“Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel.”           (Luke 2: 25-32)

What was it about Simeon?  Yes, he was upright and devout but so, I’m sure, were many others.  Why did the Lord single out Simeon and give him that certain promise?

I wonder how Simeon would have answered that question?  A lesser person might have claimed that such a promise was a reward for being good.  I’m sure that Simeon, however, would have seen beyond himself to the One who gave him the promise: ‘I do not know why the Lord has made me this promise;’ he might have said, ‘I do not pretend to know his thoughts.  I do know that I am not worthy of such a great gift but in humility I accept it from him and wait in hope for its fulfilment.’

A lesser person might have kept the promise to himself and, upon seeing the Christ child in the Temple might simply have thought, silently, ‘the Lord promised that I’d see Christ before I die and now here he is.  Wow.  He must love me much more than these others because they don’t notice anything special about him at all’.

… but not Simeon.  Simeon, ‘an upright and devout man’, began there and then to praise God, letting the Light begin to give glory to Israel by enabling many others to recognise Christ the Lord in this tiny child, who until that moment was presumably was not attracting second glances from the others in the Temple.  Although the promise had been made only to Simeon, its fulfilment affected many others and brought glory to God.

Christ our Light lives on in you and me.  The choices we make every day can either ensure that it is kept hidden, with only just enough fuel to keep alight, or ensure that we show Christ’s salvation to the nations in a blazing fire of charity.

THIS SUNDAY: Where does authority come from? Why is one man regarded as a prophet, and another as a lunatic, and a third as a hypocrite? Jesus startles the crowds with a “new teaching” today, but what amazes them so much is not the message but the authority behind it: they are convinced because what he does somehow adds credibility to what he says. It‘s the old situation that we are all familiar with – we look through words to see the actions, which show us the real message. The scribes did not heal or work miracles, but simply talked about God. Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God, but also shows the people what it is – a Kingdom where all that damages human happiness is abolished. The other side to this is that we must listen to a prophet or teacher when they are backed by such authority; we may not “harden our hearts” and ignore the message when we have recognised that the messenger is sent by God. This is the hard part, because it demands that we too show, by our actions, that we have heard.

THE CRIB: The crib comes down after this weekend having remaining in view for these six weeks since Christmas. A huge thank you for your kindness this year to the homeless of our own city as well as the refugee looking for help and shelter. We’ve sent off £300 gathered from your offerings since Christmas. As we have been drawn to this holy family of refugees in the crib, so you have also reached out to the Christ hidden in the poor and the homeless of today.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012: The preparation sessions for our youngsters pick up again from this coming Wednesday, 1 February.  the children should have their books in school already, but if they haven’t, parents are ask to make sure you send them in, please.

CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE: The Bishop invites all married couples to join him as part of National Marriage Week on Saturday 11 February in the Cathedral for Mass at 12noon. It’s a wonderful gathering from across our diocese. Do go along and celebrate the beautiful state of married life with him. Poster on the board and copies for you to take away from the narthex. If you are celebrating a significant anniversary this year (25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th, 55th, 60th, 65th…) please do let Fr Christopher know that he can ensure you receive your individual invitations from the bishop.

EDUCATION SUNDAY: Next Sunday we ‘celebrate’ Education Sunday. Our Catholic schools and colleges are a great treasure. This treasure has been given to us and we must ensure that we hand it on to future generations. The purpose of our Catholic schools is to proclaim the Gospel. Education Sunday seeks to celebrate the tremendous work that takes place in our Catholic Schools, but also to pray that they may be places where Christ is known and where our dignity, our value and our worth are recognised. The Church has this great gift of education to offer our world and through the work of our schools that treasure is handed on. The retiring collection next Sunday goes to support the Catholic Education Service, working with our Bishops and our schools to keep Catholic Education on the public agenda. Please support Catholic education as generously as you can next weekend for through your giving our schools are supported and nurtured.

PARISH FORUM GROUP meets again on Wednesday 8 February at 7.45pm in the presbytery.

