Happy Christmas!

Rosary window, St Joseph and Francis, Xavier, Richmond : The Nativity (Joyful Mysteries) 

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas!

It was a beautiful morning going over to Wensleydale to celebrate the Dawn and Day Mass at Ulshaw Bridge

Here is Fr Richard's homily (for Mass During the Night):

Christ reveals human dignity 

“God became man so that man might become God.” The famous words of St Athanasius which express the splendour of this Holy Night. It’s a statement that almost seems wrong! True, we can’t become the Holy Trinity; we cannot change from being a finite human being to being God who is infinite. But by God taking on human nature we’re able to share Divine nature; we are united to God. Christ is whom we call the Mediator between God and man. He humbles Himself to become one of us, in order that we may share His glory. This is the awesome reality we contemplate as we gaze upon the crib at the Son of God made man, the tiny child of Bethlehem.

From the manger, Christ the Light shines out in the darkness, we see the perfect image of God. And, too, we see the perfect man, the First born of all creation.

The Mystery of the Incarnation reveals to us that only in the Christ child do we discover the dignity of the human person – which is to share in the glory of God. Saint John Paul II taught that human nature, assumed by the Son of God, “has been raised in us…to a dignity beyond compare.” (Redemptor Homines, 8)

This year, people have been shaken. With the pandemic, humanity has been disorientated. But with the Solemnity of Christmas, human life is given a firm anchor who is Christ, who reveals our dignity to us as sons and daughters of God destined to partake in His glory. Of course, we take prudent measures to help protect ourselves and others from illness. But we must not become obsessed with a pandemic. We mustn’t fall into the trap of understanding and directing our lives by disease prevention. Only in God-made-man do we find the meaning and fulfilment of our lives. As the Second Vatican Council taught: “Only in the mystery of the Incarnation does the mystery of man take on light.” Only in Christ do we discover God’s plan for our salvation. As we heard in our second reading from St Paul to Titus, God’s grace has been revealed and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race.”

Tonight, we hear and take to heart the words of the Angel Gabriel to the Shepherds tonight: “Do not be afraid.” For in the Christ-child of Bethlehem we find the fulfilment of our life – the Saviour who will lead us to be like God.

4th Week of Advent/Christmas Newsletter

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An Advent Letter from Canon Michael

 

Advent Letter

“We long to see thee so”

These are the opening lines of an old hymn I used to sing every Advent at my infant school. It had a rousing chorus

“O Come O Come O come, Our Saviour dear to be

O Come O Come O come We have no king thee”

Yes, Advent is all about longing: the longing of the Jewish people for the Messiah as we read in the prophecies of Isaiah, the longing of Our Blessed Lady as she journeyed towards Bethlehem and the longing of the Church for the Second Coming of Christ which heralds the consummation of all the Gospel promises. We may like to add this Advent the longing of the end to the global pandemic and a return to being able to behave normally in our social interaction. There is a lot of longing.

Advent is not only a season of longing it is also a time of preparation. The figure of John the Baptist looms large over our Scripture readings. John encourages us to look into our hearts, to confess our sins and to experience a new beginning and an awareness of the closeness of the Messiah. It is no mistake of the Church to signify the beginning of the liturgical year with Advent. The key to the religious life, of living a life of faith, is the remembrance of the closeness of Christ. We will not wander into the wilderness of self-absorption, self-indulgence and all the other self-delusions that lead us into a wasted life if we know Christ is close to us.

If I have learnt one lesson during this year of pandemic it is to realise the gift of Time and Space. There is time to pray and the space to discover it. God often speaks to us in silence.

May we all discover during this time of Advent: the closeness of the Messiah, the need to share the longing of the prophets, to share the call to confess with John the Baptist, to share the excitement of the Blessed Virgin as she pondered the mysterious workings of God in her life and to look forward with blessed Hope in the second coming of Christ.

 

We long to see thee so

To see thee newly born

The sands of time run slow

We long for Christmas morn

1st Sunday of Advent: Vocations of vigilance

Fr Richard's words for today

Readings: Universalis: Mass

Vocations of vigilance

"Stay awake" is the message of this first day of Advent. We're reminded that we don't know when the Second Coming of Christ will take place. And so we must be always prepared and stay attentive as we await the Last Day. 

The Parable of the Vigilant Doorkeeper and Servants shows that God has provided a context of how He wishes us to "stay awake". The Lord calls each of us to a vocation  - a particular state of life which has its own "manner", if you like, by which we remain ready for the coming of Christ in glory, and therefore, for the final judgment. The parable outlines the responsibilities of we who are parts of the Body of Christ, the Church.

