Eucharistic Adoration: 2nd October 2009

Feast of St John Vianney

Eucharistic Adoration: 3rd July

This is the poster for our next "first Friday" Eucharistic Adoration in St Edward's Parish, Romford. The "side bar" of the poster is the new branding to mark the Year for Priests and the visit of the relics of St Therese of Lisieux. I am expecting the lives and writings of St John Vianney and St Therese to provide me with my themes and meditations for the coming year.

As you will see from the text I have written for the parish newsletter, I am going to be using a quotation from each of them for my meditations in July.

Our Adoration this month marks the start of a year in which we celebrate the Year for Priests and welcome to Britain the relics of St Therese of Lisieux. We will reflect on the words of St John Vianney - “The priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus” - and of St Therese of Lisieux - “To be nothing else than love, deep down in the heart of Mother Church”.

Celebrating the "Forty Hours" in an updated way

I gather, via the mediation of Fr Mildew's blog, that an article in the Catholic Herald makes an observation, not altogether in a proper context, to the effect that the Church in 1973 suggested that the practice of an annual extended period of Eucharistic Adoration needed to be "updated in its form". Fr Mildew puts this part of his post in speech marks, so I am assuming that it is quotation from the Catholic Herald article.

Now, I do think I am alright in thinking that the way things are organised for the Forty Hours Adoration in Romford does represent an "updating in its form", in the best sense of the word "updating". I think the participation of different parish groups at different times during the three days is something that would not have happened in the past, and it does make quite a difference to the event.

But, sadly, in many parishes "updating" has become "abolition".

Some more photos: Forty Hours on Saturday

Forty Hours

A couple of photographs from the first day of our Extended Days of Eucharistic Adoration.

At the end of the Mass of Exposition on Thursday evening:

At 5.30 am on Friday morning, towards the end of the over night adoration (I was not - quite - the only person present!):

Eucharistic Adoration April 2009

This afternoon and evening has seen our regular "first Friday" Eucharistic Adoration in the parish. It really is quite a privilege to get the glimpses into other people's spiritual lives that organising these events gives.

St Edward's Church is a town centre Church, literally a stone's throw from a bus stand. This stand acts as a terminus for some routes, and so the buses park up there while their drivers have breaks between runs. Today I met a driver who had dropped into the Church and spent some ten minutes of one of his meal breaks in Eucharistic Adoration. He has just started driving from the nearby bus garage, having previously lived and worked in south London ... where he used to regularly pop in to the Catholic Church in Lewisham. He spoke of such visits being very much part of his life.

And a young lady who I had not met before read one of the readings for our Stations of the Cross. Talking to her afterwards, she is a music student. One day she had gone along to hear a performance of a Hadyn Mass - not realising until she got there that she was not going to a concert performance, but to an actual celebration of Mass with the Haydn music. And that is what has led her to be receiving instruction ready for becoming a Catholic. It was, literally, the first time she had ever been to Stations of the Cross.

Forthcoming events

The first is our annual celebration of the Way of the Cross and Eucharistic Adoration with the uniformed organisations (Guides, Scouts et) of the parish.

And the second is our regular first Friday Eucharistic Adoration. In preparing the poster, I forgot that during Lent the Holy Hour is normally given over to praying the Stations of the Cross, so it might well be the case that that is what happens.

Eucharistic Adoration for February

I am becoming rather last minute as far as preparing the First Friday meditations is concerned. The poster was ready on schedule - have just finished the meditations for the Holy Hour. I still have to edit them for the Children's Adoration.

I haven't been able to resist my favourite piece from St Catherine of Siena. It appears very holy to be doing all this organising for the Adoration, but it does provide a tremendous opportunity for self-indulgence!

Christ the Bridge

I told you that I have made a bridge of the Word, my only-begotten Son, and such is the truth ….

I want you to look at the bridge of my only-begotten Son, and notice its greatness. Look! It stretches from heaven to earth, joining the earth of your humanity with the greatness of the Godhead. This is what I mean when I say it stretches from heaven to earth - through my union with humanity.

This was necessary if I wanted to remake the road that had been broken up, so that you might pass over the bitterness of the world and reach life. From earth alone I could not have made it great enough to cross the river and bring you to eternal life. …… Your nature had to be joined with the height of mine, the eternal Godhead, before it could make atonement for all of humanity. Then human nature could endure the suffering, and the divine nature, joined with that humanity, would accept my Son’s sacrifice on your behalf to release you from death and give you life.

