THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: CONFESSIONS:
SATURDAY: 5.15 - 5.45 pm and before every Mass or by appointment with the Priest.
SATURDAY: 5.15 - 5.45 pm and before every Mass or by appointment with the Priest.
Last week’s collection: £519 Gift Aid DD: £311.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING GENEROSITY TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
LECTIO DIVINA
The Liturgy today presents for our meditation Chapter 15 of St Luke’s Gospel, one of the loftiest and most moving passages of all Sacred Scripture. It is beautiful to think that on this day, throughout the world, wherever the Christian community gathers to celebrate Sunday Mass, the good news of Truth and Salvation rings out: God is merciful Love. The Evangelist Luke has gathered in this chapter, three parables on Divine Mercy. The two shortest ones which he has in common with Matthew and Mark are the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin; the third, lengthy, articulate and proper to him alone, is the famous parable of the Merciful Father, commonly known as the parable of the “prodigal son.”
In this gospel passage, we almost seem to hear Jesus’ voice revealing to us the Face of His Father and our Father. Basically, this was the reason He came into the world: to speak to us of the Father; to make Him known to us, His lost childen, and to revive in our hearts the joy of belonging to Him, the hope of being forgiven and restored to our full dignity, the desire to dwell for ever in His house, which is also our house.
JESUS recounted the three parables of mercy, because the scribes and Pharisees were muttering wicked things about Him, since they had noticed that He permitted sinners to approach Him and even eat with Him (Lk 15:1-3) He then explained in typical language that God does not want even one of His children to be lost and that His soul overflows with joy whenever a sinner is converted. True religion thus consists in being attuned to this Heart, “rich in mercy” which asks us to love God and then everyone even our enemies, imitating the Heavenly Father, Who respects the freedom of each one and draws everyone to Himself with the invincible power of His faithfulness. This is the road that Our Lord points out to all who want to be His disciples: “Judge not, condemn not, forgive and you will be forgiven, give, and it will be given to you…be merciful even as your Father is merciful (Lk 6: 36-38) In these words of our Divine Saviour we have some very practical instructions for our daily contact as believers. Humanity needs a strong proclamation of God’s mercy.
RIDE AND STRIDE FOR THE HISTORIC CHURCHES OF OXFORDSHIRE 10 SEPTEMBER 2016
Help preserve the history on your doorstep by supporting the sponsored cycle, walk or horse ride which took place yesterday around Oxfordshire’s churches. All funds raised go to Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust and 50% can be passed on to a church of your choice – namely – St Birinus Catholic Church. Remember that all the medieval churches in Oxfordshire built before 1535 were Catholic churches and built explicitly for the offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass for the living and the dead, and so we have some responsibility for their upkeep and preservation. Please sponsor Alex Phillips and Catherine Phillips who cycled to as many of our local churches. I am grateful to those kind people who came and looked after the church so that we could leave it open for cyclists and pilgrims. We need to remember that three times the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust have generously donated to the restoration of St Birinus Church and so we are now asked to help the fund ourselves. Please be generous. The registered charity number is: 235644. There are several copies of the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Annual Revue for you to look at if you would like to know more about the OHCT.
RED MISSION BOXES – “MISSIO”
Could you please leave your red collection box in the porch of St Birinus Church (or at the back of the church in Berinsfield) when next you come to Mass. The contents will be emptied and counted and the boxes will be returned to the porch the following weekend. If this is not convenient and you would like your box collected, please ‘phone Sally Collins on 01865 340167 or Meg Fisher on 01865 340355. With many thanks for your financial support and for your prayers for the Missions.
