7 June 2020

 

MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK – Both parishes

Parishioners

Fr Kevin Ashton RIP

Holy Souls NDL

Special Intention

Foundation Mass

John & Eileen Greenham RIP

 UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

OUR LADY’S and Ss PETER & PAUL’S – No Masses or services.  Church can no longer open for private prayer.  Fr Anders will continue to say Mass for the intentions listed above.


 


This Week    
Ministry       
E. Minister Reader
Saturday    
Sunday        
Next Week    
Ministry E. Minister Reader
Saturday    
Sunday    

 



JOINT PARISH NEWSLETTER

1st COMMUNIONS – OUR LADY’S
Trinity Sunday should have seen eight children from Our Lady’s make their 1st Holy Communion. They had already experienced their first sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas and were over halfway through their preparation. The pandemic has, of course, delayed their big moment for the time being and whilst we hope to be able to complete the preparation ahead of them making their 1st Communions later in the year, we are unable to specify any time or date as yet. Please remember the children and their families in your prayers.

CONGRATULATIONS – DIAMOND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY: Many congratulations to Phil and Evelyn Fletcher at Our Lady’s for their special anniversary on 6 June. We hope you found some way of celebrating this wonderful anniversary in these socially-distanced times. With every blessing for a wonderful day.
If there are any other special anniversaries that should be celebrated in either of our parishes, please email / leave a phone message. We’d love to hear!

CHURCHES TOGETHER: TARLETON WALKING DAY – SATURDAY 12 JUNE
The Tarleton Walking Day Committee is planning to go ahead with this annual event, but by remote / virtual control this year. Fr Anders will be making the address, via a video link, on the theme of ‘Hope & Thanksgiving’. One family from each parish in Tarleton / Hesketh Bank will set off to walk the route, at 10-minute intervals. John and Emma O’Hare, with Niall and Connie, will be representing Our Lady’s. The whole event will be available to people to see on Facebook. Please use the following link to access the pictures and videos: https://www.facebook.com/Tarleton-Walking-Day-102708574799283/

THIS WEEK’S GOSPEL REFLECTION – FOR TRINITY SUNDAY
Today’s gospel focuses on the relationship between the Father and the Son. This relationship s a constant theme on the Gospel of St John. John is at pains to tell us how essential that relationship was and how Jesus lived his life in complete obedience to the Father. It is a relationship of love – true, abiding love, or caritas. The lynchpin or ‘glue’ of this loving relationship between Father and Son is the Holy Spirit. So it’s not that the Holy Spirit appears at Pentecost – the Spirit has always been present – a key element of what makes God ‘almighty’. The Holy Trinity has always existed.
It was only when Jesus had died on the cross, in obedience to the Father, that the Holy Spirit manifested itself to the apostles. The Trinity really is the model for how relationships should be between Christians. If Christians truly love one another, then the Spirit of Jesus will be present among them. Therefore, if Christians do not love one another then they cannot give true witness to the gospels. We all have to be seen to love one another, then the world will believe.
Our Faith on Sunday

READINGS FOR 7 JUNE – TRINITY SUNDAY
1st Reading: Exodus 34: 4-9 – Lord, Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion
Psalm: Daniel 3:52-56 – To you glory and praise for evermore
2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 – The grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
Gospel: John 3: 16-18 – God sent his Son so that through him the whole world might be saved
Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; the God who is, who was and who is to come. Alleluia!
Communion antiphon: Since you are children of God, God has sent in to your hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out, Abba, Father.

THE ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.

