Welcome to our parish

^28th April  2024
Fifth Sunday of Easter Year B

©J.S. Paluch Co., Inc.

Whoever remains in me...bears fruit in plenty

Foodbank: This week’s much needed items are: biscuits, deodorant, tinned meat toothpaste , empty egg boxes for 12 eggs in particular. Thank you

Priest Training Fund There’s another opportunity this week with the second collection to support the Priest Training Fund. This fund pays for the priestly formation of men for the Catholic priesthood. Please be as generous as you can. Please also pray for vocations and for all our priests. Kindly put your donation or gift aid envelope (if you pay tax) in the second collection. Thank you

Confirmation Mass we pray for our teenagers who will be confirmed by Bishop Sherrington on Saturday 11th May at 12 noon

Parking restrictions Great news – it’s back to a single yellow line. Thank you to all who contacted the relevant authorities!

Thank you all for your generosity from:
The Columban Missionaries Fr Kevin McDonagh sends his thanks and gratitude for the donations received in his response to his appeal on behalf of the Columban Missionaries. We sent a total of £899.04 .CAFOD Thank you for giving to CAFOD’s Fast Day Appeal. Your generous donations, given in love, will support families around the world and help them with the resources to feed their families for good and keep them safe. You raised £878.85. Thank you and congratulations to our Confirmation group who raised £255 from their sponsored fast

Introduction to Christian MeditationYou are invited  to a new opportunity to learn and pray together with other Christians. The course starts at 7.30 pm this coming Tuesday, 7th May . For more information, please see the poster in the porch and/or contact Julia Mann: juliaskeen84@gmail.com

MEASURE OF SUCCESS

We are used to having to work hard to get results. We have to study if we want to pass our exams, train if we want to win the race and practise if we want to play an instrument. From our earliest days we have had it drummed into us that results are achieved only through effort.

With faith, though, things are not quite the same. True enough, we do have to act, to discipline ourselves, to train ourselves in the ways of prayer. If we simply sat back we wouldn't make very good Christians.

But today's Gospel about the vine and the branches is an Eastertide reminder to us that the basic thing required of all Christians is to be rooted in Christ, to be so attuned to his voice and presence that all our actions spring from his promptings through the Holy Spirit.

Any good that is achieved in the world comes about through God's action and grace. We are simply co-operators. We are not the vine itself, just the branches. And Jesus points out that we will keep ourselves fruitful if we are pruned. And we are pruned by listening to the word that he has spoken. So each of us has to consider how we are joined to Jesus through faith, prayer and keeping his word.

If each of us has to produce fruit, what is this fruit to be? Service? Action for justice? A life offered silently to God? Only God's word can tell you and me what is being asked particularly of us. But the most important thing is that we don't simply rush into action off our own bat, but that the fruits we bear should come from the Spirit and bear his seal. Our action should spring from prayer.

The success of the Church and of Christians is not measured by achievements but by the progress of those who interiorise Christ's Easter mystery, who make it their own and share in his cross and resurrection. Anything else is just window-dressing.