GROWING IN CONFIDENCE IN OUR FAITH IN 2012: There will be one or two opportunities for us, as a parish community, to explore our faith, to ask questions about our faith, and grow in our confidence to live and proclaim our faith throughout this year. The spring will offer us chance to come together in an informal way to ask simple questions and find simple answers. There’s also something planned for the autumn to enable us, as a parish community, to take up the bishop’s invitation to explore to teachings of the Vatican Council. Watch this space and get ready to respond, maybe, to the invitations on offer.

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME to Maddison Pippa Lewis who was baptised last weekend and also to Jeremiah O’Connor who was also baptised last Sunday. We congratulate them both and also their families.

PARISH LITURGY GROUP: Fr Christopher is pulling together all those with particular responsibilities for the liturgical side of our parish as well as those who coordinate the various liturgical ministries. This gathering will look at ensuring that each of our ministers is formed and supported, as well as providing a real opportunity to reflect upon what we do as a community of prayer. The meeting aims, also, at allowing each of those coordinators to communicate with one another and facilitate a planning of what takes place here when it comes to our prayer. They meet next on Tuesday 6 March at 7.00pm in the presbytery.

THE SEASON OF LENT: This important season of preparation looms on the liturgical horizon even though Christmas is only just behind us. We begin the Lenten season on Wednesday 22 February with our celebration of Ash Wednesday. As a season of prayer there will, of course, be opportunities for us to deepen our prayer; as a season of penance there will extra opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation; and as a season of charity there will the usual Lenten opportunities to reach out to those who hunger and thirst in our world through our fasting and our almsgiving. Watch this space!

CALLED TO BE…18 February 2012 at Sacred Heart, Grange Court Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol from 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm. This is an opportunity for adults who work with the young people in our parishes to shape youth ministry. There is a chance to meet our Youth Ministry Coordinator, Dave Wheat, and have a say on the future. This is one of five events taking place in every county in our diocese in January and February.

CANDLEMAS: The beautiful celebration of the presentation begins with the blessing of candles. Mass will be celebrated in the evening on Thursday so do come and celebrate that fortieth day here in Church. The blessing of throats on St Blaise’s day will take place on the Friday morning after Mass.

 ‘My grace is enough for you, Paul; my power is made perfect in weakness.’

This is taken from the Lord’s response to Paul (in 2 Cor 12) when he pleaded with the Lord to take from him ‘a thorn in the flesh’, which he had been given to stop him getting too proud.  Remembering those words must have been very comforting for Paul when he was experiencing his extreme hardships and setbacks.  As Paul explains, those words of the Lord’s enabled him to endure cheerfully the ‘insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake.  For it is when I am weak that I am strong’.  

It was the use of the Apostle’s name, however, that made that Antiphon really stand out for me.  This insertion of Paul’s name into the biblical quotation really brought home to me the fact that God was speaking to him personally, individually.   We know, but perhaps often forget, that Christ speaks to us personally through the scriptures.  Inserting ourselves into the text as we read (something which we have explored in greater depth here) can help us to listen more actively to the scriptures.  And remembering that God calls us by name each and every time we read the scriptures will help us respond to His call.

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name, you are mine.

Isaiah 43:1

THIS SUNDAY: Where does Jesus begin his ministry? Where John the Baptist left off – preaching a message of repentance, of change, to welcome the new Kingdom of God. There is a simplicity about this message, which is not compromised by anything – today’s Gospel has these simple words from Jesus, and then the story of his calling more disciples to follow him and share in the work of spreading this message. Repentance has had something of a bad press – we tend to think of it as an old-fashioned concept. But every age needs to hear this call: to look at what we do and say and assume, and realise that there are such things as right and wrong, and that sometimes we follow the wrong path. To follow Jesus, and to accept the Kingdom of God, demands that we make a radical choice, which might well change our lives.

