Sunday 14th CORPUS CHRISTI
Monday 15th Feria
Tuesday 16th St Richard of Chichester
Wednesday 17th Feria
Thursday 18th Feria
Friday 19th The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saturday 20th The Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sunday 21st Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Monday 15th Feria
Tuesday 16th St Richard of Chichester
Wednesday 17th Feria
Thursday 18th Feria
Friday 19th The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saturday 20th The Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sunday 21st Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) is the solemn commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist. It is, moreover, the Church's official act of homage and gratitude to Christ, who by instituting the Holy Eucharist gave to the Church her greatest treasure. Holy Thursday marks the anniversary of the institution, but the commemoration of the Lord's passion that very night suppresses the rejoicing proper to the occasion. Today's observance, therefore, emphasises the joyous aspect of Holy Thursday.
The Mass and the Office for the feast were edited or composed by St. Thomas Aquinas upon the request of Pope Urban IV in the year 1264. It is unquestionably a classic piece of liturgical work, wholly in accord with the best liturgical traditions … It is a perfect work of art.
In the words of St Thomas Aquinas:
"How inestimable a dignity, beloved brethren, divine bounty has bestowed upon us Christians from the treasury of its infinite goodness! For there neither is nor ever has been a people to whom the gods were so nigh as our Lord and God is nigh unto us.
Desirous that we be made partakers of his divinity, the only-begotten Son of God has taken to himself our nature so that having become man, he would be enabled to make men gods. Whatever he assumed of our nature he wrought unto our salvation. For on the altar of the Cross he sacrificed to the Father his own Body as victim for our reconciliation and shed his blood both for our ransom and for our regeneration. Moreover, in order that a remembrance of so great benefits may always be with us, he has left us his Body as food and his Blood as drink under appearances of bread and wine. "O banquet most precious! O banquet most admirable! O banquet overflowing with every spiritual delicacy! Can anything be more excellent than this feast, in which not the flesh of goats and heifers, as of old, but Christ the true God is given us for nourishment? What more wondrous than this holy sacrament! In it bread and wine are changed substantially, and under the appearance of a little bread and wine is had Christ Jesus, God and perfect Man. In this sacrament sins are purged away, virtues are increased, the soul is satiated with an abundance of every spiritual gift. No other sacrament is so beneficial. Since it was instituted unto the salvation of all, it is offered by Holy Church for the living and for the dead, that all may share in its treasures. My dearly beloved, is it not beyond human power to express the ineffable delicacy of this sacrament in which spiritual sweetness is tasted in its very source, in which is brought to mind the remembrance of that all-excelling charity which Christ showed in his sacred passion? Surely it was to impress more profoundly upon the hearts of the faithful the immensity of this charity that our loving Saviour instituted this sacrament at the last supper when, having celebrated the Passover with his disciples. He was about to leave the world and return to the Father. It was to serve as an unending remembrance of his passion, as the fulfilment of ancient types - this the greatest of his miracles. To those who sorrow over his departure he has given a unique solace."
Symbols:
The usual symbol for the Holy Eucharist is a chalice, with a host rising out of it. The chalice is shown with a hexagonal base, as a rule, symbolizing the Six Attributes of the Deity (power, wisdom, majesty, mercy, justice and love), and with a richly wrought stem of gold, studded with precious stones. The host is shown as the typical circular wafer, upon which may be imprinted the letters I. N. R. I., from which proceed rays of light, symbolical of the Real Presence, the substantial presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine.
Sunday Readings
First Reading: Deuteronomy: 8:2-3, 14-16
Moses said to the people: "Remember how for forty years now the Lord, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out whether or not it was your intention to keep his commandments. He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord. "Do not forget the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery; who guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its fiery serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in the desert with manna, a food unknown to your fathers."
