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
11 June 2023
http://www.st-teresas-church.co.uk
Email: st.teresas.cleveleys@gmail.com
Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered Charity Number 23433
Sunday : Corpus Christi
Contents: Gospel
Notices
Reflections for the coming week
Gospel:
John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the Jews
“I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live forever;
And the bread that I shall give
Is my flesh, for the life of the world.”
Then the Jews started arguing with one another: “How
Can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they said. Jesus
Replied:
“I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood.
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
for my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me,
and I live in him.
And I, who am sent by my living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever hears me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate;
They are dead,
But anyone who eats this bread will live forever.
Gospel Reflection: “Out Of The Mouths of Babes”
After Mass on this particular Sunday one year, a perplexed young father came up with his seven-year old daughter. With some hesitancy, he wanted to know how to answer his daughter’s question about eating someone’s body and drinking their blood. We both scratched our heads.
This father’s question was not only trying to deal with his daughter’s obvious curiosity, but also with how we process information these days. It is a real challenge to think symbolically in an age of science. “How can symbols be ‘real?” we might ask.
Questions like these are difficult to answer. But the bread and wine we receive in the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ, are not scientific data to be analysed but a presence to believe in. Though we cannot see him as he is, Jesus promised to be with us, to be truly present with us, to feed us and empower us with his life and love. We recognise that, and live our daily lives with that belief, every time we celebrate the Eucharist.
We Remember In Our Prayers Ronald Cole whose Funeral was last week, and Anne Beswick, whose Funeral is at St. Teresa’s church on Monday 19th, June at 12 noon. We remember them and their families, and all those whose anniversaries are at this time. May they be in God’s peace.
The SVP (St. Vincent de Paul Society) at St. Teresa’s are very grateful for your generous donations in their special collection last weekend. £175.40 was raised to help ‘those in need’.
On Monday 26th, June, Our Parish Deacon, Bernard Ward, Celebrates His 25th Anniversary of Ordination. There will be a Silver Jubilee Mass that day at 6.30 pm in St Teresa’s Church, followed by a celebration in the Parish Hall. Anyone from both our parishes is most welcome.
Because we need at least a rough number of those who intend to be in the Hall that night, for food catering purposes, please will you help us in one of two ways. Either add your name to the piece of paper which will be at the back of church this weekend, or phone Isobel on 01253 859952, and leave a message with her. If for any reason you cannot stay for the celebration after Mass you are of course still very welcome to attend the Mass itself.
This Weekend, in both our parishes, there is a special appeal for the charity known as ‘Survive-Miva’. This is a Catholic Lay Association and Registered Charity which was founded in Liverpool in 1974, and is so appreciative of our support over the years. ‘Survive-Miva’ exists to provide funding for essential transport for health outreach work in isolated rural areas, and for the Church’s pastoral and spiritual care in places of difficult access.
The Food Pantry at St. Teresa’s Church is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10.30 am – 12 noon, and on Wednesday, 2.30 pm – 4 pm.
The ‘Warm Space’ takes place in St. Teresa’s Church Hall on Wednesday afternoons, 2 pm – 4 pm. All welcome.
The Next Day of Renewal will be held on Saturday, 17th June, from 10 am to 4 pm, at St. Clare’s Church, Sharoe Green Lane, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9HH, beginning with Mass at 10 am. This Day, with the title “The Obedience of Faith”, will be led by Barbara Mason, who has been in faith formation, including giving retreats in the UK and internationally, for over 35 years.Please bring a packed lunch. Tea and coffee available. For further information contact Christine, Tel. 07745 009694.
Daily Reflections for this week
Monday (Meister Eckhart)
Our Lord desires to dwell in and with his people. Go to your God and you shall be sanctified, joined and made one with him alone. For only in the sacrament shall you so truly find such grace that your bodily powers are so united and gathered together by the noble power of the physical presence of our Lord’s body that your mind and all your scattered senses are now united and gathered together and thus are raised up and properly offered to God. For we should be transformed into him and wholly united with him so that what is his becomes ours and all that is ours is his, our heart one heart with his and our body one body with his.
