The Order of Franciscan Friars Minor has announced that 2026 will be a Franciscan Jubilee Year, with a Plenary Indulgence linked to the Jubilee. Francis of Assisi was born in Italy in 1181 or 1182. After a carefree youth, he amended his ways and the Order of Friars Minor - commonly known as the Franciscans - began. A young woman, Clare of Assisi, wanted to share St Francis’ choice of life, with the Order of the Poor Clares originating from her. Francis received the stigmata on the mountain of La Verna in 1224. The following year he composed the famous Canticle of Brother Sun, a poetic prayer of praise to God the creator of everything; this prayer and his attitude of respect for creation inspired his proclamation in 1979 as the patron saint of ecologists. Francis died on 4th October 1226 in Assisi and was declared a saint in 1228. In a letter to the Franciscans, Pope Leo writes: “In this age, marked by so many seemingly interminable wars, by internal and social divisions that create mistrust and fear, [St Francis] continues to speak. Not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace.”  “The Franciscan vision of peace is not limited to the relations between human beings, but also embraces the whole of creation. Francis, who calls the sun “brother” and the moon “sister,” who recognises in every creature a reflection of divine beauty, reminds us that peace must be extended to the entire family of Creation. This insight resonates with particular urgency in our time, when our common home is threatened and cries out under exploitation. Peace with God, peace among human beings and with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation.”

30th January, 18.30, Arundel Cathedral. People across our diocesan family are invited to join a special Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop Richard, followed by a reception in the Baron’s Hall, Arundel Castle, by kind permission of His Grace, the Duke of Norfolk. All are welcome

This takes place each year from 18th to 25th January , providing an opportunity to focus our prayers on Christian unity and to join with our brothers and sisters in Christ. This year the Week of Payer takes Ephesians 4:1-13 as its central text; this includes the words “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4). Here in Cobham we are joining with the other Christian communities of the area in a United Service at 18.00 this Sunday (18th ), at the United Church in Oxshott Road.

Almost nothing is known of this Agnes except that she was very young - 12 or 13 - when she was martyred in the last half of the third century. Various methods of death have been suggested for her demise - strangulation, burning, beheading . . . Legend has it that Agnes was a beautiful girl whom many young men wanted to marry. Among those she refused, one reported her to the authorities for being a Christian. She was arrested and confined to a house of prostitution. The legend continues that a man who looked upon her lustfully lost his sight and had it restored by her prayers. Agnes was condemned, executed, and buried near Rome in a catacomb that eventually was named after her. Afterwards the daughter of Constantine built a basilica in her honour.  Like that of St Maria Goretti in the 20th century, the martyrdom of a virginal young girl made a deep impression on a society enslaved to a materialistic outlook. Also like St Agatha, who died in similar circumstances, Agnes is a symbol that holiness does not depend on length of years, experience, or human effort. It is a gift which God offers.

All four gospels give us an account of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. This story by the author of John’s gospel (who was not the same person as John the Baptist) is perhaps the most puzzling of the four. John speaks in somewhat odd and cryptic language, beginning with “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” As Catholics today, we recognise that phrase from the Mass when the priest holds up the consecrated host before Communion. However, readers and hearers of John’s Gospel would have understood it as a reference to their Jewish heritage. In Jesus’ day, Jews would take a lamb to the Temple in Jerusalem to be sacrificed as an atonement for their sins. When John stated that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he was making quite a claim - that Jesus was taking the place of a sacrificial lamb and that he was taking on the sins of the entire world!  There are suggestions in several of the gospels that some people were beginning to think John the Baptist was the long-awaited Messiah. In this Gospel, John says everything he can to convince people that it isn’t him, but Jesus, who deserves that recognition. Clearly, he had a profound experience after baptising Jesus when the Spirit came “down like a dove from heaven,” leaving him without a doubt that Jesus was the Messiah, not him. Questions of the week  If you have either children or godchildren who were baptised, what was that experience like for you?  Jesus is given many different titles in the Gospels: Lamb of God, Lord, Saviour, Teacher, Christ, Messiah, etc. What title do you relate to the most? Why?

24th January, 11.00-16.00 at St Michael’s Church, Worthing, BN13 3AL. Led by Bishop Richard and Catherine Christmas (diocesan Liturgy & Music Adviser) this day will include talks on the Scriptures, the Lectionary and its use in the Liturgy, the Liturgy of the Word, and preparing to minister as a reader. Register your free place: https://abdiocese.churchsuite.com/events/

This Tuesday (6th) is the Solemnity of the Epiphany and is a Holy Day of Obligation when ALL Roman Catholics are expect to attend and assist at Mass. Attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation is an important part of the practice of our faith for all members of the Catholic Church and wilful failure to do so is a serious matter. Masses in the Parish will be at the normal Holy Day times of 09.30 and 19.30 on the day

It is a traditional practice for Catholics (especially families) to make a visit to the Christmas Crib over Christmastide (25th December - 11th January), to pray especially for those persons/families who do not have the great gift of spending Christmas as we do. The Catholic Children’s Society (C.C.S.) is helping local disadvantaged families facing severe hardship through the Arundel and Brighton Family Crisis Fund, providing quick, practical support to families in need. Recently the C.C.S. helped a young mother who had given up work to care for her five-year-old daughter who had been diagnosed with cancer. Here daughter often felt cold, so the mother would keep the heating on to help the child feel warm and comfortable. The family could just afford their rent and food but had no way to address their rising energy bills. C.C.S. provided a one-off grant to help the family through the winter. The mother said: ‘I felt so helpless and scared. All I wanted to do was look after my daughter, but I couldn’t stop worrying about how I would pay our bills. You have taken that worry away and now I can focus on caring for my child. Thank you.” There are many more vulnerable families in need of support and our Parish will be donating our Crib Offerings to support this important work. Every penny donated will be give out via the C.C.S.’s Arundel and Brighton Crisis Fund to support local families in need. You can donate using the box at the Crib; if you are a registered Gift Aid member please complete and use the special envelopes by the Crib to make your donation tax efficient.

Trying to understand the true significance of an event like Christmas can not be done in a single day. Much like the epic natural beauty of the Grand Canyon, or the Baroque majesty and splendour of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, we need multiple visits to take the whole thing in. So it is with the mystery of the Nativity. For Catholics, Christmas is not just over and done with on December 25th. It’s only just begun! At a time when many are taking down their decorations and throwing their Christmas Trees to the kerbside, Catholics should still be celebrating. Christmastide is the name given to the Christmas season in the liturgical calendar. This begins with the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve and ends on the Sunday celebrating the Baptism of the Lord (11th January). This usually results in a Christmas season of around twenty days or so. Of special note is that the Christmas season licks off with a gift - seven special days other than December 25th, designed to extend our focus on the mystery of Christ’s birth. During these days, we’re to take in all the joys and graces associated with such a momentous event. These days are called the ‘Octave of Christmas,’ and you can remember their timing because the Octave starts and ends with a solemnity - the Nativity of the Lord on December 25th, and Mary, Mother of God on January 1st . At one time there were actually fifteen feast days in the Church that included Octaves, but since 1969, only Christmas and Easter are extended by these special days of celebration.  Ultimately, while all these details of the season can get a little confusing at times, the major conclusion to draw is this: our Christmas celebrations are often way too short, and end far too early! So do not miss out on the opportunity to stay in a holy, holiday spirit, by celebrating for the entire Christmas season this year