So the height stooped to the earth of your humanity, bridging the chasm between us and rebuilding the road. And why should he have made of himself a roadway? So that you might in truth come to the same joy as the angels. But my Son’s having made of himself a bridge for you could not bring you to life unless you make your way along that bridge….

And how was heaven opened? With the key of his blood. So, you see, the bridge has walls and a roof of mercy. And the hostelry of holy Church is there to serve the bread of life and the blood, lest the journeying pilgrims, my creatures, grow weary and faint on the way. So has my love ordained that the blood and body of my only-begotten Son, wholly God and wholly human, be administered….

Those who follow this way are children of truth because they follow the truth. They pass through the gate of truth and find themselves in me. And I am one with the gate and the way that is my Son, eternal Truth, a sea of peace.

But those who do not keep to this way travel below through the river - a way not of stones but of water. And since there is no restraining the water, no one can cross through it without drowning.

PS: I was trying to use the writings of St Paul to give me my theme for this "first Friday", based on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Can you spot the slip on the poster?

Rallying for the family

Other bloggers (here and here) have reported the huge attendance (I am wary of the quoted figure of 1 million, but there certainly seems to have been a good turn out) at a celebration of Mass in the centre of Madrid on the Feast of the Holy Family. This celebration of Catholic faith about the family took place in the context of a secularising government that has legislated in ways that undermine the traditional idea of family and family life.

Here in Romford, our next first Friday (well, second Friday actually) Adoration will be dedicated to the theme of the Sixth World Meeting of Families, taking place in January in Mexico.

The Final Message of the Synod on the Word of God

For the season of Advent, I am preparing a series of four allocutios on the Final Message of the October Synod of Bishops for the Legion of Mary praesidium in the parish. Herewith, my notes for the first of these allocutios.

1. Introduction

Advent as “coming”: so we look forward to the coming of Jesus - forward (the second coming, so we are encouraged to be “awake”), backwards (the coming of Jesus as God-made-man at Bethlehem, that we will celebrate at Christmas).

“The Word of God” as advent: the phrase has a specific reference to the Scriptures, but this is not exclusive - it refers to Jesus Christ himself (typically in a phrase like “The Word made flesh”), and to any other way in which God speaks or communicates himself to mankind (perhaps typically in the word addressed to the prophets); it reaches back to creation (which can be seen as the first moment of God’s coming, advent).[1]

The Final Message of the Synod has sections devoted to Creation and Salvation History, the person of Jesus Christ, the Church, and (the longest section) the place of Scripture in the world today.

Methodology of the Final Message: rich in use of texts from the Scriptures to support a vision of the “Word of God” that is not limited to just the written word of the pages of the books of the Bible.

2. Vatican II: Dei Verbum

God, who through the Word creates all things (see John 1:3) and keeps them in existence, gives men an enduring witness to Himself in created realities (see Rom. 1:19-20). Planning to make known the way of heavenly salvation, He went further and from the start manifested Himself to our first parents. Then after their fall His promise of redemption aroused in them the hope of being saved (see Gen. 3:15) and from that time on He ceaselessly kept the human race in His care, to give eternal life to those who perseveringly do good in search of salvation (see Rom. 2:6-7). Then, at the time He had appointed He called Abraham in order to make of him a great nation (see Gen. 12:2). Through the patriarchs, and after them through Moses and the prophets, He taught this people to acknowledge Himself the one living and true God, provident father and just judge, and to wait for the Savior promised by Him, and in this manner prepared the way for the Gospel down through the centuries.

Then, after speaking in many and varied ways through the prophets, "now at last in these days God has spoken to us in His Son" (Heb. 1:1-2). For He sent His Son, the eternal Word, who enlightens all men, so that He might dwell among men and tell them of the innermost being of God (see John 1:1-18). Jesus Christ, therefore, the Word made flesh, was sent as "a man to men." (3) He "speaks the words of God" (John 3;34), and completes the work of salvation which His Father gave Him to do (see John 5:36; John 17:4). To see Jesus is to see His Father (John 14:9). For this reason Jesus perfected revelation by fulfilling it through his whole work of making Himself present and manifesting Himself: through His words and deeds, His signs and wonders, but especially through His death and glorious resurrection from the dead and final sending of the Spirit of truth. Moreover He confirmed with divine testimony what revelation proclaimed, that God is with us to free us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to life eternal.

