St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More
<strong>Twenty Eighth Sunday of the Year, 2022</strong> – St Edmund of Canterbury
On Mount Tabor Ss. Peter, James & John witnessed the transfigured Lord with this own eyes. For a brief moment, they touched the beauty and light of heaven and knew something of the joy of paradise. We too can have a similar life-changing experience of God. But no one lives ‘on Tabor’ for long.
Human existence is a journey of faith and is lived more in darkness than in the fullness of light. Some experience moments of obscurity, whereas others experience profound darkness, such as Mother Teresa. While we’re on earth our relationship with God develops more with listening than with seeing, and contemplation even takes place, thanks to the interior inner light within God’s Word illuminates.
Although she was the human creature closest to God, the Virgin Mary herself walked day after day as through she was on a pilgrimage of faith (Lumen gentium 58), keeping God’s Word in her heart, whether through Scripture of through the events of Jesus’ life, in which she recognised and accepted God’s mysterious voice.
On this topic, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI declared, ‘To listen to him in the word, preserved in the Sacred Scripture. To listen to him in the very events of our lives; trying to read in them the message of providence. To listen to him… in our brothers, especially in the little ones and the poor, for whom Jesus himself asked for our concrete love. To listen to Christ and to obey his voice. This is the only way that leads to joy and love.
To be a disciple is to be transformed, transfigured even, by the light of God’s wisdom which we touch when we pray, read sacred Scriptures, receive the gift of the Eucharist and serve our neighbour, especially the poor and marginalised.
My Dear Friends in Christ, 1st Sunday of Lent 2022
As we commence this second week of our holy Lenten Season; ask yourself have you remained faithful to the resolutions that you made on Ash Wednesday? It’s so easy to fall by the wayside very quickly. But that doesn’t mean that we have to give up. Lent can be a truly positive experience; a time of growth and understanding of the Lord Jesus. We have to remember where this journey is leading us; ultimately to the greatest event this world has ever known. Jesus Christ, who died on Good Friday, rose triumphantly on Easter Day. Sin and death was conquered; and the Lord invites each one of us personally to share in that New Life, which we call our Catholic Faith. How we prepare for that is up to us. No one can do this for us. Prayer, Fasting, Works of Charity are all well and good, but if there is no real intention behind them it becomes only lipservice. Conversion-Change of Heart is what the Lord calls each one of us to.
SET YOURSELF LITTLE TARGETS: Morning and Evening Prayers; Reading a passesge from the Bible; Attending an additional Mass during the week; Attending Holy Hour; Praying the Stations of the Cross; Praying the Rosary, or even a decade of the Rosary each day; reading a chapter of a spiritual book (see our parish Library). My dear friends, you can choose any of these throughout the week. But please don’t let this Lent pass you by.
FIRST RECONCILIATION: The children who are preparing for their First Holy Communion will celebrate the Sacrament of reconiliation for the first time next Saturday 19th March. This is an extrmely important day for the children, and I ask that their parents also be present. Parents, you have already been notified about which group your child is in. There are two sessions at 10.00am & 11.00am. I ask the whole praihs to pray for the children at this important time along their faith journey.
AID FOR UKRAINE: We have begun Lent this year conscious of the unspeakable acts of terror in the Ukraine. Our brothers and sisters there are experiencing terrible suffering as they struggle to defend their country and preserve their human rights and life itself. We are doing what we can from afar: assisting by the charity of our prayers and also with what practical means we can muster. Aid to the Church in Need is on the frontline of charitable assistance to Ukrainians. If you can help, you will find this link takes you to the ACN website where you can donate: https://acnuk.org/news/ukraine-charity-rolls-out-emergency-aid/
May God Bless You During Lent,,
STATIONS OF THE CROSS: The traditional devotion during the Lenten Season. I would encourage all our parishioners to attend the Stations of the Cross either on Fridays at 10.30am or Sundays at 5.00pm. This beautiful devotion follows the last journey made by Jesus on Good Friday to Calvary.
CAFOD LENTEN FAMILY FAST DAY: Was last Friday 11th March. This is our opportunity to assist and help those in third world countries far less fortunate than ourselves, especially children, to help them grow big and strong. Envelopes will be collected in this Sunday from the money we save by fasting; (spare envelopes in the porch). Thank you for your generosity.
