First Sunday of Lent
Dear brothers and
sisters,
Have you ever watched
one of those classic epic films like Spartacus (1960)? Cleopatra (1963)? Or
even Gladiator (2000)? What I love about them isn’t the plethora of famous
actors and actresses who star in them like Kirk Douglas, Elizabeth Taylor,
Laurence Olivier or Russell Crowe but the epic battle scenes they have in them.
Hundreds upon hundreds of film extras re-enacting the clash of tribes and
empires. Swords flailing, arrows piercing the sky, the thunderous roaring of
hordes on the battle field and the immense shouting of bloodthirsty crowds in
the gladiatorial arena. It may surprise you that St. Paul uses epic battle
language himself when describing the daily life of a Christian!
‘So stand your ground, with truth
buckled round your waist, and integrity for a breastplate, wearing for the
shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peace
and always carrying the shield of faith
so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one. And then
you must accept salvation from God to be your helmet and receive the word of
God from the Spirit to use as a sword.’ (Ephesians 6: 14-17)
St. Paul, writing to the Ephesians, described the spiritual warfare that believers of Jesus would have to engage in. A war that is not optional. Battles that are unavoidable. ‘Put God’s armour on so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics.’ (Eph 6:11)
Who is the enemy in
this spiritual warfare? The devil. The devil who has been around since Eden and
continues to distort truth, continues to cause rifts and divisions, continues
to shake the foundations of our faith in the Lord. In Lent, St. Paul’s words to
the Ephesians seems very apt especially when we are all trying to draw closer
to Jesus and yet find ourselves bombarded by temptations and under fire from
distractions.
I promised the Lord
that part of my fasting routine, my spiritual battle, would involve leaving the
biscuit tin alone between meals. Ash Wednesday was less than four days ago and
I’m sitting at the computer typing this letter with cookie crumbs all over the
keyboard and desk! What happened in four days? Temptation and a weak will.
The penitential
season of Lent and the practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving which we
take up during this time are meant to be ways in which we move closer to
Christ. Scoffing biscuits four days after Ash Wednesday isn’t going to cause
the Heavens to fall down around me but it is an indicator about where my heart
and mind are. The crumbs around my feet are letting me know that so far my
heart and mind are anywhere but near the Lord! Lent can be a battle we choose
to surrender early on or it can be the spiritual fight we seriously engage with
using body, soul and spirit. Remember, anything worth having does involve hard
work and putting up a fight and I think we can all agree that Our Lord and the
life he offers is worth the fight. Just ask the Saints.
Good News! We are not
alone nor defenceless in our spiritual warfare. Here are five ways we can
co-operate with God’s grace when we feel overwhelmed by temptation in our
Lenten practices and distracted in our daily spiritual lives.
1. Prayer.
It sounds so simple but it’s so often overlooked. When we face troubles,
challenges, worries and anxieties we can turn to God who is always attentive
and listening. He will help if only we ask. Calling upon God in the midst of
trials and tribulations will always give us the strength and confidence to
overcome.
‘For all the names in the world given
to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.’ (Acts 4:12)
Sadly many people,
because of lazy tongues and ignorance, use Our Lord’s name in a derogatory way
to curse and make a dramatic statements. However the Holy Name, when called
upon with a sincere and true heart can defend and dispel the assaults of the
devil.
‘Jesus said, ‘In my name they will cast
out devils...’ (Mark 16:17)
‘Naught but the name of Jesus can
restrain the impulse of anger, repress the swelling of pride, cure the wound of
envy, bridle the onslaught of luxury, extinguish the flame of carnal desire –
can temper avarice, and put to flight impure and ignoble thoughts.’ Saint
Bernard of Clairvaux
‘Besides each believer stands an angel
as protector and shepherd leading him to life.’
Saint Basil
Read through the
Gospels and you will see the numerous times when angels were sent to help Our
Lord and minister to Him. From the end of the forty days and forty nights
ordeal in the wilderness to the agony in the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord is
always attended by Angels. So many Catholic’s neglect to turn to their Guardian
Angel and do not know that traditional beautiful prayer:
O Angel of God
My guardian dear
To Whom God’s love
Commits me here
Ever this day/night
Be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide. Amen.
5. Acknowledge
your weakness. It may seem absurd as a powerful spiritual weapon but
when we acknowledge humbly our weaknesses and beg God not to be tempted beyond
our abilities He does listen and He does act. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his
book, ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ that when we pray the Our Father and recite
the phrase ‘...lead us not into temptation...’ it is as if we
were saying to God,
‘I know that I need trials so that my
nature can be purified. When you decide to send me these trials, when you give
evil some room to manoeuvre, as you did with Job, then please remember that my
strength goes only so far...Don’t set too wide the boundaries within which I
may be tempted, and be close to me with your protecting hand when it becomes
too much for me.’
