Christ the King (A)


 

Fr Paul's Sunday Reflection

 

With the second lockdown now in place Churches are no longer allowed to open for Mass.

The Sunday obligation to attend Mass is still suspended for the time being. Please be patient as our greatest concern is the safety of everyone.
Mass will continue to be livestreamed as below.

Facebook and  YouTube.

The Redemptorists have Sunday Mass online available from 12pm on Saturdays, celebrated by Fr Denis McBride C.Ss.R.

There are several churches which live stream masses throughout the Archdiocese of Liverpool. These can be accessed here.

Other streamed masses are also available, click below for more

The Feast of Christ the King (A)

First Reading – Ezekiel 34:11-12,15-17.

The Lord is exasperated that those who were appointed to look after God’s people have used their position for their own advantage and neglected their responsibilities. The Lord will take care of the flock from now on.

Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 15:20-2,28.

Paul looks forward to the coming of Christ in glory at the end of time.

Gospel Reading – Matthew 25:31-46.

The trial scene, set at the end of time, reveals God’s judgement on how we have responded to the needs of our fellow human beings.

 

 

Psalter: Week 2
Readings for Weekdays: Ordinary Week 34

 

There are four newsletters published weekly in the Deanery, you can access current and past editions here:

St Edmund Arrowsmith Newsletters (St Joseph's, Sacred Heart, Twelve Apostle, Our Lady's - Leigh)

St Margaret Clitherow Newsletters (Holy Family, Boothstown; St Ambrose Barlow, Astley; St Gabriel's, Higher Folds)

St Lewis, St Catherine's & All Saints Newsletters (Croft, Lowton & Golborne)

St John Rigby Newsletter (Sacred Heart, Hindley Green; St Richard's, Atherton; Sacred Heart Hindsford)

 

( Newsletters download as pdf files in a new window.)

 

In prayerfully being present at a Mass being broadcast to you, obviously physically receiving the Eucharist is not possible. However, Spiritual Communion is.

So what is Spiritual Communion? The common practice of making such a spiritual communion indicate our desire to join with the Lord when in a situation that makes unable to sacramentally receive the Body and Blood of the Lord in Holy Communion at Mass.

 

Today we celebrate Youth Sunday and although it might be hard to celebrate Youth Sunday in the usual way, Youth Sunday is still taking place. Animate have created a video to celebrate Youth Sunday. It can be found on the Animate You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/AnimateYouth Then search for ‘Youth Sunday 2020’).
Also, on the You Tube Channel are other videos we are uploading monthly:
November – Taizé style prayer at home
December – Advent Youth Alive Mass
January – Praise and Worship hymns and prayer
February – Lenten retreat
March – Lent Youth Alive Mass

As many of you will already know by now, during this second lockdown, public worship in our churches has been suspended for the time being. The only exception is funerals which may only be attended by up to 30 people maximum. The Sunday Obligation remains suspended by the Bishops Conference.

In the meantime a number of our churches will open for private prayer:

Private Prayer

Sacred Heart, Hindley Green – Wednesday at 10.30am & Sunday at 10.30am.

St.Joseph’s, Leigh – Saturday at 4.30pm, Sunday at 9.30am.

Sacred Heart, Leigh - Sunday at 11.00am

St Lewis, Croft - Sunday 9.00am - 10.00am

All Saints, Golborne - Wednesday, 10.00am - 11.00am & Sunday 10.30am - 11.30am

Our stewards will continue in their role of keeping you all safe.

St Joseph's Centre - 01942 673517

Fr Paul Seddon - 01942 883395 (St Richard's & Sacred Heart.)
Fr Paul Grady - 0161 790 2390 (Holy Family, St Ambrose Barlow & St Gabriel's)
Fr Kieran O'Grady - 01942 673517 (Sacred Heart & St Joseph's)
Fr Gordon Abbs - 01942 273851 (St Lewis, St Catherine's & All Saints)

St Margaret Clitherow Enquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

St Edmund Arrowsmith Enquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Various inspiring and heart warming items and pictures to reflect on:

Fratelli Tutti (full version) - In The Pope's latest encyclical, fraternity and social friendship are the ways the Pontiff indicates to build a better, more just and peaceful world, with the contribution of all: people and institutions. With an emphatic confirmation of a ‘no’ to war and to globalized indifference. 

