In light of CAFOD's climate crisis appeal, the Cardinal's pastoral letter and the feast of St Francis on Monday, my reflection is Francis' famous Canticle of the Sun, also called Praise of the Creatures;
Most High, all powerful, good Lord, Yours are the praises, the glory, the honour, and all blessing. To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy to mention Your name. Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness. Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful. Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures. Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste. Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong. Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth, who sustains us and governs us and who produces varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs. Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love, and bear infirmity and tribulation. Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned. Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed are those who will find Your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm. Praise and bless my Lord, and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility.
RECENTLY DECEASED
Please remember in your prayers all who have died recently, especially;
Sr Angela Heyden LSU (Sister of Sr Martina OP) Margaret Ferrari Mary Wiley
and all those who have died during this time of pandemic. We continue to remember in our prayers all those who are sick and those who care for them.
CARDINAL'S PASTORAL LETTER A pastoral letter from the Cardinal will be read at all Masses on Sunday. If you would like to read it, or listen to it at home, you will find it on the rcdow.org.ukwebsite.
MINISTERS OF THE WORD
As the Parish gradually adjusts to the lifting of restrictions, we are hoping to have two Readers at each Mass and to start preparing a rota. We, therefore, invite existing Readers to let us know if they are willing to continue to be included on a rota. We also invite other members of the parish to consider becoming readers and to contact us. It is especially helpful if people indicate what, if any, are their preferences for Mass times. Usually, readers are on rota once every 4-5 weeks. New Readers will be asked to participate in a short induction session, including tips for reading and practice reading from the lectern. Please contact Jan Szemerenyi at jszemerenyi@btinternet.com
MINISTERS OF THE EUCHARIST
Could any current Ministers of the Eucharists (and anyone who would like to train as a Minister of the Eucharist) please give their names into the parish office, either by phone or by email? MORNING COFFEE A reminder that we will be hosting morning coffee most Friday mornings after morning Mass. We will begin this coming Friday, 8th October. All are welcome. Particular thanks to those who came to, and those who prepared, the coffee morning on St Vincent's Day. It was great fun and a real opportunity to connect with one another. ST VINCENT'S SCHOOL I met with the Reception Class and those who have newly come to the school on St Vincent's Day. What a great bunch of people; we have new pupils from all over the world and also from all over England. Welcome to you all...and thank you for making me feel welcomed too. Just a reminder to prospective parents that tours of the school with the Principal are available. Please phone the school to arrange. ST VINCENT DE PAUL; TEA AND BINGO This will take place this Monday, 4th October, in the Parish Hall from 2pm. All are welcome. Come and have some fun! MOTHER AND TODDLER GROUP This group is starting up in the parish Hall from this coming Monday, 4th October, from 9.30am to 11.30 am. Anyone who is interested can call down on Monday and make themselves known. ST MICHAEL'S, FINCHLEY; ITALIAN ASSISTANT The Governors are seeking to appoint a Modern Foreign Language Assistant in Italian. Full details on the school website SECOND COLLECTION; CAFOD This weekend, the second collection is for CAFOD, the Catholic Aid Agency, and, particularly, for their Climate Crisis Appeal, the topic of the Cardinal's pastoral letter. Envelopes will be available at the back of the Church or you may wish to donate directly online at cafod.org.uk. OCTOBER; MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY As October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, we will offer the Rosary each weekday morning before the 10am Mass. JOHN ASHU After many changes, the date for Mr Fidelis Ashu's funeral has been fixed for Friday, 8th October. John hopes to get a return flight on 12th. Please keep him and all his family in your prayers at this time. SUNDAY MASS REGULATIONS A reminder that, from this weekend, 2-3 October, the 11 am Mass and 5.30 pm on Sundays will not require booking or social distancing. Because of the increased numbers, Communion (at these masses) will be received at the altar steps. We will continue to request that people reserve seats for the Masses at 5.30 pm on Saturdays and 9 am on Sundays. These Masses will still maintain social distancing. At all Masses, however, people will still be requested to wear masks and use hand sanitizer. You will no longer be required to book on-line for weekday Masses, but we request that you observe social distance and wear masks. As this week includes the feast of St Francis, we remember in a special way the Franciscan Sisters of Mill Hill, who are such a blessing to our lives as a parish community. With every blessing and good wish,
Rev Eugene Curran CM