Do keep them, and their families and friends, in your prayers over this coming week.

Kieran Parsons, Evie Nathasingh,

Divya Rajesh, Maisie Sanders,

William Bennett, Georgina Cox,

Shane Parry, Calum Chilcott,

Archie Daniels, Joshua Sims,

Billy Jackson, Megan Sanders,

Tommy Holland, Joseph Bennett,

Isabelle O’Toole, Tore Popek,

Callum Witts, Lila Ibrahim,

and Dario Vecchia.

SUNDAY: Ascension in not just a feast that happens to fall in Eastertide: it is an integral part of the Easter mystery. Remember the Lord’s words at the Last Supper: “I am going to prepare a place for, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me.” The resurrection presumes the Lord’s return to the Father. This is therefore a feast of hope: our hope in the Lord’s return, as he went. Our hope that he will take us with him, when our bodies are raised as his was. Our hope that we will take our place in heaven, where he sits on the Father’s right.

WELCOME THIS WEEK to Fr Michael English who will celebrate Mass on Friday and to Canon Gerry Rodgers who will be here Saturday morning. Some of the children from school will also be with us on Friday for Mass.

WORLD COMMUNICATIONS SUNDAY: This Sunday, we pray for those who work to promote the Gospel message through the varying forms of the mass media. The Catholic Communications Network of the Bishops’ Conference provides support for the bishops of England and Wales and the Church more widely in promoting the Gospel through the media on current issues. The office is the central point for media enquiries. It plays a key role in developing the public profile of the Church. This Sunday’s retiring collection supports this most important branch of the Bishops’ Conference and the Church’s work engaging with the media. Resources and details in the narthex.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012: First Communion, this year, is being celebrated next Sunday – 27 May – at 10.30am – Pentecost Sunday. Do keep them our children in your prayers: Kieran Parsons, Evie Nathasingh, Divya Rajesh, Maisie Sanders, William Bennett, Georgina Cox, Shane Parry, Calum Chilcott, Archie Daniels, Joshua Sims, Billy Jackson, Megan Sanders, Tommy Holland, Joseph Bennett, Isabelle O’Toole, Tore Popek, Callum Witts, Lila Ibrahim, and Dario Vecchia. The final preparation session takes place this Wednesday and the run-through for the weekend takes place on Friday at 5.00pm.

TUESDAY CAFÉ: Beginning this Tuesday – 22 May – our parish will start a short series of catechesis, deepening our understanding of the person of Jesus. Titled ‘Who are you looking for? I am he.’ this course – spread out over nine weeks – will explore the person of Jesus we find in the Gospel. We meet after Mass at about 10.15am for a short little input and then leaving time for conversation around the table to explore the theme a little further. The sessions are open to everyone and you are warmly encouraged to come along and to bring friends with you. There will be some good coffee or tea and some delicious cakes, too. Dates: 22 May, 29 May, 12 June, 19 June, 26 June, 3 July, 10 July, and 17 July. We will meet for an hour… simple, informative, engaging, and uncomplicated. Posters and details are available for you to take away with you from the narthex. Do make a note of the dates… and feel free to come along bringing others with you.

DIOCESAN FAMILY DAY: Taking place at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College on Saturday 30 June, this fantastic opportunity to gather together as a diocesan family comes at the invitation of Bishop Declan. There is plenty for all the family from the young to the very young at heart. There are some superb speakers and workshop facilitators to nurture your faith, deepen your prayer, or allow you to explore particular things of interest. All you need do is sign up for the day giving details of the workshops you want to take part in. The day starts with registration from 9.15am. Poster and handouts in the narthex. IT’S FREE… so do go along and support them day if you can. Pick up a leaflet and have a browse.

DIAMOND JUBILEE ‘RED, WHITE AND BLUE’ SOCIAL: If you are not tootling off for half term over the diamond jubilee weekend, then come along to our parish social on Saturday 2 June at 7.15pm. There will be a tasty jubilee supper and chance to raise a glass, too. There will also be a couple of games of bingo with our fantastic bingo caller making a return visit. Great fun for all the family. The dress code is, of course, red, white and blue! You can pop your name on the list in the narthex from this weekend. We’ll also draw the big prizes of the 200 Club that evening, too. Details on the notice board.

GIFT AID AND TAX RECLAIM: Following changes to the tax thresholds in April 2012 please would you check to make sure that you will pay enough tax in 2012/2013 to cover your gift aid declaration. If you have any queries or would like further details please contact David Lavelle (01275 836779) the parish gift aid secretary.