Short summary version

Long summary version

  • ST.RICHARD’S CHURCH, ATHERTON. In the next few weeks we are hoping to re-open St.Richard’s Church in Atherton, obviously when the present Lockdown is officially over and when the Church is given the go-ahead to re-open all the churches. Find out more

  • The CBCEW has made a statement following the recent publication of the IICSA report into Child Sexual Abuse. Click on the link to read more.
  • HCPT Christmas Cards - still available
  • November Pious List - Most masses celebrated during November will be said for those whose names have been handed in for this year's Pious Lists.
  • Synod 2020 – there is now an opportunity for people to respond to and discuss the proposals published. Zoom meetings will be offered for those who wish to take part. Please email the parish office if you wish to be included in this so our representative can send you the link to join the meeting via email. Dates for these meetings (approx. 30 mins each) will be given next week.
  • Sacred Heart Club (Hindley Green) is now in lockdown for 28 days
  • Food collection, St Margaret Clitherow – it seems to be a good idea that we begin our Advent collection, but early this year. I propose that we focus on supporting the local food banks, which will include the bank operating in St Gabriel’s school for the families in need there. Non perishable food such as tinned or dried food may be left at church or dropped off at Holy Family Presbytery from this week onwards.

Reflect

Today's Gospel Reading is very clear in its explanation of how we should live with our fellow humans. Ours should be a non-judgmental relationship of love, care and support for each other

Pray

Bread for the world
A world of hunger
Wine for all peoples
People who thirst
May we who eat
Be bread for others
May we who drink
Pour out our love
 
(Bread for the World by Bernadette Farrell)

Act

Can you do at least one of these this week?

'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in, 
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Challenge

Today is also Youth Sunday. Our young people in particular are finding these days of lockdown difficult to cope. Take time to give them your support, listen to their fears and longings, show them that life will get better.

About LiveSimply

LiveSimply Resources

There are several items of interest available from the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

New resources now available include:

 The Liverpool Catholic website also has up to date information on the Church's Policy regarding Coronavirus and lots of other useful information.

Most weeks there may well be a number of feast days. We don’t necessarily celebrate them all. Some saints are more important in certain parts of the country than others and will be celebrated more on a local level, whilst other saints will be celebrated everywhere. So each week we will comment on the feast-days that we should celebrate in our regional Church.

Monday November 23rd – St.Columbanus.

Born in the 6th Century, well-educated and desiring to be a “pilgrim of God”, Columban travelled France and founded several monasteries as centres of religion and culture. On his return to Ireland, a shipwreck directed him towards Rome and to the establishment of his final monastery at Bobbio in Italy.

Tuesday November 24th – St.Andrew Dun Lac & his companions.

Today’s feast celebrates the lives of 177 martyrs in Vietnam from 1745 to 1862, also called the martyrs of Indo-China. These martyrs include both Europeans and Asians. There were 8 bishops, 50 priests and 59 lay people. During the first 200 years of Christianity in that part of the world it is believed that about 100,000 were martyred. The most famous of these was St.Andrew Dun Lac.

Wednesday November 25th  – St.Catherine of Alexandria.

St.Catherine was a learned woman of the early 4th Century, who, following her conversion at the age of 18, preached the Gospel throughout Alexandria in Egypt. While imprisoned by the Emperor Maximus, she converted both the empress and the leader of the armed forces and for this she was martyred, according to tradition, on a spiked wheel. She was venerated as the patron of philosophers and preachers and has as her symbol wheel, where the phrase “Catherine Wheel” comes from.

Some resources for families who would like to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word with their children.

Martin at Ten: Ten is making available for free their daily prayers resources: https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/daily-prayers-for-home/ and their Family Liturgy for Sundays: https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/sunday-liturgy-for-families/

The God who Speaks now have a section on the Word at home: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/events/the-god-who-speaks/word-at-home/

CAFOD has several useful items to use with children -  updated weekly

CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF ENGLAND AND WALES

Statement from the President and the Vice-President of the Conference

on the National Lockdown Wednesday 4th November 2020

Today, Parliament passed into law the Regulations governing many aspects of activity in the whole of England until 2nd December. These Regulations prohibit the gathering of people for communal worship in churches and other religious buildings.

Churches remain open and in use for activities other than communal worship, including personal prayer and support for those in need.

Despite profound misgivings it is important that we, as responsible citizens, observe these Regulations, which have the force of law: ‘Remind them to be obedient to the officials in authority; to be ready to do good at every opportunity’ (Titus 3:1). We do this in solidarity with so many others on whom are being imposed restrictions which impact severely on their lives and livelihoods.

It is also important to recognise that these Regulations are not an attack on religious belief. However, they do demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding of the essential contribution made by faith communities to the well-being, resilience and health of our society.

At this difficult moment, we ask that, as a Catholic community, we make full use of our churches as places of individual prayer and sources of solace and help. We must sustain each other in our patterns of prayer, joining a national shared moment of prayer each day at 6pm, and observing the Vigil of Christ the King (21st November) as a day of prayer for the ending of this pandemic. And we encourage you all in your practical service and support of each other and those around you in need.

This pathway of prayer and service is the royal road we are to take as a gracious witness in our society today.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols
President

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP
Vice-President