THE CRIB: Do go and spend a little time at the crib which remains in place until 2 February, most especially with loved ones and family. We allow the loving touch of God precisely into the ordinariness of our lives so that we might know he is near to us in all that we do and all we go through in life. The little basket remains there, also, for you crib offerings for the homeless and the refugee in Bristol. You’ve already raised around £250 for the work done down at St Nick’s in Lawford’s Gate – thank you.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012: The preparation sessions for our youngsters pick up again from this coming Wednesday, 25 January. Parents are asked to ensure that the children bring their work books into school with them this week.

CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE: The Bishop invites all married couples to join him as part of National Marriage Week on Saturday 11 February in the Cathedral for Mass at 12noon. It’s a wonderful gathering from across our diocese. Do go along and celebrate the beautiful state of married life with him. Poster on the board and copies for you to take away from the narthex. If you are celebrating a significant anniversary this year (25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th, 55th, 60th, 65th…) please do let Fr Christopher know that he can ensure you receive your individual invitations from the bishop.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: Responding to our Bishop’s pastoral letter at the beginning of the year and his invitation to reflect upon the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, the next in our series of reflections on the Council is on Tuesday 24 January 2012 at 7.30pm (that’s this Tuesday evening). Fr Timothy Menezes will be leading our consideration upon Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Council’s document on the liturgy. This fantastic series of talks Opening the Windows offers us a simple route into re-introducing ourselves to the fruits of the Second Vatican Council. Do go along if you can. It is free, open to everyone, and there’s plenty of parking, too. Downloads on diocesan website.

PARISH FORUM GROUP meets again on Wednesday 8 February at 7.45pm in the presbytery.

GROWING IN CONFIDENCE IN OUR FAITH IN 2012: There will be one or two opportunities for us, as a parish community, to explore our faith, to ask questions about our faith, and grow in our confidence to live and proclaim our faith throughout this year. The spring will offer us chance to come together in an informal way to ask simple questions and find simple answers. There’s also something planned for the autumn to enable us, as a parish community, to take up the bishop’s invitation to explore to teachings of the Vatican Council. Watch this space and get ready to respond, maybe, to the invitations on offer.

FOR OUR PRAYERS: We remember Ronald O’Neil who died recently and whose funeral will take place on Friday 27 January at 10.30am here in St Bernadette’s. We remember also Andrea Bongiovanni who died during this last week and whose funeral will take place this coming Wednesday – 25 January – at 3.00pm. We remember them and their families at this sad time. May they rest in peace.

PARISH LITURGY GROUP: Fr Christopher is pulling together all those with particular responsibilities for the liturgical side of our parish as well as those who coordinate the various liturgical ministries. This gathering will look at ensuring that each of our ministers is formed and supported, as well as providing a real opportunity to reflect upon what we do as a community of prayer. The meeting aims, also, at allowing each of those coordinators to communicate with one another and facilitate a planning of what takes place here when it comes to our prayer. They meet next on Tuesday 6 March at 7.00pm in the presbytery.

ST BRENDAN’S OPEN EVENING: Thursday 9 February from 6.00pm until 9.00pm. Full details on the notice board in the narthex.

OUR PRIMARY SCHOOL: We keep the community of our primary school very much in our prayers over this coming week as they welcome Ofsted into school for their inspection. This is an anxious time, of course, for staff and pupils but we pray that the good work and the enthusiasm for care will shine through.

THE SEASON OF LENT: This important season of preparation looms on the liturgical horizon even though Christmas is only just behind us. We begin the Lenten season on Wednesday 22 February with our celebration of Ash Wednesday. As a season of prayer there will, of course, be opportunities for us to deepen our prayer; as a season of penance there will extra opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation; and as a season of charity there will the usual Lenten opportunities to reach out to those who hunger and thirst in our world through our fasting and our almsgiving. Watch this space!

CALLED TO BE…18 February 2012 at Sacred Heart, Grange Court Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol from 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm. This is an opportunity for adults who work with the young people in our parishes to shape youth ministry. There is a chance to meet our Youth Ministry Coordinator, Dave Wheat, and have a say on the future. This is one of five events taking place in every county in our diocese in January and February.

