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
27 October 2024
http://www.st-teresas-church.co.uk
Email: st.teresas.cleveleys@gmail.com
Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered Charity Number 23433
Sunday : 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Contents: Gospel
Notices
Reflection
Gospel – Mark 10:46.52
As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus) a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, Son of David, Jesus have pity on me.’ And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man, ‘Courage,’ they said ‘get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master let me see again.’ Jesus said to him,’ ‘Go, your faith saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.
Gospel Reflection : Let Me See Again
In the varied colours of the hills, the changing sound of the waves, the steady flow of rivers, let me see Lord God, your beauty, your peace, your eternity.
In the care of friendship, the love of family, the commitment of relationship, let me see, Lord God, your love, your care, your faithfulness.
In care for the poor, commitment to justice, in work for peace, let me see, Lord God, your passion, your care for the poor, your life born amongst us.
In joy and in laughter, may I see your joy. In suffering and mourning, let me see your cross. In forgiveness and in courage, let me see your resurrection.
Lord, let me see again.
We Remember In Our Prayers Muriel Gradwell whose Funeral Service is at St. Teresa’s on Thursday 7th November at 10.15 am. We remember her and her family, and those whose anniversaries at this time. May they all be in God’s peace.
Wedding : We Congratulate and Pray For Every Blessing for Maria Stankovicova and Andrew Asplin whose Wedding took place at St. Teresa’s this Saturday.
This Weekend At Each Mass There is The Annual Special Collection For The Fund Which Supports The Sick and Retired Priests Of Our Diocese. This is a Fund which sadly is becoming increasingly necessary.
This Wednesday, 30th October, 7-8pm, We Have An Introductory Meeting Beginning A Series Of Meetings For Anyone Who would Like To Know More About The Catholic Church And Faith, Including Anyone Who would Like to Consider Becoming a Full Member of Our Church. This will take place in St.Teresa’s Church Sacristy (down the left aisle in the church to the door at the top, or just wait in church before 7.pm, and we will find you). Everyone will be made welcome by a friendly group of people.
Church Grounds : A very big ‘Thank You’ to all those who gave their time and endeavours for the gardening tidy-up last Monday afternoon. A lot of progress was made, and what you did is greatly appreciated, as is John Lee for kindly organising the occasion.
Next Friday, 1st November, Is The Feast Of All Saints, A Holy Day of Obligation. On that day Mass will be celebrated at St.Teresa’s at 9.30 am (with our school children), and at St.John Southworth at 6.30 pm.
Next Weekend At Each Mass, The SVP Will Be Taking Their Usual Collection, For Those In Need Locally
100 Club Winners For September : Ann Gooch £15, Steve Haw £10, Pat Murray £5
Preparing For Christmas With The Sunday Readings : Again this year we are being given an opportunity to prepare for Christmas spiritually not just shoppingly! This will take place at English Martyrs Church, High Cross, Poulton. 7-8 pm, on Wednesday 4 December, Wednesday 11 December, and Wednesday 18 December. Why not give yourself an hour to prepare with the Advent Sunday Readings leading up to Christmas. Each week we will look at the Readings for the following Sunday. We will read, reflect and share, in a peaceful, supportive atmosphere. Come for all or just one of the Wednesday evenings.
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
The SVP are looking for Ladies warm winter scarves you no longer need. They will gladly accept them towards their SVP boxes
Christmas Fayre :
The Christmas Fayre Raffle tickets continue to be on sale at the back of church
We are now looking for donation items for the Fayre, as in the past, including ‘good as new’ toys, bottles, raffle prizes, bric a brac, books and, nearer to the event, cakes
Any donation can be left in the church sacristy, or with any member of the Parish Council
The Church Shop, situated in the outer porch at St.Teresa’s, and is open before and after each weekend Mass, now has a large selection of Confirmation cards and gifts on sale. Also available are Advent Calendars, diaries, Christmas cards and gifts, Please feel free to call in and look around.
Another Parish/ Community Social is being organised by Becky and Steve Connor, and their friends from the previous Teresian Players. This is on Saturday 23rd November from 7 pm in St. Teresa’s Parish Hall and this time they are doing a Hoedown.
There will be entertainment, games and hot pot. Tickets can be purchased at the back of church on Sundays, price £10. Any money raised will be given to Brian House (the Children’s Hospice). and for St. Teresa’s Church (the recent very costly roof repairs).