AN IMPORTANT DATE FOR THE DIARY:
Sunday 18 June 2017. The Archbishop of Birmingham will visit the parish to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation. If you wish to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation please have a word with Fr John so that we can plan the preparations in good time. Please pray for the five candidates so far.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING GENEROSITY TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
LECTIO DIVINA
The Liturgy today presents for our meditation Chapter 15 of St Luke’s Gospel, one of the loftiest and most moving passages of all Sacred Scripture. It is beautiful to think that on this day, throughout the world, wherever the Christian community gathers to celebrate Sunday Mass, the good news of Truth and Salvation rings out: God is merciful Love. The Evangelist Luke has gathered in this chapter, three parables on Divine Mercy. The two shortest ones which he has in common with Matthew and Mark are the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin; the third, lengthy, articulate and proper to him alone, is the famous parable of the Merciful Father, commonly known as the parable of the “prodigal son.”
In this gospel passage, we almost seem to hear Jesus’ voice revealing to us the Face of His Father and our Father. Basically, this was the reason He came into the world: to speak to us of the Father; to make Him known to us, His lost childen, and to revive in our hearts the joy of belonging to Him, the hope of being forgiven and restored to our full dignity, the desire to dwell for ever in His house, which is also our house.
JESUS recounted the three parables of mercy, because the scribes and Pharisees were muttering wicked things about Him, since they had noticed that He permitted sinners to approach Him and even eat with Him (Lk 15:1-3) He then explained in typical language that God does not want even one of His children to be lost and that His soul overflows with joy whenever a sinner is converted. True religion thus consists in being attuned to this Heart, “rich in mercy” which asks us to love God and then everyone even our enemies, imitating the Heavenly Father, Who respects the freedom of each one and draws everyone to Himself with the invincible power of His faithfulness. This is the road that Our Lord points out to all who want to be His disciples: “Judge not, condemn not, forgive and you will be forgiven, give, and it will be given to you…be merciful even as your Father is merciful (Lk 6: 36-38) In these words of our Divine Saviour we have some very practical instructions for our daily contact as believers. Humanity needs a strong proclamation of God’s mercy.
RIDE AND STRIDE FOR THE HISTORIC CHURCHES OF OXFORDSHIRE 10 SEPTEMBER 2016
Help preserve the history on your doorstep by supporting the sponsored cycle, walk or horse ride which took place yesterday around Oxfordshire’s churches. All funds raised go to Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust and 50% can be passed on to a church of your choice – namely – St Birinus Catholic Church. Remember that all the medieval churches in Oxfordshire built before 1535 were Catholic churches and built explicitly for the offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass for the living and the dead, and so we have some responsibility for their upkeep and preservation. Please sponsor Alex Phillips and Catherine Phillips who cycled to as many of our local churches. I am grateful to those kind people who came and looked after the church so that we could leave it open for cyclists and pilgrims. We need to remember that three times the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust have generously donated to the restoration of St Birinus Church and so we are now asked to help the fund ourselves. Please be generous. The registered charity number is: 235644. There are several copies of the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Annual Revue for you to look at if you would like to know more about the OHCT.
RED MISSION BOXES – “MISSIO”
Could you please leave your red collection box in the porch of St Birinus Church (or at the back of the church in Berinsfield) when next you come to Mass. The contents will be emptied and counted and the boxes will be returned to the porch the following weekend. If this is not convenient and you would like your box collected, please ‘phone Sally Collins on 01865 340167 or Meg Fisher on 01865 340355. With many thanks for your financial support and for your prayers for the Missions.
AN IMPORTANT DATE FOR THE DIARY:
Sunday 18 June 2017. The Archbishop of Birmingham will visit the parish to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation. If you wish to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation please have a word with Fr John so that we can plan the preparations in good time. Please pray for the five candidates so far.
EWTN
This 24 hour Catholic Television network can be found on channel 589 for users of SKY.
EWTN Radio network is on channel 0147.
Click here to go to the EWTN page.
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A.M.D.G Abbreviation of Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (for the greater glory of God).
B.P.M.F. Abbreviation of Birmingham Perpetual Mass Fund.
Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Click here.
This 24 hour Catholic Television network can be found on channel 589 for users of SKY.
EWTN Radio network is on channel 0147.
Click here to go to the EWTN page.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.M.D.G Abbreviation of Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (for the greater glory of God).
B.P.M.F. Abbreviation of Birmingham Perpetual Mass Fund.
Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Click here.
