Parish News

How persistent are you? In Sunday's readings we see how it is OK to be persistent with God. We see Abraham’s persistence where he not only talks to God, he challenges him to show how just he is, but he also goes further and bargains with God for the lives of others. God listens and responds. God is a God of justice but, over and above all things, He desires to save us from ourselves and the consequences of our own weakness and sin. Just as we desire to help those we know and love. In Sunday's Gospel the disciples struggle with knowing how to approach God, how to communicate with him. There were daily sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem but the disciples sensed a need to approach God "one to one", to pray. There are two versions of the Our Father in the Gospels, the other slightly longer version is found in Matthew’s gospel. Its beauty is that it can be said individually or collectively. Jesus says to his disciples and us, “Say this when you pray” in other words he intends the prayer to be used. Our Father – Abba – in Aramaic is the form of address of a child to their Father, an approach of trust and intimacy. There are 7 petitions or requests in the prayer. If you pray it slowly you will see how it sets out our relationship with our loving father, but also speaks of what we need whilst we are in the world, including the deliverance from evil. In essence Jesus tells us that prayer is never unheard or unheeded by our Heavenly Father, it is always answered in some way, though there will be times when God’s reply is not obvious at the time. This has been true for me and I suspect that is the same for you too. So be persistent in prayer. As well as your day to day needs, ask God to come to you. By your baptism you already share the life of God though the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Ultimately God will stretch out His hand and save you. His love for you is eternal. As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions. Fr Chris

these are a series of workshops where you learn to pray and you learn to live, They are every Thursday in the meeting room at St Urban’s from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. For more Information see www.tovpil.org or contact Vincenzo on 07367150001, Solange on 07446004352, or Francis on 07940856029.

It’s good to be back with you all after two week working as a chaplain in Lourdes, the first week with our own Diocesan pilgrimage, the second week as a chaplain to the Ampleforth pilgrimage. It has been a very busy but grace filled two weeks. I prayed for your intentions every day and I offered Masses for them too. It was particularly good to see our teenagers and, on the second week, young adults caring for the sick and the vulnerable with great compassion, care and concern. God willing their faith has been strengthened too. I want to sincerely apologise for any disruption or inconvenience my absence may have caused, especially due to unexpected illness. I am very grateful to Fr Paddy also Cannons Nunan and Cassidy for their support in covering my time away. At the back of the church you will find a small prayer card for you from me as a token of my prayers for you at the shrine. Hopefully there will be enough for everyone.  Fr Chris

Generosity is a theme we see time and again in the Bible, not least the first act of generosity, that of God creating the universe in its staggering beauty and complexity culminating in God entering our world, our humanity, and saving us from ourselves in his son Jesus. This Sunday we see in the Old Testament one of the best remembered stories in the Bible, that of Abraham, Sarah and the three strangers. In some respects it is merely a classic story commonly seen in a desert culture where strangers are treated well and their needs are met. This custom is still practiced in Arabic desert cultures. But this particular account has much more to it than the observance of hospitality rules being followed by a reward. The setting, the Oak of Mamre, was a holy place. Instinctively Abraham knows that the three strangers are different, more than mere strangers; Abraham prostrates himself before them, which is what you would do before royalty or divinity. There are three people but he addresses them in the singular – “my Lord”. He seems to offer them what little he has but with Sarah they go to great lengths to offer a feast. The gift given in return by the strangers, or is it the stranger, is the gift of life, the gift of a child. In a sense it is the gift of immortality through the life of successive generations. A miraculous gift, an impossible gift – Abraham was probably 99 and Sarah 90 at the time. A gift for them, which becomes a gift for us too – Jesus in his humanity is a descendent of this encounter. Over a thousand years before the birth of Jesus it is also a prophesy, an insight into the existence of, and the life of, the Holy Trinity. In Sunday's Gospel we see another arrival. This is not the arrival of a stranger but Jesus at the home of his good friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus. As we do when our own friends visit there is a desire to make sure that things are just as they should be. It is clear that Jesus does not expect people to rush around making a fuss. Jesus knows that there is a time in all of our lives for doing things, a time for action, but also a time for contemplation. Today we see him, with care and gentleness, reminding Martha, and us too, not to permit ourselves to be preoccupied by external things; only one thing is required, to sit at the feet of our brother, our friend, our master, and our God, the Lord Jesus, and to listen to him with the ears of our heart and our souls and to respond to his good news – which is our redemption and the opportunity to enter into the divine life of God. The kingdom of God is very near to us. Be generous in making a still and quiet space for God in your mind, your heart, and your soul he will reward you with his presence. Be still in the presence of the Lord. As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions. Fr Chris

