Fr Kieran posted these Powerful Words from Pope Leo XIV on the St Edmund Arrowsmith newsletter, which I felt were well worth sharing more publicly:
“Brothers, sisters…
I speak to you, especially to those who no longer believe, no longer hope, no longer pray, because they think God has left.
To those who are fed up with scandals, with misused power, with the silence of a Church that sometimes seems more like a palace than a home.
I, too, was angry with God.
I, too, saw good people die, children suffer, grandparents cry without medicine.
And yes...there were days when I prayed and only felt an echo.
- Day For Catechists – Formation & Reflection.
Are you a catechist looking for spiritual refreshment? No matter what kind of ministry you are serving, there is a good opportunity for you to refresh your vocation of being a catechist. On 27 September, the Day for Catechists will be organised from 10.00–16.00 at Carmelite Monastery L18 3NU. With the
facilitation of Sr Carino and Sr Hyacinthe from the Dominican Sister of St Joseph, there will be spiritual input and practical discussion on the mission of catechesis. If you’re interested, and for more information, please contact Moses atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Assisted Dying Bill:
The Third Reading and the final vote took place on Friday 13th June. Sadly, 314 MPs voted for the bill against 291 rejecting it - a majority of only 23. The bill now moves to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.
Pope Francis
Pope Francis gave us this invitation.... ‘let us persevere in our closeness and in prayer for the dear Ukrainian people who are experiencing immense cruelty’
A Prayer for Ukraine
Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.
We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.
We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.
May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.
Amen.
(From the CAFOD website. Link opens in new tab.)
World Day of Prayer for Peace.
The theme chosen by Pope Francis this year:
Forgive us our trespasses…grant us your peace
In a world hungry for revenge and where ‘sorry’ really does seem to be the hardest word, Pope Francis has boldly chosen ‘forgiveness’ as the central theme for World Peace Day 2025. This is in stark contrast to the calls for ‘revenge’ and ‘an eye for an eye’ that are currently played on repeat by our politicians and amplified by the media.
Do we really have the faith to believe that when we choose to forgive then God will grant us peace?
The Pope informs us that it is only from a genuine conversion on all levels - personal, local and international - that true peace will be
able to flourish.
Reflect:
In today's Gospel, Jesus encounters and heals ten lepers. Just one turns back to thank him for the gift of new life.
Pray:
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Lord God,
For the moon and stars which shine in the night sky, we thank you Lord.
For the beauty of the earth and all its creatures, we thank you Lord.
For the refreshing rain which falls watering the earth and quenching our thirst, we thank you Lord.
For the nourishing food we receive through your bounty, we thank you Lord.
For our friends who are always there to support us, we thank you Lord.
For our families who love us unconditionally, we thank you Lord.
For your son, Jesus Christ who came to live among us and redeemed us through his death and resurrection, we thank you Lord
For these and all your many gifts, given freely and generously until our lives overflow with your love,
we give you thanks, O Lord our God and Father
Act:
When I experience God's love, how do I respond? Do I take it for granted, or do I offer tanks and praise? How do I treat others who have shown me their love and generosity?
This week let us ensure that we express our thanks for all we receive through word and actions. Let us also be generous to others in the same way that God is generous to each of us.
Challenge
In the spirit of Laudato Si:
- Be generous! What can you spare to give to others? There are lots of opportunities to be generous offered to us each day, just act!
- It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the issues around us yet even just a small group of committed people can make a difference....you are not alone in your commitment to doing what you can to improve the lives of the poor and the needy. Have faith!
- Autumn may normally be a time for tidying the garden. This year why not leave areas of leaves and dead wood which will provide shelter for insects and animals over the winter months?
- Can you commit to having one meat free day per week? There are many plant based alternatives available in the shops.
Family Fast Day Friday October 3rd is a day when we are asked to "Live more simply so that others may simply live". We can do this by going without some luxury and donating the money saved to CAFOD to support its work helping our brothers and sisters overseas. Your generosity offers a ‘sign of hope’ in this jubilee year. Envelopes for you to place your donations will be available at the back of churches next weekend, 27th & 28th September, you can use these or donate online at cafod.org.uk/envelope. All envelopes MUST be put into the collection basket. Thank you as ever for your generosity.
CAFOD's Prayer for Peace in the Middle East (Opens in a new tab.)
CAFOD: Response in Gaza
Your donations to Gaza since the start of the conflict have been a vital lifeline. Right now, CAFOD's partner, Caritas Jerusalem, is delivering essential medical treatment to displaced people and providing medicines to treat chronic illnesses. We have helped 1,400
households with cash to buy supplies in the last month and we are currently feeding 2,000 people with new stocks of flour and rice. Despite the restrictions on aid coming into Gaza, CAFOD's local partners are working tirelessly to help people. And with your ongoing support, they will do all in their power to keep doing so. You can find out more about how you can make a difference in Gaza at
cafod.org.uk. Thank you for backing our work through holding collections for our Family Fast Day appeals and for continuing to pray for peace in the Middle East.