DO YOU HAVE EXPERTISE IN PERSONNEL AND RECRUITMENT? Can you help our primary school? You may be aware that, our excellent school leadership teams are supported by individuals who volunteer their time to act as Governors, ensuring the good Governance of the schools. At present, due to the retirement of a Foundation Governor, we are seeking an individual from our parish community with Personnel and Recruitment expertise to join the board of Governors at our Primary School. It only involves a few hours per term and, although it is unpaid it can be very rewarding. If you can help, please call Father Christopher on 01275 833699 or Paul Harper, Vice Chair of Governors on 07768 952212 for a confidential discussion.

GLASTONBURY PILGRIMAGE: This year’s pilgrimage is on Sunday 8 July. Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Declan at 3.30 pm in the Abbey grounds. Poster and full programme for the day on the notice board.

CHRISTIAN UNITY SERVICE: The service will be held at Counterslip Baptist Church on Thursday 24th May at 7.30 pm.  The service will be followed by refreshments and an opportunity to meet with our friends from the other local Christian churches.  Do go and represent our parish community if you can.

DO YOU ENJOY SINGING? It would be great if we could for some sort of music group or choir at St. Bernadette’s to help lead and enhance the singing. The first practice will be Friday 15th June, at 7.45pm. The main aim of the choir will be to support the liturgy at some of our Sunday morning Masses. Please come and share your talents and time, especially if you have previous experience of choral singing or  can read music.

The Tuesday Cafe sessions are open to everyone… and you’d be more than welcome.

May 22 – Who are you looking for – I am he!

May 29 – I am the bread of life

12 June – I am the light of the world

19 June – I am the good shepherd

26 June – I am the gate

3 July – I am the resurrection and the life

10 July – I am the vine, you are the branches

17 July – I am the way, the truth, and the life

There is a poster in the narthex.

These nine days provide us with a beautiful opportunity to reflect upon the position we give to the Holy Spirit in our lives and to become more attentive to those gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us through our Confirmation.

Isaiah lists the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as he foretells the coming of the Messiah from the stock of Jesse: ‘And the Spirit of the Lord shall abide upon him: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and courage, the Spirit of knowledge and of reverence; and the Spirit of awe towards the Lord shall fill him.‘  When we were confirmed, these gifts were bestowed on us  like little seeds planted in the soil.  When we look now at the state of these gifts within us, we no doubt find that some have grown into strong, strapping gifts, producing fruit in due season.  Others might more closely resemble lanky seedlings in desperate need of a larger pot, more light, less competition or more water.

It is possible, too, that we look and fail to see one of these gifts in us.  ’Wisdom?’ we might say, ‘Where is there wisdom in me?’  Well, perhaps ‘in me’ is the wrong phrase, for it is God’s Wisdom that we are given and so this gift of wisdom is developed through prayerfully conforming our minds and wills to God’s.  We try to learn to see as God sees; to discern always what is truly important and then to act accordingly.  This little seedling, like all the others, needs to be nurtured if we are to produce any true leaves, let alone fruit!

In these nine days of prayer, let us take time to thank the Holy Spirit for the gifts we have received and for the fruit produced through our co-operation.  Let us take time to reflect on the state of each of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives and pray that we may develop those gifts so that through us, the Holy Spirit will renew the face of the earth.

Come Holy Spirit,

fill the hearts of your faithful

and kindle in them the fire of your love.
V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O God, who  taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit,

grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise

and ever enjoy His consolations.

Through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

It is written in response to a request from Diognetus, who was  ’exceedingly desirous to learn the mode of worshipping God prevalent among the Christians’ .  The extract that follows is from chapter 5:

Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.

 

And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labour under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law.

Hopefully, we can all identify to some extent with this description.  We know we are ‘only passing through’ but how easy it is to forget!  We can so easily become entangled in the mess of day-to-day life that we can forget our true identity as children of God and forget our ultimate destination as ‘citizens of heaven’.  The troubles of the present moment engulf us and we try to fight our battles alone.

How, then, do we ensure that we continually measure up to Mathetes’ rather impressive portrait?  It is not enough to kneel before the God who made us on a daily basis, anchoring ourselves in prayer before the work of the day begins: we need to be reminded more often than that.  We need to raise our hearts and minds frequently throughout the day.  Simply taking a moment (frequently!) to remember that we are ‘only passing though’ and asking for Divine Assistance on our journey may be enough to retain that ‘extraordinary’ element in our lives that will enable us – as well as those who meet us – to give praise and glory to God.