3. The Final Message Section 1: “… our faith is not only centred on a book, but on a history of salvation ….”[2]

[In creation] a first "cosmic" revelation is found which makes creation similar to an immense page opened up before all of humanity, in which a message from the Creator can be read: "The heavens declare the glory of God, the vault of heaven proclaims his handiwork, day unto day makes known his message; night unto night hands on the knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their message goes out into all the earth" (Ps 19:2-5).[3]

The divine word is, however, also at the origin of human history. Man and woman, whom God created "in the image of himself" (Gn 1:27), and who bear within themselves the divine imprint, can enter into dialogue with their Creator or can wander far from him and reject him away by sinning. … The divine is therefore present in human events which, through the action of the Lord of history, are inserted in the greater plan of salvation for "everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth" (1 Tm 2:4).

Consequently, the effective, creative and salvific divine word is source of being and of history, of creation and redemption.[4]

The words of the Bible bear witness to the divine word, in a written form. So we are not surprised to see that the Bible gives an account of creation and the history of salvation, in the pages of what we know as the Old Testament.

POINTS TO NOTE:

1. How Catholics approach the Bible is very different than two other groups:

-evangelical Christians, who have less sense of philosophy and of the Church, restrict to a greater or lesser extent the understanding of the “Word of God” to the written words of the Bible

-Muslims would share an idea of creation as a manifestation of God, and so there is a preference for not representing created objects or persons in their religious art. Muslims view their Scriptures, the Koran, as the content of the revelation of God through the prophet Mohammed; they do not have a sense of it as a witness to an ongoing history of salvation.

2. We are unfolding the different ways in which the Bible, a written word, is a witness to a Living Word - and we have started by looking at it as witness to creation and to the history of salvation.

3. In proclaiming the Gospel, and then in catechesis, the idea of a history of salvation is important. We present to those we are evangelising a story - of God’s creation, and then of his intervention in that creation for the salvation of man, centred on the coming of Jesus Christ and his redemptive action.

[1] cf Final Message of the Synod n.3: “.. the word of God
precedes and goes beyond the Bible ..”
[2] Final Message of the Synod, n.3. Note that this is only a
partial citation. cf Vatican II Dei Verbum nn.3-4
[3] Final Message of the Synod, n.1.
[4] Final Message of the Synod, nn.2-3.

Christ the King

The texts that I intend referring to during my short catechesis before we celebrate Evening Prayer are the following.

Colossians 1:15-20

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities -- all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell,and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

51. What is the importance of affirming “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)?
The significance is that creation is the foundation of all God’s saving plans. It shows forth the almighty and wise love of God, and it is the first step toward the covenant of the one God with his people. It is the beginning of the history of salvation which culminates in Christ; and it is the first answer to our fundamental questions regarding our very origin and our destiny.

53. Why was the world created?
The world was created for the glory of God who wished to show forth and communicate his goodness, truth and beauty. The ultimate end of creation is that God, in Christ, might be “all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28) for his glory and for our happiness.

Eucharistic Adoration for December

Eucharistic Adoration Friday 5th December 2008: “God sent his Son, born of a woman”

During Advent the Church encourages us to look forward to the coming of Christ at Christmas. We will meditate on this theme once again using the writings of St Paul to help us. “When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman”.

Adoration will begin at 1 pm last until 9 pm. A list for adoration will be placed at the back of the Church nearer the time. Please sign up to spend some time with Jesus on this day, and show your love for His Eucharistic presence. WE NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE PERSON WATCHING AT ANY TIME.

Adoration for children and families 6.30 - 7.00 pm: we will continue with our learning about prayer and adoration.

Holy Hour 8.00 - 9.00 pm: This concludes the day’s adoration.

Eucharistic Adoration for November

Oops, nearly forgot to post the poster for tomorrow's time of Eucharistic Adoration in the parish!

PS. Adoration will also be on tour again to St Mary's Parish, in collaboration with the Knights of St Columba. The planned date is 11th December - more details nearer the time.

