Saturday 24th June – Saturday 1st July 2023

jonathonrouth
Jun 23, 2023
4 min read

JUNE IS THE MONTH OF THE SACRED HEART.

Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time.

Dear parishioners,

BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS

On Thursday we celebrate the Holy Day of St Peter and St Paul and on Friday, the First Martyrs of Rome. The church is founded on the blood of these martyrs, and our first pope, St Peter, followed his Lord to the end, not giving in to the beliefs of the world around him. He believed and trusted totally in the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord and in his own self- sacrifice, St Peter’s blood was one with the most Precious Blood of Our Lord who gave himself for us. All our sacrifices and Good Works are sanctified in their union with the sacrifice of the Lord, for our good and the good of others, including the souls in purgatory. Last week, in school and church, we celebrated our own parish patron, St Thomas More, who like those first martyrs, joined his sacrifice to his Lord’s.

St Thomas More, the patron of our parish and school, followed his Lord to the end. He was a wealthy important man. All he had to do was sign a piece of paper saying he accepted that King Henry VIII was the Head of the church. St Thomas More could not do this. He understood that Jesus had said Peter was the rock on which the church is built . All popes have followed one after the other after St Peter and from St Peter to the current pope, there have been 266 of them. Our St. Thomas More was faced with a choice. The first meant living happily in his big house with his family and the second meant his death. The first meant giving up his catholic faith and the church he loved and the second meant following Jesus by staying in the Catholic Church and that unbroken history of popes from St Peter. St Thomas More made his choice. He chose God and The Church and gave his life for his choice. He followed Jesus to the end, putting God above home, wife, family and king. He gave up everything for God and his Catholic faith.

Being a Christian is not an easy choice, Jesus tells us. If we choose to follow Him, we will have difficult choices to make in life and this can mean choosing the Lord above all other things and people. It means being guided by Scripture, the Catechism and all the Teaching of the Church through the Ages, and not embracing the ungodly trends of the world as we see in the Church today. This will not bring people back. In fact, every statistic shows, that it is only churches which remain true to Scripture and God’s laws that remain strong. If St Thomas More had given into the world, he would be simply another figure in a turbulent period of English History, but not the great man whose star shines in the pantheon of English saints.

The world around us is telling us today that many things are right which are wrong. We may think that our family, our country, our football team, and nowadays, the choosing our own identity, is the most important thing in life, but we are absolutely wrong. God is the most important thing in life and all the difficult decisions we have to make, must be right with God. We know what is right with God because he gave everyone a conscience and then gave his Commandments to Moses to inform it. These are the basis of all moral law, all the decisions we make about what is right or wrong.

But most of all, God sent us his Son Jesus Christ who told his disciples, that anyone who wants to be saved, must follow him. And that’s not just saying ‘yes, Lord’, not just saying you are his follower, but taking up your cross and following him. This can mean making hard decisions and often saying no to your self; choosing what is difficult, so that what we do is not always what I want, but what God wants. That’s called self sacrifice and is why St Thomas More is a saint and what the Church is founded on in St Peter and St Paul. The Church of Rome was founded on the Blood of those Martyrs which poured from them in witness to Jesus Christ against the godless ways of the world.

We ask St Thomas More to pray for our parish and school that like him, we will always choose God’s way above all things and faced with a choice between the church and the world, we choose God’s church. Jesus Christ is our King above anyone or anything on earth, and to his Most Sacred Heart, like St Thomas More our patron, we give our love and total allegiance.

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.
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.
First Communion thanksgiving Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. Sunday 25th June, 3.00 p.m.
High Mass for the Feast of the Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ at 11.00 a.m. on Saturday 1st July.
Devotions to the Most Precious Blood: with Sung Litany and Benediction, Sunday 30th July, 4.00 p.m.

God bless, Fr Jonathon

UPCOMING EVENTS

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 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

THURSDAY LUNCH CLUB

The Lunch Club are meeting this Thursday, 29th June at 12.30 p.m.

See you then.

PARISH NOTICES

MONEY COUNTING. NEW HELPERS NEEDED! One of our most regular and long serving counters has stepped down after many decades of service. Although many of you now make your contributions to the parish on line (which is very much encouraged) or by the new contactless devices in the church, nevertheless, a considerable percentage of our income still comes from cash. This also includes our contributions to charities and second collections. If you could give a couple of hours on a Monday or Tuesday morning from time to time, please let me know. Counting now takes place every fortnight and if we have plenty on the rota, it means you would only be doing this a few times a year. Your help would be a great service to the parish. Please contact me and I’ll forward your name and contact details to Mr Hugh Willan, or speak to Hugh yourself.