How can we as a parish community at our Sunday Mass be more reverential in approaching the altar to receive the Blessed Sacrament?. We all want to receive the Blessed Sacrament with reverence and solemnity and be least distracted in our thoughts at this most important part of our spiritual lives. We currently leave at both ends of the pews to process to the altar at the point when the priest and ministers of Holy Communion come down to the altar rail. The front two or three rows of pews leave the pews into the centre aisles in a sequentially orderly way and then the remainder of the faithful leave at each end of their pews simutaneously to queue in the aisles as best as we can. Approaching the altar rail from both the centre and side aisles and with the ministers of Holy Communion with the chalice at the ends of the rails there is occasional congestion and confusion which is exacerbated by communicants queueing in the side aisles to receive the chalice.

From observing practices in other parishes there are a number of ways in which we could improve the simple but important way we approach the altar. If we start to approach the altar rail from the front pews into the centre aisles when the special ministers are receiving Holy Communion we will be ready when the celibrant and special ministers come to the rail. Also if we leave a space along the rails of two metres or so from the walls it will enable access for communicants to approach the special ministers with the chalices. If we leave the pews sequentially and enter the centre aisles only when the people in the pew in front are all in the aisle we will reduce queueing in the pews. After receiving Communion we can then return to our pews along the side aisles with the minimum of distraction.

Another simple solution to avoid confusion and distractions would be for the celibrant and special minister with Holy Communion to stand between the altar rails and communicants process from the centre aisles to receive the Host. Those wishing to receive Communion under both kinds could then walk to the special ministers with the chalices and avoid further queueing and return to the pews via the side aisles. This is how we receive the Blessed Sacrament when Bishop Declan visits our parish and is normal in the majority of parish churches and cathedrals I visit in England and Wales.

Gordon Hodgson

THIS SUNDAY: Last week it was sheep: this week, the vine. Jesus offers us another (agricultural) image to explain the mystery of his offering of himself, and our belonging to him, our being part of him, which comes about through the sacrament of Baptism. This is, as was stated earlier, the period of Mystagogy, when the newly baptised are helped to see what life in Jesus Christ really means. Today this comes out strongly for all of us, with two of the three readings emphasising the moral aspects of life in Christ: it is not simply enough to “belong” to him: our belonging must be shown by the works we do, by the fruits we bear – while remembering of course that we cannot bear fruit except in him.

MISSIONARY APPEAL: You made Sister Irene of the Missionary Sisters of St Peter Claver so welcome last Sunday. She was touched by your kindness and your care. You sent her away with £348.45 as our gift of support to the missions this year. Thank you for your generosity. That money goes to support the work of the congregations of Missionary Sisters based in this country with their foundations on the missions.

FIRST COMMUNION PREPARATION: The children continue their preparation for First Communion this coming Wednesday. First Communion, this year, is being celebrated on Sunday 27 May at 10.30am – Pentecost Sunday. Do keep them in your prayers.

TUESDAY CAFÉ: Beginning on Tuesday 22 May, our parish will start a short series of catechesis, deepening our understanding of the person of Jesus. Titled ‘Who are you looking for? I am he.’ this course – spread out over nine weeks – will explore the person of Jesus we find in the Gospel. The format will be simple and uncomplicated. We meet after Mass at about 10.15am for a short little input and then leaving time for conversation around the table to explore the theme a little further. We have a wonderful, simple chance to deepen our understanding of who Jesus is and what it means to be a Catholic… and the beauty of the friendship Christ draws us into. The sessions are open to everyone and you are warmly encouraged to come along and to bring friends with you. There will be some good coffee or tea and some delicious cakes, too. Dates: 22 May, 29 May, 12 June, 19 June, 26 June, 3 July, 10 July, and 17 July. We start at 10.15am and will meet for an hour… simple, informative, engaging, and uncomplicated. Posters and details are available for you to take away with you from the narthex. Do make a note of the dates… and feel free to come along.

PARISH LITURGY GROUP: The group meets next on Wednesday 16 May at 7.30pm (after Mass) in the presbytery.

OPENING THE WINDOWS – IN CELEBRATION OF VATICAN II: The fifth lecture in our diocesan series takes place at the Cathedral on Tuesday 15 May, beginning at 7.30pm. Professor Gavin D’Costa from Bristol University leads the reflection upon the Church reaching out to those of other faiths. He will explore the Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian religions – Nostra Aetate, and the Declaration on Religious Freedom – Dignitatis Humanae. They have been fantastic lectures so far. Do go along. There’s plenty of parking and it is free to get in, too.

