St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More
What were the disciples arguing about? Given that a good number of them were fishermen, were they comparing sizes of nets, boats or their biggest catch? Was Matthew boasting about the cash he had made during his time as a chief tax collector? Or was the row about physical prowess, stamina, or endurance (they were all men after all!)? Or was it about more personal matters, and to do with family wealth, their children, their wives?
Because we will never know, it is impossible to speculate (although good fun and an interesting exercise). There can be little doubt, however, that the detail of the row would have been at a very low level and clearly cast them all in a very poor light indeed. In a way, though, such incidents point to the utter reliability and authenticity of the Scriptures. Because if the Gospel writers were simply writing propaganda (as they can sometimes be accused of), they would have sought to gloss over or cover up this kind of embarrassing weakness and failure. Instead, their insecurity and self-doubt are on show for all the world to see for all time.
If you want to be great, Jesus tell them and us, become the least, the servant of all; better still, take on the disposition and attitude of a child (children and women were virtually non-citizens in these ancient cultures). The teaching isi staggering – so refreshing, so radical, so alternative, so counter-nature, let alone counter-cultural. There is true freedom in humility, bus it is always grounded in true knowledge of God and self. We grow in humility to the degree that we grow in our knowledge of God’s greatness and our smallness. ‘God is great’, is the prayer of the humble!
BEGINNING OF SCHOOL YEAR: This week I had the joy and privilege of celebrating a wonderful Assembly with Kew Stage one children, and Holy Mass with Key Stage Two children at St. John Fisher School. It was the first time since March 2020 that we had been able to celebrate together. The children were absolutely wonderful. The younger ones were so vivacious in their answers to questions. I really look forward to more beautiful liturgies at the school over the next Academic Year. Please keep the school and the children in your prayers.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION – CATHOLIC SCHOOLS APPLICATIONS.
If your child is due to start Primary or Secondary School in September 2022, You need to read the below very carefully; please note that:
a) Fr John will know those families who have been practising their faith by coming to Weekly Sunday Mass. These families will receive a Certificate of Catholic Practice.
b) If you have not been practising your faith, please do not approach Fr John for a Certificate of Catholic Practice as he will be unable to provide you with this document. Instead, apply directly to the Catholic School of your choice.
c) If you plan to send your daughter or son to the Trinity Catholic High School, please note that you will require a Certificate of Catholic Practice.
d) If you are applying for a Non-Catholic School that requires evidence of religious practice and you have been practising your faith, Please submit a copy of your SIF form for reference purposes to Fr. John at the interview. (Fr John has copies at the Presbytery). If you state that you have been practicing weekly and you only practice fortnightly or monthly, this form will not be signed.
e) If you are applying for a Non-Catholic School that requires evidence of religious practice and you have not been practising your faith, please do not approach Fr John. Instead, apply directly to the non-Catholic school of your choice.
f) There will only be a virtual talk and tour of Trinity Catholic High School again this year for Prospective Year 7 pupils & parents, which will take place on 29th September, you can tune in at any time from that date until the closing date of the 31st October.
Davenant Foundation School Open Evening 7th October; 4.30pm, 6.00pm, 7.30pm. Please consult Davenant Website (Admissiions) for more details
g) Complete and totally honesty in the signing of application forms is required. Fr John will not be able to put his signature to anything that is untrue.
h) Fr John will be signing Certificates of Catholic Practice and SIF forms from the week of Monday 18th – Friday 22nd October. Please book your appointment. Thank you!
With God’s Blessing for the coming week,
WEEKLY OFFERTORY: My sincere thanks to those who are making their weekly contribution of Gift Aid envelopes and through the banking system that has been set up through the Diocese whereby your Offertory can be paid directly into the Parish Account, details below:
Or you can use Parish Bank Account: Using Online Banking
HSBC Sort Code 40-13-22
Account Number: 11019651
PARISH FINANCES: During the Pandemic, over the past 19 months, you may be aware that the Parish Finances took a bit of a nosedive. Unfortunately, with a large number of people not attending church anymore there has been a dramatic reduction in income. Many parishioners signed up for online giving (details across the page); some joined the Gift Aid Scheme and give through monthly direct debit. I would like to encourage all parishioners to seriously think about your weekly offertory. This is your act of thanksgiving to Almighty God, and of course, is the main source of upkeep for the parish. There are spare Gift Aid application Forms in the Porch if you would like to join the scheme; you have to be a Tax Payer to join. Also, as we are having great difficulty in paying in our weekly offertory now, due to the HSBC bank closing, and many other branches not taking counter pay-in, can I recommend more parishioners going over to GA scheme through weekly/monthly direct debit, or online giving! This would be so helpful! Thank you for your generosity!
