Download Confessions Saturdays after 10am Mass and from 5.45pm to 6.15pm

PARISH OF ST. BONIFACE, SOUTHAMPTON
JANUARY 26th., 2014
THIRD SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME [A]
“The Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand”
Presbytery: St. Boniface House, 413 Shirley Road Southampton SO15 3JD Tel: 023 80771231
Parish Clergy: Father David Sillince [Parish Priest], Canon Terry Walsh [in retirement]
Safeguarding Officer: Anne Monaghan 023 80777691 Chair of Parish Pastoral Council: Mike Wood 023 80630396
Parish Secretary: Eileen B. Aylett
Parish Office opening hours Monday Thursday and Friday 9.00am to 12.30pm
Newsletter deadline 9.00pm on Tuesday for inclusion on following Sunday, space permitting.
Parish Website: www.st-boniface.org.uk
Parish Office e mail: [email protected]
This Parish is within the Pastoral Area of Southampton Central & West.
RC Diocese of Portsmouth Regd. Charity 246871
The Church is normally open on weekdays 8am-12noon, Saturdays 8am-11am & 5-7.45pm, Sundays 7.30am-12noon
CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK
(Divine Office week 3)
Saturday
Sunday
January 25
January 26
]
] THIRD SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME [A]
Monday
Tuesday
January 27
January 28
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
January 29
January 30
January 31
February 1
[St. Angela Merici, Foundress †Brescia 1540]
St. Thomas Aquinas, Dominican, Doctor of the Church
(†Fossanova 1274)
Feria, week 3
Feria, week 3
St. John Bosco, Founder of the Salesians (†Turin 1888)
Our Lady on Saturday
[St. Henry Morse, Martyr †London 1645]
6.30pm Mass is of CANDLEMAS
We pray especially for:6.30pm
8.30am
10.30am
10.00am
10.00am
Mass
Mass
Mass
Mass
Mass
Mercy Pereira, RIP
Raymond Perry, RIP
Antoinette Baxter, RIP
Patricia & Bridget McGinnity, RIP
Pauline Harden, RIP
10.00am
10.00am
10.00am
10.00am
Mass
Mass
Mass
Mass
In thanksgiving [MC]
Romualda Bunales, RIP
Michael McCarthy, RIP
Pereda family
Confessions Saturdays after 10am Mass and from 5.45pm to 6.15pm
PARISH PRAYER GROUP: Fridays 11am-12noon in the Hall, all welcome.
REFRESHMENTS in the Hall every Sunday after 10.30am Mass, also Fridays after 10am Mass.
Next Sunday is Candlemas, the
Presentation of Christ in the Temple
(replacing the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary
Time, readers please note).
At the
beginning of Mass we bless the candles used
for the difference purposes of the church
throughout the year. The crib remains in
the church until this day, the fortieth after
Christmas, and donations can still be made
there for Christian communities and
schools in the Holy Land.
Please pray for those who are sick
especially:
Colette Morfett, Canon
Terry Walsh, James Marsh, Edward
Standley, Gordon Lyons, Sheila White,
Kathy White, Aileen Lynn, Geoffrey
Milford, Gabrielle Loney, Mary King,
Sidney Dugdale, Keith Owen, Mary
Hoskins, Maureen Guly.
Please pray for the repose of the
souls of those with anniversaries at this
time: Mary McGinnity, Doris Mulvihill,
Steven Caraher.
COLLECTION:
January 19: Loose £405.67, Envelopes
£476.40. Apportionment: Bankers’ Orders
£320.00, Gift Aid £180.00. Total £1382.07.
Building
&
Maintenance
£326.23.
‘Connect2Ethiopia’
charity
£37.18
(£4131.93 Ethiopia total so far /
£27799.92 Ethiopia + previous Kainmari
‘Connect’].
Many thanks for these kind
contributions.
Next weekend:
Fund (February).
Building & Maintenance
DIOCESAN PRAYER INTENTIONS:
Su: Sufferers from leprosy; Priests no
longer in active ministry. M: Holocaust
Memorial; Diocesan Pastoral Council. T:
Staff & Students in Higher Education. W:
Salesian Cooperators of Don Bosco. Th:
St. John Bosco, Woodley, Reading.
