The worship of the Eucharist outside of the Mass is of inestimable value for the life of the Church.

This worship is strictly linked to the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. The Presence of Christ under the Sacred Species reserved after Mass derives from the celebration of the Sacrifice and is directed towards Communion, both sacramental & spiritual.

It is pleasant to spend time with Him, to lie close to His breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. John 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in His Heart. If in our time Christians must be distinguished above all by the “art of prayer”, how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament? How often have I experienced this, and drawn from it strength, consolation and support!

This practice, repeatedly praised and recommended by the Magisterium, is supported by the example of many saints. Particularly outstanding in this regard was St Alphonsus Liguori, who wrote: “Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the
Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us”. The Eucharist is a priceless treasure: by not only celebrating It but also by prayer before It outside of Mass we are enabled to make contact with the very wellspring of grace. A Christian community desirous of contemplating the Face of Christ in the spirit which I proposed in my Apostolic Letters* cannot fail also to develop this aspect of Eucharist worship, which prolongs and increases the fruits of our Communion in the Body and Blood of the Lord.

Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia (on the Eucharist and the Church, section 25), April 2003.

* Novo Millenniu Ineunte and Rosarium Virginis Mariae.

2nd Sunday of Lent

Transfiguration is at the heart of Lent. God longs for us to be transfigured into the likeness of His Son. Jesus gives the three Apostles a glimpse of His glory, not only to sustain them through the coming suffering and perplexity of His passion and death, but to deepen their longing to share in His new life and His glory.

Our Lenten exercises should help to deepen our love of the Lord, give us time and opportunity to draw closer to Him, to hear His Voice, and to respond to His call to each one of us individually.

Are we conscious of journeying towards Heaven – or of moving away from the things of God, and remaining earth-bound?
Do I sincerely seek the life of Heaven here and now?

Everything we think, do or say (or what we don’t think, do or say – our sins of omission) either moves us a step nearer to God and to the life of Heaven, or a step further from Him and from Heaven…

It is logically impossible to move forward without first being freed from the things which hold us back. We need to be released from all that impedes our progress. Our selfish sinfulness restricts us from finding and fulfilling our God-given destiny. We have marred the image of God in us (in whose likeness we were created) and need to be transfigured by Him who longs to restore us to the likeness of His Son.

We try to fool ourselves if we think that we can do without the God-given gift of forgiveness which, as physical beings, we need to be made tangible, real and assured. Only in the Sacrament of Confession (sometimes called Reconciliation or Penance) can this forgiveness be experienced in its fullness and assurance.

The Catechism (No. 2042) sees Confession, not just as the obligatory means of being absolved of serious sin, but as one of the habitual and necessary means of spiritual progress; while the Compendium to the Catechism (No. 432.2) makes no mention of the need for serious sin but formulates the precept as: “To confess one’s sins, receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation at least once each year”. We need to remind ourselves that the deadly (ie. mortal) sins are seven – pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony and sloth – and that each poisons the soul in its own way.

Finally, the obligation to annual confession aids us in combatting the sin of presumption before God’s judgment.  (Zenit)

Confessions at St Joseph’s are every Saturday: 10.30-11.30 and 5.15-5.45pm

Today’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord celebrates the beginning of His public ministry. Jesus is doubly identified by St John the Baptist tothe crowds at the Jordan and also by the Voice of God the Father announcing from heaven: “This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him.”

Our Baptism is similarly the beginning of our public life as Christians. We are identified , marked out with the Sign of the Cross, as belonging to God. We (or our parents and Godparents) made the promises to reject Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises and, turning from the darkness of sin, we promised to believe and trust in God the Father who created everything, in His Son Jesus Christ who love us and died for us, and in the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth.

At the beginning of Lent, on Ash Wednesday (17th February 2010) our Baptismal commitment is renewed as we receive the Ashes and are called to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. Then, at the end of Lent, in the Easter Vigil and on Easter Day, we renew our Baptismal Promises and are sprinkled with Holy Water as a reminder and renewal of the day when we promised to give up what is wrong, to believe what is true, and to do what is right – which encompasses just about every aspect of life!

The Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling Holy Water may replace the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Sunday Masses, and is particularly appropriate on today’s Feast of the Lord’s Baptism, and during the Easter Season. One of these alternate prayers of blessing is used:

God our Father, your gift of water brings life and freshness to the earth; it washes away our sins and brings us eternal life. We ask you now to bless + this water, and to give us your protection on this day which you have made your own. Renew the living spring of your life within us and protect us in spirit and body, that we may be free from sin and come into your presence to receive your gift of  salvation.

Or:

Lord God almighty, creator of all life, of body and soul, we ask you to bless + this water: as we use it in faith forgive our sins and save us from all illness and the power of evil. Lord, in your mercy, give us living water, always springing up as a fountain of salvation: free us, body and soul, from every danger, and admit us into your presence in purity of heart .

The Holy Water which we may take and make the Sign of the Cross on entering and leaving church (and also take to use in our homes) has been blessed with these same prayers and is a powerful sacramental for our use.

St John the Baptist calls us, today, to prepare a way for the Lord (Luke 3: 1 – 6) and, next Sunday (Luke 3: 10 – 18), provides the people his day (and us) with ways of putting this into practice.

He went through the whole of Jordan district proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Our English word Repent comes from the Greek metanoia – which means to turn around. This happens for us in the Sacrament of Confession (sometimes known as Penance or Reconciliation) in which we turn around from our life of sin and turn towards God. By his mercy and forgiveness God then turns around our lives, renewing our life with Him.

The Season of Advent, its readings, hymns and prayers, are a constant echo of the voice of St John the Baptist, calling us to repent, to turn around from the darkness of sin, to face the direction from which the light comes, that we may welcome Jesus, the Light of the World!

Examination of Conscience prepares us for the pre-Christmas Confessions so that we can be ready to welcome Him who makes all things new. It is irresponsible to approach the Confessional without first making a good examination of conscience – asking God to enlighten our hearts and minds so that we can truly known and acknowledge our sins since, without such awareness, we cannot realistically turn away from them.

There are many aids to examing our conscience, which we must always do in preparation for our Confession, but there is no substitute for the regular examination of conscience as part of our daily evening prayers, when we reflect on the past day, thanking God for His goodness, and acknowledging our misuse of His gifts and our failures to grasp the opportunities which He has offered us.

Begin by praying the prayer at the end of this post before searching your conscience for all the sins that you can remember without help. It can be helpful to consider these under the headings of:

1. Sins against God
2. Sins against others
3. Sins against myself.

Then you mught us an outline examination of conscience in the Simple Prayer Book or other form which may help you recall other sins that you had forgotten or to which your conscience was dulled. In Confession you should mention the frequency of the more important sins, and describe then as briefly and simply as possible.

CTS Leaflets on Examination of Conscience and Going to Confession, and other books are available at the back of the Church, in the Narthex and in the Bookshop. You could also read the Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church on Conscience, 372 – 376, and on the Sacrament of Confession, 302 – 310.

A Prayer before my Examination of Conscience

Loving Father, enlighten my heart and mind  by the grace of your Holy Spirit that I may tryly know my sins, acknowledge them with sorrow and confess them honestly.

In the Sacrament of Confession may I know your forgiveness, experience your peace and love, and rejoice in being restored to communion with your Church.

Is the Church Fit for Mission – the Church of our Parish?

This was the question which we asked ourselves at this year’s Annual General Meeting of the Parish earlier this month.

The AGM, on Friday 2nd October, began with Receiving of Reports from our many and varied parish groups and organisations. The Chairman of the Parish Finance and Fabric Committee then presented their annual report (financial details as on page 13 of the current edition of the Parish Magazine), after which Fr Peter gave the Parish Priest’s annual report which included thanks to his colleagues Fr Richard, Deacon John Sampson and Deacon John-Simon Lawson, as well as to Agnes Vella (Parish Secretary), David Roberts (Treasurer) and many others who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the efficient and smooth-running of our parish.

He went on to list the many extra-parochial responsibilities and involvements which our two priests have in the parish, the diocese, and for the wider Church, and gave statistics of our parish’s liturgical celebrations (eg. 68 Baptisms, 50 First Communions, 34 Confirmations, 5 Receptions into the Church, 10 Marriages including 4 Convalidations, 25 funerals, and an ever-increasing number of Confessions).

A sample list of the groups using the new Pastoral Centre highlighted our extensive community provisions – the most recent initiative being for Korean Catholic Families. Father gave a month-by-month snap-shot of our Priests’ activities and involvements and how they spend their time (always an eye-opener!) and concluded by listing various pastoral and other initiatives, enhancements, and a preview of various aspects of parish forward-planning.

