“The fact is that there is no one too old, too busy, too cloistered, too remote from the struggles of the world to have no way whatsoever to promote the Word of God in a world such as ours. For all of us who live under the threat of social degeneracy from the power brokers, the profiteers, the dictators, the nativists, the narcissists, & the prejudiced, there are decisions to make. Shall we do something, to reshape the heart & the soul of the worlds we inhabit? Or shall we do nothing & claim that we were powerless in the world? Will we act like we do not know that there are rallies to attend., students to teach, peacemaking courses to take, public legislation to study & discuss, facilities & services to open to the homeless, & at the very least, honest bidding prayers to say in public in our churches? Will we raise no voice at all in the pursuit of God’s will for us all? What this world needs most from us right now is commitment to a spirituality that is prophetic as well as private, that echoes the concerns of the prophets who have gone before us. Prophecy, in other words, is an essential dimension of Christian presence, a clear witness of the Spirit-directed life. The problem is that we have lost all consciousness of the biblical prophets & so of our own spiritual birthright. In fact, we might not even recognise them if we saw them. Yet it was precisely for times such as ours that God sent these prophets of old to wake up the world around them to its distance from Truth. It is surely time for this generation to rediscover them. Indeed, the question rings across the ages: & you? What will you do?” “The Time is Now” Sr Joan Chittister OSB
Steady progress continues with our initial steps in the process of amalgamating our three Churches. We held interviews for the post of Parish Administrator on Friday, & we hope to announce the appointment very soon. Our Coordinating Group met for the second time on Friday evening & we will feedback in all three Churches this weekend on the proposals we hope you will all help us to take forward up to Christmas. We are all affected in one way or another by the process, so please let us pray for one another as we face the changes with faith, trust & confidence, as the Holy Spirit leads us forward in this opportunity for the Parish to become stronger & to regenerate. Membership of the Group is: Gerard Simpson & Peter O’Neill (Oswaldkirk): Clare Lally & Francis Locke (Gilling) & Mary Borrett & Dominic Carter (Ampleforth).
Next Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King, a day of Special Prayer for our young people. At one stage they were called “the hope of tomorrow”: thankfully Pope Francis celebrates them in the “now” moment, as he inspires & encourages them to step out & forward as missionary disciples, among us & beyond. For some weeks earlier this year we shared quotations from the Pope’s latest Exhortation “Chritus Vivit” on our weekly bulletin. We have invited children & parents from St Benedict’s School to join us specially next Sunday in what will be a School Mass, with full participation from many children, as a sign of our prayerful commitment to weave together all that is good both in our two “Schools of the Lord‘s Service” which St Benedict titles his monastery, & which we readily adopt for both our School & our Parish. Please encourage children & parents you know to join us for this special moment. With my love & prayers Fr Bede.