OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE

Dear brothers and sisters, “You did not choose me; I chose you.” These words of the Lord in this Sunday’s Gospel are for each and every one of us. The Lord chooses me; He chooses you. This choice of the Lord begins at the very first moment of our existence. At the moment of conception, we are loved by God, we are His creation. At baptism, we are called to live our lives in the love that exists eternally in the Blessed Trinity. While our parents may bring us to be baptised, it is the Holy Spirit who prompts. The Sacrament of Baptism is God’s action. It is the grace of God that takes away the effect of Original Sin, fills us with His love, brings us into the Church, the Body of Christ. For the adult coming to faith, the Holy Spirit is active, calling the person to faith, to this same action of God Himself in the sacrament. Perhaps we often feel unworthy of God’s love. “Why would God choose me?” we might ask. Very often, we find ourselves called to have confidence in God’s love for us: to trust in Him. It is worth giving a moment to reflect that, in His love for us, in His call to us in baptism – and in the many other ways that He calls us – God is placing His confidence in us: in me, in you. How often in the Gospels do we find Jesus saying: “Do not be afraid”? There is no need for fear. The way ahead may be a daunting one, the path rough at times, the road steep and narrow, but there is no need to fear, for, chosen by God, we walk in His love. God, in the person of His Only Son, gives new life and we are guided by the Holy Spirit, strengthened through the sacraments. Each and every one of us has "some definite purpose," as St John Henry Newman reminds us. We are chosen and loved by God. With every blessing + Richard

May is the Month of Mary. Today we crown her statue and honour her as the Mother of God and our Mother. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us, and after this exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Thursday is the solemnity (Holy day) of the Ascension of the Lord into Heaven. It is customary, ever since Jesus told His disciples to wait for the promised gift, that the Church prays to the Holy Spirit for 9 days (Novena) between Ascension and Pentecost. It shouldn't be just "one of those things we do". I am hoping and praying that this year it will be different. That more of us, indeed all parishioners, will join in this prayer with devotion and wholeheartedly. The Church needs the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was present at the first creation, hovering over the waters, and is ever present in the new creation of the Kingdom of Heaven inaugurated by the resurrection of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is given to us in baptism and we are sealed with the gift in Confirmation. God has no favourites and desires that everyone receives the Spirit. The Spirit enables us to live the Christian life and be acceptable to Him by living a supernatural life in the grace received in the sacraments especially Mass and confession. God never gives less thank Himself. He gives us the whole Christ, the fullness of the Holy Spirit and all of His love. He loved us first. So our response to a Day of Obligation or Novena is not just out of duty or just "one of those things we do". It is an opportunity for us to move from servant of Jesus to friend, from fear to love. With my prayer for you as we approach the ascension of the Lord. God bless you.  Fr Graham

The journey from Eastertide to Ascension and Pentecost calls us to mission. This year, in the light of Bishop Richard’s new Pastoral Plan , the whole Diocese is invited to come together for four weeks of prayer to the Holy Spirit for the raising up of new vocations in the Church. Let us spend some time each day this week reading about the spirit of truth (Jn 14:15-21) and praying for all young people to have the gift of discernment in a changing world. You can download our Month of Prayer for Vocations leaflet. To find out more about vocations, visit our website . (Leaflets also available in the porch.)

Jesus is very clear about the call to His disciples to bear fruit, something that is simply impossible unless we remain close to Him, part of the vine. Given the current worldview - with conflict, famine, challenges to our climate, economic hardship, and an ever -present devaluing of the dignity of human life before our eyes in the news at almost every moment - the Lord’s call to each of us to bear fruit, to be His disciples, is a call to action to each and every one of us. This action grows out of prayer, our experience of the Eucharist, and our encounter with the Lord as we see Him present in others. St John in his first letter expresses it another way: our love is not to be just words or mere talk but something real and active. This is the measure of our discipleship, the proof that we are children of the truth, coheirs with Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. At the beginning of Lent, we heard the words of St Paul: "now is the favourable time, this is the day of salvation." This same sense of urgency is with us each and every day as we seek to do the Lord's work and is most pressing in these present times. May our experience of faith, a lived relationship with the person of Jesus, find expression in our care for our brothers and sisters wherever they may be. With every blessing, + Richard

There are lots of feasts this coming week. The celebration of saints days helps us to persevere in our daily struggle to be holy and ask for their help. Our task is to remain not only close to Jesus but to live in Him, as He lives in us. This is what the saints did in whatever vocation God called them. They forgot themselves and allowed God to grow ever bigger in them by flowing with the direction of grace. They were authentic and real. It would have been easy to see that they were disciples of Jesus. Some people didn't believe that Saul was really a disciple. Barnabas speaks up for him by telling of Paul's bravery and the things that proved he was a disciple. I hope the same can be said of us. Our faith and love is not be "mere talk, but real and active". The others will know we are disciples. Living in Jesus and being part of the "Vine" means we have to be pruned by God. It involves a change and conversion. To live for God and not for ourselves. We can find more recent examples of young people who have tried to live this way. Their vocation stories are inspiring. In our prayer for vocations this week we pray especially for young people and the gift of discernment. To truly follow Jesus and be authentic. Sr Clare Crocket is such an amazing story. We can learn from her about conversion to Jesus in our choices and true joy. With my prayer for you all this Eastertide. God bless you.  Fr Graham

This Good Shepherd Sunday, at the request of Bishop Richard, we begin a month of prayer for Vocations, especially for future Priests for our diocese. A vocation, especially the Priesthood, is not a career path that we choose. Every vocation, including marriage, is a calling from God, to which we consent and say "Yes". It is both personal and communal. A priest isn't a priest for himself but to serve Christ and His people in the Church. The same is true for all vocations. Jesus always calls enough priests, deacons, religious, spouses, teachers, prophets, consecrated, healers. The problem is not the call but the hearing. We need to "know" the Good Shepherd in order to hear His voice. Behind every vocation there is a story. Jesus knows us well. We are His children, He knows what we shall become and He has "laid down (His) life for us". He is the only One through whom we can be saved. The urgency for more priests is not so that we can keep our diocese and parishes going, but so that more people might be saved by Jesus through the sacraments. Jesus will never leave us, even if we are scattered. He is still calling us to follow Him wherever He may lead us. With my prayer for you all this Eastertide and especially those to be anointed this week. God bless you.  Fr Graham

Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking – Communities and Parishes Presentation, 29 June, 11am-1pm, Shoreham-by -Sea BN43 5WG. Join members of the Santa Marta Group for a presentation and discussion on topics including 'What is Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking?' With an introduction to the Santa Marta Group, and case examples. Contact Tessa Ricketts to find out more, or see poster in the church porch.

You can watch the talk, ‘The New Eve’, given by Father Graham last Wednesday using this link: https://www.youtube.com/@ABCharismaticDSC/streams There were some connectivity and power issues on the night, but if you scroll to 13 minutes 50 seconds, you’ll see the talk in full. The next talk will be on ‘Salvation’, given by Deacon Phil Richardson, on Wednesday 17th April, 8.00pm. Click here for more information: https://www.abdiocese.org.uk/news/promise -father