21st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

As Father Martin is still on holiday, Father Mervyn presided and preached at the Parish Mass today. He preached on the choice given by Jesus to his followers which had concerned many so much that they left. In the reading from the Book of Joshua we heard how Joshua had given the Israelites a choice: "Decide today whom you will serve." He then stated clearly what his choice was: "As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”  Father Mervyn quoted a prayer by St . Ignatius Loyola which describes the complete offering we need to make if our choice is for Jesus:

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty,
my memory, my understanding and my whole will.
All that I am and all that I possess You have given me.
I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will.
Give me only Your love and Your grace;
with these I will be rich enough,
and will desire nothing more.

"Do you also want to leave?" Jesus asks not only his disciples in their day, and us in ours. May we have the grace - and courage - to respond with Peter, the head of the apostles:

“Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

 

At the end of the service Father Mervyn congratulated one of the congregation on achieving really stunning GCSE results and two of our Guide Company on achieving the highest award for girls, the Baden Powell Challenge

THERE WAS NO SATURDAY SHOP YESTERDAY

IT RE-OPENS NEXT SATURDAY

Jean’s Funeral

Jean died unexpectedly the Saturday before last at the age of 91 just before her 92nd birthday. Her funeral took place yesterday with a crowded church, people packed in every conceivable space . Father Mervyn conducted the service as Father Martin is on holiday. Jean had left instructions that it was to be a straight forward Funeral Service and had chosen the hymns to be sung. (We hope to arrange a Requiem Mass for Jean when Father Martin returns from his holiday. A Requiem was celebrated by Father Martin in Spain at the same time as the funeral was taking place in the UK)

At the beginning of the service Father Mervyn read out a letter he had received from Father Martin welcoming people to St. Augustine’s,  celebrating Jean’s life and saying the important role she had played in the life of St. Augustine’s since she first started attending in 1953 .This was very much appreciated by the family and those attending

Father Mervyn used the reading, 1 Corinthians, 1-13 as the basis for his sermon and appreciation of all the Jean had done in the life of the parish. Later in the service there was a moving Eulogy written by members of the family. At the end of the service Father Mervyn gave the Final Commendation, sprinkled the coffin with Holy Water and blessed it with incense before the cortege left Rush Green and went to the South East Essex Crematorium for the committal.

There was a really wonderful buffet in the hall when the family and other mourners returned to the parish

20th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today Father Mervyn presided and preached at the Parish Mass and Ann led us in prayer. In his sermon Father Mervyn referred to the Gospel Reading and particularly that Jesus said: “I am the Bread of Life” He pointed out how, over the centuries, Christians had so valued the Blessed Sacrament whereby we receive the Bread of Life, quoting the lengths that some in repressive regimes had had to struggle to make their Communion. After Mass extra chairs were put into church to cater for the large numbers expected for Jean’s funeral on Wednesday afternoon.

YESTERDAYS SATURDAY SHOP TOOK £253

19th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

 

 

There  was a nearly full church this morning for the Parish Mass at which Father Mervyn celebrated and preached. Today our intercessions were led by our Lay Reader Joan. In his sermon Father Mervyn reminded us that Jesus had called himself “the Bread of Life” and that everyone has been invited to his banquet. He recalled that Napoleon when asked what had been the greatest day in his life it had been expected that he would quote one of his military achievements, but he  had replied “the day of my first Communion”. We should take to heart the words of St. Francis de Sales: ”Only two people need frequent Communion – the not so good that they might become better and the good that they might stay that way.” We were saddened to learn of the death of one of the stalwarts

Yesterday’s Saturday Shop took a truly amazing £389

THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

There will be a meeting with Father Martin after the Parish Mass on Sunday 2nd September in the hall

18th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today Father Mervyn presided at the Parish Mass and Father Martin concelebrated and preached. Despite the Olympics being not far away, and people being away on holiday, we had a full church.

In his sermon Father Martin focussed on the Olympics and the training and sacrifices that the contestants in Team GB had been prepared to make so that they could be contestants and winners. He said that we, as Christians. also needed to have training and make sacrifices so we could live up to our vocation.This would include prayer, Bible reading and regular attendance at Mass  We would need sustenance and that was supplied for us every time we come to Mass and receive the Bread of Life, the Body of Christ.

Yesterday’s Saturday Shop took £171.