Month: September 2023

On Friday the Universal Church celebrated the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the coming week Holy Mother Church celebrates the Most Holy Name of Mary. Both of these feasts have overtones of feasts ascribed to Our Blessed Lord: His Nativity and The Most Holy Name of Jesus. This is in no way meant to put Our Lady on a par with her Son, but rather is meant to accentuate her supremely important role in the great Theo-drama of salvation. It is also a salutary reminder to the People of God that devotion to the Blessed Mother is not an optional extra in the life of a faithful Catholic. It is integral, and without it our spiritual lives are somewhat… oh, what’s the word?…hopeless!!

To avoid a life that is without hope, there are a multitude of ways in which a faithful Catholic can engage with Our Lady; the rosary is but one of them. The Church doesn’t proscribe any particular way for us, nor does She insist that all Catholics must ‘believe’ in Lourdes or Fatima or Knock etc. We are told, after due investigation, that there is nothing attached to these apparition sites or devotions which is injurious to the soul of the faithful. It is up to us to find our ‘level’ (we may do this – wisely – with the help of A.N.Other), and I would say it is crucially important to do so. Jesus saw fit to give His Blessed Mother to us (and us to her) as He hung upon the Cross. It takes some brass-neck on our part to suggest to the Crucified Saviour, “No thanks. I’ll manage without her.” Our Lord could have managed without her but He chose not to. Let us take Him as our example and embrace (in whatever manner we choose) the one who is both Mother of God and our Mother too. It is a great blessing for us that part of the dedication of our parish belongs to Our Lady of Unfailing Help. Be honest, is there ever a time when we are not in need of the help of heaven?

Fr Simon

LAST LAUGH: I spent three weeks pushing a pan scrubber in the baby’s face. I want him to get used to kissing his grandmother. Les Dawson

On Friday the Universal Church celebrated the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  During the coming week Holy Mother Church celebrates the Most Holy Name of Mary.  Both of these feasts have overtones of feasts ascribed to Our Blessed Lord: His Nativity and The Most Holy Name of Jesus.  This is in no way meant to put Our Lady on a par with her Son, but rather is meant to accentuate her supremely important role in the great Theo-drama of salvation.  It is also a salutary reminder to the People of God that devotion to the Blessed Mother is not an optional extra in the life of a faithful Catholic.  It is integral, and without it our spiritual lives are somewhat… oh, what’s the word?…hopeless!!

To avoid a life that is without hope, there are a multitude of ways in which a faithful Catholic can engage with Our Lady; the rosary is but one of them.  The Church doesn’t proscribe any particular way for us, nor does She insist that all Catholics must ‘believe’ in Lourdes or Fatima or Knock etc.  We are told, after due investigation, that there is nothing attached to these apparition sites or devotions which is injurious to the soul of the faithful.  It is up to us to find our ‘level’ (we may do this – wisely – with the help of A.N.Other), and I would say it is crucially important to do so.  Jesus saw fit to give His Blessed Mother to us (and us to her) as He hung upon the Cross.  It takes some brass-neck on our part to suggest to the Crucified Saviour, “No thanks.  I’ll manage without her.”  Our Lord could have managed without her but He chose not to.  Let us take Him as our example and embrace (in whatever manner we choose) the one who is both Mother of God and our Mother too.  It is a great blessing for us that part of the dedication of our parish belongs to Our Lady of Unfailing Help.  Be honest, is there ever a time when we are not in need of the help of heaven?  Fr Simon

LAST LAUGH: I spent three weeks pushing a pan scrubber in the baby’s face. I want him to get used to kissing his grandmother.  Les Dawson

Our schools re-open this coming week and a whole round of learning and opportunities begin again for our children.  For some little ones, it is their first full day at school; for others it means a fresh start and the anxiety of beginning somewhere new.  For teachers and staff, the new year marks the return to the vital and onerous responsibility of forming impressionable minds in the ways of Faith and right judgement.

Schools have changed beyond the imaginations of those of us who grew up in the 2^nd half of the 20^th century.  Some of these changes have been for the better, others clearly not so.  One thing that hasn’t changed though is the Lord’s call to all of us to “go and teach all nations”.  Our Catholic schools are one of the ways in which we fulfil His command and for this reason they deserve our support, morally and spiritually. I believe passionately in Catholic education and will be doing all I can to support all God’s children (young and old) in their personal journey of Faith, be they in one of our schools or not.  You can do your bit too by supporting the staff with your prayers.  It’s no use chunttering about the state of schools if you haven’t brought them, their difficulties and their needs before the feet of Our Lord.

The new Chaplaincy Coordinator at St John Fisher’s, Mrs E Fiddler, will be working with staff and students and hopes to be able to share her work through the SJF Chaplaincy X page (formerly known as Twitter). Search for @SJFChaplaincy on X/Twitter and give them a ‘like’ and a follow. You are also invited to send prayer requests that will be used in form time with the students.  Fr Simon

LAST LAUGH: I always take my wife morning tea in my pyjamas, but is she grateful?  No!  She says she’d rather have it in a cup!  Morecombe & Wise