‘The time has come.  The Kingdom of God is close at hand.  Repent, and believe the Good News’ (Mk 1:14-15).

Let’s reflect on those statements in reverse order.

 ‘Repent, and believe the Good News.’

Jesus does not try to form his will-be followers all at once but is content with simply asking them to make a start.  Repentance, then, is the first step, and one which is not true if it is not joined with a determination to mend ones ways.  Turning away from sin is a life-long struggle, but we are not without help, because we have the mercy and grace of God always available to us in the sacrament of reconciliation.

A true belief in the Good News means responding generously to whatever it means for us, now, in our lives.  Each time we read or listen to the Gospel, we should ask ‘what does it mean for me to believe this Good News?  How is God calling me to respond?’  It can be hard to trust that God will not ask of us something that is too difficult.  However, the God who made us (and knows us better than we know ourselves) knows what is good for us and will not ask for more than we can give.

‘The Kingdom of God is close at hand’

…it is if we co-operate with God’s will.  Otherwise, we can let it slip through our fingers as we miss those grace-filled opportunities to make him known, loved and glorified.  We need to ensure that we are aware of the proximity of his Kingdom every day and pray for the grace to do what we can to make ‘Thy Kingdom come’.

 ’The time has come’

The time has come for what?  For repentance, primarily.  It is so easy to avoid our daily examination of conscience and so easy to come less frequently than is good for us to the sacrament of reconciliation.

The time has come for us to respond generously to whatever God is asking of us, confident that he will supply us with the requisite grace, strength and courage and that he will not ask of us more than we can give.

God will never be outdone in generosity.  The time has come – why wait?

Poppies

As I write this we have just had the anniversary of the start of the British Legion Poppy Appeal. I thought the following story might be of interest.

In 1922 my father was on the local committee of the British Legion in the town where he then lived. That year the town council had proposed a ban on the selling of flags in the street: there had been rather too much. My father wondered where this left the sale of poppies.He approached one of the town councillors to find out more about this proposal and where they stood withregards the sale of poppies.The man was surprised but admitted that no one had thought of the poppies.It turned out that the proposal had already been agreed, and the next day would be appearing in the local paper – and it would seem to include the sale of poppies. My father promptly wrote to the papers; head his letter “Is it a flag or a flower?”

The letter questioned that “if the poppy was a flower, would that mean that the flower sellers outside theatres and cemeteries have to stop selling in the street”?   – “did it matter if a flower was real or man made? However, if the man made poppy was classed as a flag and could not be sold on the street, the Council should be ashamed. The sale of poppies was introduced to help the wounded. To give work to some in the poppy factories and help to those who could not work”? The letter did not change things but the publicity certainly did.

With many helpers it was possible to sell the poppies that year in all sorts of ingenious ways- but not on the street. Shops that had private forecourts had people selling there. Some people sold from their front gardens, over the hedge. Some sat inside their front doors or hallways. Some rode the trams, and others knocked on doors. It was all a tremendous success.Not so for the Town Council. They mostly lost their seats at the next election.

There was a follow up to this. The Labour Party accused the British Legion of being involved in politics, something the British Legion has never done. According to my father the British Legion “Top Brass” came down from London to look into this case. When it was found that it had all started with one enthusiastic and concerned local committee member, the accusation was withdrawn and apologies all round. After that, as now, poppies were sold in the street.

Kathy Butler

THIS SUNDAY: What does it mean to be a follower of the Lord Jesus? Surely to listen and hear his voice, and to go where he leads us. Today, as we enter the “ordinary” season of the year, we begin our story of Jesus’ life and ministry with the calling of the first disciples. John fulfils his ministry – pointing to the Lamb of God – and the disciples follow where he points. His word to them is simple and inviting: “Come and see.” This echoes the calling of Samuel – a simple call, by name, which Samuel does not understand: discipleship is about trust, which Samuel shows simply by saying “Speak, Lord; your servant is listening. The Psalm also underlines this, as we (the disciples of the Lord) sing together: “Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.” We hear his call, and we freely go to him, to listen again to the words of the Master.

ARCHBISHOP NICOLA GIRASOLI: We welcome to our parish this coming Sunday, Archbishop Girasoli who is en route from Zambia to his new posting in the beautiful region of the West Indies. He flies on Monday to take up his new responsibilities as representative of the Holy Father to the twelve states around Trinidad and Tobago. As stops over in the UK and has graciously accepted an invitation to spend a little time with us this Sunday. As we welcome him back to Whitchurch, we assure him of our continued prayer for all he does to represent the Church and its mission in what he does. Do come and say ‘hello’ to him this weekend.

THE CRIB: As we move into Ordinary Time, our church begins to be cleared of the decoration from Christmas. Over in the Lady Chapel, however, you will find that familiar scene of the crib which remains in place until 2 February. Do go and spend a little time at the crib, most especially with loved ones and family. We allow the loving touch of God precisely into the ordinariness of our lives so that we might know he is near to us in all that we do and all we go through in life. The little basket remains there, also, for you crib offerings for the homeless and the refugee in Bristol.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012: We continue to pray for: Graziella Bennett, Kieran Parsons, Joshua Sims, Evie Nathasingh, Billy Jackson, Divya Rajesh, Megan Sanders, Maisie Sanders, Tommy Holland, William Bennett, Joseph Bennett, Georgina Cox, Isabelle O’Toole, Shane Parry, Tore Popek, Calum Chilcott, Callum Witts, and Archie Daniels. The preparation sessions for our youngsters picks up again from Wednesday 25 January. There is a parents’ meeting this coming Thursday – 19 January – at 7.00pm in the Church. Please do make a note of the date.

CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE: Although it seems some time away, the Bishop invites all married couples to join him as part of National Marriage Week on Saturday 11 February in the Cathedral for Mass at 12noon. It’s a wonderful gathering from across our diocese. Do go along and celebrate the beautiful state of married life with him. Poster on the board and copies for you to take away from the narthex. If you are celebrating a significant anniversary this year (25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th, 55th, 60th, 65th…) please do let Fr Christopher know that he can ensure you receive your individual invitations from the bishop.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: Responding to our Bishop’s pastoral letter last weekend and his invitation to listen to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, the next in our series of reflections on the Council is on Tuesday 24 January 2012 at 7.30pm. Fr Timothy Menezes will be leading our consideration upon Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Council’s document on the liturgy. This fantastic series of talks Opening the Windows offers us a simple route into re-introducing ourselves to the fruits of the Second Vatican Council. Do go along if you can. It is free, open to everyone, and there’s plenty of parking, too. Downloads on diocesan website.

PARISH FORUM GROUP meets again on Wednesday 8 February at 7.45pm in the presbytery.

GROWING IN CONFIDENCE IN OUR FAITH IN 2012: There will be one or two opportunities for us, as a parish community, to explore our faith, to ask questions about our faith, and grow in our confidence to live and proclaim our faith throughout this year. The spring will offer us chance to come together in an informal way to ask simple questions and find simple answers. There’s also something planned for the autumn to enable us, as a parish community, to take up the bishop’s invitation to explore to teachings of the Vatican Council. Watch this space and get ready to respond, maybe, to the invitations on offer.

FOR OUR PRAYERS: We keep in our prayers Raymond Balson who died recently and whose funeral takes place on January 19, and also Daniel Fenlon who died in Thailand just before Christmas, aged 25.  Daniel’s funeral took place this last Friday. We also remember Ronald O’Neil who died suddenly before last weekend and whose funeral will take place on Friday 27 January here in St Bernadette’s. We remember them and their families at this sad time. May they rest in peace.

