Tag: jesus

The Second Week Of Lent

A time for transformation and renewal is one way to mark the season of Lent. In the moments of the partial eclipse of the moon and its return to glowing brightness another reminder of transitional change. This Sunday we hear of a moment of transfiguration and a glimpse of glory. There is too in the Second Reading the promise and hope of our homeland in heaven. Take the opportunities offered by Lent for yourself.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Message

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This week, the Gospel – as is always the case on the Second Sunday of Lent – is the account of the Transfiguration, this year from Luke’s Gospel. Jesus gives to Peter, James and John the experience of His Transfiguration in order that they be strengthened for the events that are to come – His Passion and death. Even though we know that the Lord’s death was not the end, the Lord’s Transfiguration strengthens us too.  

The scale of the Lord’s suffering is beyond our experience. The very fact that He who is without sin, the Incarnate Word, suffers and dies for us is a reality so deep, so vast, that it calls forth from us prayer, love and a response in action. We cannot gaze on the crucified Lord without being changed.   

When we see suffering in the world, we see the Cross – this experience calls us to prayer, to love, to action – for in serving our brothers and sisters we serve Christ, the One who suffered and died for us. 

With every blessing,

+Richard

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday March 16th 10am 2nd in Lent
  • Monday March 17th 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Monday March 17th 10am The Feast of St Patrick
  • Wednesday March 19th 9:30am The Solemnity of St Joseph
  • Friday March 21st 9:30am
  • Sunday March 23rd 10am 3rd in Lent

CAFOD

Your donations may be placed in a basket or by card here.

Service of Reconciliation

Bishop Richard will lead this for the parishes of the Deanery at St Mary Magdalen’s Upper North Street Thursday 27th at 7.30pm. At least six priest confessors available.

Jubilee Pilgrimages

  • Weekend to Walsingham
  • Rome
  • Lourdes

See posters or enquire

St Patrick

Bishop and missionary. Patron of Ireland. Mass for his feast Monday 10am at St Thomas More.

St Joseph

Foster- father of Christ and husband of Mary, carpenter. Patron of the Universal Church. ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you.’

Mass Wednesday at 9.30am

Saint Joseph when you pray for me
Pray to the Three-in-One
But talk in human words with him
Who let you call him Son.

The Season Of Lent

After Ash Wednesday the 40 days journey to Easter Commences with opportunities for prayer, generosity and self restraint. Finding a new way to make these practices relevant is part of our effort to engage with the purpose of Lent. We are so fortunate to have the experiences of Spring – warmth and light to stimulate our response.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Message

Pope Francis Gives Us His Message

Dear brothers and sisters,

We begin our annual pilgrimage of Lent in faith and hope with the penitential rite of the imposition of ashes. The Church, our mother and teacher, invites us to open our hearts to God’s grace, so that we can celebrate with great joy the paschal victory of Christ the Lord over sin and death, which led Saint Paul to exclaim: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” ( 1 Cor 15:54-55). Indeed, Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is the heart of our faith and the pledge of our hope in the Father’s great promise, already fulfilled in his beloved Son: life eternal (cf. Jn 10:28; 17:3)… For the full message please click here

Prayer For The Pope

We do this daily and when praying the Eucharistic Prayer, we realise we he is always remembered.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 9th March 10am First Sunday in Lent
  • Monday 10th March 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Wednesday 12th March 9:00am Lent Weekday Mass
  • Friday 14th March 9:30am Lent Weekday Mass
  • Sunday 16th March 2nd Sunday in Lent

CAFOD Fast Day

This coming Friday is a day for Fasting for the projects of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. What you might save by your self denial may be returned in the envelope or you may prefer to transfer your gift by card – please click here.

Lenten Reconciliation Service

Thursday 27th March 7-9pm in St Mary Magdalen Church. Upper North Street. Bishop Richard will be leading and there will be Priest Confessors around the Church. See the Poster.

The Vocation of The Permanent Diaconate

An Open Evening Session at St John the Evangelist, Horsham at Friday 14th March at 7pm. More information can be found here.

Soup and Sandwich Lunch

This Thursday 13th March at 12 noon. See the poster.

The Catholic Social Action Network Survey

A survey concerning the two-child benefit cap. If you wish to participate please visit this link.

Diocesan Vacancies

P/T clergy welfare officer

Health and safety officer

For details of these positions please click here.