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: If anyone else is interested in joining the RCIA Journey of Faith programme, please come along to the Presbytery at 7.30pm next Thursday; it’s still not too late to join the programme. Theme: Original Sin. If you want to know more about the programme please contact Fr John, Tel No: 0208 508 3492 or Email: loughton@dioceseofbrentwood.org
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME: The Children’s Programme will commence on Sunday 19th September at 10.00am and the children will be formally presented as candidates of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist at the 11.00am Mass. Please put these dates in your diary. Thank you! Please pray for all our children preparing for the sacraments. This is truly a wonderful moment of time in their lives.
EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank. They are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: tinned soup, tinned spaghetti, tinned tomatoes, savoury crackers, sponge puddings, chocolate bars, small and medium bags of rice, snack bars and razors. Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/
PROSPECTIVE MARRIAGES FOR 2022/23: If anyone is planning on getting married wihin the next 18 months, could you kindly make contact with the Church. As the Pandemic has delayed many marriages over the past 16 months, there is now a catch-up taking place, and many people have had to rescedule their weddings and receptions accordingly. For marriages abroad, we need at least nine months notice, as all the documentation has to be completed at least two months in advance of the wedding and sent abroad. There is also an Engaged Couple’s Marriage Prepraration Programme to complete; which is a requirement for Catholic Marriage. For those couples getting married in your own parish church, a six month notification is needed. There is now a new format for the Civil Registration of Marriage. There is no more signing of registers, this is now abrogated for a simpler form of signatures; but all of these procedures take time. So please notify the church in plenty of time for weddings. Thank you!
IRREGULAR MARRIAGES: An irregualr marriage is one tht has taken place outside of the Catholic Church without dispensation. For example: Marriages in hotels, and secualr venues, on beaches or Las Vegas; marriage in a non Catholic Church without dispensation from the Bishop. These marriages are not recognised by the Catholic Church, and therefore are non sacramental & irregular. But there is a facility in the Church to recetify these situations called a Convalidation (this is a strictly private facility that is offered by the church). As marriage and family life is what I specialised in while studying Canon Law, if anyone wishes to speak to me confidentially please don’t hesitate to contact me: Tel No: 0208 508 3492
DIARY SEPTEMBER 2021
PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH
Carmen Antaki, Margaret Baldwin, Evelyn Bearne, Brian Beveridge, Karl Britz, Carlos Camacho, Jane Downs, Steve Dalgliesh, Pat Fenn, Veronica Godsave, Bernadette Hall, Ann Hawkes, Claire Howes, Noel Johnson, Shaun Keel, Angela Long, Lilian Mothersole, John McKernan, Rosemary O’Rourke, Kathleen Pomeroy, Geraldine Taylor, Vera Taylor, Mary Witten, James Wright. And all our loved ones.
ANNIVERSARIES: Joseph Olivelle RIP, Gerard Pampellonne RIP. And for all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.
MASS INTENTIONS: It has always been a custom within the Roman Catholic Faith to have an Intention offered when celebrating Holy Mass. Intentions can be for all occasions: e.g. For a deceased member of a family; deceased anniversary mass; Birthday intention; Special Occasions; Get Well Mass; Success in exams; Special milestone anniversaries, Wedding, Ordination, Confirmation. In fact, you can offer a Mass for almost every occasion! There are Mass Intention envelopes and Special Mass Cards for all occasions in the Repository at the back of the Church. (Please complete Mass envelope and enclose your Mass Offering and drop off at the Presbytery); I will always try to accommodate the date you have requested, or the nearest date to it. It’s always beautiful to receive a Mass card from someone!
