Sunday 9th
May 2021
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Dear brothers and sisters,
The grounds around our church, you will no doubt have noticed, are being looked after and cared for. Hedges are being trimmed, flowers beds cleared and weeded, lawns mowed and fences painted. St. Mary’s gardens are taking on a new life reinvigorated by the energy, service and faithful commitment of parishioners. This care speaks volumes to the world around us, it says this place matters, this place is wanted, this place is loved.
The book of Genesis begins with a garden - Eden. It was a
place of perfection and harmony, but however, a lack of attention and love
transformed it from a paradise into a desolate wilderness. Eve was tempted by
the devil who seduced her to disobey God and indulge in her own wants and
wills.
‘Did God really
say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’…Then the serpent
said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die!’…The woman saw that the tree was good
to eat and pleasing to the eye…so she took some of its fruit and ate it. She
gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.’ (Genesis
3:1-6)
Eve submitted willingly to the devil by tasting the fruit of the tree which resulted in the destruction of the harmonious life in the garden and allowed death to enter into the world.
Despite this tragic fall, God the gardener, did not give up on His creation. He began to prepare the world for the antidote that would destroy death and restore the broken relationship between Creator and creation. God’s gift to a fallen world was to bestow on it the love of Our Lady. Eve, the original virgin, brought death into the world by her disobedience but Mary, the virgin of Nazareth, brought life into the world by her obedience. It was this free obedience from Our Lady towards God that allowed the work of restoring paradise to begin. In light of this fact it makes sense why the Bible calls all believers to honour Mary.
‘Yes, from this
day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has
done great things for me.’ (Luke 1:48-48)
In the third century, Tertullian, an early Christian writer
and apologist from North Africa wrote the following:
‘For it was while Eve was yet a virgin that the
ensnaring word had crept into her ear which was to build the edifice of death.
Into a virgin’s soul, in like manner, must be introduced that Word of God which
was to raise the fabric of life; so that what had been reduced to ruin by this
sex might by the selfsame sex be recovered to salvation. As Eve believed the
serpent, so Mary believed the angel. The delinquency which the one occasioned
by believing, the other effaced by believing.’
Tertullian reminded his readers that Our Lady wasn’t just a good person, a mere incidental cog in the work of salvation. No. She was an essential component, valued and loved by the Creator. She freely and passionately said ‘Yes’ to God with every fibre of her being and in so doing conceived Christ, the Lord. Through Mary the Word became flesh.
One of the reasons why as Catholic’s we dedicate the month of May to Our Blessed Mother is connected to the new life that is bursting through in many of our gardens. In theory the April showers have encouraged flowers to bloom and as new life emerges in the natural world around us, so we are drawn to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation and Mary’s role. Through Mary’s ‘Yes’ new life, eternal life, was able to bloom in the garden of the world again.
Next time you come to church look at the grounds around you.
Look at the work and care that goes into keeping them maintained and then think
about Our Lady. Without her hospitality and love, without her faith and
commitment, without her service and free obedience we would still be living in
a wasteland oppressed by eternal death and no light of hope. Those simple words
we pray at the Angelus, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done
unto me according to Thy word’, have allowed us to stand at the
threshold of the garden of Eden again. Let’s continue this May to ask Mary to
walk with us. To encourage us to move forward to the life that awaits us with
God, if we too have the courage to say ‘Yes’ with all our heart,
with all our might and with all our strength.
Our Lady, pray for us.
Solemnities and Feasts for the coming week...
Thursday 13th May, Ascension of the Lord.
The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (more commonly known as Ascension Thursday) is one of the great solemnities in the liturgical calendar, and celebrates the mystery of the bodily ascension of Our Lord Jesus into heaven. Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day of Easter. During the current Covid-19 pandemic the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year. You can book to come to the 10am Mass via the parish website.
Friday 14th May, Feast of Saint Matthias,
Apostle
St. Matthias was chosen by the apostles to take the place of Judas Iscariot, so that the number of apostles might remain as twelve. Tradition has it that Matthias went on to preach in Ethiopia.
Wednesday 12th May, Holy Mass
The Requiem Mass due to be celebrated on Wednesday has now changed. There is an opportunity, via the parish website, for parishioners to book and attend this Mass as usual.
Confirmation Congratulations!
On Saturday (8th May) one of our younger
parishioners, Rheon who many of you will know as the Altar Server during this
year’s Sacred Triduum, will be Confirmed. Please pray for this young man who is
voluntarily making this faith filled commitment to be a disciple of the Lord.