Canon Oliver Heaney RIP

There is no date yet for Canon Oliver Heaney’s funeral


Forty days and forty nights
You were fasting in the wild
Forty days and forty nights
Tempted still and yet unbeguiled

Seventh Sunday In Ordinary Time

Half term is over and it is back to School. Following last week’s Gospel of the Beatitudes, this Sunday speaks of those in real dire need, responding even if not appreciated. Luke. focuses on generosity and compassion. The Old Testament reading tells of the moment when David had the opportunity to kill Saul and refrains from doing so.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Reflection

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This Sunday’s Gospel is, probably, a very challenging one for each of us, in our different ways. Indeed, we might use the text as an examination of conscience – perhaps at the end of each day, and especially in our preparation for the Sacrament of Penance.

Take time to read this text. If you are in the habit of Lectio Divina, use it for Lectio. Every sentence holds treasures, themes for our reflection, themes that may bring us to sorrow, or to joy.

In the second half of the text, Jesus calls us to a place where we do not judge one another, where we pardon, where we show compassion – walk alongside our brother or sister and share their burdens. Ultimately, He calls us to give. We all know that when we give of ourselves it brings rewards far greater than the passing happiness of our own comfort. This is far more than just the satisfaction in knowing we have done a good thing – it is a joy that comes because we are doing what the Lord asks of us. Our service is an expression of the Lord’s self-giving for us. When we truly walk with another, we are able to see Christ present in them; we are sharing His love with them. 

In our present world of consumerism and the cult of the celebrity, the Lord calls us to a different path. The First Reading this Sunday provides the example of David who did what was right. He had the chance to do away with Saul, who was seeking to kill him. He took the more difficult – but righteous and compassionate – path. He spared his enemy. So with us, we are called to do what is right in every circumstance of our lives, for this will be the path of service, the path that leads to life.

Let us, too, pray most ardently for peace in our troubled world, remembering especially the need for an end to the war in Ukraine, the present troubles in Congo, that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza will hold and that the tensions on the boarder of Lebanon will ease. 

Also, as Pope Francis continues his stay in the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, let us remember him very specially in our prayers. 

With every blessing,

+Richard

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 23rd February 10am 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
  • Monday 24th February 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Wednesday 26th February 9:30am
  • Friday 28th February 9:30am
  • Sunday 2nd March 10am 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Lourdes Fund

Thank you for your generosity in responding to this appeal. Do you think you could be a helper?

Commissioned Ministers of Holy Communion

There is to be a Saturday Morning course for existing and new candidates March 8th 11am-1pm in St Mary’s Hall. Have a word with Fr John if you are attending.

Parish Clergy Meeting

The first Meeting of the active Clergy of the future Parish will be on Wednesday 26th. Keep them in your prayers.

Next Week (2nd March – 8th March)

Wednesday 5th March will be Ash Wednesday marking the beginning of Lent. There will be 2 Masses – 9.30am and 7pm.

Do bring last year’s palms to the entrance next Sunday. They will be burnt to create the ashes.

Whatsoever you do
To the least of my people
That you do unto me.

No. 726

The Presentation Of The Lord

Forty Days after Christmas we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple by Mary and Joseph – part of a Jewish ritual in thanksgiving for the birth of a child. It was the occasion of the family meeting Simeon and Anna and the utterance “a light to enlighten the Gentiles”. Jesus is the light for the world. This is recognised with the blessing of candles and a procession entering the Temple.

For Missal users the Mass texts may be found with the feasts of the Lord in the pages towards the back.

Coffee After 10am Mass

There will be coffee after the 10am Mass tomorrow (Sunday 2nd February)in the church hall. Please do come along.

North Brighton Parishes Meeting

Thank you to St Thomas More’s Parishioners who were there and participated with ideas. A report of the meeting is on the noticeboard for you to read

There will be more to report after a meeting of the clergy on February 11th.

Diocesan Pilgrimage To Lourdes

Booking is now open and details will become available on the noticeboard. Please click here for more information.

The Jubilee Year

Please click here to find out more details.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 2nd February 10am Feast of Presentation
  • Monday 3rd February 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Wednesday 5th February 9:30am St Agatha
  • Friday 7th February 9:30am
  • Sunday 9th February 10am 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Word Who Is Life

The February leaflet to help with your prayer reflection during the month is now in the entrance for you to collect.

For Sale

  • New Sunday Missals £19:95
  • The Diocesan Directory 2025 £5

Soup and Sandwich Lunch

The next on will be on Thursday 13th February at 12 noon. Do come along!

Requiem Mass

For Wendy Woodland RIP. Friday 21st February at 12 noon.

