THIS SUNDAY: The more responsibility we have for the flock of God, the more is demanded of us. But for all God’s people, there is the need for constant vigilance, to be on guard against hypocrisy and complacency, the two greatest threats to our living God’s way and not our own, self-serving way. This is a prelude to the end: for the next three weeks we will think about the end of the world and the judgement that awaits. This Sunday’s readings should begin to encourage us not to fear and dread that day, but to look forward to it, by putting our lives in order and living as the Lord showed us.

VESPERS AND THE ROSARY: To end this beautiful month of the Holy Rosary, there will be Vespers and Devotions this Sunday – 30 October – at 4.00pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to pray together as families and as a parish community, entrusting ourselves, through the psalms, through the Rosary, to the gentle Lord who keeps us close to him.

NEW ALTAR MISSALS: The new missals have arrived and are just awaiting inscription with the donors/intentions put into them. Once these have been done, the new missals will be placed in the Lady Chapel for those of you who want to, to see them. The Sunday Missals should arrive in the next two or three weeks in readiness for Advent. Watch this space.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: The next date for your diary is Tuesday 6 December, 7.30pm in our cathedral when Fr James Hanvey SJ will explore Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes, inviting us to think about being the Church in the contemporary world.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012 – PARENTS MEETING: Once again, we begin to think about preparation for First Communion. Parents of children in Year 3 of primary school who are considering putting their children forward for preparation beginning in January are invited to meet with Fr Christopher in the Church this Thursday – 3 November – at 7.00pm. This will be a short meeting outlining the programme for both children and, this year, for parents as well. The application forms as well as complete list of dates for the preparation programme will be available on that evening. If you need to get in touch with FrC before then, please do give him a call. The preparation for First Confession will take place during Advent (December) and then First Communion preparation will begin in January. It is so important that children are ‘registered’ for this year’s programme at that November meeting and don’t miss out and have to wait a year.

FEAST OF ALL SAINTS AND ALL SOULS: This Tuesday – 1 November – is a holyday of obligation. There will be two Masses that day – 10.00am with our children in school, and then 7.30pm in the evening, in Church. This Wednesday – 2 November – is the commemoration of All Souls. There will be two Masses that day, also: 9.30am and 7.00pm. It’s not a holyday of obligation, but it is an important celebration nevertheless. The list of Masses for the month of November can be found on the notice board. If you want to allocate a Mass for a particular intention then please print the name of the intention on the sheet – one intention per Mass, only, please. If you would kindly pop the name on an envelope and give it to FrC that would help enormously. Keep an eye on the newsletter for the intention during the week… just in case there are changes to the time of Mass.

BLESSING OF GRAVES: There will be a Blessing of graves on All Souls’ Day (this Wednesday) at Whitchurch cemetery at 2.00pm. If you have loved ones buried there, do join FrC for that short blessing. If you have a jam jar with a little night light, maybe bring that along with you.

MASS OF WELCOME: As last year, we will welcome the children who have started at the primary school along with their families next Sunday – 6 November – at 10.30am. It’s an important celebration to enable us to foster those necessary links with our parish school and encourage those new starters in their journey of learning.

FIRST FRIDAY PRAYER AND SOUP LUNCH: This Friday there will be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after the morning Mass until midday. A hearty, simple soup lunch will be served in the hall from 12.15pm. All are welcome and your offerings go to support those in need both at home and overseas.

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR: The Little Sisters are with us again next weekend – 5/6 November – making an appeal for their most valuable work at St Joseph’s. Also, you might like to make note of the Bingo night on Saturday 26 November (7.30pm) to raise money for the Little Sisters. A hearty supper for a £5 and bingo cards available to buy on the night. Pop you name on the list in the narthex if you would like a seat!

CHRISTMAS MASSES: There seems to be some interest in us having a Vigil Mass of Christmas – focused on our families and our children – at 6.00pm on Christmas Eve. We will have this in addition to our midnight Mass and Masses on Christmas Day. There will be cards printed for you to hand around, inviting your neighbours to join us for Christmas this year. This offers us chance to bring folk back to Church for Christmas.

PARISH FORUM GROUP meets in the presbytery on Thursday 10 November at 7.00pm.

HOLY SOULS CEMETERY MASS: Next Saturday (5 November) at 11.00am in the cemetery chapel.

