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
31 March 2024
http://www.st-teresas-church.co.uk Email: st.teresas.cleveleys@gmail.com
Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered Charity Number 23433
Sunday : Easter Sunday
Contents: Gospel
Notices
Reflection
Gospel Gospel John 20 : 1-9
It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb” she said “and we don’t know where they have put him.”
So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground. but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head. This was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
Easter Reflection
Fake news was what they thought it was. News of a risen body after a torturous death that everyone knew about. Elsewhere in the Gospels we hear that the apostles at first refused to believe what the women had discovered. It would take time to sink in, and then their world was never the same again.
For this they needed to remember what Jesus had said, that he would be put to death and rise on the third day. He said it so often that we might think they would have remembered and believed. Faith can so often take time. Faith is built on memory of the past, and the presence of Jesus with us now.
Our Easter celebration is a grace-filled joyful occasion. We look on it as the highlight of the Church’s year. It is remembered at every Mass, and at Funerals and Baptisms with the lighting of the Easter candle.
Quite simply, the resurrection of Jesus grounds our faith. It is what brings us through the worst of life, and makes even better the joy of life. His risen bdy is not limited by earthly space, and because of what we believe about Easter we can always sense and know the loving presence of Jesus at every moment of our lives. Easter is ‘in us’, and can work through us for others, till the end of time.
We Remember In Our Prayers Sheila Davies whose Funeral Service is at Carleton Crematorium on Thursday 4th April at 1.15 pm, Andrew Heys whose Funeral Mass is at St. Teresa’s on Friday 12th April at 12.30 pm, and Sheila Devlin whose Funeral has yet to be arranged. We remember them and their families, and those whose anniversaries are at this time. May they all be in God’s peace.
Easter Mass Times In Cleveleys : At St. Teresa’s : Saturday, 30th March at 6.30 pm (Easter Vigil), and Sunday 31st at 10 am. At St. John Southworth : Sunday at 5 pm
The St. Teresa’s Parish Social/ Tea Event on 3rd April Due to the fantastic response we have had for this event we now sadly, but in a positive, thankful way, have to say ‘SOLD OUT’ -no more tickets.
The Food Pantry situated at the back of church at St. Teresa’s, is normally open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10.30 am – 12 noon, and on Wednesdays, 2.30 pm – 4 pm. This coming week the Food Pantry is not open on Wednesday, but is open on Easter Monday, the Bank Holiday. We are so grateful for all the volunteers who work in the Pantry, and all those who donate contributions.
The Church Shop in the porch at St. Teresa’s is open before and after each weekend Mass, and has cards and gifts for Easter and First Holy Communion. Please call in and browse. You will be most welcome.
Daily Reflections for this week
Monday (From the Easter Proclamation)
This is our Passover feast, when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain, whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers. This is the night when Christians everywhere, washed clean of sin, and freed from all defilement, are restored to grace and grow together in holiness. Father, how wonderful your care for us! How boundless your merciful love! To ransom a slave, you gave away your son. The power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy; it casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride. Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth and we are reconciled to God.
Scripture (Romans 6:3-11)
When we were baptised into Christ Jesus, we were baptised into his death. So by our baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glorious power, we too should begin living a new life; realising that our former self has been crucified with him, so that the self that belonged to sin should be destroyed and we should be freed from the slavery of sin. Now, the life that he leads is life with God. In the same way you must see yourselves as being dead to sin but alive for God in Jesus Christ.
Tuesday (Cardinal Basil Hume.)
New life has been given to us. We received it first at Baptism. That life made St. Paul say ‘I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me.’ Bold words but full of significance. We must not think of Christ rising from the dead and then leaving us to cope as best we can, to live as he taught us how. No, he remains with us, present always, unseen by the eyes and beyond the touch of the hand. Through our faith we come to realise more and more his presence within us and around us. Jesus Christ lives. We draw strength not from ourselves and our own resources but from faith and union with Jesus Christ.
Scripture (Ezekiel 36: 18-28)
The Lord says this: ‘I am going to display the holiness of my name which you have profaned among the nations. And the nations will know that I am Yahweh when in you I display my holiness before their eyes. I shall pour clean water over you and you shall be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your filth and of all your foul idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you. I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you and make you keep my laws, and respect and practise my judgments.
Wednesday (Caryll Houselander)
I was in an underground train, a crowded train in which all sorts of people jostled together, sitting and strap-hanging – workers of every description going home at the end of the day. Quite suddenly I saw Christ in them all: living in them, dying in them, rejoicing in them, sorrowing in them. I came out into the street and walked for a long time in the crowds. It was the same here, on every side, in every passer-by – Christ.
Scripture (Mt 28:5-10)
The angel said to the women “There is no need for you to be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen as he said he would. Come and see the place where he lay, then go quickly and tell his disciples’ He has risen from the dead and now he is going before you to Galilee; it is there you will see him!’ Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples.”
Thursday (Sheila Cassidy)
We rush about, examining the discarded shroud, looking behind the bushes, completely ignoring the patient angel who says ‘ Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?’ The rising of Christ in the Spirit and in whatever form his new body took, his descent among the dead and his harrowing of hell are central to our faith. Even more important, and for me totally breath-taking, is the image of the wedding of earth with heaven, the union of frail human beings with their immortal,
unknowable God.
Scripture (Isaiah 54:7-10)
I did forsake you for a brief moment, but in great compassion I shall take you back. In a flood of anger, for a moment, I hid my face from you. But in everlasting love I have taken pity on you, says the Lord, your redeemer. So now I swear never to be angry with you and never to rebuke you again. For the mountains may depart, the hills be shaken, but my faithful love will never leave you and my covenant of peace with you will never be shaken.
Friday (Angela of Foligno, 1502)
When you put a hot iron in the fire it assumes the very shape and nature of the fire itself: heat, colour, strength influence, for it surrenders itself whole and entire, and not in part, yet it keeps its own substance.
Just so, when the perfect fire of divine love joins the soul to God and unites with him. It casts itself into God. When it is changed into God without losing its own substance, its whole existence is altered. Then this love makes itself almost entirely Divine.
Scripture ( Colossians 2:9-10,12)
In him in bodily form, lives divinity in all its fullness, and in him you, too, find your own fulfilment, in the one who is the head of every sovereign and ruling force. You have been buried with him by your baptism; by which, too, you have been raised up with him by your belief in the power of God who raised him from the dead.
Martin Bennett