St Joseph’s Church

Cowdenbeath Road,  Burntisland,  Fife KY3 0LJ

 

Tel:  01592 872207 

  

e-mail: parishpriest@stjosephsburntisland.co.uk   www.stjosephsburntisland.co.uk

 

23^rd October 2020

 

 

Bulletin – Friday 23^rd October 2020

 

 

 

Attendance at Mass:

To assure a place for the Saturday Vigil or Sunday morning Mass please use Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/st-josephs-church-burntisland-30681936592 If you wish to come along without using Eventbrite and places are available you will be very welcome.   For those who did not wish to come into Church building there is the possibility of following Mass in your car (live via Facebook) and coming to the Fire Door to receive Holy Communion.

 

 

 

 

Catechesis for deaneries

The Archdiocese is running an exciting new series of catechesis events for adults, led by Sr Anna Marie McGuan RSM. The first takes place on Zoom at 2pm and 7pm this Monday (26 October) for parishioners in the Fife deanery. To register, choose a time and email SrAnna.Marie@staned.org.uk

 

Missio

October is Mission Month, please support the work of MISSIO. Text MISSIOSCOT to 70085 to give £3 or visit www.missioscotland.com/donate

 

National Rosary Relay Rally 

Pray the Rosary online with others in the Archdiocese for the National Rosary Rally on Saturday 31 October at 1pm. Pray along on the Archdiocese’s Facebook, YouTube or website: archedinburgh.org/new-events. 

 

Event for Grandparents

If you’re a grandparent please register for ‘Grandparents: Our Mission’. This Zoom event is led by Catherine Wiley of the Catholic Grandparents Association. She will present a vision of grandparents’ ministry which includes sharing the faith with grandchildren and building a sense of mission in today’s Church. It takes place at 7pm on Wednesday 04 November 2020. Register at bit.ly/GrandparentsEvent. 

 

Abortion consultation

The Scottish Government is carrying out a consultation regarding the extension of the abortion ‘pills by post’ scheme beyond the current pandemic. SPUC has created a simple guide to help you fill out the consultation so please visit spuc.org.uk and search ‘Scottish DIY’.  Please pray for the unborn.

 

In God’s Image

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland would like to hear from you if you wish to propose any changes to ‘In God’s Image’, the safeguarding policy manual for the Catholic Church in Scotland. They state: “We want to hear from lay people, as well as from clergy and religious. Above all, we are keen to hear from survivors or victims of abuse so that the church can plan to ensure sensitive responses to all allegations and concerns.” Closing date is 30 November.  Please go to bcos.org.uk/InGodsImageV2.

 

Safeguarding Webinar  

If you have a safeguarding role in the Church, please consider registering for a Zoom webinar hosted by the Scottish Catholic Safeguarding on Saturday 14 November from 11am-1:30pm. The webinar will focus on safeguarding and online risks in the pandemic. To register email: registration@scsafeguarding.org.uk

 

St Andrew’s High School Weekly Mass  – ‘We wish the staff and pupils of our local Catholic Schools well as they return to school this week.  Mass will be held in the School Oratory at St Andrews every Thursday during term time, at 1.10PM.  If you have a child or grandchild attending the High School, please encourage them to come along.’

 

Reflection on the Liturgy for the 30^th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Triona Doherty):

The Pharisees continue their harassment of Jesus in today’s Gospel by asking him which commandment is the greatest. What follows is the most famous verses of the New Testament: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul … And … You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ We probably can’t hear this enough. Love is the greatest commandment and this is a radical statement. Because this love is agape love, i.e. a love of those we don’t even know or even like! It is a love that binds all of humanity.

We cannot separate love of God and neighbour; they are like two sides of a coin; they only work together. If we do not treat others with compassion, then how can we say we love God? Jesus often spoke about approaching the altar whilst holding a grudge against someone (Mt 5:24) and continuously challenged those who were hypocrites. Those critical of social justice movements in the church often say we should not be involved in doing ‘social work’. But this is exactly what we must do because this is how we love God, by loving our neighbour who is suffering, who is oppressed, who is in pain. We can love God and love people, there does not have to be a dichotomy.

There is a beautiful practice in India of using the mystical phrase ‘Namaste’ in greetings, which means: ‘the Divine in me greets the Divine in you’. Usually this is accompanied by a deep bow towards the person. How wonderful it would be to really see God present in each other and, more importantly, in those that society would rather cast aside. In this way we are being true to the greatest commandment.

‘May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.’                St Therese of Lisieux

 

 

Children’s Liturgy online: 

Resources are available on the Archdiocesan Facebook page and also  https://www.facebook.com/ChildrensLiturgy-during-lockdown-101967264838340/

 

Reflection - Moving on

Moving on

with hardly a chance to say goodbye.

It’s time to say hello,

moving swiftly

from one thing to the next.

But only

when we have performed

our tasks of mourning

can we move on

and embrace all that lies in wait.

 A new adventure,

with its promise of uncertainty, beckons us on;

so, shaking off the past,

we move boldly into the future.

God calls us forward.

We will follow.

 

Reflection Intercessions for Daily Prayer  (Joe Milner):

For the Church: that we may manifest our love of God and neighbour in words that express our commitment and in deeds that show our commitment to Christ

For a spirit of compassion: that our hearts may feel the pain of others and reach out to all who are suffering or in need

For the gift of single-heartedness: that we may be guided by love in every area of our lives and never be satisfied with just loving God or just doing good deeds for others

For an evangelizing spirit: that our faith may shine forth and be an invitation to others to come to know the God who made them and loves them

For a deepening of gratitude: that we may recognize all the ways that God has shown love for us and be filled with awe and gratitude for the blessings that God has given us

For refugees, immigrants, and all who live in a strange land, particularly children: that we may reach out to them, treat them as brothers and sisters, and assist them in their transition

For leaders of governments: that God will guide them in developing immigration policies that respect the dignity of each person and draw forth their gifts to better our society

For healing of the wounds of racism: that God will help us to turn from prejudice and give us the courage to work for inclusion and recognition of all people

For new priorities in our communities: that guided by a preferential option for the poor, our plans and activities ensure that everyone is included in our community life

For all who have the coronavirus and for those who care for them: that God will heal and restore the sick and help those who are assisting them to be instruments of God's healing love

For all with mental illness: that God will comfort them and inspire leaders with ways to expand treatment and assistance for them

For all suffering financially: that God will move leaders of government and business to develop opportunities to avoid eviction, provide for healthcare, and expand employment opportunities

For the growth of peace: that God will touch the hearts and change the minds of all who are leading violence and warfare, and give them the courage to enter dialogue and establish ceasefires

 

Have a good week. Keep yourself and others safe. God bless. Father James