THIS SUNDAY: When you look at something like the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and see its 691 pages, or look at the 2,000 pages of the big Jerusalem Bible, you can be forgiven for thinking that Christianity is a complicated affair. But Jesus reminds us today that it is essentially very simple: everything can be summed up in two basic rules: love God, love your neighbour. Exodus backs this up, by talking about the simple love that we must show to each other. Not that this is easy – love is always costly, and involves some degree of sacrifice. We will have to change, to become perfect in love; but it is possible, and when we do, like the people of Thessalonica, we become a great example to people everywhere.

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY: Every year we spend this Sunday reflecting upon those who bring the Gospel – in word and in action – to peoples and nations around our world. This weekend gives us a real opportunity to reflect upon how we are missionary, how we preach the gospel through the lives we lead. We are invited to those those on and in Mission through our gift to the APF Missio. Many of you support the missions through your red boxes. We may not be able to leave everything to bring the gospel to foreign lands, but we can support them with our help and our prayers. The retiring collection this weekend goes to support Missio.

NEW ALTAR MISSALS: News is that the new missals for the altar should be with us during this coming week. FrC will arrange for the list of intentions to be etched into the front plates of the altar missal thanks to the kindness of donations that have come in. The Sunday Missals should arrive in the next two or three weeks in readiness for Advent. Watch this space.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: The series got off to a fantastic start last Tuesday. The next date for your diary is Tuesday 6 December, 7.30pm in our cathedral when Fr James Hanvey SJ will explore Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes, inviting us to think about being the Church in the contemporary world.

VESPERS AND THE ROSARY: To end this beautiful month of the Holy Rosary, there will be Vespers and Devotions next Sunday – 30 October – at 4.00pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to pray together as families and as a parish community, entrusting ourselves, through the psalms, through the Rosary, to the gentle Lord who keeps us close to him.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012 – PARENTS MEETING: Once again, we begin to think about preparation for First Communion. Parents of children in Year 3 of primary school who are considering putting their children forward for preparation beginning in January are invited to meet with Fr Christopher in the Church on Thursday 3 November at 7.00pm. This will be a short meeting outlining the programme for both children and, this year, for parents as well. The application forms as well as complete list of dates for the preparation programme will be available on that evening. If you need to get in touch with FrC before then, please do give him a call. The preparation for First Confession will take place during Advent (December) and then First Communion preparation will begin in January. It is so important that children are ‘registered’ for this year’s programme at that November meeting and don’t miss out.

FEAST OF ALL SAINTS: Tuesday 1 November is a holyday of obligation. There will be two Masses that day – 10.00am with our children in school, and then 7.30pm in the evening in Church. The Wednesday, 2 November is the commemoration of All Souls. There will be two Masses that day, also: 9.30am and 7.00pm. It’s not a holyday of obligation, but it is an important celebration nevertheless. The list of Masses for the month of November can be found on the notice board. If you want to allocate a Mass for a particular intention then please print the name of the intention on the sheet – one intention per Mass, only, please. If you would kindly pop the name on an envelope and give it to FrC that would help enormously. Keep an eye on the newsletter for the intention during the week… just in case there are changes to the time of Mass.

BLESSING OF GRAVES: There will be a Blessing of graves on All Souls’ Day at Whitchurch cemetery at 2.00pm. If you have loved ones buried there, do join FrC for that short blessing. If you have a jam jar with a little night light, maybe bring that along with you.

MASS OF WELCOME: As last year, we will welcome the children who have started at the primary school along with their families on Sunday 6 November at 10.30am. It’s an important celebration to enable us to foster those necessary links with our parish school.

FIRST FRIDAY SOUP LUNCH: Our first Friday soup lunches started well. The next takes place on Friday 4 November. There will be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after the morning Mass until midday. A hearty, simple soup lunch will be served in the hall from 12.15pm. All are welcome and your offerings go to support those in need both at home and overseas.

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR: The Little Sisters are with us again on Saturday 5/Sunday 6 November making an appeal for their most valuable work at St Joseph’s. Also, you might like to make note of the Bingo night on Saturday 26 November (7.30pm) to raise money for the Little Sisters. Supper for £5 and bingo cards available on the night. Details of how you can get a ticket will be available next weekend. All welcome.

CHRISTMAS MASSES: It’s two months away yet, but if you feel there would be a take up if we were to have a Vigil Mass of Christmas – focused on our families and our children – at 6.00pm on Christmas Eve, then please just have a word with FrC. We might have this in addition to our midnight Mass and Mass on Christmas Day. If there would be no take up or need then we’ll stick with what we usually have.

