The Beatitudes occur in only Mathew’s and Luke’s Gospel. Matthew’s version is delivered on a mountain (just as Moses delivered the Ten Commandments) and Luke’s version on a plain or lever ground. There are many comparisons to be made. Luke’s version doesn’t have the ‘poor in spirit’ – simply ‘the poor’ – and omits the Beatitude about the meet inheriting the earth. His version also has a set of ‘woes’, which highlight the downside of being rich, well fed, socially affirmed, etc.
Mining the Scriptures for hidden depths yields fruit and many blessings. The Beatitudes, be they Matthean of Lucan, do a variety of things. They shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life. They’re the paradoxical promises that sustain hope amid tribulations. They’re also the very heart and essence of Jesus’s teachings and reveal his face, character and personality.
Jesus lived the Beatitudes; he incarnated them, if you like. Perhaps he is the only one whoever has, for to live them is to be perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect. Mind you, given that in his lifetime St Francis was called the ‘Second Christ’, it’s likely that he came close, alongside other great saints, especially Mary, the Mother of God.
However, the Beatitudes aren’t just for the saints, but for all of us. They contain both promises of what we shall become, and the revelation of what we have begun to be, albeit in perhaps a somewhat hidden way.
One way of living the Beatitudes and putting them into practice is to memorise them, to become familiar with them as with the Our Father or the Hail Mary. This straightforward step will help us to take them to heart and cherish them during our daily lives. St Augustine said, ‘We all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated.
My Dear Friends in Christ, 6th Sunday of the Year, 2022
This weekend we welcome Fr Kirby Rust from the Diocese of Louisville, Kentucky, who is doing post-graduate studies in Rome. It’s seven years since Fr Kirby was last here; please extend him your usual warm welcome. He returns to Rome this afternoon.
As we all attempt to get back to some semblance of normality during this Covid Pandemic, and with restrictions being lifted dramatically, we realise that the world will never be the same again. For nearly two years the whole world has been contending with all sorts of restrictions, and many people have suffered both physically and psychologically. Many are still very frightened to go out of their homes. Tragically, there have been many deaths to this terrible disease. But we cannot put our lives on hold; we cannot stop living. We’ve lost two years; we don’t want to lose anymore.
It is truly wonderful to see so many parishioners who have returned to regular practice of faith. All I can ask of those who have not returned, and there are many in all parishes, please think about the whole of your spiritual and Catholic lives, and parents, please think about your children. Our life of faith is not just something that we tag on to the rest of our life; it’s the mainstay of who we are as sons and daughters of God. Would you really want to give that up??
I would like to hope that we have all had time to evaluate over the past two years the most important aspects of our lives, and to realise that we cannot live without God and faith. The Pandemic was certainly a big wake-up call!
THE HOLY SEASON OF LENT is fast approaching; Ash Wednesday is on the 2nd March. It would be truly wonderful if everyone in our parish would make a really special act of commitment to the Lord during this holy season: to make an extra special effort to be present at the Sunday Liturgy of Holy Mass, to practice the Lenten Disciplines of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. There are all sort of different ways that we can make our Lenten journey special. The daily reading of our Bible; there are a variety of spiritual books that you can read, e.g. Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre. No Greater Love by Edward Sri. The Decline and Fall of Sacred Scripture – By Scott Hahn & Benjamin Wiker. 40 Days of Lent Journey to Easter – By Catholic Common Prayers. There are also the spiritual classics, and many more. All of these can be obtained through Amazon.
May God Bless You All
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME 2022: The next class after half-term will be on Sunday 27th February 2022. It is imperative that all the First Communion Children and their families are present each week at Sunday Mass. Mt thanks to all the parents who turned up for the Parents Meeting given by Dr Paul Doherty OBE. There was truly a wonderful turnout and Dr Doherty was excellent on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Please keep all of the children in your prayers as they continue their sacramental preparation.
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS Our next m eeting will take place at the presbytery on Thursday 17th February at 7.30pm. Theme: Mary – Mother of God, Mother of the Church. Prayer – The Lifeline between ourselves and God – Methods of Prayer. If you want to know more about the programme, and the whole RCIA process, please contact Fr John, Tel No: 0208 508 3492
THRESHOLDS OF HOPE QUESTION: What do devotions to Mary tell us about her Son, Jesus? Input will be given by Fr Michael Barwick, assistant parish priest of Our Lady and St George, Walthamstow today, Sunday 13th February, 4.00 – 5.00p.m. via Zoom. To join this Zoom meeting simply forward a contact email to adultformationvicariate@dioceseofbrentwood.org. For more information go to http://www.thresholdsofhope.co.uk
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 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: UHT milk, laundry powder and tablets, tinned tomatoes, sponge puddings, cleaning spray / cloths, instant mash, toilet paper, chocolate bars, rice pudding and jam. Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/
VISITATION OF THE SICK & HOUSEBOUND: In the latest guidelines from the Bishops’ Conference we have now been given permission once again to resume our visitation of sick & housebound parishioners. If anyone would like a visit or receive Holy Communion at home, please contact Fr John.
