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Second Sunday of Advent

8th December 2019/0 Comments/in News, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Teilo's /by Haydn Blackey

Today’s Gospel Reading invites us to consider John the Baptist and his relationship to Jesus.

John the Baptist appears in the tradition of the great prophets of Israel, preaching repentance and reform to the people of Israel. In fact, the description of John found in this reading is reminiscent of the description of the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). In this reading, John directs a particularly pointed call to repentance to the Pharisees and Sadducees, parties within the Jewish community of the first century.

John marks the conversion of those who seek him out with a baptism of repentance. In this passage, John himself alludes to the difference between his baptism and the one yet to come: “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11).

In this reading, John makes very clear that his relationship to the Messiah yet to come (Jesus) is one of service and subservience: “. . . the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (Matthew 3:11). In the context of Matthew’s Gospel, today’s passage is followed by Jesus’ baptism by John, an event that is attested to in all four of the Gospels and appears to have been the start of Jesus’ public ministry.

John’s preaching of the coming of the Lord is a key theme of the Advent season. As John’s message prepared the way for Jesus in the first century, we, too, are called to prepare ourselves for Jesus’ coming. We respond to John’s message by our repentance and reform of our lives. We are also called to be prophets of Christ, who announce by our lives, as John did, the coming of the Lord.

May our Advent be filled with a patient waiting for the Lord to come in our hearts and lives.

First Sunday of Advent – Year of the Word

30th November 2019/0 Comments/in News, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Teilo's /by Haydn Blackey

Today we begin the Year of the Word: “The God who Speaks ”. As we begin the season of Advent, the start of the new liturgical year, the Church not only wishes to indicate the beginning of a period, but the beginning of a renewed commitment to the faith by all of us who follow Christ, the Lord. This time of prayer and personal development is so powerful, rich and intense; it endeavours to give us a renewed impetus to truly welcome the message of the One who was incarnated for us.

In fact, the entire Liturgy of the Advent season, will spur us to an awakening in our Christian life and will put us in a ‘vigilant’ disposition, to wait for Our Lord Jesus who is coming. During this year, Year A of the cycle of readings, the Church uses the Gospel of Matthew to draw us into the mystery of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

To support us in our engagement with St. Matthew’s Gospel, a pocket-sized New Revised Standard Version (NRSV – Catholic) version of the Gospel of Matthew has been specially produced and is available, one per family, for each of our parishioners.

Please take your copy and make use of it in the year ahead.

Padre Pio Mass, Prayers and Veneration of his Relic – Monday, November 11th

12th November 2019/0 Comments/in News, St Teilo's /by Haydn Blackey

On Monday, November 11th at 7pm, St Teilo’s hosted an evening of prayer and devotions to St Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio).

The Cappagh Padre Pio Prayer Group from Omagh, County Tyrone visited St. Teilo’s with its relic
of St. Padre Pio. The relic is a glove that covered Padre Pio stigmata.

Canon Isaac welcomed the group on their first visit with the relic outside of Ireland. Those who attended prayed the Padre Pio Novena prayers, rosary and venerated the Relic.

Proceeds from the event went to the Saint Padre Pio’s hospital in San Giovanni, Rotondo.

The Canonisation of St John Henry Newman

12th October 2019/0 Comments/in News /by Haydn Blackey

The Canonisation of St John Henry Newman will take place in St. Peter’s Square, Rome on Sunday the 13th of October at 10am (Rome Time) 9am BST.

It is a cause of great joy to English speaking Catholics throughout the world. The rich theology, spirituality and pastoral practice of the new Saint remains an inspiration down to our own day. It is not without reason that Newman has been called “Father of the Second Vatican Council”. The Oratories have produced a great website with information on St John Henry Newman including material from his writings.

You can watch the Canonisation live online or on Television via EWTN or Shalom World TV.

The Assumption of Our Lady

11th August 2019/0 Comments/in News, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Teilo's /by Haydn Blackey

Thursday, August 15th, is the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven and is
a Holyday of Obligation when all Catholics are obliged to do all in their power to attend Mass.