THIS SUNDAY: We continue to explore the meaning of baptism, of membership of the Church, of living a life which has been immersed in the life and death of Jesus Christ: in other words, we continue our ‘Mystagogy’ – our training in the mystery of Baptism and the other Sacraments. We hear more about ‘who Jesus is’, with another ‘I am’ statement: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. We are baptised into his way, his truth and his life. We hear about the earliest community struggling with the life they are called to by baptism, and Peter again reminds us that baptism builds us into a ‘spiritual house’ with Jesus as our cornerstone. The mystery of the Church is clearly before us today: the Church is the community of those baptised in Christ, the pilgrim people walking with Christ (who has shown us the Father) to the place he has prepared for us. Today’s reading can perhaps make us think a little about how we form part of this ‘spiritual house’, the Church, as we journey to the Father.

FIRST COMMUNION PREPARATION: The children continue their preparation this Wednesday 25 May at 3.45pm in the bungalow of the school. They continue their preparation this week for their First Confession. Parents please make sure you note the parents’ meeting on Thursday 26 May at 7.00pm in the Church. This is the final meeting with parents before First Communion and it is important that every child on this year’s preparation programme is represented.

NEW TRANSLATION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL: We will continue our reflection and preparation for the new translation of the missal ~ Thursday 2 June and then 16 June. These sessions (an hour each) beginning at 7.00pm will give us an opportunity to reflect upon the Eucharist and the words we pray when we come together for Mass. Please do come along and take part in this catechesis. The final session on the 16 June will give us opportunity to celebrate Mass using the new translation so that we can see how the language of the new translation shapes the whole of the Liturgy. There will be no morning Mass that Thursday.

ROOTED IN CHRIST: This fantastic series begins to draw to a close as we move to the final three sessions. Bishop Declan will lead us in reflection and study on the Church as one, holy, catholic and apostolic on Tuesday 14 June. This should be a most interesting session in the light of where we are on our diocesan journey and also in the light of the new translation of the Roman Missal. If you would like to go and might need a life, just ask FrC. Holy Family, Patchway, Tuesday 17 May beginning at 7.30pm.

BIBLEFRESH: An ecumenical celebration of the Word of God is taking place at Bristol Cathedral and on College Green this Sunday afternoon – 22 May. This is a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon the Word of God in our lives of Faith. In partnership with the Diocese of Bristol we are supporting this initiative of reflection and study, prayer and opportunity for study on this one day. Fr Nicholas King will be leading one of the seminar sessions in the afternoon. During the afternoon a variety of activities and seminars will be taking place including dance, meditation, drama, iconography, film, public bible reading, music, biblical song writing, activities for children, fair trade stalls, art exhibitions and much more. Full details can be found on the diocese of Bristol’s website: http://www.bristol.anglican.org/news/microblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Doc2.pdf    Do go along if you can. It should be a fantastic day.

MASS FOR NEWLY BAPTISED AND NEWLEY RECEIVED: This Mass of celebration and welcome takes place at St Nicholas of Tolentino this coming Saturday, 28 May at 11.00am. Bishop Declan will be celebrating that Mass and is inviting the diocesan community to gather with those welcomed into our diocesan family. Do go along if you can. St Nick’s is a beautiful church and it is good to be able to draw together with those welcomed into our communities this Easter.

CONGRATULATIONS to Evie and Isabelle Dolan & Zachary Leonard Muscat who were all baptised here last weekend. We congratulate their families, too.

MAY ~ THE MONTH OF MARY: Use this month to make use of the Rosary in your lives of prayer. We turn to Mary as a Mother and we ask her to pray for us and to pray with us. We turn to her as an example and our guide in all we do to be like Christ. She will lead us to Christ her Son, for she draws us into deeper company with him. Let’s use this month to rekindle that loving relationship with her. Maybe take one decade a day either at home, on the bus, in the car, on your way to work, out jogging or walking the dog. Let the familiarity of the words you pray draw you into deeper conversation with the Mother of God…and if you don’t have a rosary, why not pick one up from the repository. We’ll pray a decade of the Rosary each weekday after Mass, seeking our Lady’s prayers and intercession for our parish and our families.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Whilst it may seem some time away, Corpus Christi is celebrated on 26 June. That will launch us into a week of adoration each day before the Blessed Sacrament as we journey towards the Feast of the Sacred Heart on Friday 1 July. FrC will be looking for folk to take up the challenge of giving a little time during those five days to watch before the Blessed Sacrament so that we can ensure the Church is left open for those days of prayer. Watch this space for further details.