Fit for Mission? Church was then the main focus of the AGM, beginning with a masterly overview of the four key documents of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) from Fr Richard, who drew us into the particular insights of Bishop Patrick O’Donaghue (author of the Fit for Mission? documents which have been so highly praised by the Vatican) as outlined on this attachment to the bulletin.

Parishioners at the AGM then broke into groups to discuss and respond to specific questions raised in Fit for Mission? Church, from which proposals emerged including

1. inviting parishioners to a further exploration of the key teachings of Vatican II
2. our parish clergy, catechists and others undertaking a thorough review of sacramental programmes and related areas of parish life, to ensure we are all Fit for Mission!

from the Webmaster… the Fit for Mission? Church insert is now up on the website, www.stjoseph-newmalden.org.uk/articles.

The Gospel today contains the story of the rich young man, to whom Christ addressed the call: ‘Follow Me’. It is a call the Lord still makes to thousands of young men every year – if they have the faith to hear, and the courage to respond.

The word for priest in Latin is ‘pontifex’, which literally means ‘bridge-builder’. That is what the priest does – he builds a bridge between heaven and earth, offering his people to God, and God to his people.

How does the priest offer his people to God? Through prayer – most of all, through offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is the greatest prayer there is. He also prays for them, reciting his Breviary, or Divine Office, which is the Prayer of the Church. Lastly, the priest’s private prayer is important too. How many times does the priest hear the words: ‘Father, please pray for me/my mother/my friend’ and so on. Often those who ask are not even Catholics – but instinctively they seek the intercession of the priest. A priest without prayer is truly a contradiction in terms.

How does the priest offer God to his people? Chiefly, through the Sacraments: baptising infants, preparing young people to encounter the Lord in Communion and Confirmation, absolving sins in Confession, encouraging vocations to priestly and family life, caring for the sick and dying – and constantly preaching the word, in season and out of season.

This is a demanding role, and demands a great deal of detachment. This was something the young man in the Gospel sadly lacked – and so he went away sad. To encourage this detachment and selflessness the Catholic Church asks its priests to live a life of celibacy – the form of life most appropriate to the Priesthood, for it was the way of life chosen by Christ himself, by his Blessed Mother and by so many great saints down the ages. It can bring great joy, but also great demands – which is why praying for our priests is so important. This year especially, ‘The Year of the Priest’, try to make intercession for your own priests a special priority.

In today’s First Reading (Genesis 2: 18 – 24) we learn of the divine intention for marriage and why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they become one body – just as Jesus says of both the Eucharist and of the Church – This is My Body!

Today’s Gospel (Mark 10: 2 – 16) contrastingly shows the legalistic mindset of those who fail to recognise the goodness of God and see things negatively. They view marriage as a legal contract, rather than as a God-given Covenant, i.e. a two-way relationship of sacrifice and service.

The Church teaches that:

the marital union of man and woman … is, by its very nature, ordered to the communion and good of the couple, and to the generation and education of children. According to the original divine plan this conjugal union is indissoluble, as Jesus Christ affirmed: “What God has joined together, let no one put asunder.” (Mark 10: 9)

Compendium 338

The Sacrament of Marriage is a three-way relationship between husband, wife and Almighty God, in which God is always the most loving, the most faithful, the most forgiving, the most strong. It is His grace and strength which enables the couple to live their life of covenant love. This Sacrament gives husbands and wives the capacity to love one another as Christ loves His Bride, the Church (Ephesians 5: 25).

The Catholic Church supports and enhances marriage and family life in every aspect, and against increasing opposition. In this parish we do so particularly through Marriage Preparations, Teams of Our Lady, Faith in the Family, LIFE, our Schools, safeguarding children, Korean Catholic Family group, and many other initiatives.

When administering the Sacrament of the Sick the priest first anoints the sick person’s forehead, saying:

Through this holy anointing, may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit.

He then anoints their hands, saying:

May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.

The Gospel at Mass today contains Christ’s words:

If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink, just because you belong to Christ, he will most certainly not lose his reward.

To bring aid to those in need is one of the most pressing of all Christian duties, particularly bringing help to those who are sick. To give a cup of water, a kind word, a gesture of comfort – how much these little things mean when we are frightened and unwell!

