Sunday 4th July 2021
Webmaster • July 3, 2021
Viktor Frankl, the Austrian Jewish psychotherapist who endured four years in Nazi death camps, knew by bitter experience that what gives light must endure burning. In Man’s Search for Meaning, he remembered the light that radiated from those who remained decent human beings in the midst of the darkness of suffering and dehumanising conditions. Each reading this weekend is about those who were singed by failure and vulnerability, but who continue to be a guiding light to their communities. Ezekiel is sent by God to the people named as rebels, who are obstinate, defiant, and deaf to God’s word. Paul finds himself facing opposition both from those who regard themselves as ‘super apostles’ and who tout around the word of God for their own reputation, and also from members of the Corinthian church who have fallen under their influence. And Jesus is found to be unacceptable and offensive in his own hometown of Nazareth.
Some cultures speak of the ‘tall poppy syndrome,’ the delight that some people have in cutting people down to size - usually a bit smaller than their size - by belittling them through subtle innuendo, and disguising resentment of another person’s achievements by damning with faint praise. When Jesus is invited to teach in the Nazareth synagogue on the Sabbath, he fails to live up to the expectations of his hometown. What Jesus spoke to the synagogue assembly we are not told, but they were the authoritative words of the one who has exorcised, healed, raised from the dead, and proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom. But in some way the listeners consider that Jesus’ words go against their own comfortable interpretation of family customs or established religious traditions. Here is the Nazareth version of the ‘tall poppy,’ so Jesus has to be cut down to the hometown size expected by those who think they know everything about him and his family, and recognise him as a local craftsman.
Jesus embraces the ‘scandal’ of the ordinary, and familiarity breeds contempt in the assembly who perceptions are limited to the domestic and parochial. They are closed to any surprising presence and action of God that would violate their own expectations and insight, and consider their own wisdom to be superior to that of Jesus. They ask the right questions, but their prejudgment supplies them with the wrong answers, and amazement deteriorates into offence and rejection. If the synagogue assembly is amazed at Jesus and has no faith in him, Mark comments ironically that Jesus is amazed at their lack of faith that leads to Jesus’ powerlessness, because for his deeds of power to be effective they must be worked in the context of faith. Jesus has failed to call forth faith where he might have most expected to find it.
Application Forms for next year’s 1st Reconciliation and 1st Eucharist Programmes are now available from the Sacristy after our weekend Masses. Prospective candidates: • need to have been born before 31st August 2019, • be in at least Year 3 when schools re-commence in September, • and, of course, be attending our weekend and Holy Day Masses along with their family. It is very difficult to imagine that someone who is not presently attending our community on a regular basis could possibly be prepared and ready to receive a sacrament within the next year. Parents only (not grandparents or friends) should collect the application which needs to be completed and returned by 18.00 on 31st August 2026 (sorry, no late applications can be accepted).
DREAMS FOR HOPE - a local charity run by one of our parishioners (Jim Vizzini), provides beds for children in and around the Borough of Elmbridge who are suffering from bed poverty. Our local Waitrose in Cobham have chosen the ‘Dreams for Hope’ charity to take part in the Community Matters Scheme, one of only three charities to have been picked. The scheme runs from July 1st to September 30th and you can help by dropping a token into the "Dreams For Hope" box when you exit the store. When Fr D was dropping off his tokens after a shop this week he thought that parishioners may have forgotten about the scheme - more tokens needed ! ! !
People from across our family of faith have welcomed comments made by the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, on the Terminally Ill Adults End of Life Bill. The Bill - which was re-introduced to Parliament by Lauren Edwards MP in June - is due to be voted on in the House of Commons on Friday 11 th September despite strong opposition from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish groups, and significant ethical and medical concerns raised by organisations including the British Geriatrics Society, The Association of Palliative Medicine, Disability Rights UK and The Royal College of Psychiatrists. The Prime Minister affirmed his view that the funding of palliative and social care should be "fixed" before a change in the law to allow Assisted Dying (also referred to as Assisted Suicide) is considered, highlighting his belief that: “it is very challenging to introduce [the] wider debate in a context of people not receiving that care and having peace of mind about that care.” It is thought that the Government will hold a neutral position on the Bill, with people of all faiths and none who oppose the legislation urged to contact their MP before September’s parliamentary vote. Archbishop John Sherrington (lead Bishop for ‘Life issues’) said: “It is highly significant that the Prime Minister has confirmed his position about the need for proper palliative and social care ahead of the Second Reading of the fundamentally flawed Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in September. People who are dying are vulnerable and need compassionate care and spiritual accompaniment until their last breath.” Among the several problematic issues identified in the draft legislation: “The Bill leaves many matters unresolved regarding its practical application and its profound implications for those who are disabled or vulnerable. Rather than any consideration of assisted suicide, our society should surely be addressing the need to establish and resource a universal provision of palliative care across the country.”
Christian greetings and the Peace of our Lord be with you always. We would love to thank you by allowing our group to come to your church and sell our olive wood religious articles, the result of which was very beneficial and rewarding for our needy Christian families in Bethlehem. We raised a magnificent £ 2,742 . Your help is a great support for us, and for our Christian families in the Holy Land. There are not enough words to thank Fr Daryl and the parishioners of the Sacred Heart, be assured that you are always in our prayers. If anyone has missed the carvings display, it is possible to place an order online directly at www.tbng.co.uk God bless you all. Love and blessings from The Bethlehem Nativity Group
St John Vianney, also known as the Curé d’Ars, is considered the patron saint of parish priests. He is known for his deep devotion to the Church and his dedication to the sacrament of confession. His life inspires all priests, as he exemplified a genuinely holy priest through his humility, selflessness, and unwavering faith. Situations calling for “impossible” deeds followed him everywhere. As pastor of the parish at Ars, St John encountered people who were indifferent and comfortable with their style of living. His vision led him through severe fasts and short nights of sleep. John spent much of his time in the confessional, hearing the confessions of countless penitents. His understanding of human nature and compassion for sinners made him an effective confessor, and many experienced spiritual conversions through his guidance and prayers. He established La Providence, a home for girls. Only a man of vision could have such trust that God would provide for the spiritual and material needs of all those who came to make La Providence their home. Many miracles were also attributed to St John during his lifetime and after his death. He became a popular figure in France and beyond, with many seeking his prayer for healing and other spiritual needs. One of his famed miracles was the ability to read parishioners solus and offer them the perfect penance for their sins.