Let’s ask God the Holy Spirit to pour out those Seven Gifts of Wisdom, Counsel,
Understanding, Knowledge, Courage, Piety and Fear of the Lord. Rheon has chosen
Joseph as his Confirmation name – a good patron saint to have, especially in
this Holy Year dedicated to him.
Come O Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of
your faithful and enkindle within them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be
created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the
light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that
by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation,
Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Lately Dead and Anniversaries
The parish website has a new section where people can submit
the names of their own deceased loved ones where people can pray for them. The
list of names and anniversaries will be changed each month.
Roman Catholic Parish of St Mary Oswaldtwistle
Eternal rest
grant unto them, O Lord,
and let
perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in
peace.
Amen.
Song for St Joseph
Fr Kevin Murphy, a Salford diocesan priest, has written a
Song for St Joseph as part of the year of St Joseph and the Feast of St Joseph
the Worker on 1st May. Alex Patterson, Cathedral Director of Music, has
recorded Fr Kevin's song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYEn06thM-o
Sheet music will be available online in due course.
SOS! HELP! SOS!
The wooden fencing surrounding the church property is in need of a good lick of paint. As always parishioners of St. Mary’s have stepped up with a kind donation of paint being given, however, people are needed to put that paint on the fencing – can you help? All social distancing requirements will be maintained so that people continue to feel safe volunteering at St. Mary’s. It’s a chance to be outside with others and help the church. Days and times are flexible according to when people are free. For more information email Navada Keenan at keenannavada@gmail.com
Young Adults: An Evening with Austen Ivereigh
We are privileged to invite all young adults (18 – 35 years)
to an evening of reflection with Dr Austen Ivereigh. Thursday 13th May 2021 7pm
– 9pm. Austen is the co-author of Pope Francis' latest book: “Let Us Dream:
The Path to a Better Future” In it the Pope sets out his vision on how to create
a better world as we emerge from the crisis that we have been living
through. He sees this crisis as having
meaning for us and inviting us to new ways of thinking and doing things.
To listen to the invitation on YouTube, please click on the following
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZT4nZcd1yE
The first 20 young adults to register will receive a free copy of the book! To
register or for more information, please email: formation@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
The God who Speaks through Mark
As we return to Ordinary Time after Pentecost, the Department
for Formation is pleased to offer four online evenings on the Gospel according
to Mark.
Wednesday 26 May 2021 – Mark Time – some of the
main themes and ideas to look out for in our Sunday Gospels over the coming
weeks and months (with Fr Christopher Lough)
Wednesday 2 June 2021- The Humanity of Jesus in Mark
(with Fr Eamonn Mulcahy CSSp)
Wednesday 9 June 2021 – The Disciples in Mark
(with Fr Michael Deas)
Wednesday 16 June 2021 – The Little People in Mark
(with Fr Michael Winstanley SDB)
Each presentation will be from 7.00 to 8.30 pm and will include time for discussion and questions. They are offered free of charge. To reserve a place on one or all the evenings and to receive the Zoom link in advance, please email formation@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Gift Aid and Envelopes
On behalf of the parish I would like to thank Rob Harrison for all his voluntarily work concerning the gift aid scheme and donation envelopes. Over the next few weeks, as people book to come to the Holy Mass, those who have signed up to the gift aid scheme will receive their envelopes from a steward. In line with GDPR, envelopes can only be given to the individual whose name and address is printed on the box. If you do not contribute to the gift aid scheme but would like a box of donation envelopes then please ask a steward when you come to church. For more information about helping the parish through gift aid you can contact Rob: giftaid@stmaryoswaldtwistle.org.uk
Easter - Weekly Eco-Thought for Parishes
Sixth Sunday of Easter: On Thursday of this week we will
celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. Notice Jesus’ parting words, as recounted
by Mark; ‘proclaim the Good News to all creation.’
What is the Good News we bring to creation?
Pray the Rosary with Pope Francis
FROM THE DEPARTMENT FOR FORMATION
In response to the Holy Father's heartfelt wish, the month of
May will be dedicated to a "marathon" of prayer, to ask for the end
of the pandemic, which has afflicted the world for more than a year now, and to
ask for the resumption of social and work activities. Pope Francis wishes to involve all the
Shrines around the world in this initiative, so that they may become vehicles
of the prayer of the entire Church. The initiative is being conducted in the
light of the biblical expression: "Prayer by the Church was fervently
being made to God" (Acts 12:5).
Together with the prayer of the Holy Rosary, each day of the
month is characterized by a prayer intention for the various categories of
people most affected by the plight of the pandemic: for those who have not been
able to say goodbye to their loved ones, for all health care personnel, for the
poor, the homeless and those in economic difficulty and for all the deceased. These are some of the intentions that will
punctuate our prayer to Our Lady.