At The Temple

There filled with holy joy
Simeon in his hands
Takes up the promised child
The glory of all lands

O light of all the world
We light our lives with thee
The chains of darkness gone
All sons of God are free.

Sunday of The Word of God

The third Sunday in Ordinary time is denoted as the Word of God Sunday to remind us of our use of Scripture deepening our prayer life. The prayerful reading and reflection -Lectio Divina – as it is called is recommended. There is  a new resource to help with praying the Psalms (Click here) Our Readings this Sunday are appropriate and we do begin the reading of St Luke’s Gospel -the Evangelist for 2025.

This Week

This Sunday afternoon we are invited to a gathering in St Mary’s Hall at 5pm about the future shape of Brighton and Hove as a united Parish. This is part of the journey envisaged in the Diocesan Pastoral Plan as it unfolds. Do come along to participate.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Monday is the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Continuing last week’s theme of Peace we pray for the building of peace and respect for each person.

Next Sunday

February 2nd is the day we celebrate the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and is Candlemas Day. At our Sunday Mass we will have the blessing of candles, a simple procession and Mass. It takes precedence over the texts of the 4th Sunday.

100+ Draw

After Mass, next Sunday (2nd February) coffee will be available in the Hall and a Draw will take place. Do come in to meet and socialise.

The Jubilee

As Pilgrims of hope we will hear of various opportunities. Bishop Richard is leading one to Lourdes – please click here.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 26th January 10am 3rd Sunday Ordinary Time
  • Monday 27th January 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Wednesday 29th January 9:30am St Thomas Aquinas
  • Friday 31st January 9:30am St John Bosco
  • Sunday 2nd February 10am The Presentation of The Lord

Jubilee

The Jubilee was launched in our Schools last week. See the notice board.

The Diocesan Bulletin

Sign up to see what events are happening.

How I long to see you
Jesus face to face
How the heart is thirsting
Living spring of grace
Show me soon your glory
Be my great reward
Be my joy for ever
Jesus, gracious Lord.

St Thomas Aquinas no 396

Peace Sunday

The World Day of Peace is observed in England and Wales on the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Message of Pope Francis in this Jubilee develops the concepts of hope and forgiveness from which a genuine conversion of hearts at a personal, local, and international level will peace flourish.

This Sunday our hope is that a ceasefire in the Holy Land will be a step in the cessation of the destruction and violence and the restoration of peace for the people.

World Day of Peace MessageDownload

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 19th January 10am
  • Monday 20th January 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Wednesday 22nd January 9:30am (St Vincent, Deacon)
  • Friday 24th January 9:30am (St Francis de Sales)
  • Saturday 25th January 8:30am HMP Lewes
  • Sunday 26th January 10am (3rd in Ordinary Time)

This Week

  • Wednesday 22nd January Dentist
  • Thursday 23rd January 12pm Soup and Sandwich Lunch (Church Hall) – An invitation to everyone to come into our hall for lunch and meet up
  • Sunday 26th January 5pm St Mary’s Church Hall. Gathering of North Brighton parishes to begin to look to the future. Do not miss this!

The Week of Prayer For Christian Unity (18th – 25th January)

Remember to pray for Unity among all Christians our fellow Christians of All Saints, The Ascension, Westdene, The Methodists and the Elim Fountains Centre, and not forgetting spouses and neighbours. More information can be found here.

Monks in the City invite you to join them at St John the Baptist Church at 4pm on Sunday – especially this year when we celebrate 1,700 years since the Council of Nicaea. During the Vespers service of hymns, psalms, readings and prayers, we will reaffirm the Nicene Creed and Bishop Lindsay Urwin will preach. Followed by light refreshments.

Pax Christi

The International Movement for Peace, based on the Gospel and inspired by faith. Our vision is of a world where people can live in peace, without fear of violence in all its forms. Our Friday self denial wall box in the Entrance will be ready to receive your gifts to assist the work of promoting Peace during 2025.

Looking Ahead

This Year The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus, Candlemas Day. February 2nd  is on a Sunday. It commences with the blessing of candles and a procession into Mass.

Thank You

To the willing hands who put away the Christmas crib and decorations.

For the healing of the nations
Lord we pray with one accord
For a just and equal sharing
Of the things that earth affords
To a life of love in action
Help us rise and pledge our word.

The Baptism Of The Lord

This feast marks the end of the Christmas Season with its feasts helping us appreciate the meaning of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem.

I hope you have been aware of Christ’s presence for us. Our families and friends, neighbours and those we have met remind us of being part of God’s family.

