16th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)
We have some more parables from St Matthew’s Gospel today. The parable about the darnel and the field reminds us that the good and the bad grow up together in this world. We are surrounded by many temptations to do wrong. At the same time we have many opportunities to influence others by our good deeds, bringing Jesus Christ into situations where he appears to be absent. This enables the kingdom of heaven to grow. With small beginnings, it is like a mustard seed which grows into the biggest shrub of all.
Holy Days of Obligation
There are now only four days in the year that are Holy Days of Obligation. These are days when as Catholics we are required to attend Mass in addition to every Sunday. These four days are Christmas Day, All Saints Day (1st November), the Assumption of Our Lady (15th August) and St Peter & St Paul (29th June). There were not many attending Mass here on 29th June, which made me think that not everybody is aware of this requirement.
The next Holyday is the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady which is on Tuesday 15th August when Masses here are at 9am and 7.30pm. On that day we celebrate the fact that Mary was assumed into heaven where she is the beginning and the pattern of the Church in its perfection. This is a sign of hope and comfort for us as we journey on our pilgrim way through life. Many people are away at this time so this presents us with an opportunity to experience Mass in a different setting.
Your Priests
Fr Jozef Urbanic is arriving in the parish on 30th July and will be staying until 26th August while Fr Colin is away. We welcome him again to The Annunciation. Fr Carlos returns on 25th August and will be here until he moves to Bishop’s Stortford in September. Then we will welcome our new deacon, Ronnie Seery.
Tuesday Novena & Wednesday Holy Hour
The Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help resumes on Tuesday 12th September. The Wednesday Holy Hour from 9.30 to 10.30am, resumes on Wednesday 20th September, not as indicated last week. This is because on Wednesday 13th September, Mass will be in the Infants School next door at 9.15am.
Communion Under One Kind
During the month of August, at Sunday Masses there will be Communion under one kind only. One Eucharistic Minister is asked to come forward to help the priest distribute the hosts.
Fr Colin’s Celebration
In September, I will have completed 10 happy years in Burnt Oak. To celebrate this and my 30 years in the priesthood, we are having a special Mass at 6.30pm on Saturday 9th September. This will be followed by a get-together in the Parish Centre. As on previous occasions, we invite you to bring along a dish of food. We will provide drink.
100th Birthday
We congratulate Sister Gabriel of the Rosary Priory in Bushey who celebrates her 100th birthday on Monday 24th July. We wish her a very happy birthday.
Dominican Missions Appeal
This weekend we welcome Fr Matthew Jarvis to the parish to give an appeal on behalf of the Dominican Foreign Missions.
Summer Fayre
Many thanks to Four:12 who organised the Summer Fayre last Saturday. Thanks too to those who came along and those who contributed. The amount raised for the Parish was £250.00.
Parish Council Meeting
The Parish Council meet on Thursday 7th September at 7.45pm in the
presbytery.
Catholic Education Service
There will be a second collection for the Catholic Education Service on the weekend of 9th/10th September.
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.
Baptism Preparation
The next preparation session for parents who wish to have their baby baptised will be on Sunday 24th September at 4pm in the Dominic Room. Please collect an application form from the sacristy.
PARISH GIFT
In September we will be celebrating Fr Colin’s ten years with the Parish and thirty years of priesthood. Many of you have expressed that you would like to donate towards a gift for Father, so envelopes (Parish Gift) are available at the back of the church to put into the collection box. Thank you.
Charity Walk For The Poor
On 17th September, thousands of people across the globe are doing a charitable 5km walk to fund and send over 1000 poor children to school for a year. Last year, the walk for London was held in Richmond Park and the registration fee was set at £10 for adult walkers and £5 for children. More details can be found on the website http://cfcancop.org/home.aspx. The walk is being organised by ‘Couples for Christ’ and its Family Ministries.
TakeHomeNews
This is the final newsletter until 9/10th September.
WATCH THIS SPACE: BY J.D.S.
A deer was trying to cross a busy road but the traffic was very heavy. After he had been trying unsuccessfully for five minutes, a bear walked past and said, “Excuse me, there’s a zebra crossing down the road.” The deer replied “Well I hope he’s having better luck than I am!”
A home owner complained to a workman, “I gave you a list with eight jobs to do, but you have only done numbers one, three, five and seven.” The workman replied, “That’s because I’m an odd-job man.”