14/15TH JANUARY 2023
‘PEACE SUNDAY’
Dear Parishioners,
Today we are encouraged to pray and work for Peace in the World. The message from Pope Francis says: “No one can be saving alone …” He urges reflection on what lessons can be learned three years after the start of Covid-19 pandemic”. He writes: “What new paths should we follow to cast off the shackles of our old habits, to be better prepared to dare new things? What signs of life and hope can we see to help us move forward and try to make our world a better place”? He feels, “the greatest lesson we learned from Covid-19 is the realisation that we all need each other”.
We are invited to support the work of PAX Christi. This is a local and International movement involved in raising awareness of issues of injustice and trying to help alleviate the wrongs wherever possible. For the past two years, I’ve been on the Executive Committee of PAX Christi. We try to support the three-member staff at the Hendon Office as much as we can. Payment of the full time staff rely mainly on the second collections made in Churches today throughout the country. We have to work on a very tight budget. Your generosity will be very much appreciated.
In the scripture (Isaiah) tells of how God has sent a servant who will be ‘the light of
the nations, so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”. St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, reminds them and us that he is praying that we would have the grace and peace of Christ. In the Gospel, we see John the Baptist still at work. He said: “Look there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”. He reminds us of what we celebrated last Sunday – the Baptism of the Lord. The Holy Spirit came down on Jesus after he had come up out of the water of the river Jordan. The words from heaven were heard – “this is my Son, the Beloved, my favour rests on him”. And John gave witness too: “Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.
There should be no doubt but that Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Messiah and the Saviour of the world. When we renewed our Baptismal promises last week, this is what we declared. Jesus is the Paschal Lamb of the Christian Passover, who by his blood being shed, has redeemed the world – all of humanity. Jesus is the servant of God described in our first reading today.
So let us continue to follow closely that ministry of Jesus as he sets out from the Jordan river. Over the coming Sundays, we will hear of the arrest of John the Baptist; Jesus calling his disciples; the Sermon on the Mount (the Beatitudes); we are salt of the earth and light of the world; and the radical new commandments, to love your enemies’.
Hopefully all these messages will set us on our way to following the Lamb of God who takes away our sins.
Have a blessed week ahead.
Fr Joe
2nd SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
14/15TH JANUARY 2023
‘PEACE SUNDAY’
Dear Parishioners,
Today we are encouraged to pray and work for Peace in the World. The message from Pope Francis says: “No one can be saving alone …” He urges reflection on what lessons can be learned three years after the start of Covid-19 pandemic”. He writes: “What new paths should we follow to cast off the shackles of our old habits, to be better prepared to dare new things? What signs of life and hope can we see to help us move forward and try to make our world a better place”? He feels, “the greatest lesson we learned from Covid-19 is the realisation that we all need each other”.
We are invited to support the work of PAX Christi. This is a local and International movement involved in raising awareness of issues of injustice and trying to help alleviate the wrongs wherever possible. For the past two years, I’ve been on the Executive Committee of PAX Christi. We try to support the three-member staff at the Hendon Office as much as we can. Payment of the full time staff rely mainly on the second collections made in Churches today throughout the country. We have to work on a very tight budget. Your generosity will be very much appreciated.
In the scripture (Isaiah) tells of how God has sent a servant who will be ‘the light of
the nations, so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”. St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, reminds them and us that he is praying that we would have the grace and peace of Christ. In the Gospel, we see John the Baptist still at work. He said: “Look there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”. He reminds us of what we celebrated last Sunday – the Baptism of the Lord. The Holy Spirit came down on Jesus after he had come up out of the water of the river Jordan. The words from heaven were heard – “this is my Son, the Beloved, my favour rests on him”. And John gave witness too: “Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.
There should be no doubt but that Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Messiah and the Saviour of the world. When we renewed our Baptismal promises last week, this is what we declared. Jesus is the Paschal Lamb of the Christian Passover, who by his blood being shed, has redeemed the world – all of humanity. Jesus is the servant of God described in our first reading today.
So let us continue to follow closely that ministry of Jesus as he sets out from the Jordan river. Over the coming Sundays, we will hear of the arrest of John the Baptist; Jesus calling his disciples; the Sermon on the Mount (the Beatitudes); we are salt of the earth and light of the world; and the radical new commandments, to love your enemies’.
Hopefully all these messages will set us on our way to following the Lamb of God who takes away our sins.
Have a blessed week ahead.
Fr Joe
St. John Vianney Catholic Church - West Green 