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
24 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 : Christ the King
Contents: Gospel : John 18:33.37
Notices
Reflection
Gospel : John 18:33.37
‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?’ Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.’ ‘So you are a king then?. Said Pilate. ‘It is you who say it’ answered Jesus. ‘Yes I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.’
Gospel Reflection : What Do You Know About Me?
A big thing in life is where you are from. There is even a saying : “Your accent betrays you”. Sometimes we judge totally on where people are from. Pilate was the same with Jesus. With all he knew of him, the miracles and the speeches – where are you from? Are you really a King? What sort is your kingdom? Pilate was intrigued with Jesus, and so are we.
Our Christian life is made up of getting to know Jesus more, and taking part in his mission, so considering the type of person he was, and that he came from God and from humanity. He speaks of the best of our loving God, and the best of us, the best of heaven and the earth. He is worth our following today. Our role is to be like him. Our mission is a calling to live like him, in love and service.
As expressed in the Gospel today, there is always something of the ‘from above’ in Jesus, and much of John’s Gospel stresses the divinity of Jesus. He perhaps doesn’t look very divine, but he does look very human, and he shows to us that in the human is the divine. So we could be like him, and we become like him by reading about his life in the Gospels, and by living as he did.
We celebrate today the Feast of Christ the KIng. In one respect we could say that Jesus would not want us to celebrate the formal, set-apart, even pompous nature of Kingship. The sort of King we meet in Jesus is one of truth, justice , compassion and love – a King who came ‘to serve, not be served’.
This weekend is a good ending of one church year to begin another, with the beginning of Advent next Sunday. King and servant. We will see more of what this really means in the weeks of December. Meantime we want to live in this reign of God, and pray and live “your kingdom come”.
We Remember In Our Prayers Caroline Chisnall, whose Funeral Service is at St. Teresa’s on Friday 29th November at 9.45 am. We remember her and her family, and those whose anniversaries are at this time. May God’s peace be with them all.
Please Note : There is no Morning Mass at St. Teresa’s this Friday, 29th November.
We Welcome Into THe Family of the Church Ivy-Lee Hilda Fleming-Cleary whose Baptism takes place at St. Teresa’s this Sunday.
A Huge Thank You To Everyone Who Attended the Confirmation Mass Last Monday Bishop Paul commented on the friendly, supportive atmosphere in church, which was also felt by the ten young people and their families. We are very grateful too to our Parish Catechists led by Clare Gooden, who did so much in the Preparation Programme, and for the Mass itself. Thank you too to all those who looked after us in the Parish Hall afterwards. Some of us had beautiful cake for our dinner that night!
The Christmas Fayre will soon be upon us. (Sunday, December 1st) Thank you for the donations we have received so far. We are still looking for “good as new” toys, bottles, chocolate, and raffle prizes. We are also looking for cakes and baked good swhich can be left at the church on the Saturday before the Fayre, or on the day. As always, raffle tickets remain on sale at the back of church’ Thanks again to those who have already supported the raffle
CAFOD World Gifts At Christmas : As in previous years, CAFOD have produced a catalogue of gifts which will help us remember not just our own families and friends at this time of year but also our brothers and sisters facing the injustice of poverty around the world.These are now in the church porch for us to take and read at home. Please take one today, and see the instructions given.
Christmas Carol Concert St. Kentigern’s Singers are presenting a Christmas Carol Concert in St. Teresa’s Church on Sunday 8th December at 2.30 pm, with guest appearances of Anne and Denise Nolan. All are very welcome. Admission Free. Refreshments will be served after the Concert in the Parish Hall.
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 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.
The ‘Walk With Me ‘ daily reflection Advent booklets are now on sale in St. Teresa’s Church Shop church shop, and in the church porch at St John Southworth, priced £1. Advent starts next weekend. In addition to this, there is to be a Church Shop ‘Thank you Draw’. As a thank you for your continued support throughout the year, free tickets will be handed out with every purchase made in the Church Shop this weekend. The draw will take place on 16th December, and the winner will receive a mini food hamper.
100 Club for October :
Peter Bradley £15; Bernadette Richardson £10, Rachael Holmes £5
Daily Reflections for this week
Monday (Bede Griffiths)
We are passing out of one world, the world of western domination, and entering a new age in which the logical, rational mind of Greek philosophy and Roman law, the economic and political order, the science and technology of the West, will pass away. Our patriarchal culture is passing away at this present moment.
Scripture (Daniel 7:13-14)
I gazed into the visions of the night. And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.
Tuesday (Evelyn Underhill)
Though we achieve social justice, liberty, peace itself, though we give our bodies to be burned for these admirable causes, if we lack this—the transformation of the natural order by the Eternal Charity—we are nothing. For the kingdom is the Holy, not the moral; the Beautiful, not the correct; the perfect, not the adequate; Charity not law.
Scripture (John 17:14-20,24)
I passed your word on to them, and the world hated them, because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in the truth. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see my glory which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Wednesday (Fr. Michael Ivens, SJ)
The risen Christ, Lord of the world, is at work throughout history bringing to completion the project inaugurated in his lifetime, the establishment of the Kingdom of God in the world and the conquest of every power that opposes it. If God is to effectively reign in his world, there is a ‘world’ that must be overcome, the world that is incompatible with Christ. With this world and its powers Christ must always be in conflict.
Scripture (Psalm 111:1-6,9)
I give thanks to Yahweh with all my heart, in the meeting place of honest people, in the assembly. Great are the deeds of Yahweh, to be pondered by all who delight in them. Full of splendour and majesty his work, his saving justice stands firm for ever. He gives us a memorial of his great deeds; Yahweh is mercy and tenderness. His works show his people his power in giving them the birthright of the nations. Deliverance he sends his people, his covenant he imposes for ever.
Thursday (Cardinal Newman)
We often heard it said, that the true way of serving God is to serve man, as if religion consisted merely in acting well our part in life, not in direct faith, obedience, and worship: how different is the spirit of the Our Father with its three petitions to Almighty God and four referring to the petitioner. Evil round about him, enemies and persecutors in his path, temptation in prospect, help for the day, sin to be expiated, God’s will in his heart, God’s name on his lips, God’s kingdom in his hopes: this is the view it gives us of the Christian. What simplicity! What grandeur!
Scripture (Revelation 1:5-8)
Grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the highest of earthly kings. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and has made us a Kingdom of Priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power for ever and ever, Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
Friday (Oscar Romero)
The human race has climbed to moon, has uncovered the secret of the atom. The Lord’s commandment is fulfilled: Subdue the earth! But the absolute human dominion over the earth will be what is proclaimed today: bringing all things of heaven and earth together in Christ. Then humanity hallowed will put under God’s reign this world, which is now the slave of sin, and set it at the feet of Christ, and Christ at the feet of God. This is the bringing together that was God’s design before the world existed. And when history comes to its end, this will be God’s fulfilment: Christ, the sum of all things. All that history has been, all that we do ourselves, good or bad, will be measured by God’s design. All that has tried to rebel against God’s plan in Christ is false, it will not last; it will be for history’s waste heap.
Scripture (Psalm 96:4-8,10)
Great is Yahweh, worthy of all praise, more awesome than any of the gods. It was Yahweh who made the heavens; in his presence are splendour and majesty, in his sanctuary, power and beauty. Give to Yahweh, families of nations, give to Yahweh the glory due to his name! Say among the nations, ‘Yahweh is king.’ The world is set firm, it cannot be moved. He will judge the nations with justice.
Martin Bennett