QUIZ NIGHT: An opportunity to get together to work those little grey cells as well as enjoy a Ploughman’s supper ~ Saturday June 4th at 7.30pm in the hall. Tickets cost £5.00 per person. You can bring your own drink. Please write names and numbers on the notice in the narthex so as to help with catering. Make up a team and come along. Look forward to seeing you there! Money raised goes in support of our outreach projects so by coming along and taking part we are also reaching out to those so less fortunate than ourselves. Gordon and Linda have details if you need more info.

GLASTONBURY PILGRIMAGE: Please put a note in your diaries: Sunday 10 July. Full programme and details on the notice board in the narthex. It’s always a great diocesan gathering at the beautiful shrine. Do go along if you can.

THIS SUNDAY: This Sunday is traditionally called ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’, because of the Gospel references to Jesus as the Good Shepherd. It is also the day of prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood. On this Sunday we hear one of the great ‘I am’ statements of Jesus from Saint John’s Gospel today ‘I am the gate of the sheepfold’. Through Jesus we enter into life and safety, and we ‘go through Jesus, the gate’ by baptism. This image is implied in all today’s readings: the people listening to Peter find this gateway and enter through it: Peter writes to remind us that we have come back to the Good Shepherd, who heals us by his wounds.

FIRST COMMUNION PREPARATION: The children continue their preparation this Wednesday 18 May at 3.45pm in the bungalow of the school. They begin their preparation this week for their First Confession. Parents please make sure you not the parents’ meeting on Thursday 26 May at 7.00pm in the Church.

DIOCESAN FAMILY DAY: Bishop Declan is inviting us to join him at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College on Saturday 21 May (from 10.00am – 4.00pm) this Saturday – with our diocesan community, drawing us together to celebrate our faith. There is a poster in the narthex. It is a great opportunity for the parish communities across the four counties of our diocese to come together – from climbing walls, archery and bouncy castles to workshops on prayer, handing on the faith as a grandparent, or the music of Taize – there is something for everyone of all ages. Please go along and represent our own parish community. There are full details in the narthex, itemising all the workshops available on the day. All you need do is pick one up (or download it from the diocesan website – cliftondiocese.com) and complete the details of which sessions you want to take part in.

NEW TRANSLATION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL: We continue our reflection and preparation for the new translation of the missal ~ this coming Thursday -19 May, and then 2 June and 16 June. These sessions (an hour each) beginning at 7.00pm will give us an opportunity to reflect upon the Eucharist and the words we pray when we come together for Mass. Please do come along and take part in this catechesis.

ROOTED IN CHRIST continues for this final stint before the summer. Fr David Mills will be looking at how we live a moral life rooted in the Gospels. Holy Family, Patchway, Tuesday 17 May beginning at 7.30pm.

BIBLEFRESH: An ecumenical celebration of the Word of God is taking place at Bristol Cathedral and on College Green on Sunday 22 May. This is a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon the Word of God in our lives of Faith. In partnership with the Diocese of Bristol we are supporting this initiative of reflection and study, prayer and opportunity for study on this one day. Fr Nicholas King will be leading one of the seminar sessions in the afternoon. During the afternoon a variety of activities and seminars will be taking place including dance, meditation, drama, iconography, film, public bible reading, music, biblical song writing, activities for children, fair trade stalls, art exhibitions and much more. Full details can be found on the diocese of Bristol’s website: http://www.bristol.anglican.org/news/microblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Doc2.pdf
Do go along if you can. It should be a fantastic day.

MASS FOR NEWLY BAPTISED AND NEWLEY RECEIVED: This Mass of celebration and welcome takes place at St Nicholas of Tolentino on Saturday 28 May at 11.00am. Do go along if you can. St Nick’s is a beautiful church and it is good to be able to draw together those welcomed into our communities this Easter from our diocese.

YEAR FOUR AND YEAR ONE are joining us for Mass this coming Friday at 9.30am.

CONGRATULATIONS to Billie-Rae & Charlotte Laffan and Shane Joseph Monks who were all baptised here last weekend, and to Tom Russell and Rebecca Cunningham who were married here this Saturday.