BAPTISMS: It is now permissible once again to have Baptisms with larger groups of family & guests. Manifestly, there are many people who haven’t been able to have baptisms over the past 18 months. Kindly contact Fr. John to arrange your child’s baptism as soon as possible please. There is a Baptism Programme for first time parents.
FROM THE VICARIATE FOR ADULT FORMATION:
1. One of the new projects to help adult lay men and women deepen their understanding of the Catholic Faith is a series of online talks given by priests of our diocese. This is not a systematic course that one needs to commit to in order to benefit from but rather online talks that people can dip in and out of as they wish. I wonder if you would be kind enough to include this brief notice in your newsletter or bring these talks to the attention of your parish as you see fit:
THE THRESHOLDS OF HOPE QUESTIONS are a series of talks for adults who want to grow in understanding and confidence when questioned or speaking about their Catholic Faith. The talks and discussion will take place on Zoom from 4.00 – 5.00 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. The first talk is on the 19th September and will consider the question: “What is the relationship between faith and reason?” It will be given by Fr Mark Swires, the chaplain at the University of Essex. If you would like to join this discussion please email your name and a contact email address to adultformationvicariate@dioceseofbrentwood.org
For more information about The Thresholds of Hope Questions go to www.thresholdsofhope.co.uk
2. I would also like to draw your attention to another online project developed by Mauro Iannicelli that provides an accessible guide to the Bible for adults. Mauro is a committed Catholic layman in our diocese and has provided input for the Newham Deanery in the past. He is also willing to send to your parish 200+ course invitation A6 flyers, completely free of charge. Just drop him an email request for the flyers at mauro@comeandsee.org, or to ask him any questions about the course. I recommend this initiative to you and if you feel able to do so, to promote his course in your newsletter or elsewhere:
The YouTube Bible Timeline Course Do you feel the Bible is too big and too difficult to understand? Do you get lost with all the characters and stories? If so, this course aims to help you better understand the riches of the Bible in a simple and straightforward way. The course begins on Wednesday 29 Sept, 2021 at 7pm. For more information and to register go to www.comeandsee.org
THE CRY OF THE POOR – STUDY DAY FOR THE SEASON OF CREATION: A study day on Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Fratelli Tutti on ‘fraternity and social friendship’ will be live-streamed from 11.00 to 12.30 BST on Saturday 2nd October. The study day, entitled ‘The Cry of the Poor’, is organised from Gidea Park parish, and the speaker is Fr Ashley Beck, expert on Catholic Social Teaching. The event is free of charge and no registration is necessary. The encyclical is a challenge to see the implications of faith in Christ in the face of the widespread xenophobia and discrimination prevalent in our society and in so many parts of the world. To access the livestream go to www.whatgoodnews.org where the previous study day ‘The Cry of Creation’ (exploring Laudato si’) is also available.
A REAL MOMENT OF SADNESS: It’s heart-breaking and makes me really sad, that many of our Confirmandi who received the Sacrament of Confirmation in June have not returned to Holy Mass since that day of celebration. It’s not only an insult to Almighty God, but makes a farce of attending the programme in the first place, and all the hard work that was put in by our Confirmation Catechists. If it meant so little, why on earth did you do it? Of all the things that I have to contend with in Pastoral Ministry, this is the thing that makes me really sad! I know many people are walking away from the practice of the faith, and many have not returned after Covid. But to be a Roman Catholic is not just about fulfilling our Sunday Obligation, but about the whole of our lives lived in the light of Christ Jesus. What has happened to personal integrity & honesty? SAD! SAD! SAD!
ALTAR SOCIETY: If anyone else would like to join the Altar Society please contact Sharon Fitzmaurice on 07854919207 or shazzafitzm@aol.com It probably works out to about an hour a month, and you can do as much or as little as you wish; the more help we have the easier it is to keep the church really clean. Thanking you in anticipation!