SPECIAL APPEAL TO ALL PARISHIONERS
DIFFERENT WAYS TO HELP YOUR PARISH: There are all sorts of ministries in the life of faith and the Church; please would you consider joining one of the following:-
Parish Readers: You may have thought it would be good to become a Reader at Holy Mass; please see Fr John if you’re interested.
The Parish Altar Society: has been running for over 70 years. This involves keeping the Church in pristine condition through cleaning and care. It’s always good to have more volunteers to go onto the Rota. E.g. there is the cleaning of the church, cleaning of windows, Cleaning of Sacristies, Cleaning of the Organ Loft, Care of Sanctuary, Washing of Altar Linens, Cleaning of the Brass; if you can help in any way whatsoever, please contact Fr John or Sharon Fitzmaurice.
Additional Catechists: Helping to teach the faith to our Children through Sacramental Preparation. Communicating the truths of faith to our little ones is really a wonderful ministry, and can be very rewarding spiritually to both child and Catechist alike. There is always need for further help with this very important ministry.
Altar Serving: We are always looking for new Altar Servers. Sadly, we lost a lot of our Severs during the Pandemic, who have decided not to return to weekly serving. If your child has made their First Holy Communion, and would like to serve please speak to Fr. John.
Joining the Choir or Contemporary Music Group: If you enjoy singing, or that you’re a musician, you may consider joining our Choir or the Contemporary Music Group. These two groups meet regularly for practice, and enrich our Sunday Liturgy.
Volunteer Gardeners for St Edmund’s Church grounds: We don’t have a lot of property at St Edmund’s, but if anyone has green fingers, and would like to help keep the front garden and hedges, shrubs and grounds tidy, I would be most grateful. Please call Fr. John. Tel No: 020 8508 3492
PLEASE CONSIDER THESE SUGGESTIONS; WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER ALMIGHTY GOD THROUGH OUR TALENTS.
Bishop’s Certificate in Catechesis and Youth Ministry: The Bishop’s Certificate is designed to be an entry level qualification to help in the ongoing formation of adults involved in sacramental preparation or youth ministry in the Diocese of Brentwood. It includes both the development of practical skills & the deepening of theological knowledge. The course is online and taught through engaging, short videos with expert interviews. The course will begin on the evening of 24th February, with an introduction and welcome evening, held at Walsingham House at Abbotswick. For more information please see our website: https://bcys.net/bishops-cert/ or email your expression of interest to bishopscertificate@dioceseofbrentwood.org by Monday 22nd February.
BE PART OF THE WALSINGHAM HOUSE TEAM 2022/23
If you are 18+ and looking for an exciting gap year opportunity, then a year on the Walsingham House Team could be for you. Spend a year as a volunteer in a thriving young Catholic Community, working with thousands of young people from Essex and East London. We are looking for inspiring individuals who want to share their faith with other young people and are also looking to learn new skills, grow deeper in their own faith and enjoy a challenge. For more information please contact Joseph Beattie, manager of Walsingham House, by emailing josephbeattie@dioceseofbrentwood.org or calling 01277 373959. There is more information about our work on our website (www.bcys.net) and social media @Brentwoodcys
BCYS SUMMER LOURDES PILGRIMAGE 2022: 23rd – 30th July 2022. Join the Youth pilgrimage to Lourdes this Summer, assisting pilgrims to Masses, services, shops and cafes of the beautiful French town, take part in retreats and a youth led reconciliation service, visit the baths and the stunning mountain town of Gavarnie, experience the amazing Lourdes processions, as well as social nights, party and so much more! The cost is £625 for the week, and is open to all those in school year 11 and above (funding and grant opportunities are available).
You can email gabriellafusi@dioceseofbrentwood.org or visit http://www.bcys.net/events/sl22 to find out more and apply now! The deadline for applications is Sunday 20th February.
THE DIOCESAN LOURDES PILGRIMAGE: led by Bishop Alan, will take place from Sunday 24 – Friday 29 July in Lourdes. Brochures for the pilgrimage, which will include costs, will be available soon. For further information contact Cathy O’Connor: cathy@dioceseofbrentwood.org or 07813 710070.
IRREGULAR MARRIAGES: An Irregualr Marriage is one that 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
A SUNDAY EVENING PARISH YOUTH MASS: We’ve had a couple of these popular and enjoyable Masses over the past few years and hopefully we’ll be able to organise one, possibly in the New Year. The idea would be that you could get involved with the music and the readings and make it your own celebration. Hopefully, we will also have a social gathering in the hall afterwards
PARISH FINANCES: As you can appreciate, during this pandemic the parish income took a severe hit, and we are still not back at the same levels as we were prior to 2020. My sincere and grateful thanks to those who have signed up for online giving and Gift Aid, this is helping. Many parishioners have not returned to the regular practice of faith, and many Gift Aid boxes were not collected this year. Please consider your weekly offertory to God.