The house owner who goes abroad leaves his home in charge of servants, who each have their own task. Christ tells all his disciples to "stay awake" as they fulfil their missions. Scholars associate the doorkeeper with Holy Orders, and in particular, pastors. Priests, bishops and the Pope "guard" the door of the Church, and the members of Christ's faithful serving inside. They protect the Church from dangerous intrusions by the evil one and by things that threaten to distract the faithful, such as false doctrines. Pastors are also tasked with feeding and enriching Christ's servants. St Paul alludes to this mission in today's Second Reading from 1 Corinthians, where he thanks the teachers and preachers for their witness. Today, therefore, please pray for your priests (which I know that you do generously anyway). Pray that they may be good "doorkeepers" in protecting the Church, God's holy people.

To those who are married and have families: your "way" of staying awake is to continue to be loving and faithful to your spouses, to care for your children, and, critically, to hand on the Faith diligently to them. To be faithful and generous wives, husbands, mums and dads is to be God's true servants, going without sleep at all times (in some cases, in reality as well as spiritually!). 

Religious men and women "stay awake" by their dedication to a life of prayer as well as apostolic service. The consecrated single life is a vocation of remaining vigilant by a total uniting to Christ. 

And to those who've not yet discovered their vocation - "stay awake" by continuing to discern what God has called you to do. Allow the Lord to mould and shape you as a potter works on the clay, an image we hear in our first reading from Isaiah.

Whatever our vocation is, or wherever we are in our journey of determining it, we know we are given the gifts of the Spirit if we stay close to Christ and the Sacraments of His Church. These gifts of grace help and strengthen us to stand ready for the day of our liberation.

Advent is a golden time of allowing the Lord to renew and enrich us in the living of our "watchful" vocations. It's a wonderful season of quiet meditation on the mysteries of Christ. Take opportunities to go into "retreat" mode, even if only for a few minutes. Reflect on where we are in the living of our own vocation: What are the joys and blessings I want to thank God for? In what ways am I "being vigilant" in living my vocation? What are the areas I need to bring to the Lord for his healing and help?

May we live Advent as a season of deep reflection on our "vocations of vigilance". We make one of the intercessions to Jesus from last night's Vespers our own: "You will bring us wisdom, fresh understanding and new vision. Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay."

Resumption of public Masses and Newsletter

Public Mass will resume this coming Wednesday, December 2nd, when the ban on public worship is lifted. The Mass schedule will be as normal from then. We look forward to seeing you again!

Click here for this week's newsletter with all the details

Friday, Last Week of Ordinary Time: Heaven to earth

 

Fr Richard's reflection for today

Readings: Universalis: Mass

Heaven to earth

"I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband." (Ap 21:2)

St John's spectacular vision of the new Jerusalem descending to earth concludes today's reading from Apocalypse. This verse of Scripture is very timely as we await with great anticipation the return of public Mass next week.

What John sees is exactly what we witness at the Mass, for the Eucharist is the uniting of heaven and earth. The Mass is a foretaste of the heavenly Jerusalem. It's why we Christians who are on the journey to our heavenly homeland yearn for the Mass - because it's there that we participate already in the heavenly banquet. 

The new Jerusalem is described as a "bride all dressed for her husband". The holy city is the Church in heaven, just as we are parts of the Body of Christ, the Church, here on earth. The Catholic Church is the beautiful Bride of Christ, the Bridegroom. Yes, individuals within the Church can be great sinners and  even corruption can take hold in the governance of it. But in its mystical character, the Church is Jesus' Holy Bride and its the wedding Feast that we participate in when we pray the Mass.

Reflecting on this awesome reality of what the Mass is, may we grow in love of it and come to treasure it as the heart of our Faith and the means of our salvation. 

Thursday, Last Week of Ordinary Time: World is passing

Fr Richard's words for today

Readings: Universalis: Mass

World is passing

As we approach the end of the Church's year, the Scriptures turn our attention to the end of time - the Apocalypse. Indeed, the weekday readings at the moment are from the final book of the Bible bearing that name. 

Today, in the reading and Gospel, we hear prophecies of the demise of two place names - Babylon and Jerusalem. Scholars of the Book of the Apocalypse (or Revelation) think that "Babylon" may well actually refer to the earthly Jerusalem itself. In any case, prophecies of the destruction of cities come because of their inhabitants'' rejection of God's Covenant with His people.

The fall of cities in the Scriptures are signs of the coming of Christ again in glory, to judge the living and the dead. These coming events remind us that - ultimately - the earthly realm will come to an end.  While Our Lord created us for this world to sanctify it and continue His work of salvation, we as Christians are citizens of heaven. Thus, we need to stay awake and be prepared both for our particular and final judgment when Our Lord comes again on the clouds. 

Optional Memorial of Saint Catherine of Alexandria: Beauty and eloquence

 

Fr Richard's words for today

Readings: Universalis: Mass

Beauty and eloquence

Today we honour the wonderful St Catherine of Alexandria, one of my favourite saints. She is most popularly known because of the instrument of torture she was set to be martyred on: "the Catherine wheel". 

Born around 287 in Alexandria, Egypt, she was part of a noble family. She was, therefore, an impressive scholar, especially as Alexandria at the time was a centre of learning. At the age of 14, Catherine had a vision of Mary and the infant Jesus which transformed her life and moved her to become a Christian. Catherine was renowned for her beauty, heroic virtue and holiness. She was dedicated to Christ in virginity and chastity. All these virtues make her a very attractive saint for us to imitate. 