PARISH LITURGY GROUP: Fr Christopher is pulling together all those with particular responsibilities for the liturgical side of our parish and those who coordinate the various liturgical ministries. This gathering will look at ensuring that each of our ministers is formed and supported, as well as providing a real opportunity to reflect upon what we do as a community of prayer. The meeting aims, also, at allowing each of those coordinators to communicate with one another and facilitate a planning of what takes place here when it comes to our prayer.

ST BRENDAN’S OPEN EVENING: Thursday 9 February from 6.00pm until 9.00pm. Full details on the notice board in the narthex.

MISSING BAMBINO FROM CHRISTMAS: If you have accidentally picked up someone’s figure of the baby Jesus from midnight Mass this Christmas, please can you let FrC have it so that it can be reunited with someone’s remaining figures.

‘The almighty and most holy Word of the Father pervades the whole of reality, everywhere unfolding his power and shining on all things visible and invisible.  He sustains it all and binds it all together in himself.  He leaves nothing devoid of his power but gives life and keeps it in being throughout all of creation and in each individual creature.’

Those are St Athanasius’ words, taken from a discourse against paganism.  I wonder if he wrote it in the winter, when the sun rises and sets behind thick layers of cloud and life lies hidden in dormant plants and hibernating animals?  It is through the Winter that God most clearly ‘sustains it all and binds it all together in himself’, so we need to look more closely for the fingerprints of the Creator upon his creation.  In the Spring, however, we see God  ‘unfolding his power and shining on all things visible and invisible’.   The snowdrops are already out, in all their miniature glory, there are shoots of other Spring bulbs to follow and the birds are in good voice: the unfolding of His power is not far away.

Whether Winter or Spring, the Word of the Father pervades the whole of time and space.  The Lord of all creation ‘leaves nothing devoid of his power’… but we need eyes to see.  Let us pray that we may have the grace to see the Word of the Father ‘in each individual creature’ and in every season.

Group Member Jane Critten explains more:

Lectio Divina: ‘What?’ ‘So what?’ & ‘Now what?’

What?

The term ‘lectio divina’ simply refers to the time-honoured method – practised by monastics since their beginning – of prayerfully reading the scriptures.

Whilst understanding scripture – as theology, literature and history – is important, lectio divina is not as concerned with exegesis as it is with learning to listen in the context of prayer to what scripture has to say to us and to respond prayerfully to what we hear.  As Pope Paul VI wrote so eloquently,

‘Prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that God and man may talk together; for “we speak to Him when we pray; we hear Him when we read the divine saying”.’[1]

To practice lectio divina, we need to set some time apart for this prayer and establish external and internal peace.  Then, asking the help of the Holy Spirit, we begin the first stage:  we read our passage of scripture.  At this stage, lectio, what concerns us is what the passage is saying of itself.  Without paying attention to scripture at this level, there is a danger that we simply manipulate the text to our own purposes, rather than letting God speak through his scripture.

The second stage of the process is meditatio: we listen to what the scripture passage is saying to each of us.  This stage is deeply personal.  This is not a search for something original or clever to say about the text, nor is it a quest for identifying the most objectively important message of the passage.  It requires a listening of the heart: which word or phrase ‘jumps out’?  There is no need at this stage to analyse the reasons for it (indeed there is a risk that if we do so, we may suppress a challenging or otherwise unexpected response to the scriptures), but simply acknowledge that it is there.  Having acknowledged its presence, we go further into our meditation and, through reading the passage again, we ask what that word or phrases means to us.

Having meditated attentively upon the Lord’s word, we move on to the third stage of lectio divina: oratio, or prayer.  What do we say to the Lord in response to his word?

