St. Teresa of the Child Jesus
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Roman Catholic Church in Morden, Surrey

ORDINARY TIME

23/1/2021

 
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God Bless Your Continued Journey to Lent
As we continue our way through these weeks of ordinary time before Lent, we pick up from last week a few more steps that can help us draw closer to God.
4. Fourth, cultivate honesty. Complete honesty is only possible for a humble person. The reason is simple. The most painful but important honesty is telling the truth to ourselves about our own motives and our own actions. The reason honesty is such a powerful magnet is because it’s so rare.
Modern life is too often built on the marketing of half-truths and lies about who we are and what we deserve. Many of the lies are well-intentioned and not even very harmful — but they’re still lies. Scripture praises the honest woman and man because they’re like clean air in a room full of smoke. Honesty allows the mind to breathe and think clearly.
5. Fifth, seek to be holy. Holy does not mean nice or even good, although truly holy people are always good and often – though not always — nice. Holiness means “other than.” It’s what Scripture means when it tells us to be “in the world, but not of the world.” And this doesn’t just miraculously happen. We need to choose and seek holiness.
God’s ways are not our ways. Holiness is the habit of seeking to conform all of our thoughts and actions to God’s ways. There’s no cookie-cutter model of holiness, just as piety can’t be reduced to one particular kind of prayer or posture. What’s important is to love the world because God loves it and sent his Son to redeem it, but not to be captured by its habits and values, which are not godly.
6. Sixth, pray. Prayer is more than just that portion of the day when we advise God about what we need and what he should do. Real prayer is much closer to listening, and it’s intimately tied to obedience. God certainly wants to hear what we need and love and fear, because these things are part of our daily lives, and he loves us. But if we’re doing the talking, we can’t listen. Note too, that we can’t really pray without humility. Why? Because prayer requires us to lift up who we are and everything we experience and possess to God. Pride is too heavy to lift.
7. Seventh, read. Scripture is the living Word of God. When we read God’s Word, we encounter God himself. But there’s more: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Georges Bernanos and so many others – these were deeply intelligent and powerful writers whose work nourishes the Christian mind and soul, while also inspiring the imagination. Reading also serves another, simpler purpose: It shuts out the noise that distracts us from fertile reflection.
By the way, if you get the chance, read Tolkien’s wonderful short story, Leaf by Niggle. It will take you less than an hour, but it will stay with you for a lifetime. And then read C.S. Lewis’ great religious science-fiction trilogy – Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength. You’ll never look at our world in quite the same way again.
8. Eighth, believe and act. Nobody “earns” faith. It’s a free gift from God. But we do need to be willing and ready to receive it. We can discipline ourselves to be prepared. If we sincerely seek truth; if we desire things greater than this life has to offer; and if we leave our hearts open to the possibility of God — then one day we will believe, just as when we choose to love someone more deeply, and turn our hearts sincerely to the task, then sooner or later we usually will.
Feelings are fickle. They’re often misleading. They’re not the substance of our faith. We need to be grateful for our emotions as God’s gifts, but we also need to judge them in the light of common sense. Falling in love is only the first taste of love. Real love is both more beautiful and more demanding than the early days of a romance.
In like manner, a dramatic “road to Damascus” style conversion doesn’t happen to most people, and not even St. Paul stayed on the road very long. Why? Because in revealing himself to Paul, Jesus immediately gave him something to do. We know and more deeply love Jesus Christ by doing what he tells us to do.
In the real world, feelings that endure follow actions that have substance. The more sincere we are in our discipleship, the closer we will come to Jesus Christ. This is why the Emmaus disciples only recognized Jesus in “the breaking of the bread.” Only in acting in and on our faith, does our faith become fully real.
9. Ninth, nobody makes it to heaven alone. We all need friendship and community. It's been said that the heart of a good marriage is friendship. Every successful marriage is finally about a deep and particular kind of friendship that involves honesty, intimacy, fidelity, mutual sacrifice, hope and shared beliefs.
Every successful marriage is also a form of community. Even Jesus needed these two things: friendship and community. The Apostles were not simply Christ’s followers; they were also his brothers and friends, people who knew and supported him in an intimate way. All of us as Christians need the same two things. It doesn’t matter whether we’re a religious, layperson, deacon or priest, single or married. Friends are vital. Community is vital. Our friends both express and shape who we are. Good friends sustain us. Bad friends undermine us. And that’s why they’re so decisive to the success or failure of a Christian life.
10. Tenth and finally, nothing is more powerful than the sacraments of Penance and Eucharist in leading us to the God we seek. God makes himself available to us every week in the confessional, and every day in the sacrifice of the Mass. It makes little sense to talk about the “silence of God” when our churches are made silent by our own absence and indifference. We’re the ones with the cold hearts – not God.
He’s never outdone in his generosity. He waits for us in the quiet of the tabernacle. And he loves us and wants to be loved wholeheartedly in return.


