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St. Mary Magdalen's
Catholic Church
Willesden Green
London NW10
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Reflections

Monday, July 30, 2007
TIME FOR PHYSICAL REST & SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT?
Many with families have entered upon the “holiday period”. As is traditional here, this will be the last newsletter before September. Some parishioners will leave the city, others may stay. We pray that those travelling, those at work over this period, those looking after their families, and those going on our parish youth trips and the day at the seaside, may receive the gifts they need at this time.

Pope Benedict XVI recently prayed the Sunday Angelus at the Castle of Mirabello, near the chalet where he is resting in the alpine locality of Lorenzago di Cadore, Italy.

Before the Marian prayer, the Pope addressed some words to the hundreds of people who had gathered to see him. "Before this panorama of fields, woods and peaks towering up to the sky," he said, "we feel a spontaneous desire to praise God for the wonders of His work, and our admiration for such natural beauty is easily transformed into prayer.

"Each good Christian," he added, "knows that holidays are an appropriate moment for physical relaxation, as well as for nourishing the spirit by giving greater space to prayer and mediation, in order to grow in our personal relationship with Christ and to adapt ourselves ever more to His teachings."

The Pope then went on to consider today's Gospel reading on the Good Samaritan, saying that "each of us must be a neighbour to everyone we come across. ... Love, says Jesus, is to behave like the Good Samaritan. And we know that the Good Samaritan par excellence is He; for although He is God, He did not hesitate to lower Himself to becoming a man and to giving His life for us.

"Love, then, is the 'heart' of Christian life. In fact only love, aroused in us by the Holy Spirit, makes us witnesses of Christ," said the Holy Father

He recently gave a practical example of this, for those getting in their cars to travel away, encouraging them to “responsibility of the highways” and reminding them that “correct conduct when driving is a specific way to respect one’s own and others’ life.”

posted by Sinead Reekie at 9:50 am

Friday, July 20, 2007
ANOTHER WAY OF CELEBRATING MASS:
On 07.07.07 last Pope Benedict issued an important document, called a Motu Proprio, which is Latin for “On his own initiative”. He said that Parish Priests and Bishops should attempt to provide, for those who want it, Mass celebrated in the manner which was the norm in the Church before 1970 for many centuries. This “Rite” of Mass has been known variously as the “Tridentine Rite”, the “Old Mass”, the “Latin Mass”. The Pope has said that now it should be known as the “Extraordinary” “usage” of the one Roman Rite.

The way of celebrating Mass that we have become used to in recent decades is to be known as the “ordinary usage of the Roman Rite”. This will remain the norm, and the Pope asks us all to maintain and deepen our love and reverence for this “ordinary” form of celebrating Holy Mass.

Lay people thus have a new right. It is important that parishioners inform Fr Hugh if they feel that they would like to be able to attend Mass on Sundays and/or weekdays in the “Extraordinary usage”. If those asking amount to a “stable group” we, and our Bishop, in obedience to the Pope, will be very happy to oblige here at St Mary Magdalen’s.

The Extraordinary Usage involves celebrating Mass in Latin (though the readings could be, particularly on Sundays, read in English), facing eastwards (i.e. towards our large crucifix) and following a more specified and traditional form of movements than in the “ordinary usage” which we all know so well. Holy Communion is usually received kneeling down from a priest.

Please do let us know you thoughts!

posted by Sinead Reekie at 2:57 pm

Tuesday, July 17, 2007
DAY FOR LIFE 2007 V.2: MIND THE GAP!
TALK: On Thursday 19th July at 7:30 pm we will have a talk & discussion of the past, present and future of the divergence between modern society and Catholicism. It will be led by Fr Hugh, Dr Michael Jarmulowicz (parish deacon-to-be) & Chris Hack (parish pastoral assistant)

THE PRESENT: CONCERNING THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN LIFE
YOU HAVE PROBABLY NOTICED THE FOLLOWING MASSIVE ‘GAP’ BETWEEN THE LEFT HAND SIDE COLUMN AND THE RIGHT HAND SIDE

The majority of British people seem to think that: The Catholic Church teaches, & always has:

A woman’s right not to bring her pregnancy to term can trump the unborn human’s right to life. It is never, ever right deliberately to kill an innocent member of the human species

Human embryos can be created purely for the harvesting of their cells for research into cures for debilitating disease New human life should only ever be created for its own good.

Infertile couples are entitled to create new human life in test tubes through IVF New human life should only ever be created in the womb of an accepting mother as a result of the marital act.

Sex outside marriage is fine Sex is exclusively for marriage and family

THE PAST: TWO POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS OF THE CAUSE OF THIS GAP

Catholic Church has been seriously mistaken, and modern world has become deeply enlightened about human life and love. The effects upon England of Original Sin, the 16th century’s Reformation’s denial of Christ’s bestowal of authority upon the Pope, and the 1960’s reduction of the meaning of sex, have been cultural ‘atomic explosions’ with massive fall out.

THE FUTURE: TWO POSSIBLE SCENARIOS

The family will continue to be redefined along secular lines. Catholic Church will continue to dwindle, with continuing loss of religious vocations, young people, parishes etc Catholic Church renews its and society’s understanding of the teachings about love which it has received and handed on from Christ.

WHICH FUTURE WILL BE HAPPIER?
WHICH IS THE WILL OF GOD?
MIGHT NOT THE OTHER LEAD TO CULTURAL CALAMITY?

Pray about it and come to an open discussion on 19th July to discuss these issues.

“The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now lives who remember it.” Opening words of Lord of the Rings

posted by Sinead Reekie at 10:03 am

COME & REFLECT ABOUT BEGINNING OF LIFE ISSUES ALL VIEWS WELCOME
Is the beginning of human life a sacred moment? Is the value of human life absolutely basic to all other values? Our Catholic Faith says yes. Many people today sincerely, and perhaps intelligently disagree with this.

