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
23 June 2024
http://www.st-teresas-church.co.uk
Email: st.teresas.cleveleys@gmail.com
Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered Charity Number 23433
Sunday : 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Contents: Gospel
Notices
Reflection
Gospel: Mark 4:35-41
With the coming of the evening, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’ They were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’
Gospel Reflection : Weathering The Storm
It is quite a few years ago now, but when a former local parish priest was celebrating his fortieth anniversary of Ordination at a packed, parish Mass, the preacher described him as ‘a man for all seasons’ – “the football season, the cricket season, and all-year-round golf!” We all laughed, quite loudly, because we knew him. And he laughed too, because he knew that we knew him!
Of course it is not just the sporting seasons that affect our mood swings but the seasons of our climate too, especially here in the northern hemisphere, from the bright and breezy to the dull and cloudy. Remember all those people who talked about suffering from S.A.D. in the winter.
In our own age a new creation theology has developed, focusing on the message of God expressed in the whole world of nature. We are strongly encouraged to be environmentally friendly, and rightly warned about our own part in dangerously increasing global warming.
In the Gospel story this Sunday Jesus weathers the storm at sea, but more importantly and more significantly he calms the anxieties, stresses and worries of his disciples. In fact, in our own day we could say that Jesus wants us to know we have the powers within our own actions to decrease the storms which threaten us, and our world of the very-near future.
And of course, if we take Him on board He will show us how to weather the emotional storms of life too – in the words of the old song, how to ‘accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative’. But then some of us are far too young to have even heard of Bing Crosby!?
We Remember In Our Prayers Doreen Wadland and Ken Dugdale whose Funerals were last week, and Eva Dunhill whose Funeral Service is at St. Teresa’s, on Wednesday, 26th June at 11.15 am and Barbara Pugh whose Funeral is at St, Teresa’s on Monday. 8th July 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.
Can You Help Mia Connor Who Is Going On The Diocesan Pilgrimage To Lourdes In July As A Teen Helper. Her parents have booked the parish hall for next Sunday morning, 23rd June, for a coffee morning (tea, coffee and cake), hoping to raise some donations towards the expensive cost for Mia. If you can help, please do. We have done this before to support young people to go to Lourdes, and the experience they were able to have, and our support, have always been very much appreciated.
Another Social Event : There will be a St. Teresa’s Community Party, on Saturday 20th July, starting 7 pm in St. Teresa’s Parish Hall. Tickets are £5. To book please phone Kathryn on 07522 146571. All are welcome.
The Annual Mass In Honour Of Blessed Edward Bamber is at St. Winefride’s House, Low Moor Road, Bispham, FY2 0PA on Thursday 11th July at 6. 30 pm. As always it will be celebrated by Bishop Paul and our Deanery clergy, and is followed by light refreshments. All are very welcome.
The SVP (the St Vincent de Paul Society at St. Teresa’s) have their next regular collection, “for those in need locally”, at each Mass this weekend.
The SVP and CAFOD Are Working Together In The Run Up To The General Election In July: As Catholics, we know that tackling poverty and injustice are among the most important issues politicians should act on. The national St. Vincent de Paul Society and CAFOD have produced a guide for Catholics for the General Election, with suggested questions to ask the candidates. Please see cafod.org.uk/encounter or svp.org.uk/encounter for more information.
The Food Pantry, situated at the back of church at St. Teresa’s, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10.30 am – 12 noon, and on Wednesdays, 2.30 pm – 4 pm. We are so grateful for all the volunteers who work in the Pantry, and all those who donate contributions.
A Journey Through Mark’s Gospel : A group of people from the Fylde coast meet online each week to discuss the Sunday readings. If you would like to join in (Thursday, 7.30pm) please contact martwinben@gmail.com for details. You can also receive weekly notes by subscribing (for free). Just go to martinbennett.substack.com We are very grateful to Martin for offering all this spiritual support.
