Dear Parishioners,
Once more it is good to be able to greet you and send out the Newsletter and Readings for Holy Mass this weekend. A Mass in which we will hear Jesus, continuing his Sermon of the Mount, call on us to be “light to the world.” Reflecting on the fact that it is not just about burning brightly but also the quality of illumination that we have the potential to offer, I am always struck by the tribute Adlai Stevenson, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, paid former First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, on her death in 1962. He said he had “… lost more than a friend — I have lost an inspiration: for she would rather light candles than curse the darkness and her glow had warmed the world.” Quite a statement about his fellow human being.
This week may we all shine in some way that inspires others, recalling the words of a familiar hymn, that the “stars shine brightest in the darkness.”
With an assurance of daily prayerful remembrance, kindest thought and affection.
As ever, Fr. Nicholas