Does it matter to the health of our society and the happiness of lives, inside or outside the family? Our Catholic Faith says yes. Our society begs to differ.

How do we respond to this dichotomy? It can be difficult. Yet it matters, perhaps a lot more than we might realize.

As a follow up to the Bishops recent “Day for Life” on the theme of “Blessed is the fruit of your womb” we plan to have a talk and discussion on Thursday 19th July. As per the purple leaflets from two weeks ago (version two at back) we will look at the past, present and future of the divergence between modern society and Catholicism concerning the beginning and dignity of human life. It will be led by Fr Hugh, Dr Michael Jarmulowicz (parish deacon-to-be) & Chris Hack (parish pastoral assistant)
ALL VIEWS WELCOME

We will consider why Pope John Paul II used the startling, rather provocative phrase “culture of death” to describe Western civilization.
See purple A5 leaflets, and come to Annexe on Thursday 19th.

posted by Sinead Reekie at 9:56 am

Monday, July 09, 2007
THE PARISH “FAMILY”
The idea of the family has always been an important one in our Christian faith. Jesus himself grew up in the loving care of a devoted family, there he learned to pray and learned the values of his parents. The Holy Family has been seen as an icon, or image, for all families and of the Trinity itself. From the Holy Trinity we learn that God is a divine communion of loving persons who calls us to share in a life of grace and mutual support.

The Church takes her identity from this communion and is herself a ‘holy family’ extending over the whole of the world. This weekend we are celebrating our parish feast day by holding a special family day at Willesden Sports Centre. This event marks both the importance of the families of our parish and also the sense that as a wider community we are also a family. This coincides with our novena of prayer for our family focussing on reverence for the lives of the unborn.

All that we do in our families, in our parish groups, amongst our Sunday congregations and in the wider community are inter-related. By the grace of God they feed into each other. We need each other. Through the Mass, Christ at the hear of our parish family, He fosters and feeds all our communities. The more we become aware of that the more he can build us up in joy and peace.

As our patron St Mary Magdalen can inspire us for she shared in the great mystery of living alongside the Son of God made man. Even though we live 2000 years later, we too are living with Jesus in our midst. He is at the very centre of our parish life in the Eucharist and also uniquely his image is in each one of us. By his grace we can know and love one another and by his Spirit we journey together with him to the Father. Each of us is called to have a special relationship with our Saviour and so to ‘carry each other’s burdens.’ (Gal 6;2)

May Our Lady, St Mary Magdalen and all the saints continue to pray for our parish and all families that we may share in the life of God.

posted by Sinead Reekie at 11:42 am

Wednesday, July 04, 2007
DAY FOR LIFE July 1st 2007: MIND THE GAP!
NOVENA: During the next nine days we are inviting parishioners to pray the Bishops’ short prayer for today’s “Day for Life” for the intentions of a deeper understanding of the past, present and future of the below cultural “gap”.
TALK: On Thursday 19th July at 7:30 pm we will have a talk & discussion of the past, present and future of the divergence between modern society and Catholicism. It will be led by Fr Hugh, Dr Michael Jarmulowicz (parish deacon-to-be) & Chris Hack (parish pastoral assistant)

THE PRESENT: CONCERNING THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN LIFE
YOU HAVE PROBABLY NOTICED THE FOLLOWING MASSIVE ‘GAP’ BETWEEN THE LEFT HAND SIDE COLUMN AND THE RIGHT HAND SIDE

The majority of British people seem to think that: The Catholic Church teaches, & always has:

A woman’s right not to bring her pregnancy to term can trump the unborn human’s right to life. It is never, ever right deliberately to kill an innocent member of the human species

Human embryos can be created purely for the harvesting of their cells for research into cures for debilitating disease New human life should only ever be created for its own good.

Infertile couples are entitled to create new human life in test tubes through IVF New human life should only ever be created in the womb of an accepting mother as a result of the marital act.

Sex outside marriage is fine Sex is exclusively for marriage and family

THE PAST: TWO POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS OF THE CAUSE OF THIS GAP

Catholic Church has been seriously mistaken, and modern world has become deeply enlightened about human life and love. The effects upon England of Original Sin, the 16th century’s Reformation’s denial of Christ’s bestowal of authority upon the Pope, and the 1960’s reduction of the meaning of sex, have been cultural ‘atomic explosions’ with massive fall out.

THE FUTURE: TWO POSSIBLE SCENARIOS

The family will continue to be redefined along secular lines. Catholic Church will continue to dwindle, with continuing loss of religious vocations, young people, parishes etc Catholic Church renews its and society’s understanding of the teachings about love which it has received and handed on from Christ.

WHICH FUTURE WILL BE HAPPIER? We need to know the answer because the future, and eternity, depends upon us, that is our response to God.

Pray about it this week and come to a talk on 19th July to discuss these issues.

“The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now lives who remember it.” Opening words of Lord of the Rings


MIND THE GAP! V.2


N.B. In the last few days alone:
 the British Medical Association voted to bring in ‘Abortion on demand’
 the maternity wing of Queen Charlotte’s hospital in Hammersmith turned away a desperately struggling 16-week premature baby because, as a spokesman put it “A baby born before 22 weeks is considered a miscarriage. The likelihood of the baby living is negligible and a maternity unit can distress the mother.” The baby did indeed die shortly after it was refused maternity care.
 It has been seriously discussed that Tony Blair might soon become a Catholic. He has consistently voted in favour of abortion.

Pray about these this week and discuss them on July 19th here.

posted by Sinead Reekie at 1:18 pm