY OF GOD: John Huntriss is leading a course spread over eight weeks during the autumn on the scriptures taking us gently through the story of God and his love for his people and enabling us to deepen our understanding of the Word of God. Full details and application forms for the course (which is taking place here at St Bernadette’s) can be found in the narthex. The eight week’s course (beginning 29 September) costs £24. It is a most valuable course and well worthwhile signing up for. Do pick up one of the forms and if you want to know more, have a word with FrC. You can hand your form into FrC or send it onto the Adult Education Office. Poster on the notice board.

ROOTED IN CHRIST: The Diocesan Department for Adult Education and Evangelisation is hosting a course which begins 12^th October enabling us to deepen our understanding of faith. The course runs through until July of 2011 and flows gently through our creed and what it is we hold dear as a Christian people. The course is aimed at those who simply want to know more and to grow in confidence in the faith they possess whilst having the opportunity to ask questions. The sessions are not deeply academic nor overwhelmingly theological but they allow those who take part to familiarise themselves with what we believe and so root ourselves more firmly in Christ who calls us to follow him. The talks take place at Holy Family, Patchway, (7.30pm – 9.00pm) and the full details of the course as well as application form are available from the narthex. You don’t have to attend each session – you can dip in and out as suits you. It’s well worth going along to so pick up a form and sign up!

CATECHISTS CERTIFICATE COURSE: The New Year may seem so far away at the moment but forward planning is not such a bad thing. The second catechists’ course begins in January 2011 (taking place at Alexander House, Pennywell Road) and seeks to form and equip those who hand on faith to others with the skills and resources they need in their ministry. Our parishes rely on catechists in so many ways. If you think this course may be something that might appeal to you, have a word with FrC. There are forms on the notice board next to the poster. You will need a supporting signature on your application. Do consider taking this ministry on. It is a most important ministry in parish life seeking to hand on and build up faith in others.

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME to Sam Denny and Lucy Kent who were baptised here last weekend. Sam was also confirmed and received his First Communion. We keep them in our prayers.

ITALIAN NIGHT: Thanks to all who supported last week’s fundraising social. We raised £645 for our outreach projects.

EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION meet with FrC on September 2 at 7.00pm. This gathering is for our exisiting Ministers of Holy Communion and those invited to come along to the evening.