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 16 July 2023 http://www.st-teresas-church.co.uk Email: st.teresas.cleveleys@gmail.com Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered Charity Number 23433
Sunday : 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Contents: Gospel Notices Reflections for the coming week
Gospel: Matthew: 13:1-23 Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such crowds gathered by him he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables. He said, “Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and at them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!”
Reflection – The Answer Lies In The Soil
In the fruitful soil of human life the seed, that is the word of God, becomes flesh. In the rich soil of care, the word of God takes root. In the thorny soil of suffering, the word of God consoles. In the flowering soil of friendship, the word of God makes sense. In the deep soil of faith, the word of God comes alive. And in the times we fill our days with care and compassion, with patience and courage, with joy and with love, the word of God is sown by Jesus through us, and bears its rich fruit for everyone we meet.
We Remember In Our Prayers
Annette Ireland, whose Funeral Service is at St.John Southworth on Wednesday, 19th July at 11.15 am, Patsy Campbell, whose Funeral Service is at St.Teresa’s on Monday, 24th July at 10.45 am. and Mary Cliff, whose Funeral is at St Bernadette’s, Bispham, on Wednesday, 26th July at 11.30 am. We remember them and their families, and all those whose anniversaries are at this time. May they be in God’s peace.
We Welcome Into The Family of the Church Barbara Grace Reynolds whose Baptism takes place at St. Teresa’s this Sunday.
A Big Thank You for your support of the Apostleship of the Sea and seafarers in the special collection last week. £159.99 was given at St. Teresa’s and £31.00 at St. John Southworth. Thank you too for your great generosity in the SVP collection at the beginning of the month. £273 was donated ‘for those in need locally’. This was the largest amount given in a long time.
Our School’s Leavers’ Mass takes place in St. Teresa’s church next Thursday, 20th July, at 9.30 am. All are very welcome.
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.
Please Note Warm Space’, or ‘Hub In The Hall’ as we now call it, especially in this warmer weather, will be closed during the month of August, and will reopen on Wednesday, 6th September.
Food Crisis : It is only right that our two parishes, along with others, support people locally who, in these economically challenging times, need help with one of the most basic things for daily living – food supplies. At the same time, we should not neglect those who are struggling, and suffering, in our wider world. Recently, CAFOD has made us aware of a world-wide problem. CAFOD has begun a campaign called ‘Fix The Food System’, through which it is urging the UK Government to protect the right of farmers around the world to use their own seeds. Seeds are life. They are the foundation for farmers to produce the food that feeds us all. For generations, small-scale farmers have freely swapped and shared a wide variety of seeds to produce food, and maintain biodiversity. More recently farmers have also developed seeds that ensure crops are resilient to climate change. However, their right to choose what seeds they use is increasingly under threat, as new laws are introduced across the world that limit what small farmers can do with their seeds. Their seed rights are under threat. These laws, which are being brought in with the support of global financial institutions, may be something that is good for big business profits but not so good for farmers who grow the majority of the world’s food. It is clear that our current global food system is in crisis, and at the heart of this crisis is a struggle over control of the world’s seeds. Protecting the freedom of farmers to choose seeds is a right we must all stand up for if we are to tackle global hunger while responding to the cry of the earth and the poor. Seed sovereignty is the right for farmers to save, use, exchange and sell their own seeds. It is about farmers having the power to choose the seeds they plant, and what crops are most appropriate to them, rather than to that power which belongs to corporations or international institutions. Small farmers are using seed banks to let them choose what crops are most appropriate for them. Their methods have allowed them to grow healthier, more sustainable food that provides for their families, and goes for a higher price at their local markets. This organic system can flourish on a far grander scale, but it needs the UK Government to use its voice at the World Bank to create a more sustainable and supportive environment for farmers which trusts their knowledge and supports them. What on earth can we do? Sue Ward, our parish CAFOD rep, will tell us more at each Mass this weekend.
Receiving the Word The word of God is to the human heart what a seed is to the earth. However, just as a seed needs soil, so the word needs a receptive heart. The earth responds to the rain and sun so that even the desert blooms. But the arid heart has the power to resist so that it remains barren.
