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
3 November 2024
http://www.st-teresas-church.co.uk
Email: st.teresas.cleveleys@gmail.com
Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered Charity Number 23433
Sunday : 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time
Contents: Gospel
Notices
Reflection
Gospel – Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, “Which is the first of all the commandments:’ Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, Master, what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.’ Jesus seeing how wisely he had spoken said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And after that no one dared to question him any more.
All Saints : God’s Work of Art
We are all different, all unique, all God’s work of art.
We remembered on Friday all our saints, all the human race who have reached God. Each person, man or woman, young or old, mirrors something of the face of God.
And there is a common thread which unites us all : our need for love and community, for home and acceptance, for respect and forgiveness; and the need to love : the desire to make this world a better place, to create with God a world of justice, love and peace.
Because the world is full of people, it is “charged with the grandeur of God”. We look at everyone and listen to them, and see and hear in them the glory of God.
The Feast of All Saints honours us all, living and dead. The Feast celebrates those gone before us, and proclaims with love that the finest thread among us is that we are children of God, friends of Jesus Christ and the place where God’s glory dwells now.
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.
This Weekend At Each Mass, The SVP Will Be Taking Their Usual Collection, For Those In Need Locally
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 (Cardinal Newman)
A person who is religious is so morning noon and night. Their religion is a mould in which their thought, words and actions are cast, all forming part of one and the same whole. They see God in all things; every course of action is directed towards those spiritual objects which God has revealed to them; every occurrence of the day, every event, every person met with, all news, are measured by the standard of God’s will. Knowing that they are in God’s presence, they are continually led to address him reverently.
Scripture (1 Peter 1:13-17)
Your minds, then, must be sober and ready for action: put all your hope in the grace brought to you by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Do not allow yourselves to be shaped by the passions of your old ignorance, but as obedient children, be yourselves holy in all your activity, after the model of the Holy One who calls us, since scripture says, ‘Be holy for I am holy.’ And if you address as Father him who judges without favouritism according to individual deeds, live out the time of your exile here in reverent ways.
Tuesday (Fr. Michael Ivens, SJ)
In the Contemplation to Attain Love, the Creator/creature relationship is proposed with explicit reference to the things, events and situations of the everyday world. As God gives himself in love through all things, the totality of the self, everything we call our own, every element of our experience has as its context a certain vision, a perception of the world in which the love of God is so sensed in everything that nothing can come as an interference between God and his creature because everything is a means of encounter and union.
Scripture (Mark 12:28-34)
One of the scribes who had listened to them debating appreciated that Jesus had given a good answer and put a further question to him, ‘Which is the greatest of all the commandments?’ Jesus replied, ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one, only Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, wiht all your mind and with all your strength. The second is you must love your neighbour as yourself.’ The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, master; what you have said is true. This is far more important than burnt offering or sacrifice.’ Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, ‘You are not far from the Kingdom of God.’
Wednesday (Edward le Joly: Mother Teresa)
When she came to Cambridge to receive an honorary Doctorate in Divinity, Mother went to the convent around midday. People came to meet her. A reporter asked her,” What made you start your work, what inspired you and kept you going during so many years?” Mother answered, “Jesus.” The reporter looked disappointed; he must have expected long explanations. For Mother, one word sufficed to sum up her whole life, to explain her faith, her enterprise, courage, love, devotion, single-mindedness: Jesus. Everything was due to him, every effort and sacrifice made for him
Scripture (Ecclesiasticus 1:12-16,18)
The fear of the Lord gladdens the heart, giving happiness, joy and long life. For those who fear the Lord, all will end well: on their dying day they will be blessed. The basis if wisdom is to fear the Lord; she was created with the faithful in their mother’s womb; she has made her home in mankind, an age-old foundation, and to their descendants she will faithfully cling. The fullness of Creation is to fear the Lord; she intoxicates them with her fruits. The crown of Wisdom is to fear the Lord.
Thursday (Thomas Merton)
God touches us with a touch that is emptiness and empties us. He moves us with a simplicity that simplifies us, All variety, all complexity, all paradox, all multiplicity cease. Nothing more is desired. Nothing more is wanting. Our only sorrow, if sorrow be possible at all, is that we ourselves still live outside God. A supernatural instinct teaches us that the function of this abyss of freedom that has been opened out in our midst is to draw us utterly out of our own selfhood and into its own immensity of liberty and joy.
Scripture (James 1:21-25)
Humbly welcome the Word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you and not just listen to it and deceive your selves. Anyone who listens to the Word and takes no action is like someone who looks at their own features in the mirror and once they have seen what they look like, go off immediately and forget it. But anyone who looks at the perfect law of freedom and keeps it – not listening and forgetting, but putting it into practice – will be blessed in every undertaking.
Friday (1st Epistle of Clement)
Let us contemplate God with our mind and with the eyes of our soul gaze on his patient purpose. Let us observe how close God is, and that none of our thoughts, none of the inner debates we have, escape his attention. Awe and respect for the Lord is a beautiful thing, a real bonus, bringing salvation to all who live with that attitude, with a pure mind and holy lifestyle. For God is a searcher of thoughts and desires. We have his breath in us.
Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:32-33)
Put this question to ages past, from when God created the human race on earth: was there ever a word so majestic, from one end of heaven to the other? Was anything like it ever heard? Hence, grasp this today and meditate on it carefully: Yahweh is the true God, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other. Keep his commandments as I give them to you today, so that your children after you may prosper.
Martin Bennett