Every Shrine around the world is invited to pray for the
resumption of social life, work and the many human activities that were
suspended during the pandemic. This
common appeal seeks to create an unceasing intercession, dispersed over the
meridians of the world, which rises continuously from the entire Church to the
Father through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, the Shrines are called to
promote and solicit as much as possible the participation of the faithful, so
that everyone can devote a moment to daily prayer, in the car, on the street,
and thanks to communication technologies, with the smartphone, requesting the
end of the pandemic and the resumption of social and work activities.
These thirty representative Shrines, scattered throughout the
world, have been chosen to lead the Marian prayer each during one day of the
month. These shrines are: Our Lady of Walsingham in England; Jesus the Saviour
and Mother Mary in Nigeria; Our Lady of Częstochowa in Poland; Basilica of the
Annunciation in Nazareth; Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in South Korea; Our Lady
Aparecida in Brazil; Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in the Philippines; Our
Lady of Lujan in Argentina; Holy House of Loreto in Italy; Our Lady of Knock in
Ireland; Virgin of the Poor at Banneux in Belgium; Notre Dame d'Afrique in
Algeria; Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima in Portugal; Our Lady of Health in
India; Our Lady Queen of Peace at Medjugorje in Bosnia; St. Mary's Cathedral in
Australia; Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the United States; Our Lady
of Lourdes in France; Meryem Ana in Turkey; Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del
Cobre in Cuba; Our Lady of Nagasaki in Japan; Nuestra Señora de Montserrat in
Spain; Notre Dame du Cap in Canada; National Shrine Our Lady Ta' Pinu in Malta;
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Mexico; Mother of God in Zarvantysia in Ukraine;
Black Madonna of Altötting in Germany; Our Lady of Lebanon – in Lebanon;
Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii in Italy.
Miles that Matter
Caritas is proud to have supporters, staff and volunteers who
are walking in solidarity and in the ‘virtual’ footsteps of so many people who
have fled war and conflict and seek a new life on these shores and in Greater
Manchester and Lancashire in particular. Miles that Matter is running from 1st
May until International Refugee Week in June. If you are interested in finding
out more, or wish to participate, please call Rachel Taylor 0161 817 2285 or
visit the website www.caritassalford.org.uk/miles-that-matter
Reopening of Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst
Theodore House, on the Stonyhurst estate, will be reopening from 11th June, and welcoming groups from 21st June in line with Government de-restrictions. A spacious and comfortable venue for retreats, away-days and conferences for any parish or diocesan group, in uniquely beautiful and historic surroundings and with access to St Peter’s church next-door. For more information, please visit https://www.theodorehouse.com or contact bookings@christianheritagecentre.com
Online Parish Events
Parishioners from different parishes have been organising online rosaries, online sing-a-longs and virtual coffee mornings for their churches. I think this is a wonderful idea as many children and grandchildren have been stepping up to help older family members link up and use computers, mobile phones, i-pads etc. Any parishioner here at St. Mary’s who would like to facilitate this has my complete support and I am happy to put them in touch with diocesan safeguarding department so that all correct procedures and online safety protocol can be followed.
Covid-19 Health and Safety Reminder
The government has allowed places of worship to remain open
during this third national lockdown but we must not become complacent. The
diocese have asked us to remind people of the following procedures:
•
Please make sure you are wearing a face mask
before you enter the church building. Nobody should be putting a mask on once
they are sat down at a pew or in the entrance/foyer near the stewards.
•
Please do not remove you mask to speak to a
steward or another parishioner in church. This shows a lack of safe respect for
others. We all need to care and look out for each other.
•
Please wear your mask when you are coming
forward to receive Holy Communion. Once, and only once, you are stood before
the priest then you can remove your mask. Communion is not a race so please
take your time and do not rush. Once you have received the Blessed Sacrament
then replace your mask and leave the church building.
•
Please do sanitise your hands at the stations
provided at both entrances and exits of church.
•
Please keep the Two Meter Rule. This new strain
of Covid-19 is more easily transmitted therefore it’s important that we all
keep to this practice.
•
Please do not congregate to socialise on church
property before or after Mass/Liturgy.
• Please do not come to church if you have Covid-19 symptoms, have tested positive for Covid-19 or are in isolation.
Mass Bookings
To book a place at Mass via our telephone service then please ring (01254) 232 433 on Wednesdays between 5pm – 6pm. To book a place at Mass online please visit the parish website www.saintmarysoswaldtwistle.co.uk Sadly, some volunteers have had to return to work and therefore you will only be able to book online during the week (Monday to Friday).
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O’Brien