ADVERT: The Governing Body of St. Antony’s Catholic Primary School wishes to appoint a talented SEN Learning Support Assistant preferably with experience of working with children with ASD to come and join our inclusive Primary school. For more information, please visit our website http://www.stantonyscatholicps.co.uk/vacancies
CLOSING DATE: Wednesday 9th March 2022(Noon) INTERVIEWS: Friday 11th March 2022
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: Fr John’s Fortieth Anniversary of Ordination. As this was unable to take place last year, due to the Pandemic. It has been rescheduled to Friday 8th July 2022, with concelebrated Mass with Bishop Alan, Priests of the Diocese, Family & Visitors from all over the world, and of course, My Parish Family here at St. Edmund’s. It would be helpful to form a working party to arrange the event. I have already spoken to our Parish Music Director with regards to Music & the Liturgy.
DIARY JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2022
PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH
Carmen Antaki, Margaret Baldwin, Evelyn Bearne, Karl Britz, Carlos Camacho, Jane Downs, Steve Dalgliesh, Pat Fenn, Veronica Godsave, Bernadette Hall, Ann Hawkes, Claire Howes, Jackie Ilines, Noel Johnson, Shaun Keel, Bridget Kinsella, 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: Celia Rowe RIP, Patricia Gardner RIP, Eileen Bevan RIP. Please pray for all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.
SPECIAL APPEAL To all our parishioners who contribute to your parish weekly. Would you please consider to transferring your weekly offertory over to a Direct Debit. With the closing of the local HSBC Bank it has been quite difficult paying in the Offertory, and with many banks now only offering a machine deposit service. Please think about this request. Thank you!
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 PLEASE BE GENEROUS IN YOUR
Account Number: 11019651 GIFT TO GOD & HIS CHURCH
MARRIAGES FOR 2022: If anyone is planning on getting married in 2022, please could you make contact with Fr. John at the beginning of January. For those getting married in the parish we normally ask for six months’ notice; for those getting married outside of the parish at least nine months’ notice. The documentation and preparation takes quite a long time and organising Marriage Preparation Courses through Marriage Care in the responsibility of the Couple. To avoid any disappointments, please make contact as soon as possible.
MASS INTENTIONS – FEBRUARY 2022
| Sat 12th | 10.00am | Sarah McQuade RIP (Margaret Duffy) |
| Vigil Mass for Sunday. Confessions at 5.30pm | ||
| Sat 12th | 6.00pm | David Faud RIP (Faud & Murphy Families) |
| Sun 13th | 9.00am | Eileen Lee 90th B’day Int’s. (Bridget Kinsella) |
| Sun 13th | 11:00am | Ellen Manley RIP (Manley Family) |
| Mon 14th | 9.00am | Shane Neary (sick) Maureen Perry |
| Tues 15th | 10.00am | Fr John’s 67th Birthday Intentions |
| Wed 16th | 10.00am | Joan O’Sullivan’s Intentions |
| Thurs 17th | 10.00am | John McDowell RIP (Teresa Gunn) |
| Fri 18th | 10.00am | Paddy Mulhern RIP (E Hadley) |
| Sat 19th | 10.00am | Sylvester Duff Int’s (M Ryan) |
| Vigil Mass for Sunday. Confessions at 5.30pm | ||
| Sat 19th | 6.00pm | Mary Yeung (Esther Penn) |
| Sun 20th | 9.00am | James McLay RIP (Sue & John Campbell) |
| Sun 20th | 11:00am | David Bloomfield RIP (Doris DeSouza Brady) |
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
The Brentwood Diocesan Trust Registered Charity No. 234092
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading : Jeremiah 17:5-8
The Lord says this:
‘A curse on the man who puts his trust in man,
who relies on things of flesh,
whose heart turns from the Lord.
He is like dry scrub in the wastelands:
if good comes, he has no eyes for it,
he settles in the parched places of the wilderness,
a salt land, uninhabited.
‘A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord,
with the Lord for his hope.
He is like a tree by the waterside
that thrusts its roots to the stream:
when the heat comes it feels no alarm,
its foliage stays green;
it has no worries in a year of drought,
and never ceases to bear fruit.’
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 1:1-4,6
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the wind:
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Second Reading :1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20
If Christ, raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.
But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.
Gospel : Luke 6:17,20-26
Jesus came down with the Twelve and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon. Then fixing his eyes on his disciples he said:
‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.
Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.
‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.
‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
St Edmund of Canterbury 