The fourth stage of the lectio divina structure is contemplatio.  As we spend this time in wonder, we pray for the grace to see as God sees and for the wisdom to discern God’s will for us.  David Foster compares this stage of contemplation – or ‘wonder’ – with lingering after sharing a meal with a friend:

We sit and take time to enjoy the food shared, and especially to enjoy the company in which we have shared the food and drink. It is a time for gratitude, humour and togetherness.  So it is good not to hurry out of the presence of God we have savoured in our time of prayer… this is a time just to let God be God, and to let God be God for me. Our own self-offering to God will come naturally out of that.’[2] 

Reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation are the four stages of lectio divina but of course, there is always actio,  for as St Paul says, ‘the love of Christ urges us on’ (2 Cor 5:14).  The impact of our lectio divina in our lives – the caritas (or charity) it inspires – is the true completion of the process of lectio divina.

So what?

Last year, John Huntriss came to St Bernadette’s to give us his lecture series on scripture, ‘The Diary of God’.  A natural follow-on from learning about scripture is learning to pray with scripture.  To that end, Fr Christopher invited Caroline Price to help form a group of seven parishioners in the ways of lectio divina.  The hope is that the group will open up to those who would like to make use of the formation they have received and the seven will take it in turns to facilitate a lectio divina group at St Bernadette’s.

At the prospect of facilitating a prayer group, there was – as you might imagine – a strong sense of ‘we’re not worthy’ among the group, coupled with a fear of coming across as ‘holier than thou’.  However, having journeyed through the formation process under Caroline’s gentle guidance, I am relieved to find that facilitating such a group does not require great knowledge or even holiness.  All we are called upon to provide is an opportunity for a group to read the scriptures in this prayerful manner, handing on what we ourselves have learned.

One might wonder why we bother to meet up to read the scriptures in this way when it is a process that one can readily make use of on ones own.  The answer to this will be evident to anyone who has taken part in the process.  Each week we shared one passage of scripture. Each week, we shared what ‘jumped out’ at us (though please note that sharing is not compulsory – there may be times when sharing would make you cry, or feel uncomfortable in some other way. That is understood and respected).
Sometimes, two or even three of us would have been struck by the same word or phrase, but even so, each person’s response to those words or phrases was always markedly different (this is not surprising when you think about it, because we are all individuals and the scripture passage provides only one side of the conversation!).  For me, listening to those insights from the other members of the group has demonstrated the great value of sharing the scriptures in a group.

Now what?

We are very grateful to Caroline, who has been leading us through our formation process with her beautiful gentleness and humility, and we are now nearly at the end of our formation process.  In the New Year, we hope to open the group up to the wider parish.  I have been challenged, surprised, delighted and have received many unexpected graces through my participation in the group and would highly recommend it!  Don’t just take my word for it, though: Pope Benedict XVI has said of lectio divina,

‘If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the Church – I am convinced of it – a new spiritual springtime.’[3]

I warmly invite you to come and share in what we have had the good fortune of receiving.

Jane Critten

THIS SUNDAY: In the East, this Season of Christmas is called the “Time of Manifestation”, or Showing. Today is the ‘Feast of the Manifestation’, or the Showing of the Saviour to the whole world, to all nations. In the wise men who travel from the East, we see all the nations other than the people of Israel being welcomed at the New Temple of the New Covenant – the new born child in the manger. A look at the Psalm response shows this: “All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.” The same is true of the key word in the second reading: “Revelation”. Remember that for the people of Israel this was to be their Messiah, come to restore their fortunes. By this feast, we proclaim God’s plan was to extend his salvation to men and women of every nation, of every time and every place – including us. In many ways this is our Christmas Feast, when we celebrate the Good News of the Saviour’s birth revealed at last to us.

THE 12 DAYS: A beautiful book of reflections composed by folk within our diocesan community is still available for you to pick up from Mass this weekend. As we celebrate this wonderful feast of the Epiphany, there is still chance for us to gaze into the Christmas mystery so as to deepen our awareness of the love of God for us. Do pick up what copies are left by the crib, joining the Magi in their adoration of the Light to the nations.

THE CRIB: Over in the Lady Chapel you will find that familiar scene which draws us ever deeper into the story of God’s unconditional love for us, and reminds us that God is near. Do go and spend a little time at the crib, most especially with loved ones and family. Come close to the Christ who came to bring us joy; bring him your selves and your lives, and allow him to bring himself to you.