MAY ~ THE MONTH OF MARY: Use this month to make use of the Rosary in your lives of prayer. We turn to Mary as a Mother and we ask her to pray for us and to pray with us. We turn to her as an example and our guide in all we do to be like Christ. She will lead us to Christ her Son, for she draws us into deeper company with him. Let’s use this month to rekindle that loving relationship with her. Maybe take one decade a day either at home, on the bus, in the car, on your way to work, out jogging or walking the dog. Let the familiarity of the words you pray draw you into deeper conversation with the Mother of God…and if you don’t have a rosary, why not pick one up from the repository.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Whilst it may seem some time away, Corpus Christi is celebrated on 26 June. That will launch us into a week of adoration each day before the Blessed Sacrament as we journey towards the Feast of the Sacred Heart on Friday 1 July. FrC will be looking for folk to take up the challenge of giving a little time during those five days to watch before the Blessed Sacrament so that we can ensure the Church is left open for those days of prayer. Watch this space for further details.

THIS SUNDAY: The annual retiring collection for the clergy training fund is taken across the diocese. The supports the students we have in training, the formation of our deacons, and the ongoing formation of our priests. Please be generous.

QUIZ NIGHT: An opportunity to get together to work those little grey cells as well as enjoy a Ploughman’s supper ~ Saturday June 4th at 7.30pm in the hall. Tickets cost £5.00 per person. You can bring your own drink. Please write names and numbers on the notice in the narthex so as to help with catering. Make up a team and come along. Look forward to seeing you there!

VESPERS: The Evening Prayer of the Church is celebrated this Sunday at 4.00pm. Do come along if you can.

However, if one is not in the habit of praying the Rosary, or if one does not have 20 consecutive minutes to devote to this beautiful prayer, then it can seem daunting or even impossible, to begin.

So I have an idea. It’s not my idea, but from Fr John Edwards, SJ (whom I’ve quoted before, not least of all here, here and here). He suggests that we simply try to pray a good decade of the Rosary, if the whole thing is unfeasible for whatever reason. If we start today, there are just enough days in May for a decade a day, finishing conveniently on the 31st – the feast of the Visitation.

If you’re looking for a little background on the Rosary, there’s always Blessed John Paul II’s apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, in which he introduced the Mysteries of Light.  If you’re fairly au fait with the Rosary but need a little reminder of what all the mysteries are, there is a simple page here to help you (you need to click on the beads to access the scriptural and CCC quotation).

A set of Rosary beads is handy, of course, but if you don’t have a set to hand, then use your fingers.  Why, after all, do you think you have ten?!

Remember; if we only make a good start, the prayers of Our Mother will help our feeble efforts bear fruit.

VESPERS AND BENEDICTION this Sunday afternoon to continue our celebration of the Feast of the Assumption.  Do come along if you can – 4.00pm.

PARISH BAZAAR: Our Bazaar takes place, this year, on Saturday 9th October. Keep those donations coming in – they are much appreciated. If you want to lend a hand, then, 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. Please do your best – the draw money is profit for our parish funds so please help where you can.

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. Fr Michael McAndrew, our diocesan Papal Visit coordinator needs to have the contributions for each event by next weekend. If you could let FrC have the £30 (Cofton Park) or £5 (Hyde Park – NB reduction) then that would help enormously. Cheques can be made payable to St Bernadette’s. Nineteen of you are representing StB’s at Birmingham and fifteen of you representing our parish in Hyde Park. 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 with evening prayer and it would be good if as many of you as can take part in that evening. There will be a rich celebration of the luminous mysteries of the rosary as well as a period of exposition before the Blessed Sacrament. 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. Details on our parish website.

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 to 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 re-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!

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

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME to Alessandro Ashton Verata who was baptised here last Sunday. Congratulations to     Alessandro’s parents and family, also.

200 CLUB WINNERS: Congratulations to Len Gillard & Rose McGovern who pick up £25 cheques from monthly draws.

O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord.

That phrase, ‘imitate what they contain‘ seems to imply the need for a little prayerful reflection on the truths contained in each mystery, doesn’t it?  You may think that the Rosary is a complicated enough feat of multi-tasking as it stands without adding another layer to the prayer, but wait!  It’s not only possible, but you’re already well experienced in the art of using scripture passages, meditating on them and praying with them, for this is exactly what you do when you pray the Stations of the Cross.

Take for example, the Fourth station: Mary presumably had been seeking Jesus ever since she heard of his arrest.  We can imagine her trying to make her way through the crowds, maybe following the arm of the cross as she sees it moving above the heads in the crowd.  We can imagine her distress as it disappears from view as he falls the first time, and then her anguish as she eventually meets her beloved son.  We consider the selfless love of each one for the other.  Jesus – while longing to let her know that this would not be the end – gives her his blessing and strengthens her for what was to come; and Mary even here does not lose hope but shows her maternal compassion towards her son.  Then the soldiers chivvy Jesus along and he is gone.  The crowds engulf Mary once more and she follows as best she can to Calvary.