F:
Salesians in the Diocese. Sa: St. Brigid,
West End.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION:
A
reminder that this programme begins on
Wednesday February 12 with an important
introductory session for parents. Fr David
will be sending an e-mail shortly.
YOUTH CLUBS:
Junior [‘Frogz’] for ages 8-10 normally
meets on the first and third Fridays of the
month during termtime, from 6-7.15pm.
Senior [‘Fanning the Flame’] weekly from
7.30-9pm. Both in the Hall.
All are
welcome. Full details of our two clubs and
confirmation of dates from Angela Wood
(023) 80630396.
IN THE PORCH: Cafod Connect 2
Sebeya, Ethiopia – succeeds Kainmari,
Bangladesh.
Poitiers Care food box for needy local
families: suitable items list on lid of box.
Apostleship of the Sea box (blue) for
bags of sweets, toothbrushes/paste, soap,
Vaseline and moisturising cream for
seafarers visiting our port.
CAFOD SUPPORTERS’ DAY Saturday
February 8, 10am-1.30pm at St. Bede,
Basingstoke.
For details of all current
plans,
news
and
developments.
Fundraising writer Mark Chamberlain
speaks about this Lent’s focus country,
Sierra Leone. Book at 01252 329385 or at
[email protected]
“THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL”: ch.3
(1) Chapter 3 of Pope Francis’ “Apostolic
Exhortation”, turns from challenges to “The
Proclamation of the Gospel”.
It is of
similar length to chapter 2, but the thought
is less diffuse.
In one way or another, all Christians must
proclaim the Gospel, for it is for all, and not
least “those who feel far from God and the
Church, those who are fearful or
indifferent”. “The Church must be a place
of mercy freely given, where everyone can
feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and
encouraged to live the good life of the
Gospel.”
The spread of the Gospel is necessarily
linked to cultures, the diversity of which is
not a threat to the Church. Some cultures
(especially European)
have traditionally
been associated with evangelisation, but
they do not have a monopoly of it, for it is a
work of the Spirit, which attunes all the
baptised, to a greater or lesser degree, to
the realities of the divine.
Thus despite
our imperfections we are all called to offer
witness to the Lord’s saving love, implanting
that in our own culture, whichever culture
that may be. It is the Spirit which can
prevent this diversity from descending into
chaos, while it is up to us to avoid creating
an artificial and dictatorial unity which
actually stifles the Church’s mission.
The Pope turns to the theme of preaching.
This may seem to be the preserve of the
clergy, but in fact he includes in it any form
of personal dialogue where one person
shares their “hopes, joys and concerns”
with others, in the context of their faith in
Christ. He also includes theological study,
calling theologians to dialogue with the
world of cultures and sciences while always
relating to the living Lord and not being
“desk-bound”.
The Pope then devotes much space to the
preaching of the homily, where, as we all
know, the faithful often suffer from having
to listen and the clergy from having to
speak.
Because the homily, properly
speaking, is in the context of the Mass, it is
superior in form to all other catechesis,
“the supreme moment in the dialogue
between God and his people”;
the
preacher is there to “join loving hearts, the
hearts of the Lord and his people”.
It
must be the Lord who is allowed to speak
through the preacher – who is not himself
the centre of attention – and as the Lord
delights in doing this, the preacher should
express something of that delight too.
The Pope insists that in using a Scriptural
text the preacher must seek to produce the
same effect as that text, so a text intended
to console must not be used to rebuke.
Nor must the preacher use the text simply
to ride hobby-horses of his own, or unleash
his preconceived opinions irrespective of
what the text may be saying. The preacher
should know his flock and their human
situations, but should not be afraid to
challenge if necessary, while recognising that
there are those who will only receive what
they choose to receive, and will be deaf to
the idea of challenge. [continues
PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL met
last Sunday and approved minutes of
November 10, now on the board.
The main issues discussed were: Review of
Christmas arrangements, Some issues over
Funerals, First Communion programme,
New Confirmation arrangements, What
exactly is the ‘New Evangelisation’? (paper
distributed), Outline of Bishop Philip’s
parish visitation scheduled for December,
Initial consideration of the Bishop’s plan for
“Faith in Action”, Activities in Lent (an
‘Anchor’ programme on Reconciliation or a
short series of talks by Fr. David), New
members. Next meeting on March 9.