As a consequence, I have lost a valued counting partner and for the time being I may have to call for help occasionally.

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

PASTORAL COUNCIL: Next meeting on Saturday 15th July at 12 noon.

FOOD BANK.

The Bexley Food Bank currently particularly requests:

CARRIER BAGS/ TINNED TOMATOES / RICE / NOODLES / JAM / CUSTARD /TOOTPASTE / SHOWER GEl/ DEODORANT/ TOOTHPASTE/ SUGAR / WASHING PODS.

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.

GIFT AID

Please contact the parish office if you still donate by cash and have not picked up your gift aid boxes yet. If you would like to join the Gift Aid Scheme by donating with cash or through a bankers order/standing order, please email bostallpark@rcaos.org.uk.

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.

Makes a welcome return this Sunday in the Church Hall at 9.00 a.m.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNIONS.

Following First Holy Communions last Saturday/ Sunday, on Sunday 25th at 3.00 p.m., there will be a special service of thanksgiving for you all to come together with your families, with Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, and Benediction followed by Presentations of Certificates and Communion Cake in the Hall.

CONFIRMATION 2023.

Next meeting: This Sunday, 4.00 p.m. in the house.

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.

Melita 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 TWELFTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME

Instaurare Omnia in Christo: "to restore all things in Christ."

Saturday 24th June THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, solemnity.

9.30 a.m. Rosary

+ 10.00 a.m. Parishioner’s P.I.

[+ 6.30 p.m. TWELFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME. Lorna Hornsby RIP

Sunday 25th June

8.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary

+ 9.00 a.m. SUNG. With church for our infant children in the hall. Christian Pereira TG for First Holy Communion.

+ 11.00 a.m. SOLEMN LATIN MASS (missa orbis factor) Kamsi Nwankwo TG on his 9th birthday.

3.00 p.m. THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD FOR FIRST HOLY COMMUNION with Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction followed by party in the Hall for children and their families.

7.00 p.m. Parish Social Evening in the Hall. All welcome.

Monday 26th June St. Thomas Garnet, priest & martyr

9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary

+10.00 Anthony Wilson

Tuesday 27th June St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop & doctor of the church.

9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary

+10.00 Eulalia Mascarenhas R.I.P.

Wednesday 28th June St. Irenenaus, bishop & doctor of the church

The Daily Rosary at home.

NO PUBLIC MASS TODAY.

Thursday 29th June SS PETER & PAUL, apostles, solemnity, holy day of obligation.

9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary

+10.00 a.m. Eddie Etheridge R.I.P.

12.30 p.m. Thursday Lunch Club.

Friday 30th June The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church.

9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary

+10.00 a.m. Holy Souls

6.00 p.m. Choir Practice.

Saturday 1st July THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, feast [TC]

10.30 a.m. Rosary

+ NB 11.00 a.m. Sheila Jones R.I.P.

[+ 6.30 p.m. THIRTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME The people of the parish

JUNE PRAYER

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS by Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart (1863-1899) whose letter to Pope Leo XIII was the impetus for the consecration of the world to the Divine Heart.

My most loving Jesus, I consecrate myself today anew and without reserve to your divine Heart. I consecrate my thoughts, words and actions; all my sufferings and labours; all my hopes, consolations and joys; and, above all, I consecrate to you my poor heart, that it may love only you and be consumed as a victim in the fire of your love. Accept, O Jesus, my most loving spouse, the desire that I have to console your divine Heart and to be yours forever. Possess me in such a manner that henceforward I may have no other liberty than that of loving you, no other life than that of suffering and dying for you.

I place in you unlimited trust and I hope, from your infinite mercy, for the pardon of my sins. I place in your hands all my cares, especially that of my eternal salvation. I promise to love and honour you to the last moment of my life, and to propagate, with the help of your divine grace and as far as I am able, devotion to your Sacred Heart. Dispose of me, O divine Heart of Jesus, according to your pleasure; I desire no other recompense than your greater glory and your holy love.

Grant me the grace to find my dwelling place in your Sacred Heart where I desire to pass every day of my life and where I wish to breathe my last breath. Make my heart your abode, the place of your repose, so that we may remain intimately united until, finally, I may praise, love, and possess you for all eternity, singing forever the infinite mercy of your Sacred Heart. Amen.