St Teresa & St John Southworth Churches, Cleveleys
Fr Chris Cousens—Phone: 853340
Rev Bernard Ward (Deacon) (Tel: 858346)
Enquiries for St John Southworth: Phone: 853340
15th January 2023
http://www.st-teresas-church.co.uk
Email: st.teresas.cleveleys@gmail.com
Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered Charity Number 23433
Sunday : Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Contents: Gospel
Notices
Gospel Reflection
Gospel: John 1:29-34
Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look there is a lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit,” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’
Gospel Reflection : The Christian Life Is A Calling From God To Follow The Path of Jesus
In the Gospel this weekend John identifies Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. This is a very different sort of leader than people were expecting. Not a great king but a sacrificial lamb – the one who would put his people before everything, even his own life. He is baptised by John with water as a sign of his humanity. John testifies to Jesus’ power to baptise with the Holy Spirit as a sign of his divinity. True God and True Man – the servant of both.
The Greek word for sin used in the New Testament is ‘hamartia’. It is a technical term from archery meaning ‘to miss the mark’. In this sense it can cover both wilful wrongdoing and the occasional shortcomings we are all guilty of – the failure to love each other as we should, to give every life the dignity and respect it deserves
As always, for Christians following the path of Jesus, the path of hope and redemption, has its challenges. Are we “lambs of God” who will put others first? Do we strive to see the dignity in other people, to raise them up? Do we welcome the displaced and offer comfort to the marginalised?
This week maybe we could think about the times we fell short or were wide of the mark. We could even take the time to forgive someone who has hurt us, and seek forgiveness from someone we have hurt.
This Weekend, 14th/15th January, the SVP have their special collection ‘for those in need’, at each Mass at St. Teresa’s.
We Remember In Our Prayers Dennis Greer whose Funeral was last week, and Michael Taylor whose Funeral is at St. Teresa’s on Tuesday 24th January at 12. 30 pm. We remember them and their families, and all those whose anniversaries are at this time. May they be in God’s peace.
The Annual Service For The Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity, organised by all our local churches, is this year at All Saints Church , North Drive, Cleveleys (near the Golden Eagle), and all are very welcome. This is at 3 pm on Sunday 22nd January. The theme of the Service is “Be – Longing : Praying for Unity Amidst Injustice”, which is this year’s theme on that day for all Christian Churches throughout Britain and Ireland.
Items Which Are Particularly Needed At The Moment For The Food Bank at St. Teresa’s Church : Weetabix, small jars of coffee, tins of carrots or mixed veg, (no more peas please for now!), tins of stewed beef or chicken (no pies please because they have to go in the oven).
A huge thank you to all those who have been generously donating items already, and all those who have volunteered to be on a rota to help when the Food Bank is open. It is very much appreciated.
St. Georges Avenue Food Pantry @ St.Teresa’s Are you, or someone you know, struggling to meet the cost of living? Members of our Community are committed to helping anyone who finds themselves at this point of need. We, at St. Teresa’s, have created a small ‘Food Pantry’ in the church kitchen, which is capable of providing basic foods, for individuals, couples or families. Please do contact us in advance on this dedicated mobile number 07841 610655 to talk about how best we might be able to help you, OR visit us at the back of church between 10.30 am and 12 noon Monday. Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, or Wednesday, 2.30 pm – 4 pm. A volunteer will be able to put together a bag(bags) of food to help see you through the week. Alternatively, we would be happy to deliver a free food parcel to peoples’ doorstep on a weekly basis. The types of food we give out depend partly on what our church members donate. We have plenty of pasta and pasta sauces, cereals, rice, biscuits, tinned goods, i.e. soup, veg, fruit, long-life milk, and a small selection of toiletries, and even pet food.
‘Warm Space’ In St. Teresa’s Hall on Wednesdays 2. pm – 4 pm. All are very welcome to call in, and spend some time with others in a safe, warm environment, where you can enjoy a hot drink and a snack.
The Church Shop at St. Teresa’s is situated in the church porch, and is open before and after each Sunday Mass. Amongst other things, cards and gifts are available, and now the latest 2023 Lancaster Diocese Directory, with all the latest information about every aspect of our whole Diocese, including all the support it gives us. Just go in and have a look.
What Is A Good Samaritan?
On a donkey riding, bound for Jericho,
one lone weary traveller still has miles to go.
Suddenly some robbers spring out with a knife;
steal his precious money, almost take his life.
On the same rough highway to Jerusalem
holy people pass him – no concern to them.
Victim in the gutter with deep wounds that bleed.
Who will prove a neighbour in the hour of need?