FR CHRIS THOMAS’ THOUGHTS ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE HOLY TRINITY
Many years ago, I watched an interview with Colin Parry who was the father of Tim, the young boy killed in the Warrington IRA bomb attack. It was a very poignant interview as Colin shared deep emotions about his loss and his thoughts on the Northern Ireland situation and those who had planted the bomb that had murdered his son. As I watched I knew that this man was never going to be destroyed by what had happened to him and his family.
More than his incredible bravery in the midst of terrible tragedy Colin Parry helped me to crystallise something of my image of God in so far as you can ever capture in words something which is beyond words and in a sense can only be experienced. As Colin Parry spoke and shared, there was within him a strength, a vulnerability and a power, which for me capture something of the reality of God and the life of God that we are inviting people into. For God to so love the world, as John says in today’s Gospel, is all of those things, strength, vulnerability, and power. God chose to love, and from this place of strength has chosen to be vulnerable in the person of Jesus, who gave his life away so that we might see and understand how loving our God is. When strength and vulnerability come together there is an explosion of power. That is the Holy Spirit, who transforms and sets free. During this COVID-19 pandemic, we have had, if we have eyes to see, many images of God and all of them have been about strength, vulnerability and power.
I have been told that there is a picture painted on the wall of a thirteenth century Lutheran Church in Germany. It shows an old man holding in his hands the orb of power -God the Creator. On the opposite wall is the broken bleeding body of Jesus staring at the Father with a look of such intensity and understanding and love it almost breaks you. It is an image of the vulnerable God who has given Godself away for the sake of love. On the ceiling with rays of power coming from its wings is the Spirit. The relationship of pure love between the Father and the Son is the Spirit, the power, which enables strength and vulnerability to be shared. I once saw a picture of it and it moved me to tears.
What does all of that say to us today in 2020? If you go back to the book of Genesis, the author reminds us that we are made in the image and likeness of God. Within us there is the incredible strength of love by which we can choose to be vulnerable and give ourselves away for the sake of the world and as that strength and vulnerability come together there is power. Those who challenge the world are those whose love is strong enough to let them give themselves away for the sake of the world, Martin Luther, Ghandi, Mother Teresa and many others.
The challenge of the feast we celebrate today is to find within ourselves the strength that comes from love and is God. It is to share with the world love which does not count the cost and is expressed through compassion and mercy and forgiveness. It is to show love, which has conquered the petty self-righteousness that so many of us live by. It is to be led into that place of vulnerability in which for the sake of others we give our very lives away. It is in the doing and the living of those realities that we find power. It is a hard way to live. Love is never easy, and vulnerability frightens us, but the power of the Spirit is with us. So, on this Trinity Sunday, let’s pray that the God who has revealed Godself as strength, vulnerability and power will break forth within us and through us will bring life to the world.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OFFERTORY DONATIONS DURING THE LOCKDOWN
The Archdiocese has now issued a set of guidelines for priests and parishioners – and also set up a direct online-giving facility.
They advise against offertory envelopes being posted through presbytery doors because this increases the number of non-essential journeys being made by vulnerable people. It also requires the counting and retaining of cash in the presbytery and subsequent trips to banks / post offices – all increasing the likelihood of spreading infection.
The Archdiocese therefore recommends that parishioners who are able to and who wish to continue with their offertory donations can do one of the following:
1. Wait until the crisis is over and then write out 1 cheque only, payable to the parish, and place in that particular week’s offertory envelope / an envelope with your offertory number on (so that it can be identified for Gift Aid, if appropriate)
2. Take out a standing order with your bank. You will need the parish account name, sort code and account number. Please either email the parish office for this information, or phone the Tarleton presbytery on 01772 812242 and we will send you (mail / email) a Standing Order Mandate form. You may wish to make your offering to the parish on a monthly basis, rather than weekly in this instance.
3. Via Liverpool Archdiocese’s online giving website: Each parish has its own unique link on the website and a photograph of your church is shown to provide additional reassurance to donors that they are donating to their parish. All donations will go to the parish selected by the donor.
Here is the link for Our Lady’s in Tarleton: https://donate.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/our-lady-help-of-christians-tarleton
Here is the link for Ss Peter & Paul, Mawdesley: https://donate.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/ss-peter-and-paul-mawdesley
Please see last week’s newsletter for instructions on how to donate via text, to either parish.