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS Our next meeting will take place at the Presbytery on Thursday 17th March at 7.30pm. Theme: Tour of the Church. 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 is new about the new Evangelisation? Input will be given by Fr David Clemens, Parish Priest at Our Lady of Compassion, Saffron Walden, today, Sunday 13th March, 4.00 – 5.00 p.m. via Zoom. To join these Zoom meetings simply forward a contact email to adultformationvicariate@dioceseofbrentwood.org. For more information go to 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. They will be running their initiative to support families with food over the Easter holidays and these are the items we can help them with: UHT milk, long-life juice, tinned tomatoes, tinned meat, rice pudding, custard, packet noodles, instant mash, tinned spaghetti, tinned fruit, breakfast bars/ snack bars, jam, chocolate spread, sponge puddings, chocolate bars, bottled sauces (Ketchup/brown sauce), small jars of coffee, toilet roll, laundry powder/tablets, razors, shampoo/conditioner and washing up liquid. You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/
CHILDREN’S SUNDAY LITURGY: Thank you for starting children’s Sunday Liturgy again. But we need more help. Parents, can you spare one Sunday every two months to help the children during the 11.00am Mass? We need more parents to join our lovely group. Please contact Mrs Elena Manara at e_manara@yahoo.com Thank you and we hope to hear from you soon.
DIARY FEBRUARY – MARCH 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, Geraldine Taylor, Vera Taylor, Mary Witten, James Wright. And all our loved ones.
ANNIVERSARIES: Please pray for all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.
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:
https://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/donations?parish=loughton
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
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!
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.
BCYS YOUTH MASS: Thursday 7th April, Brentwood Cathedral. Come along from 6pm for pizza. Mass will begin in the cathedral from 7:30pm, Open to all those in years 9 and above, no booking necessary. (YOUTH MASS takes place on the First Thursday of every month and groups are always welcome! Please let us know in advance if you wish to bring a group, if you are able, so that we can have an idea how much pizza to order! Any groups are always welcome!)
BCYS LENTEN REVISION RETREAT: 2nd – 3rd April, Walsingham House
In years 11 -13 and preparing for exams this year? Get a change of scenery and a fresh perspective at Walsingham House at Abbotswick this lent for times of prayer, socialising and activities, but mostly to revise, alongside friends and the Walsingham House team members. As always the chapel is here for times of quiet reflection throughout the day. Book online NOW at www.bcys.net/events.
SPONSORED SLEEPOUT: 8th – 9th April, 8pm – 8am. Wherever you are in the Diocese, take part in your gardens, schools or parishes, on your own or as part of a group and spend 12 hours sleeping rough outdoors to raise money for a local charity supporting the homeless. Email sleepout@dioceseofbrentwood.org for more information and to take part.
BCYS SUMMER LOURDES PILGRIMAGE: 23rd – 30th July 2022. Assist pilgrims going to Masses and services, shops and cafes of the beautiful French town, join in social time together, take part in retreats, reconciliation service, visit the baths, the stunning mountain town of Gavarnie, enjoy social nights, party and experience the amazing Lourdes processions. 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). For more information and to book you can visit www.bcys.net/events/sl22 – applications close Sunday 20th February
BCYS YOUTH GATHER: 22nd – 23rd October, Mersea Island. Stay in cabins and try a brilliant range of outward bound activities from climbing high ropes, archery, zip wires and much more to keep you challenged and entertained, with guest speakers and workshops which will give you fresh insights into yourself, and your faith, by telling their stories. Open to all those in years 9 and above, book NOW at www.bcys.net/events
BOOKING FOR ALL THESE EVENTS – and all information, can be done online at www.bcys.net/events or you can email me with any questions.
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.
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.
ARE YOU INTERSTED IN A VOCATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD? The next “Enquirers’ Evening” for those considering or interested in a vocation to the priesthood is on Tuesday 5th April at St Edmund of Canterbury Church in Loughton, at 7.00pm. The speaker will be Msgr Kevin Hale. For further information please contact Fr Mark Swires vocprom@dioceseofbrentwood.org
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC GROUP: We will be playing and singing at the 11am Mass on Sunday 3rd April, which will be the fifth Sunday of Lent. It would be good if many of our singers could be there – a great way to start Lent! Any parishioners who may consider joining us would be made very welcome. Simply come along. Also, we’d like to spend some more time in practicing, so we’d really appreciate you coming along early at about 10.10am before Mass. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you.
