Saturday 1st July 2023 – Saturday 8th July 2023
- jonathonrouth
- Jul 1, 2023
- 3 min read
JULY IS THE MONTH OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time.
Dear parishioners,
THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
Even in death, Our Lord Jesus Christ continued to empty himself for us, proving his words, in St. John’s Gospel ‘that unless the grain of wheat dies, it will not bear abundant harvest’. This harvest was His Precious Blood that poured forth from him. He had said, Father forgive them, and as in his life when all his words were met with works, all his teaching demonstrated by deeds, so those last words were also proven by what happened on the cross after he died. For his precious blood that poured from him is the sign, that we sinful human beings may have killed him, but his heart is an infinite well of grace, it is Divine, from which has continued to pour grace through the sacraments our Lord has given us for our forgiveness and salvation. These sacraments are the abundant harvest, which have nourished the church for two millennia. In his life, the Lord gave us the visible sign of the sacraments but in death he filled them with the power of his total self -sacrifice. In our lives, this stream of grace is still poured out to us in those sacraments. The reverberations of that first sacrifice on Calvary still ripple through every celebration of Holy Mass, when once again we stand at the foot of the cross and the Great Sacrifice, the total emptying of God for love of unlovable humanity, is made present to us at the altar, in the body and blood of that same Lord.
This feast today is the culmination of the great feasts of the passion: Corpus Christi and the Sacred Heart, because it celebrates that even in death, the Lord still gave himself to us and that even though he has risen and ascended to Heaven, he is still giving himself to us today. He died that he could give himself to us forever more at the Sacrifice of the Mass, that his body is still given to us, his Most Precious Blood, still poured out for us. It is finished, he said on The Cross. But those words concluded his earthly mission among us. Through the outpouring of his Most Precious Blood after he had breathed his last, we see that His love is infinite, never ending, never finished, that death far from ending it, produced the most abundant harvest of grace still poured out for us at this Holy Sacrifice in this church today.
1. Solemnity of Corpus Christi. There will be a Procession of the Blessed Sacrament around the church grounds following 11 o’clock mass on Sunday 11th June concluding with Benediction.
2. Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. Mass at 10.00 a.m. on Friday 16th June and An Hour of Adoration to the Sacred Heart in song, the Litany, Act of Consecration and Benediction on Sunday 18th June at 4.00 p.m.
3. First Communion thanksgiving Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. Sunday 25th June, 3.00 p.m.
4. High Mass for the Feast of the Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ at 11.00 a.m. on Saturday 1st July.
5. Devotions to the Most Precious Blood: with Sung Litany and Benediction, Sunday 30th July, 4.00 p.m.
God Bless
Fr. Jonathon
UPCOMING EVENTS
ST THOMAS MORE GOLF DAY to be held Thursday 21st September 2023 at Birchwood Park Golf course, Swanley. Anyone interested in taking part please contact Tony Brooke. 07833707016. There will be the usual charity raffle attached to the day in aid of taking sick / disabled to Lourdes. You will be offered a chance to be involved in the raffle in early September.
EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION AND LECTORS - Formation Day 2023
Saturday 14th October 2023 10.00 a.m.-4.00 p.m.
For Parishes in the Deaneries of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich
Venue: St Stephen’s Church, 26 Deepdene Road, Welling, Kent DA16 3QL
If you are a lector or extraordinary minister you are encouraged to put this in your diary and attend it. Please let me know if you are going so I can let them know numbers.
PASTORAL COUNCIL: Next meeting on Saturday 15th July at 12 noon.
PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES.
Monday 23rd October to Friday 27th October 2023.
Please contact the parish office if you are interested in joining us.
ENJOY AN EVENING OUT at St Thomas More Parish Club Presents a social evening for all the family Music by Annie G. Friday 7th July 2023 8.00pm to 11pm Admission - Adults £3 at the door. For more information call Jenny 07710 527692 or Mary 07369 252072, everybody welcome
PARISH NOTICES
MONEY COUNTING. NEW HELPERS NEEDED!
Thank you to our new volunteer for stepping forwards, this is a great help. More help needed though. The more are on the counting team rota, the less often you need to do it! Please speak to me or Mr. Hugh Willan if you can help.
MESSAGE FROM SPUC
(The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children)
'Please contact your MP and implore them to reject the British Pregnancy Advisory Service's call to completely decriminalise abortion. BPAS successfully campaigned for the pills by post scheme (active during covid) to be made permanent. We argued that without proper examination women would be sent the pills after the cut off period. BPAS have done just that, leading to the death of a totally viable child and a prison term for the mother. BPAS have made a tool for people to contact their MP so we need to respond. There's advice about this on www.spuc.org.uk but no tool as it's important you use your own words.
