Reflections: 31ST SUNDAY OF YEAR B

Grumpy Old Man I’ve been having a bit of a rant this week about how difficult it has been to get hold of a poppy. In the end the nearest place I found a seller was at Tesco in Brent Park. So to help us support our current and former service personnel, I got our own box from the Royal British Legion in Queens Park. Practicing self-sacrifice and love for one another, especially those in need is a fundamental call of Christ—each individual should express their faith by carrying out works of charity. The Archbishop’s Growing in Faith campaign, as well as supporting priests, and our catechesis and redecoration, aims to expand the Diocese’s tradition of reaching out to the poor and needy. This is mainly achieved through the St John Southworth Fund but will be aided by the formation of a network called Caritas which will spread across parishes and link them to the wider community. The main aims of Caritas are to increase opportunities for volunteers, support parishes who wish to start their own project, ensure collaboration and communication amongst volunteers and expand the work of the fund in supporting needy individuals and parishes. Most of you will have now received information from the Diocese and our parish through the post because it is the Archbishop’s wish that everyone in the parish should be fully aware of what Growing in Faith is all about. If you would like to discuss it in more detail please speak to me or Deacon Michael or one of the volunteers at the back of the church. If you would like more time to discuss the campaign we would be happy to meet at your convenience. The success of this depends on us being in this together because only together will we grow and fulfil the mission of the Church. In our parish the Archbishop's vision has received incredible support from the prayers and generosity of many of our families and individuals. To date our total stands at £67, 300 from 14 donations which is an average pledge of almost £5000 over five years. I deeply appreciate your prayers and generosity and thank you on behalf of the Archbishop. While I fully understand that sum may be too much for everyone, we can at least buy a poppy to show our care for the needy. Fr Kevin