From Bishop Richard - 2nd June
Webmaster • June 1, 2024
We gather for our celebration of Corpus Christi at a significant time in the life of our Diocese when the Pastoral Plan – The Word Who is Life – is being implemented. While this is a time of change, all we do grows from our encounter with the True Vine - the person of Jesus Christ – who gives Himself to us in the Eucharist. Our continuing conformity to Him, our remaining part of the Vine, is the only way for us to ensure that we are faithful to the Mission to which He has called us. Our celebration today, elevated by the wonderful carpet of flowers, celebrates the gift of the Eucharist, and impresses upon us all the centrality of the Lord’s
Eucharistic presence in our lives.
The wonder of the Eucharist calls for our utmost thanksgiving - it is the greatest gift for our journey. We speak of Viaticum - food for the journey - as the last Communion before death, but the Eucharist is the food for our journey of life. The Lord gives us His very self as the supreme sustenance for our lives. The
Lord’s Passover - His life death and resurrection - is made present by none other than the Lord himself, acting through his Priest. Just as Jesus gave Himself to the Apostles in the Upper Room, under the appearance of bread and wine, so He gives Himself to us. He is the Bread of Life. Like the disciples at
Emmaus, we recognise Him in the breaking of bread and our hearts burn within us as He speaks to us on the road of our own pilgrimage and feeds us with his very self.
Every aspect of our life as His people should flow from the Eucharist and we bring ourselves and all our life's
experience to the foot of the cross and to the empty tomb as we gather to listen to Him, welcome Him, praise Him and receive Him. As the writer of the letter to the Hebrews explains: through His death on the cross, Jesus, Who is the new covenant, makes it possible for us to render service to the Living God.
The Eucharist is beyond our understanding. We see and receive Jesus, Who humbled Himself to share in our humanity and Who, in this action of the Mass, calls us to share in His life, in His divinity. This wonderful mystery, through which we become conformed to Christ, demands our lifelong reflection, prayer, participation and thanksgiving.
Our Eucharistic procession is a significant and powerful extension of this celebration. Pope St. Paul VI, whose feast we celebrated only yesterday, wrote of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament as “a proof of gratitude, an expression of love and a duty of adoration towards Christ our Lord”. Expressing our gratitude, love and adoration in a public way is a witness to our faith in Jesus’ Real Presence. The procession is an act of witness and, together with the celebration of the Eucharist itself, is a moment of evangelization. This public
witness to the Eucharistic Presence of the Lord proclaims Him to the world. The Eucharist is at the heart of our mission as the Church, for it is here that we encounter Christ, deepen our unity with Him and with one another. It is this encounter, this closeness to the Lord, which we proclaim.
Across the Diocese, Eucharistic Adoration provides opportunities for prayer to underpin the work of the Pastoral Plan. These times are a vital element in the life of the Diocese as we look to the future and the continuing renewal of our mission.
Many will remember the Adoremus gathering in Liverpool a few years ago, part of the celebration of Eucharistic Congresses across the whole world. Indeed, our flower carpet team laid a carpet in Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral for that celebration. This year, Adoremus continues, as it were, with a gathering at
Oscott College in Birmingham on the 14th of September. Each Diocese has been offered 44 places for this event and you can book a place and find out more details on our diocesan website.
Spend time with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, speak to others of his Real Presence, share frequently in the celebration of the Eucharist for it is participation in Him that brings about, in a way not possible in any other context, our conformity to Him, and the growth in holiness that will enable us to proclaim Him to the world.
With every blessing,
+ Richard
We make the sign of the cross everyday: first thing in the morning and last thing at night, before meals, when praying, in Mass, passing a church with the Blessed Sacrament, out of respect when a hearse passes with a coffin, with holy water and more. Sometimes we don't think what we are doing. The cross, a shameful instrument of death, has become a sign of life for us as Jesus crucified could not be restrained on the cross or the tomb but is risen from the dead. "Death where is your victory?" Saint Bernadette encouraged people to make the sign of the cross and make to make it large. No embarrassment or haste. Make it a prayer and a thanksgiving that we are baptised into the death and resurrection of Jesus. The sing of the cross is indelibly marked on our forehead. The mark of Christ, first made in our baptism as we are claimed for Christ and His kingdom. Jesus is lifted up high on the cross. We gaze at him, when we venerate the cross, when we see Him lifted up in the Mass,. It is there that we see perfect love. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son". To refuse this crucified love is to perish and to believe in Him is to have eternal life. Whatever suffering we endure, look to the cross. There we receive strength and the promise of eternal life. Dying He destroyed our death. May God bless you. With my prayer for you everyday. Fr Graham
Spiritual Cost Benefit Analysis It is notoriously difficult to quantify the cost of large projects. The Channel Tunnel cost 80% more than the original budget, The London to Birmingham high speed rail line is currently forecast to cost three times the original estimate. But just as important as the cost is the realised benefit. For example, using the Channel Tunnel is far greener than using ferries or flying, as the trains, unlike ships and planes, use electricity from low carbon sources. In today’s gospel Jesus spells out the cost of discipleship in stark terms. To be a disciple we must go all in. As we heard, three weeks ago, Jesus recognised that his teachings have the power to divide families against each other. This week Jesus doubles down saying that his teachings have the power to cause hatred between a disciple and their family. I think that Jesus is exaggerating to make a point. When it rains heavily, we often say it is raining cats and dogs, we do not mean it is literally raining cats and dogs, we use this figure of speech to emphasise the severity of the rain. I think that Jesus is exaggerating to emphasise the level of commitment that His disciples are expected to show. It may have also served to sift out those, in the great crowds that accompanied Jesus, that were serious in following Him. So if the cost of discipleship is complete commitment to Jesus what is the benefit? With every blessing, Deacon Simon