Rob Hills
Bexley SPUC Branch Chairman'
‘SEA SUNDAY’ second collection for ‘Stella Maris’ next Sunday. ‘Stella Maris’ formerly ‘The Apostleship of the Sea’, is a Catholic Charity supporting seafarers worldwide. They provide practical and pastoral care to all seafarers, regardless of nationality or belief. Port chaplains and volunteer ship visitors welcome seafarers, offer welfare service and advice, practical help, care and friendship. Stella Maris is Great Britain is part of an international network working in more than 250 ports around the world. 90% of world trade is transported by ship, however the life in the ports of a modern seafarer can be dangerous and lonely. They may spend up to a year at a time away from home, separated from their family and loved ones and often working in harsh conditions. Stella Maris relies wholly on voluntary contributions, and can only continue its work through the generous donations of its supporters, particularly this collection.
FOOD BANK.
The Bexley Food Bank currently particularly requests (please notice the new items at the end):
CARRIER BAGS/ TINNED TOMATOES / RICE / NOODLES / JAM / CUSTARD /TOOTPASTE / SHOWER GEl/ DEODORANT/ TOOTHPASTE/ SUGAR / WASHING PODS/ LONG LIFE MILK / BISCUITS / SWEETS- CONFECTIONARY.
Please follow the link below to view the food donations page of the Bexley food bank website. https://bexley.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/
Notice from Marriage and Family Life South East.
Planning a catholic marriage? Marriage preparation courses are available by emailing mflse@rcaos.org.uk.
EXTRA HELP NEEDED FOR THURSDAY LUNCH CLUB: The Lunch Club are needing some extra help putting out tables and chairs and especially putting them away again at 2.30 p.m. Could you help us out with this? The lunch club are meeting this Thursday, 6th July at 12.30 p.m. See you then.
PARISH YOUTH NOTICES
‘SUMMERTIME 2023’
Altar servers and young people’s summer break, Tuesday 1st August – Friday 4th August at the Oratory School, Reading, cost £169. . A few days to meet up in a holiday atmosphere with activities including talks, discussions, prayer, daily mass, sport, a visit to Thorpe Park and swimming. For more details, contact Fr Stephen Boyle dartford@rcaos.org.uk . ‘Summertime’ is open to any teenagers up to 17years old who are attending mass every Sunday.
CHILDREN’S CHURCH for infants.
This Sunday in the Church Hall at 9.00 a.m.
CONFIRMATION 2023. Next meeting: Sunday 2nd July, 4.00 p.m. in the house.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION.
Thank you to everyone who was involved in this years First Holy Communion. We had 24 children receiving the Blessed Sacrament for the first time on the 17th and 18th June and had a small celebration for them all last weekend.
Special thanks go to Dorota & Suzie for preparing our children and to Milla for the beautiful cake. Thanks also to the parents and families of all of the children for their support.
DEATHS
For all our brothers and sisters who ate the Body of Christ, the bread of Life, that they may be raised up on the Last Day. (Drawn from the intercession of the Funeral Mass)
Please pray for the soul of:
Elizabeth ‘Elsie’ Murphy, who died on 18th April and whose funeral requiem was on Thursday 4th May.
Eddie Etheridge, who died on 19th April, aged 87. Funeral Requiem was on Friday 2nd June.
Milita De Mello, beloved wife of Alex, who died on Tuesday 23rd May 2023, aged 83 whose funeral is on Monday 3rd July 2023 at 10.00 a.m. followed by private committal.
Robert Penny, who died on Tuesday 30th May, aged 87, funeral arrangements with St John Vianney parish.
May the divine assistance remain with them always, and may their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
MASSES AND INTENTIONS FOR THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
Instaurare Omnia in Christo: "to restore all things in Christ."
Saturday 1st July THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, feast [TC]
10.30 a.m. Rosary
+ NB 11.00 a.m. High Mass [Latin 1962] Sheila Jones R.I.P.
[+ 6.30 p.m. THIRTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME. Second Collection for Peter’s pence. The people of the parish
Sunday 2nd July
8.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+ 9.00 a.m. SUNG. With church for our infant children in the hall. Mario Pescatore R.I.P.
+ 11.00 a.m. SOLEMN LATIN MASS (missa orbis factor) A parishioner’s P.I. in T.G. for the Lord’s mercy & favour.
7.00 p.m. Parish Social Evening in the Hall. All welcome.
Monday 3rd July St. Thomas the Apostle, feast.
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 Funeral Requiem for Milita De Mello, followed by private committal.
Tuesday 4th July feria
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 Margaret Hodson R.I.P.
Wednesday 5th July St. Anthony Zaccaria, priest.
The Daily Rosary at home.
NO PUBLIC MASS TODAY.
Thursday 6th July St Maria Goretti, Virgin & martyr.
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 a.m. Lile Olaj W.B.
12.30 p.m. Thursday Lunch Club.
Friday 7th July feria
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 a.m. John Williams W.B.
6.00 p.m. Choir Practice.
Saturday 8th July St Elizabeth of Portugal, Queen [TC]
10.30 a.m. Rosary
+ 10.00 a.m. [Latin 1962] Marie Anne Peters R.I.P.
[+ 6.30 p.m. FORTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME Carole Frances Tracey R.I.P.
JULY PRAYER
TO THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