Comes at last a stranger with a rescue plan,
one who none have time for, a Samaritan.
Rubs in healing ointment, takes him to an inn,
pays the bill, behaving just like next of kin.
Jesus told the story, tells it to us all today;
leaves us with a question that won’t go away.
Every day’s a challenge, with some fresh surprise;
shall we each show mercy or just close our eyes?
David Mowbray
Daily Reflections for this week
Monday(The Epistle to Diognetus)
The Almighty himself, the Creator of the universe, the God whom no eye can discern, has sent down his very own Truth from heaven, his own Holy and Incomprehensible Word, to plant it among us and ground it in our hearts. And was his coming, as we might suppose, in terror, and in dread? Not so; it was in gentleness and humility. As Man to men he sent him; and that because he wished to save us by persuasion, and not by compulsion – for there is no compulsion found with God. His mission was no pursuit or hounding of us; it was in love, not in judgement that he sent him.
Scripture (John 1:29-34)
Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, “Look, there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me.” John also declared, “I saw the Spirit come down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him.” I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water said, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.’ Yes, I have seen and witness that he is the Chosen One of God.”
Tuesday (Thomas Merton)
In Christ, everything that is divine and supernatural becomes accessible on the human level to everyone born of woman, to every son and daughter of Adam. What is divine has now become connatural to us in Christ’s love so that if we receive him and are united with him in friendship, he who is at the same time God and our brother grants us the divine life that is now able to be ours on the human level.
Scripture (Psalm 40:1,5,16-17)
I waited, I waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me and heard my cry for help. How much you have done, Lord – your wonders, your plans for us – you have no equal. Joy and happiness to all who seek you! Let them ceaselessly cry “Great is the Lord” who love your saving power. Poor and needy as I am, the Lord has me in mind. You, my helper, my Saviour.
Wednesday (Julian of Norwich)
We know by faith that God took our nature upon him; and furthermore, that Christ accomplished all the work necessary to salvation, and none but him. And he says ‘Since you do not live without sin, you have to suffer all the tribulation and distress that may come to you. So let it be. But do not be too downcast by the sin that overtakes you against your will,’ I understand that the Lord looks on us with pity and not with blame. In God’s sight we do not fall; in our sight we do not stand. As I see both of these are true. But the deeper insight belongs to God.
Scripture (Isaiah 49:1,3,5-6)
The Lord spoke to me, ‘You are my servant,(Israel), through whom I shall manifest my glory.’ And now the Lord has spoken, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him and to re-unite Israel to him. He said, ‘It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I shall make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach the remotest parts of the earth.
Thursday (Cardinal Newman)
It is not an easy thing to learn the new language which Christ has brought us. He has interpreted all things for us in a new way. He has brought us a religion which sheds a new light on all that happens. Time is short, eternity is long; God is great, we are weak; we stand between heaven and hell; Christ is our Saviour. Let us receive the truth in reverence and pray God to give us a good will, and divine light, and spiritual strength, that it may bear fruit within us.
Scripture (Romans 3:21-25)
God’s saving justice was witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, but now it has been revealed altogether apart from the Law: God’s saving justice given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. No distinction is made: all have sinned and lack God’s glory, and all are justified by the free gift of his grace through being set free in Christ Jesus. God appointed him as a sacrifice for reconciliation.
Friday (Fr. Richard Rohr)
The first image in the Bible reveals a creative, compassionate God. Looking at creation in progress, “God saw that it was good”. We all need to know that this wonderful thing called life came from goodness – a beginning of ‘original blessing’ instead of ‘original sin’. For some reason, most Christian theology seems to start with Genesis 3, what Augustine would centuries later call ‘original sin’. When you start with a punitive, critical, exclusionary God, it’s not surprising that you see the crucifixion as Jesus taking the punishment that this angry God intended for us. This is not what many Christians believe. And it is not something the loving Abba of Jesus would do. Jesus did not come to change the mind of God about humanity. It didn’t need changing. God has loved what God created from the moment God created it. Jesus came to change the mind of humanity about God. Jesus shows us what it is like for God to be incarnate in humanity. He holds together the human and the divine so that we might follow him and do the same.
Scripture (Colossians 1:15-20)
He is the image of the unseen God, the first-born of all creation, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, thrones, ruling forces, sovereignties, powers – all things were created through him and for him. He exists before all things and in him all things hold together, and he is the Head of the Body, that is, the Church. He is the beginning, the first born from the dead, so that he should be supreme in every way; because God wanted all fullness to be found in him and through him to reconcile all things to him.
Martin Bennett