Brothers and sisters,
I pray that we will all embrace this season of Lent and check our hearts and
minds to see where they are in relation to Christ Our Lord. The biscuit crumbs
on the desk have reminded me that I have a war to wage but with God’s grace and
using those five weapons I have a chance. Will you be in the trenches moving
closer to the Great Reward or on the side-lines quietly fading away?
Welcome &
Prayers
Traditionally the
First Sunday of Lent is when the Rite of Election takes place at the Cathedral.
It is a liturgy that formally welcomes all those who wish to be received into
the Church. In this special celebration, our Bishop, in the name of God and of
the whole of God’s Family in the Diocese of Salford, will ‘elect’ or call those
adults who are preparing for Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at Easter and
invite them to sign the Book of the Elect. This year at St. Mary’s we pray for
Wesley, one of our young adults and as many of you will know a regular
volunteer steward for Holy Mass. Wesley will hopefully be received into full
communion with the Church at Easter so please keep him in your prayers. Due to
the current Covid-19 pandemic this year’s Rite of Election will take place
online with the Bishop. Let’s also pray for those new members of our parish who
have been received into the Church over the last three years:
Amourelle, Andrew, Bernadette, Daisie, Emma,
Gerry, Helen, Jonathan, Mark and Theo.
May the Lord continue
to bless and sustain them, and all those here at St. Mary’s over the last 124
years, who have had the courage to actively respond to His call and follow Him.
In these difficult times may our witness as a living and worshipping family to
the Risen Christ edify and support others to heed the call and become
disciples. Amen.
ABC (About
Becoming Catholic)
During the last year
of lockdowns, social distancing, furloughs and daily life being interrupted
many people have found themselves with time to think. To think about the
direction of their own lives, to think about the fragility of this world, to
think about what happens after death and even daring to contemplate the person
of Jesus Christ! If you or somebody you know is contemplating such things then
tell them to email me at sean.obrien@dioceseofsalford.org.uk or call the presbytery 01254 232 433
(leaving a voicemail if I don’t answer straight away). We are made for the Lord
and we will only find real happiness, true purpose and total completeness in
adoring and loving Him.
‘You have made us for Yourself, O Lord,
and our hearts are restless until they
rest in You.’
(St. Augustine of Hippo)
The Sacrament
of Confession
Those who took the
opportunity to come to Confession in Advent will testify to the safe and
prayerful way in which the Sacrament was celebrated. This Lent, because of
parishioners volunteering as stewards, I am able to offer Confessions on the
following dates:
Saturday 27th
February 2021, 9am -10am.
Saturday 6th
March 2021, 9am -10am.
The Rosary will be
publicly prayed in church, by kind volunteers, during these periods. The
intention for each rosary will be that all faithful disciples of the Lord will
return to Him in this most merciful Sacrament that He instituted. The
invitation is there, the welcome is warm and His forgiveness is REAL!
Young
Parishioners of St. Mary’s
Many of us have been
blessed by God through our young parishioners at our Friday evening Masses. Not
only those on the sacramental programme but other young people and their
families whose presence and witness remind us of hope in the future. They
definitely keep me on my toes during the Homily! Let’s pray for Faye,
Francesca, Georgia, Luke, Poppy and Tessa as they prepare this Lent to make
their First Confession and receive Jesus’ forgiveness. We also keep Rheon in
our prayers who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in the next few
months.
Sunday Prayer
Resource – “The Lord's Day at Home”
For those still at
home and not attending Mass the Liturgy Office has prepared a service called
"The Lord's Day at Home", based on the Sunday Scriptures, that you
can pray on your own or with your family. It is particularly aimed at those not
able to follow a Mass on the internet. This week's Lord's Day at Home resource
can be found: www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/covid19/lordsdayathome
Stations of the
Cross
Though we are unable
to publicly gather for the Stations of the Cross this year in church, it does
not mean that we cannot pray them. Thanks to John Hughes, ‘Our Internet Man’,
you will find St. Mary’s Stations of the Cross on the parish website. Visit www.saintmarysoswaldtwistle.co.uk
Lent - Weekly
Eco-Thought for Parishes
The First Sunday of
Lent 21st February 2021
From the first
reading: God spoke to Noah and his sons, ‘See, I establish my Covenant with you
and with your descendants after you; also with every living creature to be
found with you, birds, cattle and every wild beast with you.’ God pledges never
to destroy his creation. Can we make that same pledge to God and safeguard the
gift God has given us? Think of one practical step that you will take this Lent
and beyond.
A Message from
Global Healing
The Global Catholic
Movement invites you to “Global Healing.” In 2015, Pope Francis published his
ground-breaking letter on the
environment Laudato Si’. Since then, millions of people worldwide have
joined the global movement to address the environmental crisis our world is
facing. This Lent, we are inviting YOU to join us for a series of reflective
evenings with inspiring speakers, prayer and discussion, using the film-based
resource “Global Healing”. These engaging documentaries will inform and
challenge people to respond to Pope Francis’ call to Care for Our Common Home.
Suitable for all who are concerned about what is happening to our world and who
want to take action.