REFLECTION

23/1/2021

 
What’s an Annulment?
The Church teaches that the bond of marriage is permanent.

However, in contemporary society, divorce is a reality that is challenging and often an extremely difficult experience to all involved.
But divorce does not bring marriage to an end and a properly celebrated marriage is presumed valid, unless proven otherwise by the competent authority – The Marriage Tribunal.
An annulment is not the Catholic version of a divorce.
Rather, it is a declaration by the Church, after the Tribunal’s formal inquiry stating that at the time of consent, where vows were exchanged, at least one of the parties lacked an intention or capability required to establish the binding commitment of marriage as understood by the Catholic Church.
In making this declaration, the Church does not deny that a real relationship existed, nor does it imply that the relationship was entered with ill will or moral fault.
Also, the declaration of nullity does not affect the legitimacy of children from the union.
The Marriage Tribunal, through its formal inquiry, is seeking the truth in justice, in mercy and in love.
Not to place the blame or establish a guilty party.
For those seeking an annulment, it should be a process that involves healing and spiritual growth. It's not easy, but we will help you and guide you, and support you in prayer.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

23/1/2021

 
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Monday, the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul marks the end of the week of prayer for Christian Unity. Thank you for finding time to include this in your intentions. Every year the Week of Prayer is all about restoring the unity Christ gave and the Church lived in its earliest days. There have been sad and difficult moments in the life of the Christian family. We bow our heads in shame before God at some of the terrible things that have happened down through the centuries.
Every denomination must be shown respect; every denomination must be offered the hand of friendship. We call on the Holy Spirit to bless their leaders, to bless and protect their spiritual places of worship. The leaders must and should meet regularly. Pope St. John Paul II and his successors have shown the right way forward. Our bishops and cardinals have worked closely for the good of the Christian family. Lay people live it out in the family life and in parish communities up and down the land.
We Catholics have an important role to play. We are ambassadors for Christ; we are also ambassadors for the Catholic Church. Ecumenism is sometimes misunderstood as a process of negotiation, or a whittling down of the Church's teaching. Rather than working on agreements (they are good to work on like Arcic-III) and dissecting theologies, ecumenism begins with Prayer.
The prayer for unity opens the door to Heaven, the prayer for unity, that is at the heart of the Eucharistic prayer is echoed in the liturgy of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth has led by example. She is a living page of the Gospel. All Christians can feel and see her witness to Christ. Her messages to the Nation and the Commonwealth are exemplary and valued. She has always reached out to all Christian leaders and indeed to offer Christ's friendship to other faiths.
Unity, Unity, Unity, it's needed, prayer cries out for it. Souls cry out for it. Unity is the vocation of the Church and you have an important part to play in it. "I am the Vine, you are the branches", Jesus tells his disciples of all generations. He also reminds us "Those who abide in Me, and I in them, bear much fruit".
May you, bear much fruit in your life, and ask and call on the Holy Spirit to bless and inspire you in the world of prayer, and in the work of ecumenism and reaching out to all branches of the Christian Family!

