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
14 January 2024
http://www.st-teresas-church.co.uk
Email: st.teresas.cleveleys@gmail.com
Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered Charity Number 23433
Sunday : 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Contents: Gospel
Notices
Reflections for the coming week
Gospel : John 1:35-42
As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look there is the lamb of God. Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher – ‘where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.
One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas. – meaning Rock.
Gospel Reflection : Come and See
A common question we ask when we meet someone is where they live. It can say something about them, and gives a clue how to find them. The disciples were the same with Jesus. After a short meeting with him, they wanted to know where to find him again. More than just telling them Jesus invited them to his home, and brought them there. They liked it and stayed for the day.
But there is more to this incident. The question in John’s Gospel is about where do you live in yourself? What is deepest to you? The “all day” was that they would stay with him as disciples, always. Something about Jesus attracted them, and made them want to stay.
We may ask the same of him, and we know from other things where his home is. “I will make my home in you” is what Jesus later said. When we want to find him, we should look for him in ourselves and in each other. The gifts of love and faith that stem from his love for us are nourished when we share that love and faith. They are nourished when we share love in the ordinary relationships of our lives, and especially when we care for the sick and the needy.
A Very Important Message About A Change Which Takes Place This Weekend which has been explained over many weeks now : – From his Sunday 14th January there will be just one Sunday morning Mass at St. Teresa’s, and that at 10 am. The 9 am and 10.30 am Masses will no longer be provided. There will still be the 6.30 pm Saturday evening Mass at St. Teresa’s, and the 5.pm Sunday evening Mass at St. John Southworth. The Parish Pastoral Council is fully aware and sorry that this will upset the long-established routine of Sunday morning parishioners, but still sincerely hopes that you will feel able to accept and support this change as being both a necessary and important change for the parish.
We Remember In Our Prayers Paul Smith whose Funeral was last week and Peggy McLoughlin whose Funeral Mass is at St. Teresa’s on Thursday 18th January at 11 am. We remember them and their families, and those whose anniversaries are at this time. May they all be in God’s peace.
This Sunday Is The Annual Day of Prayer For Peace. This year, and at this time, we might think we are spoilt for choice as to which part of the world we should pray for – Ukraine, Gaza and, since Thursday, Yemen and the Red Sea – but perhaps it is always like that. However, we should also make sure we do not neglect to pray for peace in our own relationships nearer to home – “Lord God, Father of all, we are your children, members of the same human family, your family. Help us accept your peace, to be at peace with ourselves, and to live in peace with others – to be ready to forgive when wronged, to be willing to love when hurt, to strive for harmony and peace when threatened, to be always compassionate, like Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
A Big Thank You for your donations in the annual special collection to support the work of S.P.U.C, which amounted to £140.30 at St. Teresa’s and £29.40 at St. John Southworth.
The Annual Service for the Week of Prayer For Christian Unity takes place next Sunday, 21st January, 6.30 pm at Cleveleys Baptist Church, our neighbours on St. George’s Avenue. For many years this has been organised by Churches-Together-In-Cleveleys, our closely-united group of churches, and this time it is the turn of Cleveleys Baptist Church to be our hosts. We will all be made very welcome.
The S.V.P.(St. Teresa’s St. Vincent de Paul Society) have their special collection at each Mass next weekend, 20th/21st January, for those in need locally.
The ‘Hub in the Hall’ Meetings take place in St. Teresa’s Church Hall each Wednesday, 2 pm – 4 pm. 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 Wednesdays, 2.30 pm – 4 pm.
The New Lancaster Diocesan Directory Is Now On Sale- in the church shop at St. Teresa’s, and in the church porch at St. John Southworth.
Daily Reflections for this week
Monday (Fr. Michael Ivens, SJ)
God comes to us in the real, and the ways of decision do not allow the deliberate neglect of any reality that might bear on a specific choice. A person making a decision in faith must be open to all relevant immediate reality. St. Ignatius emphasises that a ‘good and sound’ decision requires two conditions, namely a previous disposition of availability to God’s word and the discernment of what is in fact more pleasing to God in my case. We must prepare for a Christian life lived according to a spirituality characterised precisely by the concern to integrate the decisions of life into our relationship with God.
Scripture (John 1: 35-39)
As John stood there again with two of his disciples, Jesus went past, and John looked toward him and said “Look, there is the Lamb of God.” And the two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned round and said “What do you want?” They answered “Where do you live?” He replied “Come and see”; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day.
Tuesday (John Henry Newman)
Let us not seek for signs and wonders; for clear or strong or compact or original arguments; but let us believe; evidence will come after faith as its reward, better than before it as its groundwork. Faith listens for the notes of heaven, the faint voices or echoes and it thinks them worth all the louder sounds of cities or schools of men.
Scripture (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)
For this Law that I am laying down for you today is neither obscure for you nor beyond your reach. It is not in heaven so that you need to wonder “who will go up to heaven and bring it down for us so that we can hear and practise it?” Nor is it beyond the seas so that you need to wonder “who will cross the seas and bring it back to us so that we can hear it and practise it?” No, the word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to put into practice.”
Wednesday (Jean Vanier)
Very often, we look for ‘great’ moments or beautiful and ecstatic celebrations. We forget that the best nourishment which renews us and opens our hearts, is in the small gestures of fidelity, tenderness, humility, forgiveness, sensitivity, and welcome which make up everyday life. It is these which can bring us to a realisation of love. It is they which touch hearts and reveal gifts. A community which has a sense of work well done, quietly and lovingly, humbly and without fuss, can become a community where the presence of God is profoundly lived.
Scripture ( Micah 6:8)
You have already been told what is right
And what the Lord wants of you.
Only this,
To act justly,
To love tenderly,
And to walk humbly with your God.
Thursday (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Christians always see others as brethren to whom Christ comes; they meet them only by going to them with Jesus. The disciple can meet the non -disciple only as one to whom Jesus comes. Here alone Christ’s fight for the soul of the unbeliever, his call, his love, his grace and his judgment come into its own. Discipleship does not offer us a vantage point from which to
attack others; we come to them with an unconditional offer of fellowship, with the single-mindedness of the love of Jesus.
Scripture (John 1:40-42)
One of John’s disciples who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus, Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas – meaning Rock.
Friday (Evelyn Underhill)
The riches and beauty of the spiritual landscape are not disclosed to us in order that we may sit and contemplate the glorious view. Our place is not as spectators in the auditorium but on the stage – or, as the case may be, the field, the workshop, study – because we ourselves form part of the creative apparatus of God. He has made us in order to use us, and use us in the most profitable way; for his purpose, not ours. Sometimes our position seems to be that of tools; taken up when wanted, used in ways which we had not expected for an object on which our opinion is not asked.
Scripture (1 Samuel 3:3-10)
Samuel was lying in the sanctuary of the Lord where the ark of God was, when the Lord called “Samuel! Samuel!” He answered, “Here I am.” Then he ran to Eli and said, “here I am, since you called me.” He replied, “I did not call you, my son; go back and lie down.” Samuel had as yet no knowledge of the Lord. The third time the Lord called and Samuel went to Eli, Eli understood that it was the Lord who was calling the boy, and he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if someone calls say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” The Lord called as he had before, and Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
Samuel grew up and the Lord was with him.
Martin Bennett