When? Six Thursdays from
18th February – 25th March 2021, 7.30pm – 8.30pm
How to join? Email
jane@catholicclimatemovement.global
Hosted by GCCM
Laudato Si’ Animators in the UK.
“Living our vocation to be protectors
of God's handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or
secondary aspect of our Christian experience…Truly, much can be done!”
(Laudato Si’, 217, 180)
Lenten Reading
Lent is that time
when we push ourselves to come closer to Our Lord through prayer, fasting and
almsgiving. It can be so easy to excuse ourselves from these practices but if
we truly embrace them, then the fruits and blessings they produce will always
draw us closer to Jesus in ways we never imagined before. Lent is a time for
love. Love that is not just intellectual but real and shows itself in action.
The following book titles are just suggestions that you may want to use for
spiritual reading during the Lenten period.
The Faith
Jesus of Nazareth.
Holy Week: From the entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection by Pope
Benedict XVI
Reasons to
Believe, How to Understand, Explain and Defend the Catholic Faith by Scott
Hahn
Spirituality
Toward God, The
Ancient Wisdom of Western Prayer by Michael Casey
Praying the Rosary
like never before by Edward Sri
The Power of
Silence, Against the dictatorship of noise by Cardinal Robert Sarah
The Rule of Saint
Benedict in English, edited by Dom. Timothy Fry OSB
Befriending
Silence, Discovering the Gifts of Cistercian Spirituality by Carl McColman
Into His Likeness.
Be Transformed as a Disciple of Christ by Edward Sri
An Exorcist tells his Story by Fr. Gabriele Amorth
The Blessed
Sacrament
Eucharistic
Miracles by Joan Carroll Cruz
7 Secrets of the
Eucharist by Vinny Flynn
Our Lady and
the Saints
Hail Holy Queen,
The Mother of God in the Word of God by Scott Hahn
Lives of the
Saints by Alban Butler
The Life and
Prayers of Saint Michael the Archangel by Wyatt North
Saint Mary
Magdalene, Prophetess and Eucharistic Love by Fr. Seán Davidson
The Confession of
Saint Patrick, translated by John Skinner
The Life and
Miracles of Saint Benedict by Pope Gregory the Great
Saint John Bosco
by F.A Forbes
The Story of a
Soul, The autobiography of the Little Flower by St. Therese of Lisieux
Saint Maria
Goretti, In Garments All Red by Fr. Godfrey Poage
Diocese of
Salford Lent Course
LET US DREAM --
Our Lenten Journey with Pope Francis, guided by Austen Ivereigh.
Over the Wednesdays
of Lent we will explore Pope Francis’ book, Let us Dream, with the assistance
of Austen Ivereigh, who worked closely with Pope Francis on the book. Let Us
Dream is the first book by a pope in response to a specific crisis, and offers
us Pope Francis’s spiritual guidance for humanity in the throes of the Covid
crisis, helping us to seize the opportunity for conversion and change — as
individuals and as a society. The course will begin with an Introductory
presentation by Austen on Wednesday 24th
February at 7pm.
Every Wednesday from
2nd March until 31st March we will meet 7pm-8.30pm, again with an opening
reflection from Austen, to explore the book in five sections, share our
thoughts, ask questions and deepen our understanding of the Lord’s call to us,
to our Church and world through the teaching of Pope Francis. This is a
wonderful opportunity and the Bishop and Diocese are very grateful to Austen
Ivereigh for making this possible.
To sign up, please
email formation@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/lentcourse/
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.
Seven Sundays Devotions
for the Year of St. Joseph
15 minutes before each Sunday Mass (Vigil 6:30pm/Sun 10am)
we are continuing our prayer and meditation on the seven sorrows and seven joys
of St. Joseph asking for his intercession. For those who want to participate in
this devotion but are not presently able to attend the Holy Mass you will find
prayers to St. Joseph on the parish website at www.saintmarysoswaldtwistle.co.uk
St. Joseph Petition Box
In front of our parish statue of St. Joseph there is a
prayer box. I invite you to place any petitions that you may have in that box
the next time you are at church. You may want to ask St. Joseph to pray for a
loved one, to intercede for a soul in purgatory, to keep vigil over a friend or
family member you have not been able to visit because of the pandemic. Your petition
could be for a family going through financial troubles, mental health issues or
your prayer to St. Joseph maybe for a person who has lapsed and walked away
from Christ and His Church. Whatever your prayer is write it at home and then
place it in the box before St. Joseph who will always bring your needs to God.
Prayer to
Saint Joseph
To you, O
blessed Joseph, do we come in our afflictions, and having implored the help of
your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.
Through that charity
which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal
love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to
regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with
your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.
O most
watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus
Christ;
O most loving
father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence;
O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and
from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.
As once you
rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church
from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of
us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your
aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal
happiness in heaven. Amen.
Prayer of Pope Leo XIII
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.
St. Paul, pray for
us.
Fr. O’Brien