Second Reading: Corinthians 10:16-17
Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is a participation in the blood of Christ. The bread that we break, is a participation in the body of Christ. Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
Gospel: John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." The Jews quarrelled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
St Richard of Chichester:
Bishop and leading figure in England during his era, he was also called Richard de Wyche. Born at Wyche, in Worcestershire, he was orphaned while a young lad, managed to regain his fortune which had been mismanaged by others, and received an excellent education at Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, Italy. At Oxford, he studied under the famous Robert Grossteste and became friends with St. Edmund Rich. He earned a doctorate in law from the University of Bologna. He was appointed chancellor of Oxford in 1235 and then chancellor to Edmund Rich, who by now was archbishop of Canterbury. After accompanying Edmund into retirement at the Cistercian abbey of Pontigny, France, he departed the community upon Edmund's death, taught at the Dominican house in Orkans, and was ordained there in 1243. Upon going home to England, he was named chancellor to Edmund's successor, St. Boniface of Savoy. When King Henry Ill appointed Ralph Neville to the see of Chichester in 1244, Boniface declared the nomination invalid and named Richard to the post, an act which caused an uproar in the kingdom. Finally, in 1245, Pope Innocent IV found in Richard's favour, but Richard was prevented from entering his palace by the machinations of Henry. Only after the king was threatened with excommunication was Richard able to take up his duties. He insisted upon strict adherence to discipline among the clergy, aided the poor, and fearlessly denounced the corruption and vices of the contemporary Church and the royal court. His death came at Dover, in a home for poor priests, while delivering a plea for a crusade. Richard was canonised in 1262, and his tomb became a popular shrine noted for its miracles until the Reformation in England.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus:
"I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment" (Jesus to St. Margaret Mary).
Sixteenth century Calvinism and seventeenth century Jansenism preached a distorted Christianity that substituted for God's love and sacrifice of his Son for all men the fearful idea that a whole section of humanity was inexorably damned. The Church always countered this view with the infinite love of our Saviour who died on the cross for all men. The institution of the feast of the Sacred Heart was soon to contribute to the creation among the faithful of a powerful current of devotion which since then has grown steadily stronger. The first Office and Mass of the Sacred Heart were composed by St. John Eudes, but the institution of the feast was a result of the appearances of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675. The celebration of the feast was extended to the general calendar of the Church by Pius IX in 1856.
The Church, in this month of June, giving us the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, wishes us to understand the consequential devotion to Our Lady traditionally lived in the Marian month par excellence: the month of May. The Heart of Jesus is the See and Throne of Divine Mercy, revealed to the world in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.
The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI speaking of the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus said: “In biblical language, "heart" indicates the centre of the person where his sentiments and intentions dwell. In the Heart of the Redeemer we adore God's love for humanity, his will for universal salvation, his infinite mercy. Practising devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ therefore means adoring that Heart which, after having loved us to the end, was pierced by a spear and from high on the Cross poured out blood and water, an inexhaustible source of new life” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 5 June 2005).
The call which comes from this important feast day is first of all a call to Eucharistic adoration, because in the Sacred Host the Lord Jesus is truly present and he offers each of us his Heart, his Merciful Love. To spend time in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord, to adore him, is the best expression of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which, as we know, spread all over the world thanks to Jesus' revelations to Saint Margherita M. Alacoque in the 17th century: “Behold the Heart which so loved mankind”!
As a prolongation and accomplishment of this message, the Lord appeared to another Sister in the 20th century revealing the depth of his unfathomable mercy; she was Saint Faustina Kowalska who wrote in her diary, now world famous, these words of Jesus: “I have opened my Heart as a living source of Mercy; from it all souls draw life, all approach with deep confidence this sea of Mercy. Sinners will obtain justification and the just will be strengthened in goodness. I will fill the souls of those who put their trust in my Mercy with my divine peace at the hour of their death. My daughter, continue to spread devotion to my Mercy; in doing so you will refresh my Heart which burns with the fire of compassion for sinners. Tell my priests that hardened sinners will be softened by their words if they speak of my boundless Mercy and of the compassion which my Heart feels for them. I will give priests who proclaim and exalt my Mercy wondrous power, unction to their words and I will move all the hearts to which they speak” (Book 5, 21 January 1938).