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham – 28th May 2022: Join Bishop Alan and other parishes around the Diocese of Brentwood in Walsingham as we celebrate the Year of the Family ‘Hearing and Doing the Word of God’. We will celebrate Mass at the Basilica before walking the Holy Mile to the grounds of Walsingham Abbey to celebrate Vespers and Benediction on the site of the Holy House. If you would like to come we would need to organise a Parish pilgrimage form the Church.
PARISH REPOSITORY: There is a lot of new stock in the repository. There are cards and gifts for Mother’s Day. A large sel;cetion of St Patrick’s Day Cards. A variety of Candles – large and small. Greetings Cards for all occasions. Mass Cards for deceased. Children’s books about Lent. There are also a number of CTS little books in a special stand on all sorts of different issues, the saints etc. There are Statues, rosaries, medals, bracelets. A Variety of Easter Cards. Teresa Wallace is happy to order anything your request; it usually takes about a week to arrive.
LENTEN MASS INTENTIONS – MARCH 2022
| Sat 12th | 10.00am | Norah, William & Terry Fitt RIP (M Duffy) |
| Vigil Mass for Sunday. Confessions at 5.30pm | ||
| Sat 12th | 6.00pm | Fr John’s B’day Ints. (Remy) |
| Sun 13th | 9.00am | People of the Parish |
| Sun 13th Lenten Devotions | 11:00am 5.00pm | Kevin Dowd RIP (M Ryan) Holy Hour / Stations of Cross / Benediction |
| Mon 14th | 10.00am | David Emslie RIP (Margaret Duffy) |
| Tues 15th | 10.00am | Geraldine Manning RIP (Brenda Bryant) |
| Wed 16th | 10.00am | Letty Fletcher (anni) (Margaret Duffy) |
| Thurs 17th | 10.00am | All people suffering with mental anguish and pain. (Cathy Gunn) |
| Fri 18th Lenten Devotions | 10.00am 10.30am | Nikki Clark RIP (Brenda Bryant) Hour / With Stations of Cross |
| Sat 19th | 10.00am | Eugene Kane RIP (Margaret Duffy) |
| Vigil Mass for Sunday. Confessions at 5.30pm | ||
| Sat 19th | 6.00pm | Terry Barrett RIP (Margaret Hopkinson) |
| Sun 20th | 9.00am | Beth Camacho RIP (Carlos Camacho) |
| Sun 20th Lenten Devotions | 11:00am 5.00pm | People of the Parish Holy Hour / Stations of Cross / Benediction |
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
2nd Sunday of Lent
First Reading : Genesis 15:5-12,17-18
Taking Abram outside, the Lord said, ‘Look up to heaven and count the stars if you can.’ ‘Such will be your descendants,’ he told him. Abram put his faith in the Lord, who counted this as making him justified.
‘I am the Lord’ he said to him ‘who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldaeans to make you heir to this land.’ ‘My Lord,’ Abram replied ‘how am I to know that I shall inherit it?’ He said to him, ‘Get me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon.’ He brought him all these, cut them in half and put half on one side and half facing it on the other; but the birds he did not cut in half. Birds of prey came down on the carcases but Abram drove them off.
Now as the sun was setting Abram fell into a deep sleep, and terror seized him. When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, there appeared a smoking furnace and a firebrand that went between the halves. That day the Lord made a Covenant with Abram in these terms:
‘To your descendants I give this land,
from the wadi of Egypt to the Great River.’
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 26(27):1,7-9,13-14
The Lord is my light and my help.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
The Lord is my light and my help.
O Lord, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer.
Of you my heart has spoken:
‘Seek his face.’
The Lord is my light and my help.
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
hide not your face.
Dismiss not your servant in anger;
you have been my help.
The Lord is my light and my help.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
The Lord is my light and my help.
Second Reading : Philippians 3:17-4:1
My brothers, be united in following my rule of life. Take as your models everybody who is already doing this and study them as you used to study us. I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.
So then, my brothers and dear friends, do not give way but remain faithful in the Lord. I miss you very much, dear friends; you are my joy and my crown.
Gospel : Luke 9:28-36
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning. Suddenly there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ – He did not know what he was saying. As he spoke, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.
The Gospel of the Lord
St Edmund of Canterbury 