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO THE 46th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, JOSEPH R. BIDEN, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS INAUGURATION AT THE WHITE HOUSE

23/1/2021

 
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The Honorable Joseph R. Biden
President of the United States of America The White House
Washington, DC

On the occasion of your inauguration as the forty-sixth President of the United States of America, I extend cordial good wishes and the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you wisdom and strength in the exercise of your high office. Under your leadership, may the American people continue to draw strength from the lofty political, ethical and religious values that have inspired the nation since its founding. At a time when the grave crises facing our human family call for farsighted and united responses, I pray that your decisions will be guided by a concern for building a society marked by authentic justice and freedom, together with unfailing respect for the rights and dignity of every person, especially the poor, the vulnerable and those who have no voice. I likewise ask God, the source of all wisdom and truth, to guide your efforts to foster understanding, reconciliation and peace within the United States and among the nations of the world in order to advance the universal common good. With these sentiments, I willingly invoke upon you and your family and the beloved American people an abundance of blessings.
FRANCISCUS PP.

WORD OF GOD SUNDAY

23/1/2021

 
Pope Francis back in 2019 declared the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time as The Sunday of the Word of God. Pope Francis has expressed his hope that will be a time devoted "to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God" (Apostolic Letter, Aperuit Illis, n. 3)
The document is wonderful (and relatively short) a reflection on the importance of sacred scripture for the faithful. Reading, reflecting and praying on this apostolic letter will deepen your relationship with God as revealed in Scripture - even if you can only take a few minutes a day to read one paragraph at a time.
There are valuable lessons to be learnt in this document. I commend it to you. These points that follow I hope will help.
APERUIT ILLIS
Read
Reading Scripture on your own is important. There are many Bible translations/editions available, so if you need help getting the right Bible for you, feel free to speak with one of us. There are also online resources which may be of help such as Catholic Bible Online or one of the many apps which can be used on any mobile phone or handheld device.
  • Scripture is also meant to be read publicly. Just as the people of Israel gathered to hear the reading of the law when they returned from exile, the Church gathers to publicly read Scripture. Every Mass requires a public proclamation of the word of God.
  • When reading Scripture, both on our own and publicly, we are united as God's people. As Pope Francis writes, "The Bible is the book of the Lord's people, who, in listening to it, move from dispersion and division towards unity. The word of God unites believers and makes them one people" (Aperuit Illis, 4).
​Appreciate
  • Throughout his apostolic letter, Pope Francis urges us to hear God's word and apply it in our lives. The Pope highlights that we should appreciate Scripture as a means by which: we know and love God; we encounter the Risen Lord; and we come to know and share the mercy of God with our brothers and sisters.
  • Pope Francis calls on God's people to deepen their faith through Scripture. He writes, "A profound bond links sacred Scripture and the faith of believers. Since faith comes from hearing, and what is heard is based on the word of Christ, believers are bound to listen attentively to the word of the Lord, both in the celebration of the liturgy and in their personal prayer and reflection" (Aperuit Illis, 7).
  • The Pope further highlights this link between Scripture and faith by looking at the Road to Emmaus story (Luke 24). He writes that this story clearly demonstrates the "unbreakable bond between sacred Scripture and the Eucharist" (Aperuit Illis, 8). If we want to grow more deeply in our love of the Eucharist, we need to grow more deeply in our love of Scripture.
Pray
  • Pope Francis reminds us that we could not have the sacraments without Scripture. He writes, "Sacred Scripture and the sacraments are thus inseparable. When the sacraments are introduced and illumined by God's word, they become ever more clearly the goal of a process whereby Christ opens our minds and hearts to acknowledge his saving work" (Aperuit Illis, 8).
  • Participating in the sacramental life of the Church is important, but the Pope commends another form of prayer, Lectio Divina. This method of prayer involves periods of reading Scripture and periods of meditation on Scripture. The Archbishop of Toronto, Cardinal Thomas Collins, leads Lectio Divina once a month at St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica and it is livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. You can find more information at: https://www.archtoronto.org/lectio.
The Sunday of the Word of God gives us a chance to reflect on how we use Scripture in our lives. Can we find more opportunities to read, appreciate and pray with Scripture?
If you have never before opened a Bible, if praying with Scripture is part of your daily prayer life or if you fall somewhere in between, "may the Sunday of the Word of God help his people to grow in religious and intimate familiarity with the sacred Scriptures." (Aperuit Illis, 15).
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Registered charity number in England: 1173050
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