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