DIOCESAN FAMILY DAY: Taking place at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College on Saturday 30 June, this fantastic opportunity to gather together as a diocesan family comes at the invitation of Bishop Declan. There is plenty for all the family from the young to the very young at heart. There are some superb speakers and workshop facilitators to nurture your faith, deepen your prayer, or allow you to explore particular things of interest. All you need do is sign up for the day giving details of the workshops you want to take part in. The day starts with registration from 9.15am. Poster and handouts in the narthex. IT’S FREE… so do go along and support them day if you can. Pick up a leaflet and have a browse.

DIAMOND JUBILEE ‘RED, WHITE AND BLUE’ SOCIAL: If you are not tootling off for half term over the diamond jubilee weekend, then come along to our parish social on Saturday 2 June at 7.00pm. There will be a tasty jubilee supper and chance to raise a glass, too. There will also be a couple of games of bingo with our fantastic bingo caller making a return visit. Great fun for all the family. The dress code is, of course, red, white and blue! You’ll be able to pop your name on the list in the narthex next weekend. We’ll also draw the big prizes of the 200 Club that evening, too.

COALITION FOR MARRIAGE: From the news you will know that the Government is consulting as it wants to extend the definition of marriage to same-sex relationships. The Bishops are inviting you to add your voice to the petition against redefining marriage. You are also invited to contact your MP. You will find the petition and the points which you may like to include in your MP’s letter on the board in the narthex.  Marriage is so readily under threat in our society and this gives us chance to uphold its dignity and its place within society.

CLASS MASSES: Beginning this coming Friday, one of the Class groups from our primary school will be joining us again for Mass each Friday at 9.30am. This coming Friday we are joined by Year 6 (ahead of their SATS). Do make them welcome and encourage them as they come to join us in our prayer.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS: Pauline Long, who was received into the Church along with her husband, Michael, at last year’s Easter Vigil and has been a real part of our parish family over the last fourteen months, died peacefully in hospital on Friday morning. We keep her in our prayers and remember Michael and their family at this sad time. May she rest in peace.

 My vows I will pay before those who fear him.

The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.

They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.

May their hearts live for ever and ever!

 

All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord,

All families of the nations worship before him.

They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth;

Before him shall bow all who go down to the dust.

 

And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him.

They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,

Declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn:

‘These things the Lord has done.’

However, without knowing what goes before these final seven verses, we really miss out on what the psalm has to teach us, for this is the psalm that begins, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’  We last heard it (or at least most of it) on Passion Sunday, when it sat between Isaiah 50 and the Philippians’ hymn and then was quoted (in St Mark’s passion) by Jesus as he cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ In such a setting, we can see why those last seven verses are omitted at that point in our liturgical year.

I wonder if it puzzled the Jews, to have ‘all who see me deride me’ sharing a psalm with ‘they shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth’?  Now, in the light of the resurrection, we see with clarity the parallel between Jesus’ three predictions of his passion[1] and this psalm of passion, which also ends with the confidence one expects from an Easter people.  The psalm as a whole illustrates for us the indivisibility of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection.

Although we do not hear the first part of the psalm on Sunday, we know that it is there, and so in praying this second part we remember how privileged we are to live in these ‘latter days’, in Anno Domini.  In the light of the resurrection, we dedicate our souls anew to living for him and telling of the Lord to generations yet to come.

THIS SUNDAY: This is traditionally called “Good Shepherd Sunday” because of the Gospel narratives (from John 10) read each year, in which Jesus talks of himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his flock. A general “theme” to the Scriptures is the person of Jesus and what he has achieved by the Paschal Mystery (his dying and rising): the first reading talks of his name, and the power of the name of Jesus to save: one of the results of the “power of this name” is that in him we are all God’s children, and are promised an eternal reward. All this is summed up in the Gospel, in which Jesus talks of himself as the real shepherd, who is prepared to do anything for his flock, even to the point of giving his life. This he said before his passion, but in Eastertide we read it with the benefit of hindsight. His words are true, and by his dying and rising he has truly saved his flock.

MISSIONARY WELCOME: We welcome to Mass this weekend the Missionary Sisters of St Peter Claver who are appealing in our diocese this year and in parishes in our deanery this weekend. They will tell us something of their missionary work, the work of their congregation, and seek our support and our help for the work of all the missionary Sisters. Please do respond as generously as you can to this appeal.

GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY – DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS: This Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, is a Sunday where we focus our prayer each year upon praying for Vocations to the Priesthood, the Diaconate, and to the Religious Life. We keep this intention in our prayers – not just today – asking God to touch the hearts of those he calls to respond generously and in love to his call.