We look to emulate the selfless, compassionate love of Son and mother; and we pray that we might hope and trust in God as Mary did.  We pray with contrition for times when we have lacked compassion and that henceforth we might always be sensitive to others’ needs, putting them before our own.

In the context of the Stations of the Cross, this way of praying is very familiar yet not formulaic (unless you’re St Alphonsus or you’re using a book).  Here, then, is a way of praying – a transferable skill, if you like – that we can use when praying the Rosary… so let’s see if we can apply that style of prayer to the second Joyful mystery, The Visitation.

Again, Mary is seeking.  This time she seeks Elizabeth, who has conceived a son in her advanced years, for nothing is impossible for God.  Imagine Mary, who has just received that enormous news from the Angel, putting Elizabeth’s needs before her own and setting out on that not-inconsiderable journey (taking perhaps the best part of a week) to be with her cousin.  As she journeys, imagine her heart singing with joy (not worrying, not grumbling) as she reflects upon the marvels the Almighty has worked for her.  And then they meet and the first Christian community is formed, for those souls (including John the Baptist) are united by the presence – in Mary’s womb – of the Incarnate Word.  Elizabeth – whose husband has been rather quiet around the house for six months now, remember – does not immediately tell Mary her own remarkable news but proclaims that immortal greeting, ‘Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!‘   The two expectant mothers share their joy at each other’s news but neither is self-seeking.  We see both women placing their hope and trust in God despite not knowing much at all about how their futures would unfold.

And so, having meditated on this mystery, we pray that we might imitate what it contains:  We pray for such unwavering hope and certain trust.  We pray that we might accept God’s will in all things.  We pray that we might work selflessly and joyfully for our neighbour’s good, remembering contrition for times when we have failed.  We pray that we will always recognise the presence of Christ in others.

There.  It’s not complicated.  Yes, it takes a little time, but we needn’t say the whole Rosary in one go.  Just putting aside a little time to say one decade well may be time better spent than five hurried decades.

That is similar, isn’t it, to us asking the intercession of our blessed virgin mother?  Sometimes we are unsure of ourselves and of what we want (or need) to say in prayer.  Sometimes we don’t quite know how to put our supplication.  Sometimes, we need Mary to pray for us when we can’t do it ourselves (‘at the hour of our death,’ yes, but so often ‘at the hour when I’m on the verge of giving in’).  Sometimes, we need the mother to pester her Son as only a mother can.

You’re familiar with the marriage at Cana, where Mary asks Jesus to… but wait, she doesn’t, does she?  She doesn’t even need to ask him the question.  What she says is, ‘They have no wine.‘  There is a request, yes, but it is silent, unvoiced.  Because they are so close, the words are not needed.  We’d be fools if we did not ask Mary – offered by the Son to be our mother too – to intercede for us every day of our lives.  We don’t necessarily need a beautiful Marian devotional prayer; we needn’t say a whole Rosary.  She’s your Mother: ‘You ask for me, Mummy’ pulls at her heart and she’s unable to resist.

It’s May, the month when we traditionally focus more keenly on our Blessed Virgin Mother.  Let’s give some time to reflecting upon the place we give her in our lives and continue to ask her to intercede for us -

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

It’s no surprise that Mary chose a simple child to be the recipient of those apparitions, but they took place over a period of just six months, after which, Bernadette’s life was not – as far as we know – touched by anything out of the ordinary.  How humble Bernadette must have been not to have expected any further apparitions or looked for any special treatment from the Sisters of Notre Dame, whom she joined at the age of 22.  Indeed, St Bernadette once compared herself with a broom, saying

‘Our Lady used me.  They have put me back in my corner.  I am happy to stop there’.

Bernadette received the apparitions in humility.  She endured the ridicule and accusations of ‘making it up’ in humility.  She refused to lay her hands on the sick, and refused to accept gifts, hating the publicity that her experiences brought her.  She later had to endure the humility of being turned down when she initially sought entry to religious life.  When she later entered the convent, she lived the life of a very ordinary nun, simply doing God’s will and not seeking any recognition for herself.

Her humble constancy is most admirable.  Let’s ask her for her prayers as we approach her feast, that we may immitate her humility at all times, returning thanks to God for all that is good within us.

St Bernadette of Lourdes, pray for us!