LOURDES AND LIVERPOOL

The wonderful news that the miraculous cure of Jack Traynor has now been accepted by the authorities in Lourdes will be celebrated in the Cathedral this coming Tuesday evening. The centenary of Jack’s remarkable story was the focus of the Archdiocesan Pilgrimage two years ago and we owe a debt of gratitude to Archbishop Malcolm for taking up the cause and moving the process to its conclusion.

HALF-TERM

It seems remarkable that already we have arrived at the half-term schools’ break. I hope everyone will have a good week and return refreshed and ready for Lent and our preparations for Easter.

MOMENTS OF GRACE

In the ecumenical prayer group I attend on Wednesday mornings, we share with one another moments of grace which we have experienced, and it is remarkable that often they seem to occur when we least expect them. In the past couple of days, I have begun a task which I have been procrastinating about for many years: namely, sifting through umpteen files that I have kept as I have moved from one appointment to another in my Redemptorist life. Perhaps, almost inevitably, I keep stopping to read through documents and correspondence, which I had long forgotten about. Accordingly, I realise how difficult it is to be ruthless and accept that much of this material may no longer be relevant or worth keeping. At the same time, some of the memories have been enriching and have led me to give thanks to God for those moments of grace when God has revealed himself to me through the love and support of so many good people. Don’t expect me to report that this process is likely to finish any time soon!

PASTORAL LETTER

To mark Racial Justice Sunday, Archbishop Malcolm has written a challenging Pastoral Letter to us. I will welcome any suggestions as to how we might wish to respond to the issues he raises. As you know, I have been encouraged by the number of initiatives people have been taking in both parishes on a number of fronts in recent times. They are sure signs that the Spirit is moving among us, deepening our awareness of what it means to be Christians, pilgrims living in hope.

REDEMPTORIST LAY MISSIONARIES AND ASSOCIATES

In the early part of the past week, Bishop Eton hosted a meeting of a good number of those who have committed themselves to work alongside us and deepen their understanding of our special charism. Some had travelled from Clapham and others were able to join the meeting online from distant shores! Fr Maurice O’Mahony is handing over the supervision of the group to Fr Elias Gweme and there was a wonderful sense of joy and goodwill. Fr Andrew and I will try to ensure that the members of the local group are supported. We thank you for your encouragement, and we extend an invitation to anyone who may be interested in joining to get in touch with us.

ORDINARY TIME:

When the liturgy was re-ordered after the Second Vatican Council, the Church introduced the new designation of ‘Ordinary Time’, which covers two thirds of the calendar. The great Feasts of Christmas and Easter are singled out and, of course, we prepare for them with Advent and Lent and follow them with other great Feasts like the Epiphany and Pentecost. In former times the Sundays were called those after the Epiphany and those after Pentecost, but now they are simply the Sundays in the thirty-four weeks of Ordinary Time. And we have a longer period of Ordinary Time at present, with Easter not until the 20 April this year.

For a long time, I thought the new arrangement seemed rather bland, but I am beginning to accept that there is a value in highlighting the extraordinary and that much of life is simply coping with the humdrum ordinary day to day business of living, even when it comes to our spiritual welfare. That stated, I want to note that I am conscious that many people in both parishes are striving to ensure that we celebrate the ordinary in the best possible way. Firstly, I want to thank those who have taken initiatives in relation to the ministries of ‘Reading’ and ‘Holy Communion for the housebound’, and to the altar servers in both parishes who are keen to enhance our ceremonies with the use of incense. Indeed, this has inspired me to see whether we can encourage a new young team of servers in both parishes, who can be trained by the older ones. Ben, who has also done the youth training and been commissioned as a Minister of Holy Communion, is willing to supervise this project during his gap year before going to university.

CONFIRMATION:

And this neatly leads me to remind our young people in Year 8 (or above) to reflect on whether they would like to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this year. You are invited to enrol directly through Animate (The Archdiocesan Youth Movement): If you are enrolling, it will also be helpful if you inform our administrators in the two parishes.

JUNIOR JUSTICE AND PEACE:

The appeal for toilet rolls and washing powder/liquid to supplement supplies for the Food Bank was a huge success. Look out for the photos and the reports, which will also be on our websites (Click here). This group continues to provide our young people (from top Primary through to University!) with wonderful opportunities to live their faith in a practical way: so, if you are in that age-bracket and have not yet joined, why not think about it?

DEACON BERNARD RIGBY:

Once again, on behalf of the whole community of St Mary’s, Woolton, as he retires this weekend, I want to thank Deacon Bernard for his wonderful years of ministry, supported by his wife, Angela, and the family. We look forward to the reception for him after the 11.00am Mass, when we will also be able to thank Bernard Kean for his years of faithful service in funeral ministry.

CANDLEMAS:

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, often called Candlemas because of the focus on Christ, the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Of course, it was the ancient prophet, Simeon, who arrived on the scene and pointed out the significance of the child, Jesus, thanking God that he could now “depart in peace” because he had seen the “salvation… prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” It is now a day of prayer especially for those who have dedicated their lives to the service of the Lord in religious life. Accordingly, some of us will be able to join the other religious of the Archdiocese for Vespers with Archbishop Malcolm on Sunday afternoon.