Daily Reflections for this week
Monday (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium)
The evils of our world – and those of the Church – must not be excuses for diminishing our commitment and our fervour. Our faith is challenged to discern how wine can come from water and how wheat can grow in the midst of weeds. Fifty years after the Second Vatican Council, we are distressed by the troubles of our age and far from naive optimism; yet the fact that we are more realistic must not mean that we are any less trusting in the Spirit or less generous. If we start without confidence, we have already lost half the battle and we bury our talents. While painfully aware of our own frailties, we have to march on without giving in, keeping in mind what the Lord said to Saint Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
Scripture (Mark 10:46-52)
As he left Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When heard it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and cry out ‘Son of David, Jesus have pity on me.’ And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and said ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man over. ‘Courage’ they said, ‘get up; he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him ‘Rabbuni, let me see again’ Jesus said to him ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And at once his sight returned and he followed him along the road.
Tuesday (Thomas a Kempis)
CHRIST: He who walks before me in truth, and constantly seeks me in simplicity of heart shall be protected against the assaults of evil; truth shall deliver him from his deceivers and from the slanders of the wicked. If truth set you free you are truly free and need care nothing for the vain words of men.
THE DISCIPLE: Lord, this is true. Let your truth be my teacher and my guard, and lead me to salvation in the end. Let it free me from every evil affection and lawless love, and I will walk before you in complete freedom of heart.
Scripture (Psalm 25:3-5,8-10)
Calling to you, none shall ever be put to shame, but shame is theirs who break faith. Direct me in your ways, Lord, and teach me your paths. Encourage me to walk in your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. Goodness and faithful love have been yours for ever, Yahweh, do not forget them. Judiciously he guides the humble, instructing the poor in his way. Kindness unfailing and constancy mark all his paths.
Wednesday (St Teresa of Avila)
How great is the good which God works in a soul when he gives it a disposition to pray in earnest, though it may not be so well prepared as it ought to be. If that soul perseveres in spite of sins, temptations and relapses, our Lord will bring it at last—I am certain of it—to the harbour of salvation, as he has brought me myself. He who gives himself to prayer is in possession of a great blessing , of which many saints have written glory be to God for it!
Scripture (Hebrews 2:14-15,17-28)
Since all the children share the same human nature, he too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could set aside him who hekd the power of death, namely the devil, and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. It was essential that he should in this way be made
completely like his brothers so that he could become a compassionate and trustworthy high priest for their relationship to God, able to expiate the sins of the people. For the suffering he himself passed through while being put to the test enables him to help others when they are being put to the test.
Thursday (Brother Lawrence)
He had been, he said, in enormous anguish of soul, believing certainly that he was lost. This anguish had lasted four years during which he had suffered much. Since then he had worried neither about Paradise nor Hell; all his life had been freedom and unbroken rejoicing. He placed his sins, he said, between God and himself as though to say to him that he deserved none of his favours. That did not prevent God from overwhelming him with them, and at times God took him as by the hand and led him before all the heavenly court to exhibit the wretch to whom he took pleasure to grant his grace.
Scripture (Jeremiah 31:7-9)
For the Lord says this: Shout with joy for Jacob! Hail the chief of nations! Proclaim! Praise! Shout, ‘The Lord has saved his people, the remnant of Israel!’ Watch, I shall bring them back from the land of the North and gather them in form the ends of the earth. With them, the blind and the lame, women with child, women in labour, all together, a mighty throng will return here! They had left in tears, I will comfort them as I lead them back; I will guide them to streams of water, by a smooth path where they will not stumble.
Friday (Fr. Richard Rohr)
St. Paul and the prophets have gone to an objective force, a bottomless well where joy is drawn and received in obedience. They know that joy is finally in entering into another, the Lord. Joy is the Lord. We are daringly commanded to love God and thereby be assured of an unfailing reservoir of true and profound joy. We see that the people listening to John the
Baptist “were filled with expectation”. They were predisposed and ready for joy to reveal itself. I have come to realise that those who make space for joy, those who prefer nothing to joy, will most assuredly have it. We must not be afraid to announce it to who are sad and trapped. Now and then we must even announce it to ourselves. In this prison of now, in this cynical and sophisticated age, Christians must believe in joy.
Scripture (Romans 5:15, 17-18)
There is no comparison between the free gift and the offence. If death came to many through the offence of one man, how much greater the effect of grace of God has had, coming to so many and so plentifully as a free gift through the one man Jesus Christ! It was by one man’s offence that death came to reign over all, but how much greater the reign in life of those who receive the fullness of grace and the gift of saving justice, through the one man, Jesus Christ. One man’s good act has brought justification and life to all humanity.
Martin Bennett