With the 80th anniversary of VJ Day and the summit in Anchorage, Alaska, the hope of peace is close to our hearts and prayer intentions. The peace that we bring is often shortlived, fragile and fragmented. The peace of the Kingdom of God is eternal and unshakeable. It is based upon truth, justice and reconciliation. Peace has nothing to do with politics. Jesus says the peace He brings is with the sword of truth - a firm foundation. Not everyone will accept it or Him. His way is not the popular or easy way, it is the way of the cross. It is through the narrow door where salvation lies. Jesus is the Truth, the Prince of peace and the door through which we enter eternal life. To know Him is to be free, forgiven and, despite continuing war and violence all around, at peace. We must strive and pray for the peace and unity of all. But we must also remember our true home is in heaven. Heaven is where Jesus is - in prayer, in the scriptures, in the sacraments, in the church, in the saints, in our neighbour. He is close. Enter while the door is open for when it is shut, it will be too late. Then there will be weeping, unheard of before. All are invited to be saved and recline with Jesus in the Kingdom of heaven. God bless you all and with my prayer for you every day as we bask in Mary's Assumption. Fr Graham
There will be an evening of LIVE SIMPLY on Wednesday September 24th open to all (in the Parish Room at St Peter’s). Come and find out how you can get involved with parish, local and regional events. Be proactive by helping out with groups, and your parish needs. Be ready to talk to your neighbours in the new Worthing area. Follow a readymade plan via LIVE SIMPLY guidelines. More information below:
The term ‘assumption’ encompasses several ideas. As we observe the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven this coming Friday, it is important to clarify its intended meaning in this context. 1. Assumption as a proposition or axiom taken for granted: This definition does not apply, as there is substantial contemporary and traditional evidence that Our Lady was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. 2. Assumption as the act of laying claim to or taking possession of something (e.g., assumption of power): This is not relevant here, since Mary did not assert her role; rather, it was graciously offered to her and she accepted. 3. Assumption as taking on a new responsibility or position (e.g., assumption of a role): While Mary did accept the role of Theotokos (“God-bearer”) at the Annunciation, this event is distinct from the Assumption. 4. Assumption as the taking on of another's debts: This meaning is also inapplicable, as Christian doctrine teaches that Jesus bore the debt of humanity’s sin, not Mary. 5. Assumption, derived from the Latin *ad-sumere* (“to be taken towards something”): This is the pertinent definition. Mary, mother of Jesus, was taken up into heaven, body and soul, by the divine will and power of God. (Definitions referenced from Webster’s Dictionary.) With continued prayers for all, Deacon Simon
Thank you to all who have contributed to our Foodbank appeal. For the next two weeks the theme is “Personal Hygiene”. Please bring toiletries, nappies, sanitary products etc. For more information speak to Ann Olliver or email the Parish Office.
Tickets (£1 each) will be on sale this weekend at SP and CTK for the annual SVP National Raffle. The top two prizes are £5,000 and £1,000 respectively, plus many others.
In advance of the feast of The Transfiguration of the Lord on Wednesday, here is an article from Universalis: “The Transfiguration of the Lord can sound embarrassingly magical. Jesus goes up onto a mountain and his clothes become dazzlingly white. Prophets appear and talk to him. And then it is all over and Jesus tells his disciples to say nothing. We should hold on to the absurdity of the incident. There is simply no reason for all this to have happened. In particular, there is no reason to put it into a gospel—the evangelist makes no capital out of it, it is simply there. And this is the strength of the Transfiguration as an historical incident. There is no reason for anyone to have invented it. It is not central to the Christian case. It is not used to win arguments. There is only one reason to put it into the Gospel, and that is because it happened. It is one of those cases of the evangelists writing things down without knowing why they were important, and their very puzzlement is what makes the story so convincing. Why, then, did it happen? Surely so that we could see and understand that Jesus is at once one of the prophets and the one that was prophesised by them; and that he is God, and lives for all eternity in a blaze of dazzling and unapproachable light. The true miracle of the Transfiguration is not the shining face or the white garments, but the fact that for the rest of the time Jesus hid his glory so well.” With my prayer for you all. God bless you, Fr Graham.
It is said that it is hard being a Christian. We certainly seem to make hard work of it. But it could be said that we are created to follow God's laws and desires because we are made in the "image and likeness of God". But since the first temptation and Fall we have been pulled away and led to follow our own desires. Baptism puts this right and resets us or re-orientates us towards God. But we live in a world of conflicting goals. Our internal world is still tainted with the old way of thinking and the external world is groaning with the ache of a world that is dying and being restored to the Kingdom of God. This is played out in our everyday decisions and world view. The "good" Samaritan was made of the same stuff as the Priest and the Levite, except he saw things differently. He didn't see a problem or inconvenience, he saw a person lying in the gutter. Both the Priest and Levite "saw him" but only the Samaritan engaged with what he saw and allowed the man to move him with compassion. Perhaps he knew what it was like to be forgotten, avoided or judged? He allowed the man into his life and in so doing invited Christ into his heart. It is not difficult, it is easy. "The word is very near to you". We can do it. We do not need to justify ourselves or prove ourselves. Jesus has done exactly this for us. He has picked us up, bandaged our wounds and brought us safely home. All we need to do is "go and do likewise." With my prayer for you everyday. God bless you Fr Graham
Seafarers and fishers play a vital role in all of our lives, but they often work in difficult, hazardous conditions. Sea Sunday is Sunday 13th July. It is when the Church prays for all those who live and work at sea. Your support will make a big difference to seafarers and fishers in need. You can donate in church, by visiting www.stellamaris.org.uk/donate , or by texting ‘SEA’ to 70460 to donate £5. This collection is vital to enable Stella Maris to continue its important work, so please give generously. Thank you.