The Mass schedule for this week is as normal with the exception of no exposition during the week or rosary on Tuesday evening. I wish to sincerely thank Father Maurice Pearce for covering the weekday Masses and Canon Eugine McGillycuddy for covering this Sunday.  Fr Chris

At the time of writing our sick brothers and sisters of the Diocese are preparing to leave for home and by the time you read this, God willing, they will all be safely home. Then the Ampleforth Pilgrimage arrive and I will spend the week with them as one of their chaplains. I am so immensely proud of the pupils of Cardinal Heenan High School who have been part of the pilgrimage’s youth section. They have not spared themselves in supporting their designated sick pilgrims. We are so lucky to have three great schools on our parish. As for myself, the task of a clergy chaplain is to provide pastoral and sacramental support to the pilgrims and at times pilgrimage volunteers too. It is an intense couple of weeks for me, but it is an opportunity to help very vulnerable people to find spiritual comfort and grow in grace. I am acutely aware the impact of my absence from the parish, and I want to sincerely apologise for any discomfort and inconvenience that this has caused but be assured that I have offered prayer and Mass for your intentions.  Fr Chris

How do we get to heaven and “inherit eternal life”? This is the question posed to Jesus in Sunday’s Gospel. Jesus asks the questioner what his answer would be. The reply has two elements, love of God and neighbour both of which are found in Jewish law. The love of neighbour was at the time unique to the Jewish religion; however “neighbour” was seen as the person who lived nearby, or may stretch to the whole of the nation of Israel, there was certainly no thought of a wider community or fellowship. It did not include the love of all humankind. Jesus, as he so often does, turns to a story to make his point. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is about 17 miles and the road descends more than 3,000 feet, it was a wild country and it still has a desolate feel, just rocks and desert. The two passers-by, the priest and the Levite, obviously see the person left for dead. In fairness perhaps they went on their way because of a reasonable fear they too would meet the same fate as the traveller, also, if he was dead, their religious rules meant that they would be ritually contaminated if they touched him. But Jesus will have deeply shocked is audience by making the hero of his story a Samaritan. The bitterness between Jews and Samaritans was long standing and very deep; it is hard for us to understand just how upsetting this would have been for Jesus’ audience. The hostility between the two peoples was fully reciprocated. Jesus, as he always does, presses on with his message – the duty we all have of pausing to notice and care for the other regardless of who they are, especially those we would prefer to ignore. A need to reach out with compassion, tenderness, and generosity, just as the Samaritan does, going the extra mile for the other. The Samaritan is closer to inheriting eternal life than the lawyer. So, what about us? As I don’t use a car, I find that I have moments every day when I walk on by. Times when I avert my eyes or cross the street to avoid an encounter that I don’t want to have. There are times every day when I am the priest in the parable. Lord, have mercy on me a sinner. At my best I pause to offer what I have, and there are times when it’s just a chat with another human being, just taking an interest. It is the movement of generosity of spirit which not only draws me and the other person closer to the heart of Jesus but makes both of us feel a better person. What about you? Do you walk on by too? Who are you on the road to Jericho? Are you on the road to eternal life with God? Please be assured of my prayers for your needs and intentions in Lourdes. Fr Chris

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: The next date for the Tuesday evening socials is Tuesday the 5th of August . We meet at the Meanwood Tavern for a drink and some pizza. It's a great opportunity to meet new people in the parish and catch up with others. We walk up after Tuesday evening Mass, or you can meet us there at around 7.45pm. For any questions, or to join the WhatsApp group for reminders, please get in touch with Joaquim Messa on 07454 678034 or Sarah Messa on 07952723416.

There will be a Healing Service on Tuesday the 15th July at 7pm in St Mary’s Catholic Church, Horsforth. This is a beautiful opportunity to pray for healing for yourself or others, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual. Remember Jesus is alive, and miracles can and do happen! Everyone is welcome, including non-Catholics and those of no faith - all that is needed is an openness to Jesus.