Speak Lord: Source of new growth

Living Eucharist

‘Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered – it is the Lord who speaks! This, therefore, is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds in charge of my people: You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them.

Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds – it is the Lord who speaks! But the remnant of my flock I myself will gather from all the countries where I have dispersed them, and will bring them back to their pastures: they shall be fruitful and increase in numbers. I will raise up shepherds to look after them and pasture them; no fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost – it is the Lord who speaks!

‘See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who…

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This week’s newsletter

Speak Lord: our shepherd…

Living Eucharist

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

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Safeguarding

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding Archbishop Bernard Longley has commissioned a review of our current safeguarding/child protection practices in light of the National Catholic Policies and Procedures.

This review is to be welcomed as a means of ensuring that our systems to protect our children and young people are as effective as possible. This review is being conducted by an independent charity called SCIE (Social Care Institute for Excellence).

As part of the review, SCIE would like to speak with any individuals who have had experience with any safeguarding issues within the Archdiocese, and have experience of working with our parish safeguarding representatives and the safeguarding team at the Archdiocese.

Anyone who is impacted by abuse issues can contact the safeguarding team on 0121 230 6240 (emergency out of hours 07976 516629). If you are able to contribute to this important review and share your experiences with SCIE then please contact Hugh Constant (Hugh.Constant@scie.org.uk or 020 7766 7374 or 07872 602207).

Speak Lord: Reconciliation

Living Eucharist

In Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law.

This was to create one single New Man in himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single Body and reconcile them with God: in his own person he killed the hostility. Later he came to bring the good news of peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. Through him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to…

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Speak Lord: with your usual care…

Living Eucharist

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves.

But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.

Gospel for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 6:30-34

Love knows no boundaries. It is likely that Jesus was tired…

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Taste and See: Gifts for living

Living Eucharist

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, 
and give us your saving help.

I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.

Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.

The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.

Responsorial Psalm for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Psalm 84(85):9-14

In the Psalms, when we pray them, the Lord puts his words in our mouth.

In this psalm, we ask to see the mercy of the Lord, and to hear his words. The Lord might well say – ‘Great. See and see…

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Taste and See: Change

Living Eucharist

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, ‘Go away, seer;’ get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple.’

‘I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets,’ Amos replied to Amaziah ‘I was a shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”’

First reading for the 15th Sunday of the Year
Amos 7:12-15

One of the most thankless vocations in the Church is that of the prophet. Down the centuries women and men with this charism have suffered because of it, even as they have faithfully served the Church calling it to new faithfulness.

The irony is that the vocation of…

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Taste and See: Mercy

Living Eucharist

Jesus made a tour round the villages, teaching. Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’

So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.

Gospel for 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 6:7-13

The disciples set off…

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Speak Lord: Stir us up and challenge us

Living Eucharist

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, ‘Go away, seer;’ get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple.’

‘I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets,’ Amos replied to Amaziah ‘I was a shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”’

First reading for the 15th Sunday of the Year
Amos 7:12-15

It is not only the self-evidently godless who will not listen to God. As this episode tells us the self-evidently godly find it difficult too. And maybe what seems self-evidently so, actually again and again turns out not to be what seemed so evident to us!

Here, for…

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