SEPARATED
&
DIVORCED
CATHOLICS group meets for meal at
Puccini’s Thursday February 13, 7.30pm.
Newcomers welcome; book a place via
(023) 8077 8203.
MEDITATION IN ‘THE HUT’ Friday
February 14, 1.30-3pm, to reflect silently in
the following Sunday’s Gospel followed by
cup of tea. Irena (023) 8078 4208 or Jane
(023) 8034 2290.
LIVING REFLECTIVELY: at Wisdom
House,
Romsey,
01794
830206,
reception@wisdomhouseromsey,org.uk.
Saturday February 15, 10am-3.30pm. £25
including lunch.
SING FOR A DAY with Southampton
Choral Society, Saturday March 1, 10.30am4pm St. James’ Rd. Methodist Church;
Purcell’s “Dido & Aeneas”.
£10 covers
cost of music hire and refreshments.
Tickets at the door or (023) 8033 2467.
GOLDEN
GOA
ASSOCIATION
Carnival Party Sunday March 2, 1-6pm in
the Hall.
£10 (under 5 free, 5-15 £6).
Indian buffet, drinks, children’s fancy dress,
music, bingo, raffle, etc. Proceeds of raffle
to Church Sacristy roof repairs.
Tickets
from the Parish Office or Dina Desouza
(023) 8078 0774.
ROME/ASSISI PILGRIMAGE May 1121, 2015. Organisers: Tony & Lillian da
Silva.
£1495 per person based on twin
room.
Bookings close March 15 2014,
07957 734814.
THOUGHT
FOR
THE
WEEK:
Christianity & Islam II [from two weeks
ago].
Many people of goodwill look for
mutual tolerance and understanding
between the major religions of the world.
Vatican II says so, and so has Pope Francis I
in his recent document [left-hand column] in
which he calls for Christian respect and
affection for Muslims while also appealing
for the right for Christians to practise their
faith in Muslim countries (something which
2 million Christians in the Arabian Peninsula
cannot do, still less convert anybody).
At the same time it is possible to speak in
generalisations which, wrongly interpreted,
might suggest we are ‘really all the same’.
So, “together with us, Muslims adore the
one, merciful God”.
True, but the
Christian conception of the one God is
quite different.
To the Muslim, God
shows mercy by stooping down to the poor
to give them something. To the Christian,
God becomes poor, in Jesus Christ, raising
us up from our level. Moreover “God is
love”, by definition, a community of love
which we know as the Holy Trinity; he is
not just merciful.
Then again, Muslims “retain some Christian
teachings”.
There are some Christian
stories, notably the Annunciation, found
almost identically in the Koran; however
most overlaps are from the texts in the socalled apocryphal Gospels.
Mary enjoys
Muslim veneration, Jesus less so, for Jesus is
seen as a prophet but less than Muhammad,
and he is certainly not seen as Son of God.
The Koran vigorously denies the threefold
nature of the one God, and also denies that
Jesus redeemed the world; indeed it was
not Jesus himself who died on the Cross.
Mary is seen as a ‘good Muslim’, but not the
Mother of God.
Again, in the realm of ethics, the Muslim
sense of solidarity is directed not
universally, but within the Muslim
community, while the observance of Islamic
law is seen as something to fulfil but not to
go beyond; hence the Koran does not
impose forgiveness, whereas Jesus requires
it “seventy times seven”.
Of
course
fundamentalism
exists
everywhere and in Islam it can take a violent
form (as in earlier centuries it did in
Christianity).
It is said that Islam lacks a
central authority to check extremism – but
then Pope Francis doesn’t have much power
to check the ravings of David Icke. None
of this is to be horrid to Muslims; it is just
stating differences.
A ‘liberal Muslim’, Ziauddin Sardar, says that
Jesus, Muhammad (and Moses) should be
seen purely as “historical figures struggling
with truth”. The trouble is that to us Jesus
is both human and divine, and our four
Gospels, set alongside each other, present
that as a truth we cannot bargain away.