The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Finally, it would appear that things are slowing down for the summer period and Fr D can start playing a bit of ‘catch-up’ and planning for the future . . . . . . Last weekend at all of our Masses we were fortunate to have someone from the ‘Bethlehem Nativity Group’ to explain something of the present situation for Catholics in the Holy Land and to display and sell some of their olive wood carvings in the Parish Centre afterwards. On Monday morning the electrician came to install an unswitched fused spur in the Parish Office ready for the security engineers on Wednesday. We are very lucky to have discovered a really good electrician who is able to complete all of these small (but important) jobs for us as we make sure that our Parish ‘plant’ is up to date and safe - keeping the wolves of Health and Safety well away from us! Having celebrated Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition Fr D was once more off down to the diocesan offices in Crawley to get on with his commitments at the Tribunal. At present he has two cases waiting for a judgement session that has been booked, another two cases that he is working on with a view to booking judgements, and an interview with one of his clients booked in. Early on Wednesday morning the security engineers arrived at the Parish Centre to fit a new system for access to Sarah and the Parish Office. This is necessary because Sarah is classified as a ‘lone worker’ and as such needs to control who gets into the office whilst she is working. We have been looking at these works for over a year now and have looked at several different solutions, the chosen solution consists of an electric door lock that Sarah can open from inside the office after a video conversation. Once again, this should keep the Health and Safety wolves away from us! At lunchtime Fr D was meeting Fr Ruslan (Walton-on-Thames) for their monthly lunch - a chance for them both to catch up with the latest goings on in the diocese. After Morning Prayer and Mass on Thursday Fr D spent time preparing for the funeral of a parishioner that he was celebrating on the Friday. He was also on a mission to get the newsletter started as Sarah was having a day off on the Friday. On Friday morning Fr D celebrated a requiem Mass in the church followed by a burial at Cobham cemetery . . . . . . .
Poor Jesus can hardly get a break for some time to himself. When he hears that Herod beheaded his good friend and relative John the Baptist, Jesus tries to get away for awhile by heading off in a boat to a deserted place. He steps back onto land only to dis cover that the crowds have followed him. Jesus could easily be impatient and short with them in his sadness and grief, but instead, his instinctive response was to be moved with compassion for them. After he cures the sick, his next compassionate response is to keep them safe and feed them, rather than sending them off in the dark from a deserted place. Jesus knew that many, probably most, of the people who flocked to him were poor people, and this crowd would have been no different. Although the disciples suggest he send them away to “buy food for themselves,” Jesus knows many of them wouldn’t have spare change for food. His sensitivity to their situation sparks more compassion, and he feeds them until they are all satisfied. Early followers of Jesus would have connected that miraculous feeding with the passage from Isaiah in the first reading today. “All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost (Isa 55:2). In this case, the crowd eagerly accepts Jesus and his teaching, unlike sometimes when Phari sees or other religious leaders argue and try to pick fights with Jesus. The crowd here mirrors those in the Isaiah passage. They come to Jesus, they listen to him, and they heed him. In return, they are well-fed, and they receive life (Isa 55:3). Questions of the week Jesus experienced all the human emotions we experience. What do you imagine he was thinking and feeling when he heard John was killed? Have you ever witnessed or heard of someone able to respond with compassion to others even in a time of their own grief? Please share.
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?
FR STEPHEN WANG WILL BE INSTALLED AS THE SIXTH BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF ARUNDEL & BRIGHTON ON MONDAY 19 OCTOBER AT 12 NOON - The Mass of Episcopal Ordination, which takes place on the Feast of St Philip Howard, will include invited representatives from across our diocesan family of faith and be livestreamed from Arundel Cathedral. Bishop Stephen will also celebrate a special Mass of Welcome for people across our Diocese at Worth Abbey near Crawley, on Saturday 24 October at 11.30; further details will be announced soon.
St Alphonsus was born in 1696 in Naples the oldest of seven children. His father was a naval officer and Captain of the Royal Galleys, and his mother came from Spanish descent. As a boy of great aptitude, he picked up many things very quickly. Alphonsus did not attend school; rather, he was taught by tutors at home. As grew into a young man, Alphonsus developed an inclination for opera. He was much more interested in listening to the music than watching the performance. Alphonsus would often take his spectacles off, aiding his myopic eyes, in order to merely listen. While theatre in Naples was in a relatively good state, he developed an ascetic aversion to perhaps what he viewed as gaudy displays, strongly refusing participation in a parlour play. At the age of 16, he became a doctor of civil law in 1713, though by law, 20 was the set age. It is said in his 8 years as a lawyer, he never lost a case. He entered the seminary and was ordained in 1726. Soon becoming a much sought after preacher and confessor, his sermons were simple and well organised appealing to all people. However, his time as a diocesan priest was short-lived: in 1732, he went to Scala to found the Redemptorists, a preaching order. He died in 1787, and was canonized in 1839.