Newsletter 16th June 2019
Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity which completes the Easter Season.
Next Sunday is the feast of Corpus Christi. At one time this feast was kept on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday but it is now celebrated on the following Sunday.
Next Sunday Bishop Lynch will be coming to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on a group of young people of the parish at the 11am Mass. Inevitably it will be very crowded. We are not reserving benches in the Church – as we did for the first Holy Communions. If your family is not sharing in the Confirmations, you might possibly think of coming to a different Mass on this Sunday. After the Mass, if the weather is fine, we hope to have a celebration in the garden.
From Monday we pick up ordinary time once again with the 11th week in the Church’s year. The readings at Mass on weekdays are taken from the first cycle.
Thursday is the feast of St. Alban, the first martyr of England and the patron of our College in Spain. Those of you who have visited the College will know that his statue stands proudly at the top of the reredos in the chapel.
Saturday is the feast of the two great English Saints, John Fisher and Thomas More. A special devotion to John Fisher as with the help of Lady Margaret, he founded my Cambridge College. In his opinion, many of the tensions of the Reformation could be resolved with a well-educated clergy.
The water slide in the garden seems to be popular. It needs a regular supply of water from the hose as well as some baby soap to work well.
This year’s First Communion tree is now doing well. To begin with it looked a bit sad but I have been able to water it most days and it was recovered well. From earlier years, there are some cherries on the two trees but I am not sure if they are big enough to eat.
Thanks to those who help with the Liturgy for the older children in the big hall at the 9.30 Mass. The children are encouraged to go along to the hall to share in this. Also it would be helpful if we could have some more teachers. Please speak to Viola if you would be able to help.
The boy and his sister were here for tea recently. I asked him if he had read Swallows and Amazons but he told me that he was not interested in a book about a delivery company.
The great favourite at tea time was a plate of cucumber sandwiches. My trick for making them firm is to put the bread in the fridge for a while before buttering it. Make sure that your slices of cucumber are reasonably thick, take off the crusts and cut into triangles.
A prayer for the parents of children in our parish: Bless the parents in our parish. Help them in their endeavours, sustain them in their trials, give them wisdom and strength to meet their responsibilities and may they in their love for each other and for their children find true joy, peace and fulfilment.
I like this poem from James Elroy Flecker:
Oh shall I never never be home again?
Meadows of England shining in the rain
Spread wide your daisied lawns:
Your ramparts green with briar fortify, with blossom scree
Till my far morning.
Nowadays London Bridge station seems to be working very well with prompt departures and arrivals. The major works of a few years back are just memories and I think the final design is outstanding.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon
Trinity Sunday
Today, at the end of the Paschal season – we celebrate the feast of the most blessed Trinity.
I must admit a certain feeling of apprehension as this feast comes around each year – quite what to say to explain this great mystery of faith –
All that has gone before – in its own way – is familiar – the Lenten readings and the spirit of prayer and penance – the intense emotional experience of Holy Week – followed by the wonderment of Easter Sunday – and the seemingly mystical character of the appearances of the risen Lord to the disciples that we commemorate during Paschal tide – and last week – with the feast of Pentecost – to robust reality of it all – with people from many places gathered in Jerusalem and who heard the preaching of the apostles – filled with the Holy Spirit – real, concrete events.
But today in contrast, the great mystery of faith – the Holy Trinity – the three persons in one God – we express this faith in so many ways – in the sign of the cross and the blessing, in our prayers, in different forms during the celebration of Mass – particularly in the Creed – and also the Gloria – the three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the Father from whom all being proceeds- the Son the Word of God, who took human nature and came into our world in the person of Christ Jesus – and the Holy Spirit – who came on the apostles at Pentecost and who gives life to the Church.
We believe that the Word is the knowledge of God whilst the Spirit is the love of God. In saying this, we realise that we are using human words to express the infinity of God – thoughts and ideas which are far from adequate – yet we need to remind ourselves that this is the way in which God has revealed himself to us – he uses human words, human concepts so that we can come to know him – but it is more than just words alone – he has revealed to us that we are created in his own image and likeness – so that if we fully understand our human nature, in the smallest of ways, in our own being, we are reflecting the infinity of God – and part of our being is the ability to know and also to love others – if this forms part of our lives, we are reflecting something of the being of God – and I reflect on this – how well do I know those around me – are they just names, a task, a responsibility – an office – or do I know more about them – their personal stories, their joys, their sorrows – it is important to maintain a balance, not to be intrusive – but in contrast not to be unfeeling and distant – and love – in the sense of a respect and a way of valuing not just those who are close to us – but all to whom we come into contact – in all of this, in our own way – we are reflecting the life of the Trinity.
No more than a tentative suggestion to show how we are ourselves reflect the being of the Holy Trinity – we might feel doubtful and hesitant – but at least a thought, this is the way in which the Lord has chosen to reveal himself to us.