May I thank you for you kind greetings, gifts and the Christmas Offering – much appreciated as the sixtieth year as a priest moves into its second part.

2025 is a Holy Year in which the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ will be celebrated with pilgrimages of all kinds – Rome, Walsingham, Lourdes, Arundel, events and reflection on the virtue of Hope.

We will also be remembering the Church of Arundel and Brighton’s 60 years of existence. And the gradual implementation of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan.

Bishop Richard’s Pastoral Letter

6780ddfb88f4ba76938fa89b_Pastoral Letter – 12th January 2025 – Feast of the Baptism of the LordDownload

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 12th January 10am The Baptism Of The Lord
  • Monday 13th January 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Wednesday 15th January 9:30am (Int. Theresa and Patrick)
  • Friday 17th January 9:30am St Anthony (Abbot) (int. Gordon Cropp)
  • Sunday 19th January 10am

Invitation

Soup and sandwich lunch onThursday 23rd January at 12pm. Do come along to our church hall.

North Brighton Parishes General Meeting

Sunday 26th January at St Mary’s Hall at 5pm. Discover our future together in faith. All are welcome to attend.

Ordinary Time

After this Sunday we advance to Ordinary Time. Week one. Sunday Lectionary Year C.

See Christ who on the river's shore
With John the Baptist stood
His secret in the name he bore
The Holy Lamb of God

Rejoice in the Lord always!

This Sunday takes its name “Gaudete Sunday” from those words – REJOICE! Joy comes from the virtue of Hope and from a deep trust in the promises and presence of God. At this stage of Advent we have the opportunity to relish, appreciate and enjoy how God speaks to us through the words of scripture and his Word who is Life. In less than ten days our Advent waiting and preparation will come to an end with the Feast ahead. “Joy is not selfish – it flows outward through generosity and kindness to others.”

Greater Advent

A description of the last days of Advent on which in the Prayer of the Church there is an invitation to God with a sense of longing.

December 17th – 24th. The titles of the coming God are proclaimed

O Wisdom, O Adonai & Ruler, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David, O Emmanuel. The second Preface of Advent is prayed during this last week and expresses the feelings of the time “the Virgin Mother longed for him with love beyond all telling”.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 15th December 10am 3rd Sunday in Advent
  • Monday 16th December 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Wednesday 18th December 9:30am Advent Weekday Mass
  • Friday 20th December 9:30am Advent Weekday Mass
  • Saturday 21st December 8:30am HMP Lewes
  • Sunday 22nd December 10am 4th Sunday in Advent

Christmas Masses

  • Tuesday 24th December 6pm The First Mass of Christmas
  • Wednesday 25th December 10am Christmas Mass

Thank You!

To the team who worked so hard to prepare our church for our Christmastide celebrations. Not a cobweb, sweet paper or leaf in sight. Well done!

Carol Services

  • Thursday 19th December 1:45pm St Bernadette’s (Years 3 – 6 and parents) at St Mary’s Church
  • Sunday 22nd December 6pm St Mary’s Church – with singers from both parishes. Retiring collection for St Mary’s Meals and Martlets Hospice. Come along and sing!

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

After Mass this Sunday and at other times by arrangement. Please call 01273 563017.

Ah! Lord how shall I meet thee
How welcome thee aright?
All nations long to greet thee
My hope, my sole delight.

The Second Week Of Advent

Prepare The Way Of The Lord

A timely message as we move into the second week of Advent. An encouragement to put in the effort to take stock of our relationship with Jesus Christ and the ways we mark it – by prayer, by the Sacrament of reconciliation with an examination of our conscience, by reflecting on the words of Scripture, and by making sure our hearts are ready. Yes this is what the Season of Advent is about!

The Immaculate Conception Of Mary

This year December 8th falls on an Advent Sunday and so the Solemnity moves to Monday. We will be celebrating this with Mass at 10am. It is a reminder of how Mary was chosen to be the Mother of the Saviour. The Preface of the Mass sums up how she was prepared as a “model of holiness”. Remember how we address Mary as “full of grace”.

Notre Dame

Paris has been celebrating the reopening of the Cathedral damaged by fire five years ago. Many celebrities will be present at the opening and the Catholics of the Archdiocese will rejoice that they can participate in worship there once again in the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Paris. How many observers and future tourists I wonder will realise that the oft repeated title means that it is dedicated to OUR LADY?

