On the floor of the Honan Chapel in University College, Cork, is a wonderful mosaic; echoing the Canticle of Daniel: 'All the earth, O bless the Lord; give glory and eternal praise to God', which is used on every Sunday and Feast Day at morning prayer. I love both the canticle and the mosaic because they are full of life and vitality. So often, our images of the Trinity are static, staid and unmoving: Father, Son and Spirit posed as though for a photo. But God is, by God's very nature, community and community is, by its very nature, constantly in motion. The nature or core may be unchanging but, in community, each person is active and 'on mission'. God's self, like God's word, is alive and active, not something frozen in amber. Because community is central to God's nature, it is not something that can be picked up or left down, just as we are always part of our families, even if we are distanced from them, or even separated by death. God calls us into the life of the Trinity, where we too are charged to live our mission in service to our sisters and brothers and to participate in the love and reverence of each person for the other.
RECENTLY DECEASED Please remember in your prayers all our beloved departed, especially:
Carmen Cauchi (Funeral, Friday 10th, 11 am)
and those whose anniversaries occur at this time. We continue to remember in our prayers all those who are sick and those who care for them.
ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD
The ordination and first Mass took place last weekend and I doubt if John has touched down yet! We are so blessed to have him amongst us and we pray God's blessing on him, his ministry and his family. I thanked you all for the preparation; now, my sincere thanks for the execution! For me, as I said, it proves that we are a family of faith that can, when the moment arises, come together in service and in prayer and I thank each for their unique contributions. THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE We drank a toast to Her Majesty on Saturday evening and I hope that, in your families and local communities, you had an enjoyable and happy Jubilee weekend. FUNDRAISING CAKE SALE This coming Sunday, 12th, after Mass, a local family, the Latters, will be selling cakes in the Bethany Room. The cakes have been provided by Gails. The family are seeking to raise money for their children who both have brain disorders. You can find out more about them, and contribute on-line if you wish, on their justgiving page. SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL the Society is seeking to recruit a part-time Coordinator to administer the charity (20 hours per week). Closing date is 19 June. Further information at westminstercathedral.org.uk DONATIONS TO CAFOD CAFOD has written to thank us for the contribution of £269 to the Lenten Campaign and I know that other parishioners have contributed on-line. As ever, my thanks for your continuing generosity to so many worthy causes. We know that, especially at this time, every contribution, large or small, makes a significant difference. PACT PACT, The Prison Advice and Care Trust, has produced its Summer Newsletter. If you would like to read it and to learn more about their work, you can do so on the PACT website. Their emphasis at the moment is on raising awareness around issues of prisons, imprisonment and mental health. AND FINALLY...for all the Saints...Monday 13th is St Anthony's Feast Day. Anthony is the only non-Vincentian saint represented among the statues in our Church and is very dear to the hearts of the Franciscans of Mill Hill. If you would like to participate on-line with celebrations from the Basilica in Padua, you can do so at june13th.org. In September this year, the relics of St Bernadette of Lourdes will tour England and Wales. They will be in Westminster Cathedral from the 3rd to the 6th. They will then be in Willesden from 28th to 30th September. May we continue to serve with love and generosity 'until the hour when we stand before you, Saints among the Saints in the halls of Heaven'. (Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I) Rev Eugene Curran CM