FIRST COMMUNION PREPARATION: The children preparing for First Communion come to celebrate the gift of the Cross this Sunday, 29 April, at the 10.30am Mass. They continue their preparation for First Communion this coming Wednesday. First Communion, this year, is being celebrated on Sunday 27 May at 10.30am.

WEDNESDAY CAFÉ: Beginning on Tuesday 22 May, our parish will start a short series of catechesis, deepening our understanding of the person of Jesus. Titled ‘Who are you looking for? I am he.’ this course spread out over nine weeks will explore the person of Jesus we find in the Gospel. The format will be simple and uncomplicated. We meet after Mass at about 10.15am for a short little input and then leaving time for conversation around the table to explore the theme a little further. We have a wonderful, simple chance to deepen our understanding of  who Jesus is and what it means to be a Catholic… and all over a cuppa, beginning to explore what lies at the heart of what we believe. The sessions are open to everyone and you are warmly encouraged to come along and to bring friends with you. There will be a good cup of coffee or tea and some cakes, too. Dates: 22 May, 29 May, 12 June, 19 June, 26 June, 3 July, 10 July, and 17 July. We start at 10.15am and will meet for an hour… simple, informative, engaging, and uncomplicated. Posters and details will be available for you to take away next weekend. Do make a note of the dates… and feel free to come along.

PARISH LITURGY GROUP: The group meets next on Wednesday 16 May at 7.30pm (after Mass) in the presbytery.

OPENING THE WINDOWS – IN CELEBRATION OF VATICAN II: The fifth lecture in our diocesan series takes place at the Cathedral on Tuesday 15 May, beginning at 7.30pm. Professor Gavin D’Costa from Bristol University leads the reflection upon the Church reaching out to those of other faiths. He will explore the Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian religions – Nostra Aetate, and the Declaration on Religious Freedom – Dignitatis Humanae. They have been fantastic lectures so far. Do go along. There’s plenty of parking and it is free to get in, too.

PARISH MAGAZINE: The Easter/Spring edition of the parish Magazine is still available from the Narthex. Do pick your copy as there are some interesting articles in it. They are free and if you want to pop a little something towards production costs in with the newspaper money, then please feel free to do so.

SALVATORE COSTA RIP: We keep the Costa family very much in our prayers at this time. Salvatore’s funeral takes place at St Gerard’s this coming Wednesday at 11.00am followed by burial in Whitchurch cemetery. May he rest in peace.

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME to Ayla Baker who was baptised here last Sunday.

DIAMOND JUBILEE ‘RED, WHITE AND BLUE’ SOCIAL: If you are not tootling off for half term over the diamond jubilee weekend, then come along to our parish social on Saturday 2 June at 7.00pm. There will be a tasty jubilee supper and chance to raise a glass, too. Great fun for all the family. The dress code is, of course, red, white and blue! Tickets available soon! We’ll also draw the big prizes of the 200 Club that evening, too.

TABLE TOP SALE – THANKS! There was a terrific buzz in the hall last Saturday that contributed £989.48 towards CLIC and SANDS. The total raised for those two charities over two events comes to £2000. Barbara thanks all those who supported and contributed to that wonderful total. Keep an eye on the notice board for the letters coming from those two charities.

COALITION FOR MARRIAGE: From the news you will know that the Government is consulting as it wants to extend the definition of marriage to same-sex relationships. The Bishops are inviting you to add your voice to the petition against redefining marriage. You are also invited to contact your MP. You will find the petition and the points which you may like to include in your MP’s letter on the board in the narthex.  Marriage is so readily under threat in our society and this gives us chance to uphold its dignity and its place within society.

Although he attended to his duties as Archbishop with holy diligence, his biographer Eadmer writes that the administration ‘was something which he could not patiently abide, and he used every pretext to withdraw himself from it so far as he could[1]’

Indeed, when Anselm was ‘harassed by secular business’, he found ‘relief from these trials, finding his chief consolation in burying himself in the cloister with the monks and talking to them of things pertaining to their rule of life… his chief consolation was in such companionship.’[2]

It is delightful to think that this intelligent and talented Saint, who was marked out from an early stage for ‘a higher charge’ found such comfort in friendship and was not afraid to spend a considerable amount of his time and energy nurturing those spiritual friendships.  For Anselm, the time spent in conversation or correspondence with brother monks was not ‘wasted’ time, but a valuable part of his life’s apostolate .

In all humility, he trusted that as his friendships deepened, so too would the relationships between those friends and their common love: God.  We all know that it is easy to take friendships for granted but perhaps St Anselm’s example teaches us that even within the busy-ness of our everyday lives, we should not be afraid to carve out significant time to build up friendships modelled on Love.

St Anselm of Bec, pray for us!