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 8th December 10am 2nd Sunday of Advent
  • Monday 9th December 10am The Immaculate Conception of Mary
  • Wednesday 11th December 9:30am Advent Mass
  • Friday 13th December 9:30am Advent Mass
  • Sunday 15th December 10am 3rd Sunday of Advent

The Word Who Is Life

Another step forward for the Parishes of Brighton and Hove took place on November 29th .  The Paper presented by Canon David Parmiter has been on the Noticeboard and is now available to read below:

role of the Moderator – Handout Nov 2024Download

What Was In The Box?

Readers of the Vatican News will have read of a Ceremony in preparation for the Jubilee Year. It centered on the Door of St Peter’s which was sealed up 25 years ago at the end of the last Jubilee Year. It began with breaking out the sealing and the retrieval of a box embedded in the back of the door. Inside the box are the keys to the Holy Door which will be opened by Pope Francis to inaugurate the Jubilee Year  of 2025.

Advent Carol Service

In St Mary’s on Sunday  December 22nd at 6pm.

In Memory of John Mason RIP the retiring collection will be shared by Mary’s Meals and the Martlets Hospice. See the poster for details

St Lucy

A Martyr, one of the fifteen mentioned in Eucharistic Prayer 1. Revered in Sweden as an image of light and celebrated by a procession of of young women with circlets of candles on their heads (not to be imitated H&S)

Remember

We are now Reading Cycle C of the Sunday Lectionary.

On Jordan's Bank, the Baptist's cry
Announces that the lord is nigh
Awake and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings.

Christ The King

Thy Kingdom Come

Our daily prayer reminds us of the Kingship of Christ, his kingdom which is constantly being established and the place given in our hearts to him. Christ has to present to the Father “a Kingdom of truth and life. A kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.”

This Sunday marks the end of the Liturgical Year B, when on most Sundays we have listened to the Gospel of St. Mark. Next Sunday we commence the celebration of Advent in Year C , when the Gospel of St Luke will mainly be read.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Message

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. It is fitting that, on this last Sunday in the Church’s year, we look to the Kingdom, to our destiny as children of the God who is all love. Jesus’ kingship is not of an earthly nature – He makes this very clear in His response to Pontius Pilate, that we hear proclaimed in this Sunday’s Gospel.  

Jesus exercises power that is so completely different to that exercised by Pilate. We must reflect that we, in our following of Jesus, must live in His way, not that of a world consumed by wealth, power over others, and political gain. We see power being abused so often in the world at the expense of the vulnerable. We see that which is deemed expedient, placed above the dignity that belongs to every person as a wonder of God’s creation. 

Our baptism brings with it the responsibility to live every moment of life in preparation for the wonder of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is this Kingdom – that is of a different kind – in which we are called to live, and that we are called to proclaim, bringing others to the hope that points our way to the Kingdom.

We rejoice in His Kingship and we rejoice in His death and resurrection; the victory that He has won for us – for with Him, as St Paul reminds us – we are co-heirs to the Kingdom of God.

Our world needs this message in every place and in every aspect of the human condition – most especially, at a time when so many parts of our world are torn apart by war and conflict, when the dignity of every human being is threatened, and when so many live without the hope that leads to the fullness of life. Let us proclaim this message with every greater urgency and joy.  

With every blessing,


+Richard

Opposing The Second Reading Of The Assisted Dying Bill

The cards to send off to your MP are on the table in the entrance.

Informing yourself of the issues is important. Last week we had our Bishop’s Pastoral Message and the Statement form the Bishops of the UK.

We have all been asked to make special prayer on Friday 29th November for the voting down of this Bill.

Our Friday Mass 9.30 am will have a period of adoration added until 10.30 for those able to give half an hour.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 24th November Christ the King Sunday Mass 10am
  • Monday 25th November St Mary’s House Mass 8.15am
  • Wednesday 27th November Mass 9.30am
  • Saturday 30th November HMP Lewes Mass 8.30am
  • December 1st The First Sunday of Advent Mass 10am.

The bi-weekly Newsletter of St Mary’s and St Thomas More’s is available after Mass.

Soup and Sandwich Lunch This Thursday In Our Hall 12 Noon

An opportunity to meet up. See the poster.

The Lectionary

The four volumes will be blessed next Sunday. They have distinctive covers. As liturgical books for worship they are to be treated with care and respect.


Hail Redeemer, King divine
Priest and Lamb, the throne is thine
King whose reign shall never cease
Prince of everlasting peace.

Angels, saints and nations sing
Praised be Jesus Christ our King
Lord of life, earth sky and sea
King of love on calvary