14th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)
To know God does not need a mountain of intelligence. God is revealed to everyone, even mere children. And in knowing him and knowing about him, we are invited to approach Jesus to remove the burdens we have. This is the message that Jesus gave to his disciples and is addressed to us today. However, we must not forget that through our baptism we are other Christs. This means that in this capacity we are the hands of Christ who helps ease the burdens of others.
Blessing of Carers
One great Christian act is the care of other people. Whether it is family or friends that we give our time to, or whether we are in a caring profession, we are giving our time, energy and love for the benefit of others. During Masses this weekend throughout the Diocese, carers of any kind are invited to come forward before the general blessing to be anointed on the palms of both hands with Holy Water. The priest will say ‘May God bless your hands for healing.’ After everyone has been blessed individually, there will be a special prayer of blessing over all. Thank you for all you do as a Christian carer.
Sea Sunday
Today is Sea Sunday, when the Church prays for all those who live and work at sea. Without them we would not have most of the items we buy in the shops. Today’s second collection is for Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), the Church’s official maritime welfare agency. It supports seafarers both practically and spiritually. This collection is vital to enable it to continue its work, so please give generously and remember seafarers in your prayers. Thank you. To donate online please visit www.apostleshipofthe sea.org.uk.
Baptism Preparation
There is a session this afternoon (Sunday) at 4pm for parents who wish to have their baby baptised. It takes place in the Dominic Room in the Parish Centre. Application forms can be collected from the sacristy.
Mass at 9.15 on Wednesday
On Wednesday, Mass will be at 9.15am in the Infants School next door not in the church. There will be no Holy Hour this Wednesday. Everyone is invited to this Mass which is for the intentions of those leaving the Infants School this summer, many of whom are moving to the Junior School in September.
Monday Masses
Mass tomorrow will be at 7.30am only but on Monday 17th July, there will also be a Mass at 9am.
Your Clergy
Fr Carlos is currently away but will return for a few days on 16th July before going away until 25th August. He will take up his appointment in Bishop’s Stortford in September.
Leavers’ Mass in Junior School
The Leavers’ Mass for Junior School pupils will take place in the school at 2pm on Thursday
First Communions in 2018
Application forms are available in the porch for parents who wish to apply for their child to join the First Communion programme.
Forms should be returned by 10th September at the latest. The child should be starting in Year 3 or above next September. There will be an introductory meeting for the parents who have applied for their child on Tuesday 26th September at 7.45pm in the Parish Centre. There will then be 7 sessions for parents and 7 sessions for children during the course of the programme, starting on Tuesday 3rd October for parents (7.45pm) and Sunday 8th October (9.15am) for children.
RCIA Sessions
Sessions for those adults who are considering baptism, reception into the church or confirmation start on Tuesday 10th October at 8pm, upstairs in the Parish Centre. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process whereby adults journey in the faith toward receiving the Sacraments and become full members of the Catholic Church. Please let those interested know about this or you may like to introduce them to Fr Colin.
Summer Fayre
The Parish's Annual Summer Fayre takes place this Saturday, starting at 12 noon in the Parish Centre. Everyone is invited to come along. It serves to raise funds for the upkeep of the Parish. More importantly it is a time for us all to come together as a Parish to enjoy a burger (or a salad) and the sun. There will be games for kids, face painting, potted plants for sale, toys and other items for sale. If you want to help out on the day, rent a stall, donate cakes or other items for sale, please let Father Colin or Arinze know.
Harrow Mencap
Next weekend there will be a collection for Harrow Mencap. This organisation provides opportunities, resources and support for people with learning difficulties in the area. The retiring collection will support them in this work.
WATCH THIS SPACE: BY J.D.S.
On leaving school, a boy got a job with a telegram company but on his first day he got hauled over the coals by his boss. “I’ve just had a complaint from the firm that you sent that telegram to,” raged the boss. “They say they could hardly understand it because there is no punctuation—just one continuous sentence. Why?” “Because you told me to send it like that” said the boy “What are you talking about?” “Just before I sent it, you said to me “This telegram is urgent, so I want you to pull out all the stops.”