Masses for the Assumption take place at Our Lady of Lourdes at 7pm on Wednesday (Vigil
Mass) and at St. Teilo’s on Thursday at 10am and 7pm.

Corpus Christi

22nd June 2019/0 Comments/in News, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Teilo's /by Haydn Blackey

Today, we celebrate the solemn feast of Corpus Christi.

Corpus Christi is three feasts in one:

the feast of the Eucharistic sacrifice
the feast of the Sacrament of the Eucharist
the feast of the Real Presence of Jesus in this Sacrament

Corpus Christi is a feast established for three purposes:

to give God thanks for Christ’s abiding presence with us in the Eucharist and to honour Him there;
to instruct all the people of God in the Mystery, Faith and devotion surrounding the Eucharist;
to teach us to appreciate and make use of the great gift of the Holy Eucharist, both as a Sacrament and as a sacrifice.

This great feast celebrates one of the great truths of our faith: that Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, is really and fully present in the Blessed Sacrament. We Catholics acknowledge this truth each time we genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle as we arrive or leave the Church. We celebrate this truth each time we celebrate the Mass when the Lord changes bread and wine into Himself. We have the great blessing of being able to spend time in the presence of the Lord each time we come into the Church. As we celebrate this feast, why not spend a little extra time this week before the Blessed Sacrament in Church?

We will celebrate Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at the end of each Mass this weekend. At the 11.00am Mass this will include a solemn procession through the Church grounds (weather permitting).

Trinity Sunday

16th June 2019/0 Comments/in News, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Teilo's /by Haydn Blackey

Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday, which is officially called “The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity”.

The Solemnity is one of the few celebrations of the Church’s Year that commemorates a reality and doctrine rather than a person or event. On Trinity Sunday, we remember and honour the eternal God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Trinity is described as a “mystery.” By mystery the Church does not mean a riddle, but rather that the Trinity is a reality above our human comprehension that we may begin to grasp, but ultimately must know through worship, symbol, and faith. It has been said that mystery is not a wall to run up against, but an ocean in which to swim.

The Trinity is best described in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, commonly called the Nicene Creed which we recite each Sunday at Mass. On this Sunday, we are invited to reflect more deeply on this mystery at the heart of our faith.

Other News

Second Sunday of Advent8th December 2019 - 4:44 am
Today’s Gospel Reading invites us to consider John the Baptist and his relationship to Jesus. John the Baptist appears in the tradition of the great prophets of Israel, preaching repentance and reform to the people of Israel. In fact, the description of John found in this reading is reminiscent of the description of the prophet […]
First Sunday of Advent – Year of the Word30th November 2019 - 9:45 pm
Today we begin the Year of the Word: “The God who Speaks ”. As we begin the season of Advent, the start of the new liturgical year, the Church not only wishes to indicate the beginning of a period, but the beginning of a renewed commitment to the faith by all of us who follow Christ, the […]
Padre Pio Mass, Prayers and Veneration of his Relic – Monday, November 11th12th November 2019 - 7:31 am
On Monday, November 11th at 7pm, St Teilo’s hosted an evening of prayer and devotions to St Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio). The Cappagh Padre Pio Prayer Group from Omagh, County Tyrone visited St. Teilo’s with its relic of St. Padre Pio. The relic is a glove that covered Padre Pio stigmata. Canon Isaac welcomed […]
The Canonisation of St John Henry Newman12th October 2019 - 11:34 am
The Canonisation of St John Henry Newman will take place in St. Peter’s Square, Rome on Sunday the 13th of October at 10am (Rome Time) 9am BST. It is a cause of great joy to English speaking Catholics throughout the world. The rich theology, spirituality and pastoral practice of the new Saint remains an inspiration […]
The Assumption of Our Lady11th August 2019 - 3:18 am
Thursday, August 15th, is the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven and is a Holyday of Obligation when all Catholics are obliged to do all in their power to attend Mass. Masses for the Assumption take place at Our Lady of Lourdes at 7pm on Wednesday (Vigil Mass) and at St. Teilo’s […]