REQUIESCANT IN PACE: Please pray for the repose of the souls of Teresa Weight & Josephine Colebrook who passed away this week. We extend our condolences to their families in this time of great loss
WHY SUNDAY IS IMPORTANT TO CATHOLICS: Sunday is a day of life and glory. On that day, Christ, the life of the faithful, rose from the dead. We remember and celebrate this saving event in a special way on a Sunday. But more than that, the Crucified and Risen Christ comes to us in the celebration of the Mass. He speaks to us through the living word of the Sacred Scriptures. He feeds us, body and soul, with his own divine life in Holy Communion. He calls us out of our individual activities and isolation and gathers us together as His Church, a people set apart to give thanks and praise to Him. Sunday is the Day of the Lord, when we meet the Risen Christ and formed into a community of faith, hope and love by Holy Spirit.
TRINITY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL – SIXTH FORM:
We have limited places available in the following A Level subjects. If you would like to apply, please email sixthformadmissions@tchs.uk.net with a copy of your GCSE results.
Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Digital Media, Economics, English Language & Literature, English Literature, Film Studies, Food Tech, French, Geography, History, Maths & Further Maths, PE, Physics, Politics, Product Design (DT), Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, & Theatre Studies.
MASS INTENTIONS – SEPTEMBER 2021
| Sat 18th | 10.00am | Veronique Marc RIP (Mary Marc-Peterkin) |
| Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm | ||
| Sat 18th | 6.00pm | Margaret & Frank Irving RIP (Margaret Hopkinson) |
| Sun 19th | 9.00am | Pat Pinagli RIP (John & Sue Campbell) |
| Sun 19th | 11:00am | Rose Smith RIP (Noreen Smith) |
| Mon 20th | 10.00am 10.30am | Jhana Marc-Peterkin’s Ints (M M-Peterkin) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament |
| Tues 21st | 10.00am | Yvonne Maria Westcott RIP (Frank Westcott) |
| Wed 22nd | 10.00am | Pat Pinagli RIP (Veronica & Steve Short) |
| Thurs 23rd | 10.00am 10.30am | Peter Smith RIP (Paul Falco) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament |
| Fri 24th | 10.00am 10.30am | Thanksgiving (Mary Marc-Peterkin) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament |
| Sat 25th | 10.00am | Conor Ferguson |
| Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm | ||
| Sat 25th | 6.00pm | Mary Gilligan RIP (John Connolly) |
| Sun 26th | 9.00am | Ann Willsdon (sick) (McGeady Family) |
| Sun 26th | 11:00am | Ludwina Yazon Alfonso RIP (Bacani Family) |
Please kindly be patient with your mass requests. I will try to accommodate your requested dates, but there have been a large number of requests recently and we celebrate masses in the order in which we receive them.
Parish Phone No: 0208 508 3492 Email: Loughton@dioceseofbrentwood.org
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading : Wisdom 2:12,17-20
The godless say to themselves:
‘Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us
and opposes our way of life,
reproaches us for our breaches of the law
and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing.
‘Let us see if what he says is true,
let us observe what kind of end he himself will have.
If the virtuous man is God’s son, God will take his part
and rescue him from the clutches of his enemies.
Let us test him with cruelty and with torture,
and thus explore this gentleness of his
and put his endurance to the proof.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death
since he will be looked after – we have his word for it.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 53(54):3-6,8
The Lord upholds my life.
O God, save me by your name;
by your power, uphold my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
listen to the words of my mouth.
The Lord upholds my life.
For proud men have risen against me,
ruthless men seek my life.
They have no regard for God.
The Lord upholds my life.
But I have God for my help.
The Lord upholds my life.
I will sacrifice to you with willing heart
and praise your name for it is good.
The Lord upholds my life.
Second Reading: James 3:16-4:3
Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done; whereas the wisdom that comes down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace, and is kindly and considerate; it is full of compassion and shows itself by doing good; nor is there any trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it. Peacemakers, when they work for peace, sow the seeds which will bear fruit in holiness.
Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force. Why you don’t have what you want is because you don’t pray for it; when you do pray and don’t get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires.
Gospel : Mark 9:30-37
Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.
They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.
St Edmund of Canterbury 