The 100 Club Winners for May Maria Maddox, £15, Alex Miller £10, Isobel Rose-Quirie £5
The Next Meeting of St. Teresa’s Parish Pastoral Council is on Monday 1st July, 7 pm in the church sacristy.
What Does It Mean To Have Inner Peace?
Having inner peace means committing to letting go of self-criticism and self doubt.
Friendship with one’s self is all important, because without it one can not be friends with anyone else in the world.
(Eleanor Roosevelt)
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Daily Reflections for this week
Monday (Cardinal Basil Hume)
In Old Testament times the people of God, his chosen people, meditated on him and on his intervention in their affairs. We can learn about God from Old Testament writings, but our knowledge and understanding is limited. Our capacity to understand is itself small. In any case, in the person of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, we have translated for us into human terms facts about God which otherwise we would not know. God has had pity on our limitations. He has spoken to us through his son, the image of the invisible God.
Scripture (John 14:8-11)
Philip said “Lord, show us the Father and then we shall be satisfied.” Jesus said “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his works. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works.”
Tuesday (Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh)
We may have understood a great deal about God from our own experience, from the experience of others, from the writings of the saints, from the teaching of the Church and from Scripture, but we must remember that he may at any time reveal himself in a way in which we have never perceived him, even within these general categories. God, at every stage, is for us partly known and partly unknown. He reveals himself, and thus far we know him, but we shall never know him completely, there will always be the divine mystery which we will never be able to penetrate.
Scripture (Romans 11:33-36)
How rich are the depths of God—how deep his wisdom and knowledge—and how impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods! Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be his counsellor? Who could ever give him anything or lend him anything? All that exists comes from him; Allis by him and for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen
Wednesday (C.S.Lewis)
Great prophets and saints have an intuition of God which is positive and concrete in the highest degree. Because, just touching the fringes of his being, they have seen that he is the plenitude of life and energy and joy. They have to pronounce that he transcends those limitations that we call personality, passion, change, materiality and the like. But when we come limping after and try to construct an intellectual or ‘enlightened’ religion, we take over these concepts and use them unchecked by any positive intuition, and the fatal pictures come in (an endless silent sea, an empty sky beyond all stars) and we reach at last a mere zero and worship a nonentity.
Scripture (Hebrews 1:1-3)
At many moments in the past and by many means, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our time, the final days, he has spoken to us in the person of his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the ages. He is the reflection of God’s glory and bears the impress of God’s own being, sustaining all things by his powerful command.
Thursday (St. Irenaeus)
For it has been clearly demonstrated that the Word that exists from the beginning with God, by whom all things were made, who was also present with the human race at all times, this Word has in these last times, according to the time appointed by the Father, been united to his own workmanship and has been made possible in man.
Scripture (Mark 4:36-41)
When they were out at sea it began to blow a great gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him ‘Master, do you not care? We are lost!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea ’Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and there followed a great calm. Then he said to them ’Why are you so frightened? Have you still no faith?’ They were overcome with awe and said to one another ’Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’
Friday (Julian of Norwich)
In his love without beginning he made us, in the same love he protects us, and never allows us to be hurt in a way which would lessen our joy. When judgment is given and we are brought up above, then we shall see clearly in God the secrets now hidden from us. In that day not one of us will want to say, ‘Lord, if it had been done this way, it would have been well done.’ But we shall all say with one voice, ‘Lord, blessed may you be. For it is so, and it is well. And now we see truly all things are done as it was ordained before anything was made.’
Scripture (Job 38: 1-2,4,8-12)
Then from the heart of the tempest Yahweh gave Job his answer. He said:’Who is this obscuring my designs with his empty-headed words? Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations? Tell me, since you are so well informed! Who pent up the sea behind closed doors when it leapt tumultuous from the womb, when I wrapped it in a robe of mist and made black clouds its swaddling bands; when I marked the bounds it was not to cross and made it fast with a bolted gate? Have you ever in your life given orders to the morning or sent the dawn to its post?
Martin Bennett