YOUR CRIB OFFERINGS: As usual, there is a little basket next to the crib for your offerings. This year, our crib offerings will go in support of the work done at St Nick’s, Lawford’s Gate, for the homeless and the refugee.  Your gifts across Christmas will help those who turn to them for help in their need.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012: We welcome to Mass this Sunday those journeying towards their First Holy Communion this summer. They come to present themselves to us, as their family of faith, asking us to support them in their journey of discovery. They are presented with their books that will unfold for them the mystery of our faith in the Eucharist. We pray for: Graziella Bennett, Kieran Parsons, Joshua Sims, Evie Nathasingh, Billy Jackson, Divya Rajesh, Megan Sanders, Maisie Sanders, Tommy Holland, William Bennett, Joseph Bennett, Georgina Cox, Isabelle O’Toole, Shane Parry, Tore Popek, Calum Chilcott, Callum Witts, and Archie Daniels. The preparation sessions for our youngsters picks up again from Wednesday 25 January. There is a parents’ meeting on Thursday 19 January at 7.00pm in the Church. Please do make a note of the date.

CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE: Although it seems some time away, the Bishop invites all married couples to join him as part of National Marriage Week on Saturday 11 February in the Cathedral for Mass at 12noon. It’s a wonderful gathering from across our diocese. Do go along and celebrate the beautiful state of married life with him. Poster on the board and copies for you to take away from the narthex. If you are celebrating a significant anniversary this year (25^th, 30^th, 35^th, 40^th, 45^th, 50^th, 55^th, 60^th, 65^th…) please do let Fr Christopher know that he can ensure you receive your individual invitations from the bishop.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: Responding to our Bishop’s pastoral letter last weekend and his invitation to listen to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, the next in our series of reflections on the Council is on Tuesday 24 January 2012 at 7.30pm. Fr Timothy Menezes will be leading our consideration upon Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Council’s document on the liturgy. This fantastic series of talks Opening the Windows offers us a simple route into re-introducing ourselves to the fruits of the Second Vatican Council. Do go along if you can. It is free, open to everyone, and there’s plenty of parking, too. Downloads on diocesan website.

AN ITALIAN FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY – The ITALIAN CONSULAR AGENCY in Bristol is being re-opened at the start of this New Year. There will be a reception to welcome this opening this Sunday afternoon, at St Bernadette’s, Wells Road, Whitchurch, Bristol. After the celebration of Mass (in Italian) for the Epiphany at 5.30pm,  there will be a short presentation informing you of the services that the agency will be able to offer. There will be some light refreshments, an opportunity to meet friends, as well as have your questions answered. All are most welcome. Please pass the word around and encourage your Italian friends and family to come along…and come, even if you are not Italian!

PARISH FORUM GROUP meets again on Wednesday 8 February at 7.45pm in the presbytery.

ARCHBISHOP NICOLA GIRASOLI: Our friend in Zambia is to take up a new position later this month. He bids farewell to Zambia and Malawi and en route to his new post he stops in the UK for two nights. He will come to celebrate Mass with us here in Whitchurch on next Sunday – 15 January - at 10.30am. Do come and make him welcome.

GROWING IN CONFIDENCE IN OUR FAITH IN 2012: There will be one or two opportunities for us, as a parish community, to explore our faith, to ask questions about our faith, and grow in our confidence to live and proclaim our faith throughout this year. The spring will offer us chance to come together in an informal way to ask simple questions and find simple answers. There’s also something planned for the autumn to enable us, as a parish community, to take up the bishop’s invitation to explore to teachings of the Vatican Council. Watch this space and get ready to respond, maybe, to the invitations on offer.

FOR OUR PRAYERS: We keep in our prayers Raymond Balson who died during this last week and who’s funeral takes place on January 19^th, and also Daniel Fenlon who died in Thailand just before Christmas, aged 25. We remember them and their families at this sad time. May they rest in peace.