The Church believes that Christ left us a Sacrament especially to bring comfort to those who are seriously ill. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:

The Church believes and confesses that among the seven sacraments there is one intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness, the Anointing of the Sick

CCC 1511

This Sacrament is referred to explicitly in the New Testament: the letter of St James (5: 14) says

Is there anyone sick among you? Let him call for the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of the faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has forgiven sins, he will be forgiven.

The words of St James neatly summarise all that the Sacrament brings the sick person: firstly, is ‘saves’, bringing the power of the Saviour into that situation. Then it ‘raises’ us. This can refer to physical healing, if God wills, or to a sense of comfort and hope Christ’s presence brings. Lastly, for those unable to make their Confession in the normal way, the Sacrament of Anointing also brings the forgiveness of their sins.

The Sacrament of Anointing can be especially consoling to those in hospital. Yet sadly, many Catholics fail to inform us when they go to hospital, wrongly assuming the hospital will do this for them. Nowadays, a combination of data protection laws and the secular agenda mean this will not happen. If you or a loved one are going to hospital, make sure you tell us yourselves, or you will miss out on the comfort which the Church can offer.

In this Sunday’s Goepsl we find Jesus and his disciples journeying towards Jerusalem where He will suffer and die out of love for us. The disciples are so insensitive to the sufferings of Jesus because they are arguing amongst themselves as to which of them was the greatest.

Our divided heart is similarly the cause of our disharmony and insensitivity to the things of God and the sufferings of others. Being caught up in our own selfish concerns blinds us to the needs of others.

St James, in today’s second reading, also speaks of disharmony within ourselves:

Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? … in the desires fighting inside your own selves.

These battles needs quelling, and the disharmony needs healing and harmonising – not only within ourselves but, more importantly, between ourselves and God. The Sacrament of Penance brings about this healing and harmony by God’s love and mercy.

Jesus Christ gave his power to forgive sins to his apostles and, through them, to their successors, the bishops and priests of the Catholic Church. While the form of the sacrament has varied over the centuries, the requirement for priestly absolution and (except when the penitent is incapable) verbal confession has remained constant.

Regular Confession stops us from letting our sins fester and deepen their hold on us; it helps to develop a mature conscience; gives us grace to resist temptation, and bestows healing and release from the burden of sin.

Confessions are heard in every Catholic Church, and in St Joseph’s on Saturdays from 10.30 – 11.30am, and 5.15 – 5.45pm.

The Gospel at Mass this Sunday is the famous story of St Peter’s Confession of Faith: You are the Christ, he declares. Jesus accepts his declaration, but also reminds his followers that he will reveal his Messiahship precisely through suffering – and his followers are called to similar selfless serice of others.

The Sacrament of Confirmation complete what was begin in our Baptism, and likewise marks us out for service. St Therese of Lisieux (whose relics will shortly be touring England) wrote about her own Confirmation day as follows:

Oh, how joyful was my soul, as I waited happily, like the Apostles, for the visit of the Holy Spirit…I rejoiced that soon I would be a complete Christian, and above all that I would bear eternally on my forehead the mysterious cross that the bishop imprints as he confers the Sacrament.

Here St Therese links the Sacrament of Confirmation with the day of Pentecost, when the Apostles first received the Holy Spirit. This is the ‘birthday of the Church’. This events reminds us that the Holy Spirit, given to us in Confirmation, is not given to isolated individuals, but rather as members of the Church, and we are to use the gifts and graces of the Spirit in the service of the Church, and, as a consequence of that, to bring Christ’s Gospel to the world.

St Therese also speaks of the lasting change Confirmation makes in our lives – the Confirmed Christian ‘bears eternally’ the imprint of the Spirit given by the Sacrament. Theologically, we call this imprint a ‘character’ – it is God’s mark of ownership on us, which marks us out and sets us apart. Like wax which has been imprinted with a seal, this character can never be effaced.

What, then, of those Christians who fall away from the Faith after their Confirmation? The Church feels their loss very much, but the theology of the Sacrament teaches us that they still belong to God – they are his own people. Our prayers and our sufferings, offered in union with the merits of the Suffering Christ, may be all that are needed to bring them back to the practice of the Faith.

Read more about the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church sections 265-270, or read the CTS booklets Why be Confirmed and Confirmation, The Spirit of Christ (£1.95 & £2.95 respectively) from our Bookshop.