Re-introduction of the Sunday Obligation - Statement from the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales
At its Plenary Assembly of the Bishops Conference on 6th May 2022, the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) decided that the provisions made two years ago at the beginning of the Covid pandemic to suspend the obligation on Catholics to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, should be re-instated now that the reasons for those provisions have lessened. As from Sunday 5th June, when we celebrate Pentecost, that suspension will end.
This announcement is made in a Pastoral Letter from the CBCEW to be read out at all Masses on the weekend of 21st/22nd May. You can read this Pastoral Letter here.
St Mary Magdalen's Parish Newsletter
The latest issue of the parish newsletter is available on-line: you can find it here
Gospel Reflection: Sunday 4th December - The Second Sunday of Advent
In this week's Gospel Reading and next week's, our Advent preparation for Christmas invites us to consider John the Baptist and his relationship to Jesus. In this week's Gospel, Matthew describes the work and preaching of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist appears in the tradition of the great prophets of Israel, preaching repentance and reform to the people of Israel. In fact, the description of John found in this reading is reminiscent of the description of the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). In this reading, John directs a particularly pointed call to repentance to the Pharisees and Sadducees, parties within the Jewish community of the first century.
John marks the conversion of those who seek him out with a baptism of repentance. Other groups in this period are thought to have practiced ritual washings for similar purposes, and John's baptism may have been related to the practices of the Essenes, a Jewish sect of the first century. John's baptism can be understood as an anticipation of Christian baptism. In this passage, John himself alludes to the difference between his baptism and the one yet to come: “I am baptising you with water, for repentance . . . He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11).
In this reading, John makes very clear that his relationship to the Messiah yet to come (Jesus) is one of service and subservience: “. . . the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (Matthew 3:11). In the context of Matthew's Gospel, today's passage is followed by Jesus' baptism by John, an event that is attested to in all four of the Gospels and appears to have been the start of Jesus' public ministry.
John's preaching of the coming of the Lord is a key theme of the Advent season. As John's message prepared the way for Jesus in the first century, we, too, are called to prepare ourselves for Jesus' coming. We respond to John's message by our repentance and reform of our lives. We are also called to be prophets of Christ, who announce by our lives, as John did, the coming of the Lord. Courtesy of Loyola Press.
Advent Wreath
Today, the second Sunday of Advent, we light the second purple candle on our Advent wreath. This candle typically represents love - some traditions call this the "Bethlehem Candle," symbolising Christ's manger:
"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Bishop-Elect Canon Peter Collins
The Episcopal Ordination of Bishop-Elect Peter Collins will take place at the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist, Norwich, on December 14th, 2022 at 11.30am.
O God, eternal shepherd of the faithful,
who has chosen your servant Peter
as a successor to the Apostles
and to preside over
the people of God in East Anglia:
grant him, we pray,
a sprit of counsel and fortitude,
a spirit of knowledge and piety,
so that by word and example and faithful service,
he may build up the Church in our Diocese
to be a lasting sign
of your presence and salvation.
Through Christ, Our Lord.
Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for him.
Saint Felix, pray for him.
St Ethelreda, pray for him.
St Edmund, pray for him.
Prayer of the Icon of St Joseph
St Joseph, watch over and care for me,
just as you cared for Jesus when he was a child:
and by your help may I come to know Jesus, the Son of God,
and so grow in love, strength and wisdom. Amen
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ grew to maturity.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen