Newsletter - 8th May 2022
4th Sunday of Easter
Dear brothers and sisters,
We are nearly half way through the Easter season, a time when we are all invited to rejoice because the Lord is risen, He has conquered death and showed us redemption. We have 50 days to fully receive this joy and take part in God’s joy. But when looking at ourselves in day-to-day life, can we consider ourselves more joyful than usual? How can we live from the joy coming from the Lord given all our worries and trials, these things which form part of normal daily life.
In 1975, Pope Paul VI wrote an Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete in Domino on Christian joy during the Easter season. In fact, the Easter season is not only a time to celebrate Christ’s resurrection but also a time when all Christians get prepared to receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is always a spirit of joy, and the very gift of the Holy Spirit in itself is, first of all, a motive for joy.
For joy and peace are given when we are close to God. We obtain peace when we are finally reconciled with others, with ourselves and with God. Yet we must admit that there is a huge gap between our daily reality – which is full of problems, difficulties, obstacles and contradictions – and our desire for the infinite. Our joy is unfortunately always imperfect, fragile and threatened. There is no perfect happiness. As a result, we tend to compensate our dissatisfaction by looking for pleasures and other preoccupations, driving us to further unhappiness.
Pascal Sullivan, ccn
For joy comes from another source. It is spiritual and a gift from God. Pope Paul VI defines Christian joy as the spiritual sharing in the divine and human joy of Jesus Christ glorified. This joy is very difficult to grasp since it is a joy which passes through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is in the middle of our distress and of our imperfect lives, that we are to experience joy. The hope of receiving the Holy Spirit, the certainty of the resurrection of Christ and of Him giving salvation to us and to humanity are motives to rejoice fully. Brothers and sisters, let us make an act of faith and praise the Lord, rejoice for all his good deeds and be happy, irrespective of our present situation, of our problems and difficulties.
Focus of the Week
Sunday Evening Mass
Sunday 15 May 2022 – 5:30pm
This is the first of three masses that will be offered on Sunday evenings : 15 May 2022, 19 June 2022 and 10 July 2022. These masses will have an informal atmosphere with music followed by refreshments.
White Water Rafting
A group of parishioners, alongside Father Christophe, will be participating in a "white water rafting" event at Lea Valley on Sunday 8 May 2022.
To make this ordeal worthwhile for those taking part we hope to raise some money to support the work that Fr Sebastian is doing in the Philippines and also for Ukrainian projects.
Collections will be taking place after masses next weekend. Thank you in advance for your support.