Eucharistic Adoration for November

First Friday becomes Second Friday

I was asked to move our normal time of Eucharistic Adoration from the first Friday to the second Friday this month. Poster below.

I am going to use meditations from St Paul, to accompany praying one each of the joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious mysteries. I think I will choose just two or three of the mysteries to use with the children's adoration. Time also for silent prayer between the mysteries.

Third joyful mystery: the birth of Our Lord

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

Fifth luminous mystery: the Institution of the Eucharist

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Fifth sorrowful mystery: the crucifixion and death of our Lord

Colossians 1:15-22

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities -- all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him.

Fifth glorious mystery: the ascension of Christ into heaven

Romans 8:28-30

We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Eucharistic Adoration: 5th September 2008

We have had a summer break from our "first Friday" times of Adoration in the parish. Our next afternoon/evening of Adoration has crept up on me a bit - it is due to take place this coming Friday.

For the Year of St Paul, the themes for each month will draw on the writings of St Paul. September is the month in which the Church particularly reflects on the meaning of the Cross, hence the theme for this month.

The poster above shows you my Year of St Paul branding.

Eucharistic Adoration in the parish

I took my "little Ark" along to Eucharistic Adoration this evening, so that I could show it to the children and explain what it was as part of one of the meditations. A couple of the photographs have come out quite well, so here they are.

First Friday: Eucharistic Adoration in the parish

Down from the dizzy heights of Statio Orbis to Statio Parochiis (well, it sounds good, even if the Latin - and the theology - may be wrong). I only seem to have saved the "invitation" version of the poster:

This Friday sees the last Adoration in our current series, marked by the three international celebrations taking place in the life of the Church this year: the 150th anniversary of the apparitions in Lourdes, the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec and the World Youth Day in Sydney. As you will see, the theme is that of the World Youth Day and I am preparing meditations on the sub-themes of the catecheses planned for the Tuesday-Thursday of the World Youth Day events: (1) Called to live in the Holy Spirit (2) The Holy Spirit, soul of the Church and (3) Sent out into the world: the Holy Spirit, the principal agent of mission.

From September - unless I am encouraged otherwise, I may not do Adoration in August - the branding will change to that of the Year of St Paul.

International Eucharistic Congress: excitement, excitement ...

Later this morning, I will start my journey to Quebec for the International Eucharistic Congress. This will mean a suspension in posting here until 24th June. If you want to follow the Congress during the week, http://www.ecdq.tv/ and http://www.saltandlighttv.org/ are promising coverage.

This is, in itself, exciting enough. But there has been a bit of added excitement ....

NEWS RELEASE: for immediate use

Catechist from Romford to read at Mass during International Eucharistic Congress

A member of St Edward the Confessor RC parish in Romford, Essex is scheduled to proclaim one of the Scripture readings at the closing Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec, Canada. Joseph Sowerby is the lead catechist for Eucharistic Adoration in St Edward’s parish, and organises monthly days of Adoration and an annual “Forty Hours” celebration in the parish.

Joseph said: “The concluding Mass Statio Orbis is the focus and high point of the whole Eucharistic Congress, a visible expression of the communion of the whole Church. To be asked to read at this Mass is a tremendous privilege. I feel as if I will be representing the Eucharistic devotion of my parish to the universal Church”.

The concluding Mass Statio Orbis will be celebrated on Sunday 22nd June 2008 at 11 am Canadian time (4 pm UK time). The Mass will be celebrated in the Plains of Abraham park in Quebec City. The principal celebrant is Josef Cardinal Tomko, the Pope’s representative to the Eucharistic Congress. Pope Benedict XVI will preach at the Mass via a satellite link from Rome.

Fr Julian Green, the National Delegate for England and Wales for the Eucharistic Congress, said: “The Eucharistic Congress calls us all to celebrate and to renew our faith in Jesus who is truly present as the Eucharist, gift of God for the life of the world. The participation of a delegation from England and Wales in the Congress should encourage Catholics throughout England and Wales in their Eucharistic devotion”.

END


Notes for editors:

The 49th International Eucharistic Congress is taking place in Quebec City, Canada, starting on Sunday 15th June 2008 and ending on Sunday 22nd June 2008.

The Congress website, which carries more details about the Congress, can be found at: www.cei2008.org