St Mary Magdalene . . .
Webmaster • July 14, 2023
St Mary Magdalene is one of the greatest saints of the Bible and an example of God’s mercy and grace. The precise dates of her birth and death are unknown, but we do know that she was present with Christ during his public ministry, and his death and resurrection; mentioned at least a dozen times in the Gospels.
Mary Magdalene has long been regarded as a prostitute or as being sexually immoral in western Christianity, but this is not supported in the scriptures. It is believed she was a Jewish woman who lived among Gentiles, living as they did.
The Gospels agree that Mary was originally a great sinner. Jesus cast seven demons out of her when he met her.
There is also debate over if Mary Magdalene is the same unnamed woman, a sinner, who weeps and washes Jesus’ feet with her hair in the Gospel of John. Scholars are sceptical this is the same person.
Despite the scholarly dispute over her background, what she did in her subsequent life, after meeting Jesus, is much more significant. She was certainly a sinner whom Jesus saved, giving us an example of how no person is beyond God’s saving grace.
OUR PARISH SUPPORTS THE COBHAM AREA FOODBANK Please can you help local people in crisis by purchasing items on the list below and placing them in the Foodbank’s collection point in the narthex when to come to Mass at the weekend?
JUBILEE YEAR PILGRIMAGE TO ROME - 5 - 10 November (Cost £1,220 inc. travel, accommodation & half board; single supp. £188). Join two of our diocesan priests Fr Gus Campanello & Fr Nick Harden on pilgrimage to Rome. To find out more and book:- sarah@tangney-tours.com or 01732 886666
Fr Daryl is hoping to make a start on constructing the calendar for our Sacramental Preparation Programmes this week (however, this does not mean that he’ll get it completed this week). As usual it will take a while to get a date out of Bishop Richard for the Confirmations next spring so this will probably not get done until this Autumn. The calendars and Application forms for Infant Baptism, First Reconciliation and First Eucharist will be available as soon as he’s got them completed. Parents (Registered Parishioners only) wanting to celebrate Infant Baptism can obtain an Application Form from Sarah in the Parish Office. Parents (Mass attending Registered Parishioners only) who would like their children to embark on preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist (two programmes) will soon be able to collect an Application Form from the church sacristy after the Sunday Mass they normally attend.
Each year ALL Catholic Parish communities are expected to have a period of extended Eucharistic worship. Many parishes throughout the world take the Opportunity of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi to do this, and for the past few years our Parish has held a period of Extended Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Accordingly we will be doing this from after the 11.00 Mass and ending with Evening Prayer and Benediction at 15.30 on Sunday 22 nd June. As always we will need to make sure that there are parishioners present in the church during this time and to this end there is a ’sign-up’ sheet at the rear of the church for parishioners to choose a twenty minute slot where they commit to being present. Please make a point of making sure that we are covered for the entire period on the day.
9-23rd August. Walking over the Surrey Hills and along the Sussex coast, this year’s route will visit every deanery in the Diocese, with pilgrims welcome to join for a day or two, or the whole 2 weeks. To find out more and book a place:- thepilgrims.org.uk/book/home.php
Arundel Cathedral, 17-19th June. Experience Arundel’s beautiful Carpet of Flowers, in celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi. View the carpet 09.30 - 19.00 (Weds) and 09.30am - 17.30 (Thurs). Mass, followed by a procession to Arundel Castle, begins at 17.30 (Thurs). All are welcome.
11th June, 10.00-15.30 , Worth Abbey, RH10 4SB. The annual diocesan day of reflection and friendship for grandparents, including: Mass, time to pray together and talk to fellow grandparents, sharing the joys and challenges of family life. To register your free place go to the booking site: abdiocese.churchsuite.com
27th May, 09.30 - 16.00 , Franciscan Centre Ladywell, GU7 1ST (Cost: £25). Come away and rest a while at Ladywell. These retreat days welcome all who seek renewal, inspiration, and fellowship in a warm and inviting atmosphere. A delicious lunch, prepared with Franciscan hospitality, will be provided. To book: 01483 675575 or franciscancentre@ladywell.org.uk
Margaret was born in 1473, at Hungerford, in Somerset. Her father, the Duke of Clarence, was brother to both Edward IV and Richard III. This meant that all her life she was seen as a threat to the crown, as she had a legitimate claim to the throne. Indeed as soon as the Tudors came to power they imprisoned Margaret’s brother, the Earl of Warwick, and eventually executed him. The king had her marry Sir Richard Pole, who was related to Henry VII. She became lady in waiting to Catherine of Aragon, starting a lifelong friendship, and she became governess to Princess Mary, the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine. At first Henry favoured Margaret but this came to an end at the time of his divorce from Catherine. Her loyalty to the queen, and to Mary, as well as to her Catholic faith, brought her into conflict with the King at the time of his divorce and remarriage to Anne Boleyn. If her own opposition to Henry’s behaviour, and her position as a possible contender for the throne when the dynasty was looking shaky were not enough, her son Reginald Pole was needling the King from overseas and encouraging opposition to him. This made Margaret’s position very dangerous. Although the King described her as ‘the holiest woman in England’ she was arrested on the grounds of treason, and imprisoned for some time at Cowdray in 1538-9, although she never faced trial and there was no credible evidence against her. In spite of this she was executed in 1541, at the age of 70. Reportedly the inexperienced executioner took ten blows to sever her head.
There are two main parts in the Gospel passage today. In the first, Jesus continues emphasizing what we heard last week-that if we love him, we will act like him. It is a challenging reminder that we need to back up our words with our behaviour and actions. It is not enough to “talk the talk;” we also need to “walk the walk.” The second part is meant to be consoling to the apostles who know they are about to lose their leader after the Last Supper. Jesus understands the apostles are afraid and will feel lost once he is gone. Thankfully, the passage offers consolation for us when we feel afraid, lost, or unsure of what to do or say. The promise of the Holy Spirit is followed by “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” which is then followed by “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” Jesus isn’t promising that everything will be easy and smooth for the apostles after he leaves them. He doesn’t promise them that they won’t struggle just because they have the presence of the Holy Spirit within them. What he promises is that they can face their struggles with the assurance of God’s ongoing presence of peace and love at their core. There is much debate among Christians about which parts of the Bible should be read literally. What if we take these lines literally? What if we trust that Jesus meant what he said here? Questions of the week What can you do in this upcoming week to demonstrate your love for God by your actions? How can you “walk the walk”? Is there a situation in your life now in which you are being invited to trust more fully that Jesus is offering you peace and that he wants to free you from fear?