Scripture (John 6:53-57)
Jesus said, “In truth I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise that person up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I in that person.
Tuesday (C.S.Lewis)
Let me make it quite clear that when Christians say that the Christ-life is in them, they do not mean something simply mental or moral. When they speak of being ‘in Christ’ or of Christ being ‘in them’, this is not simply a way of saying that they are thinking about Christ or copying him. They mean that Christ is actually operating through them; that the whole mass of Christians are the physical organism through which Christ acts. It explains why this new life is spread not only by purely mental acts such as belief, but by bodily acts like Baptism and Holy Communion.
Scripture (Matthew 26:26-28)
Now as they were eating, Jesus took the bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to his disciples. ‘Take it and eat,’ he said, ‘This is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he handed it o them saying, ‘Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’
Wednesday (A New Catechism)
The Eucharist is a meal, a thanksgiving and a sacrifice at once. The simplest of gestures, the giving of bread and wine, and the simplest of words, “this is my body…this is my blood”, focus for us all that Jesus is and gives. These various meanings have been the subject of much thought ever since the time of St. Paul. But much more important than the meditations of the Church is the obedience with which the Church follows the command, “Do this as a memorial of me.” Because of this “doing”, the Church has been accompanied, nourished and constituted by the Eucharist throughout the ages, down to the present day.
Scripture (Psalm 111:1-5,9-20)
I give thanks to God with all my heart in the meeting place of the just, and their assembly. Great are the deeds of the Lord, to be pondered by all who delight in them. Full of splendour and majesty his work, his justice stands firm for ever. He gives us a memorial of his deeds; the Lord is compassion and love. He gives food to those who fear him, he keeps his covenant ever in mind. He has sent deliverance to his people, and established his covenant for ever; holy and awesome is his name. His praise shall last for ever!
Thursday (Fr. Daniel O’Leary)
I’d like to feel that the bits and pieces of each day’s jigsaw puzzle are put together at the altar; that the separate, often discordant notes to each day’s living are fused into one flowing Sunday symphony; that the hurts, fears and shame of our lives are all held and embraced in this weekly ritual of bread and wine; that at Mass, we are astonished by the nearness of God who comes to us disguised as our lives, that nothing is ever left unredeemed. Full of these thoughts I carefully hold the bread and wine. They are the fruits of the earth and work of human hands, signs of the often tumultuous struggle that rages within the human hearts of our congregation. Then, with all the graced intensity granted to me, I utter over all this astounding reality, the shattering words of God, “This is my body: This is my blood.” Nothing is “merely human” anymore. Everything is now revealed as divinely human, shining with God’s own light.
Scripture (John 17:18-19,21-23)
Jesus said, ‘As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth. May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me. I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so perfected in unity that the world will recognise that it was you who sent me and that you have loved them as you loved me.
Friday (Thomas a Kempis)
Christ says to the disciple: I am the giver of holiness. I seek a pure heart and there I will dwell. Prepare and make ready for me a large upper room, and there I and my disciples will eat the Passover with you. Do whatever lies within your power and do it earnestly, not out of habit or necessity, but with awe and reverent love receive the Body of our Lord and God, who deigns to come to you. It is my invitation and my bidding: I will supply whatever is lacking in you. Come, therefore, and receive me. You come in order to be hallowed and united to me; that you may receive fresh grace, and be inspired anew to amendment of life. No less vigilance is required after Communion than devout preparation beforehand. For a constant vigilance after is the best preparation for receiving richer graces. Savour the presence of God, for you possess him. I am he to whom you should offer your whole self, that, set free from care, you may no longer live in yourself, but in me.
Scripture (1 Cor. 10:16-17)
The blessing cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.
Martin Bennett