Dear friends,
Our Father in heaven has ‘hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children‘: to become like little children, as Our Lord counsels us elsewhere in the Gospels, is, to my mind, to re-embrace three dimensions of infancy: a small child has always to look up, above itself – and our (hearts and) minds too must repeatedly be lifted back up to heaven; a small child is inquisitive about the world around us – and we too must re-approach our lives with an open mind; and a small child acknowledges its dependency upon others – something we forget, in favour of false self-sufficiency, as we grow older. By attending to matters spiritual; by cultivating an open heart and an open mind, and by rejoicing in our connectedness to others, may the Lord likewise reveal to us what He has hidden from the understanding of the worldly-wise.
A happy time was had last weekend, as we welcomed one new deacon and five new priests to the Fulham family of parishes, and as we also welcomed Fr Ben Eadon, from Walsingham, to our parish for Mass. Please pray for the final candidate for ordination this summer: Fr Antonio Joseph will be ordained a priest this Saturday, in Croydon – and I am looking forward the next evening to representing us at his First Mass.
Thank you for donations last month, in aid of Tariro UK, totalling £700 (+ Gift Aid): this month, we will be collecting on behalf of the diocesan Angola-London-Mozambique Association (ALMA), which, for nearly thirty years, has fostered friendships between parishes and schools in our nation’s capital with partners in Angola and Mozambique. Funds raised for the Association enable twinning visits; assist with the costs of theological education for ordinands in Africa, and contribute to the audit fees of our link dioceses, to ensure financial transparency. An ALMA’s Children fund pays for education in Niassa and Lebombo – and funding is also made available to train lay catechists, to serve the rapidly-growing congregations in these countries. Recent special projects have included building schools and churches; literacy projects, and the provision of both mosquito nets, and Bibles! Please give generously, using a Gift Aid envelope – as appropriate – and placing your donations into the basket in church.
After Mass this Sunday there will be a further (short!) and final planning meeting for the parish barbecue(on Saturday, 18 July). Tickets (£15/adult, £5/under-18) remain on sale from Nancee (payment in cash), or online – using this link: please add your name when you make payment online, so that a paper ticket can afterwards be allocated to you. Please also confirm to Pat what you can bring to the barbecue, by way of a side dish, salad or dessert.
Payment for the coach to Walsingham for the Pilgrimage for Healing and Renewal (on Bank Holiday Monday, 31 August) is also required, by 2 August, either in cash or using this link: the coach is now fully-booked, but seats are not secure until payment (£30/adult, £5/under-18) has been received. After 2 August, seats not paid for will be reallocated to those on the waiting list.
Please note that next week Monday – Thursday, the electrical supply to the church will be off-line at certain times, as our electrician carries out essential works. This may mean, sadly, that at these times the live-stream is also unavailable. Please also note that next week on Thursday (9 July) there will be no public Morning Prayer; and next week on Saturday (11 July) there will be no morning Mass.
I will bless your name for ever, my God and king,
Fr Richard