When the emperor Maxentius began persecuting Christians, Catherine confronted him and condemned his cruelty. The emperor summoned fifty orators and philosophers to debate her. But the highly intellectual Catherine was moved by the power of the Holy Spirit to speak eloquently in defence of her faith. In God's providence, the Gospel that falls on this day is Jesus talking precisely about what his disciples are to do when faced with persecution: "you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will able to resist or contradict." St Catherine's words were so moving that several of the pagans were converted to Christianity and were immediately executed. Catherine refused to renounce her faith and, after the "Catherine wheel" miraculously shattered when the virgin touched it, she was, in the end, beheaded.

Saint Catherine teaches us many things. Notice how, when Our Lord says "I will give you the words to say" when we are being persecuted, He doesn't say: "in that case, don't bother learning anything about the Faith." Saint Catherine's dedication to study reminds us that we do need to engage intellectually, to ask questions in our search for the Truth, and to be prepared to answer questions. Yes, the Lord will give us the words we need - but we need too to "do the groundwork" in order to cooperate with His help. As Catholics, we are people of both Faith AND Reason. Our Faith makes rational sense. We can ask Saint Catherine, the patroness of philosophers, to help us keep the resolutions we make to study our Faith.

Also, Saint Catherine's powerful witness unto the shedding of her blood poignantly makes us ask the difficult question: if it came to it, would we too give our lives rather than renounce our Faith in Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ?

Newsletter: 34th Week of Ordinary Time

 

Solemnity of Christ the King (National Youth Sunday): Engaging the Young

Fr Richard's homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King (National Youth Sunday)

Readings: Universalis: Mass

 Engaging the young

The American Bishop Robert Barron is a well known social media evangelist. He is the founder of the Word on Fire ministry, which produces weekly shows exploring the Catholic Faith. Bishop Barron often speaks about the "disaffiliated" - those who have abandoned their Faith - and how to bring them back into the fold. 

The auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles analyses recent surveys which indicate the "disaffiliated" are increasingly young people who explain the main reason they've stopped practising the Faith. They say it's because they never had their questions adequately answered - and therefore don't believe the doctrines of the Church. Whenever such polls are done in the United States, it's safe to assume the findings are similar in the United Kingdom. Bishop Barron's advice on how to engage these young people is to first begin with the aspect of the Church's life that does attract them - namely its teaching on Social Justice. 

That teaching is beautifully presented for us in today's Gospel - the parable of the Sheep and the Goats. Christ the King instructs us to see His regal face in the hungry, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner. To stretch out our hand to the needy is presented not just as a call but as a command, as necessary for salvation. The importance of works of justice resonates with young people. Therefore, Bishop Barron encourages us to use this social teaching as the point of engagement. He asks us to present to them the great examples of charity - like Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Saint Francis of Assisi. More importantly he encourages the Church to get young people involved in these works.

The hope is, that by drawing the young to something that attracts them, we can then present to them the fullness of the Faith, centred on the Person of Jesus Christ, who we adore today as King of Creation. By showing young people (and, indeed reminding ourselves) that Christ is to be recognised in the marginalised, the poor, and the vulnerable - prompting us to serve Him in them - they will then be drawn further into relationship with Our Saviour, receiving Him in the Sacraments.

Faced with the beauty and majesty of the Universal King, we pray that our young people may enter into the depths of His wisdom and that of His Bride, the Church. By our pastoral outreach, Christ can lead them to understand and follow faithfully the other teachings of the Church that they find difficult.

One thing is for sure, the Good Shepherd is constantly searching for the lost ones. As we hear the Lord say in the Prophet Ezekiel (today's First Reading): "I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong." May we assist Our Lord in encouraging the young to an encounter with Christ the Priest and King. We pray for the faithful young people of our parishes who are the witnesses each and every day to their peers of Christ's love. We give thanks to Almighty God for the gifts, talents and their example. We ask the Lord to bless them.

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Great Anticipation

 

Fr Richard's words for the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Readings: Universalis: Mass (Readings for the Memorial: bottom of page)

Great anticipation

By Tradition, Saints Joachim and Anne brought their spotless daughter Mary to the Temple to be consecrated to the Lord. The Presentation of Our Lady is the manifestation to the whole universe of she who would later bring forth to the world its Saviour. This joyful Feast, therefore, represents a great anticipation of Christmas and Epiphany, when Mary will give birth to her Son who will shine out as the Light to the Nations. As the Prophet Zechariah says to Jerusalem in the reading for this Memorial: "Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion; for I am coming to dwell in the middle of you - it is the Lord who speaks."

Yes, by the Immaculate Virgin, the "singular vessel of devotion", God becomes man and dwells among us. Therefore, we owe Mary great devotion as it is she who will lead us to her Son, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.