MASSES ONLINE
Locally, there is St Clare’s, Sharoe Green Lane, Fulwood: www.stclares.co.uk which streams Mass daily at 10am. Please follow the easy links on the website.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en Pope Francis
https://www.churchservices.tv/whats-on-now/ Great selection of Masses and other Church services https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/tv-lourdes/ Mass and daily at 2pm, the Rosary in English
https://www.livemass.org Extraordinary Form (1962 Missal)
Use the website links to EWTN, or the Archdiocese to access daily Masses
On the radio: Catholic Radio Channel 0147
Also, you may wish to try the Pray as you Go phone app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.foxcode.prayasyougo&hl=en

PRAYERS from the Archdiocese, for Stations of the Cross etc: https://www.liverpoolcatholicresources.com/

Please email the Parish Office with details of any other online services you know of that may help parishioners at this very difficult time. We will try to include them in next week’s Newsletter.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY WITH CAFOD / REDEMPTORISTS
cafod.org.uk/parishes – provides tips for CHILDREN’S activities
They also have a programme of online talks about their response work as well as a weekly live-streamed Mass and Sunday Children’s Liturgy.
Redemptorist Publications: the weekly worksheet for children can be accessed and downloaded on line by emailing marketing@rpbooks.co.uk

FEAST DAYS THIS COMING WEEK
11 June – Memorial of St Barnabas – AD 61
13 June – Memorial of St Anthony of Padua, Priest & Doctor (1193 – 1231)

HELPING HANDS – LOCAL FREE NEWSLETTER                                                                                                                                                   Residents should be receiving a newsletter this week, from a group of local volunteers, operating under the auspices of the Care Commissioning Group.  This is the first of a (free) monthly newsletter, featuring help and advice on how to cope under the current lockdown and providing local information about shops and goods / delivery services.  Parishioner and Parish Admin Diane Mackley is one of the volunteers who have been working on this.  She would welcome your comments and feedback for the next edition (in July) and would also love to hear your ideas for items that could be featured in the future.  Please telephone 01772 815508.  Thank you.

USEFUL CONTACTS: GETTING HELP – WEST LANCS PARTNERSHIP Please see last week’s newsletter

THE ARCHDIOCESE ALSO RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING HELP LINES Please see last week’s newsletter

BE ALERT – BE SCAM SMART!
a. Don’t give credit / debit card PIN numbers to anyone you don’t know and trust
b. Don’t believe anyone who rings and tells you they’re from your bank / building society / telephone provider etc
c. Don’t order medicines on-line without checking with family / friends first
d. Don’t give cash to anyone you don’t know, who says they’ll get shopping in for you
e. Don’t give your pension book to anyone other than a family member / known friend
f. Finally, if in doubt, say you need to check with family / friends to any caller you don’t know

NEWS ITEMS FEATURED IN THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSE & TIMES THIS WEEK
• Churches are left waiting for definite news regarding private prayer
• The Bishop of Middlesbrough Terry Drainey offers his Mass for key workers, the sick and their families and prays that our willingness to work together now will survive the pandemic
• Those in the shielded group are nervous in the wake of the latest relaxing of restrictions
• Baroness Goudie highlight the plight of many women in 3rd world states, left vulnerable by the pandemic
• Pizza chefs from the Trafalgar Square Refreshment Hub serve up a tasty treat for London’s homeless
• US Bishops are left ‘broken-hearted’ by the latest racist police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and call for an end to the ‘white supremacy’ movement.
• WHO warns that the lockdown is being eased too quickly around the world, especially in the US, S America, India and the UK, where infection rates are still extremely high.
• Fr Francis Marsden on ‘Learning Love from the Most Holy Trinity’.
• How to pray: praying the way God wants us to pray
• Vote for your sermon of the year: Thursday 25 June at www.preach-web.org/final where four finalists have pre-recorded a 12 minute sermon. Voting is open until 31 July.
• A beginner’s guide to gardening: start easy eg growing herbs on your windowsill or try an easy flower like pelargonium and don’t forget, tomatoes are great for small spaces: a warm porch will work wonder as long as you water generously every day.
• The benefits of drinking a soothing cuppa

CHURCH OPENING: There are no plans for churches to open in England and Wales at present. Cardinal Vincent Nichols and the Bishops have made representation to the Government for churches to open for private prayer.
As and when that day comes, both Our Lady’s in Tarleton and Ss Peter & Paul in Mawdesley will be ready to facilitate safe distancing and safe hygiene. You will be kept fully informed of developments, and as always….

…. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES OR NEED ANY HELP, PLEASE CONTACT FR ANDERS AT THE PRESBYTERY IN TARLETON ON 01772 812242, OR EMAIL EITHER OFFICE.

WITH EVERY BLESSING FOR THE COMING WEEK