Lord, soften our hearts with your grace,open them with your gentle love,so that the precious seed of your wordmay take root in our hearts,and bear fruit in our lives. Amen Daily Reflections for this week Monday (Malcom Muggeridge)
When Mother Teresa’s permission to leave the convent came, she stepped out with a few rupees in her pocket, made her way to the poorest, wretchedest quarter of the city, gathered together a few abandoned children and began her ministry of love. This act of superb, some would say outrageous courage and faith made a particularly strong impression on me. She was a nun, rather slightly built, not particularly clever, or particularly gifted in the arts of persuasion. Just with this Christian love shining about her, in her heart and on her lips. Just prepared to follow her Lord.
Scripture (Matthew 13:19-23)
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown: this is the seed sown on the edge of the path. The seed sown on the patches of rock is someone who welcomes the word with joy but has no deep root deep down and does not last should some trial or persecution come. The seed sown in thorns is one who hears the word, but the worry of the world and the lure of riches choke the word and it produces nothing. And the seed sown in the rich soil is someone who hears the word and understands it; this is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.
Tuesday (Meister Eckhart)On frequently receiving Our Lord’s body: You may feel you have committed many sins and cannot atone for them. Go then to him, for he has worthily atoned for all guilt. You may be aware of nothing great in you but your own great poverty. Truly , if you wish to transform all your poverty, then go to the abundant wealth beyond measure, and you shall be made rich You should say, ‘I wish to come to you so that our wealth shall fill my poverty, your infinity shall fill my emptiness and your immeasurable, incomprehensible Godhead shall fill my base humanity.
Scripture (1 Cor. 2:1-4)When I came to you I did not come with any brilliance of oratory or wise argument to announce to you the mystery of God. I was resolved that the only knowledge I would have while I was with you was knowledge of Jesus, and of him as the crucified Christ. I came among you in weakness, in fear and in great trembling, and what I spoke and proclaimed was not meant to convince by any philosophical argument but to demonstrate the convincing power of the Spirit, so that your faith should depend not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Wednesday (Cardinal Basil Hume) The resurrection has power to transform our lives. The more we accept its truth, its reality, the greater will be our change in attitude towards God and in our view of the world in which we live. It is important for ourselves and our society that we retain and develop a wholesome faith, a sense of the eternal and the spiritual. We need to be armed with faith and vision.
Scripture (Jeremiah 1:4-8)The word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before I came to birth I consecrated you; I appointed you as prophet to the nations.” I then said, “Ah, Ah, Ah, Lord Yahweh; you see, I do not know how to speak, I am only a child!” But Yahweh replied, “Do not say ‘I am only a child’ for you must go to all to whom I send you and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”.
Thursday (Caryll Houselander) Jesus knew fear, temptation and failure. He suffered loneliness, betrayal, unrequited love, utter desolation of spirit, the sense of despair and death. And he overcame them all and he came back to the world bringing it life and peace and joy. He took our humanity, just as it is, with all its wretchedness and ugliness, and gave it back to us just as his humanity is, transfigured by the beauty of his living, filled full of his joy. Every day thousands of people receive Holy Communion. Christ’s response to that dogged, devoted will of a multitude of insignificant people is coming to life in them. When the world seems to be finished, given up to hatred and pride, secretly, in unimaginable humility, Love comes to life again. There is resurrection everywhere.
Scripture (Isaiah 55:10-11)Thus says the Lord: “Yes, as the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.”
Friday (Thomas Merton) Life in Christ is life in the mystery of the cross. It is not only a hidden supernatural participation in the divine life in eternity, but a participation in a divine mystery, a sacred action in which God himself enters into time and, with the co-operation of people who have answered his call and have been united in a holy assembly, the Church, carries out the work of our redemption.
Scripture (Ephesians3:17-21)May Christ live in your hearts through faith, and them planted in love and built on love, with all God’s holy people you will have the strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; so that, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond knowledge, you may be filled with the utter fullness of God. Glory be to him whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; glory be to him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
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