The deepest longing of Christ's Heart is that we discover how much he loves us, the extent of his tender love for creatures who, cooled by their selfishness, look only inwards at themselves, as if they were afraid to let themselves be loved unconditionally by their Creator, who asks nothing and gives all!
How society, culture, economics, politics today need this Heart! It is really true, the more man distances himself from God-Love the more he becomes 'heartless', agitated about a thousand things because he has mislaid the principal one: to let oneself be loved by Christ and to respond to this Love with our love.
Many times during history the Supreme Pontiffs have reminded humanity that without the Lord Jesus life has no real meaning, man gropes in the dark to find himself! John Paul II introduced the Church into the Third Millennium with a mandate to become “Apostles of Divine Mercy”. The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI picked up where his predecessor left off and never tires of reminding us of the necessity to rediscover the merciful Heart, this infinite Love of God, who reveals himself in our lives if we open to him. “Open, open wide the doors to Christ” the voice of the Holy Spirit continues to say. By means of Eucharistic adoration we are “opened” from within by his invisible working in us. The Most Holy Eucharist, celebrated and adored, as the Church teaches us, is the greatest and most effective treasure of our salvation, an infinite treasure which must be safeguarded with profound respect and deepest devotion.
Close to the Heart of the Son is the Heart of the Mother whom the Church celebrates the day after the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let it again be the Holy Father who illuminates us with regard to this mystery: “The heart that resembles that of Christ more than any other is without a doubt the Heart of Mary, his Immaculate Mother, and for this very reason the liturgy holds them up together for our veneration. Responding to the Virgin's invitation at Fatima, let us entrust the whole world to her Immaculate Heart, which we contemplated yesterday in a special way, so that it may experience the merciful love of God and know true peace” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 5 June 2005).
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
In the midst of the Second World War Pope Pius XII put the whole world under the special protection of our Saviour's Mother by consecrating it to her Immaculate Heart, and in 1944 he decreed that in the future the whole Church should celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is not a new devotion. In the seventeenth century, St. John Eudes preached it together with that of the Sacred Heart; in the nineteenth century, Pius VII and Pius IX allowed several churches to celebrate a feast of the Pure Heart of Mary. Pius XII instituted today's feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the whole Church, so as to obtain by her intercession "peace among nations, freedom for the Church, the conversion of sinners, the love of purity and the practice of virtue" (Decree of May 4, 1944).
The growth of devotion: The attention of Christians was early attracted by the love and virtues of the Heart of Mary. The Gospel itself invited this attention with exquisite discretion and delicacy. What was first excited was compassion for the Virgin Mother. It was, so to speak, at the foot of the Cross that the Christian heart first made the acquaintance of the Heart of Mary. Simeon's prophecy paved the way and furnished the devotion with one of its favourite formulae and most popular representations: the heart pierced with a sword. But Mary was not merely passive at the foot of the Cross; "she cooperated through charity", as St. Augustine says, "in the work of our redemption". It is only in the twelfth, or towards the end of the eleventh century, that slight indications of a regular devotion are perceived in a sermon by St. Bernard (De duodecim stellis). Stronger evidence is discernible in the pious meditations on the Ave Maria and the Salve Regina, usually attributed either to St. Anselm of Lucca (d. 1080) or St. Bernard; and also in the large book De laudibus B. Mariae Virginis (Douai, 1625) by Richard de Saint-Laurent.
In St. Mechtilde (d. 1298) and St. Gertrude (d. 1302) the devotion had two earnest adherents. A little earlier it had been included by St. Thomas Becket in the devotion to the joys and sorrows of Mary, by Blessed Hermann (d.1245), one of the first spiritual children of St. Dominic, in his other devotions to Mary, and somewhat later it appeared in St. Bridget's Book of Revelations.
St. Ambrose perceived in her the model of a virginal soul. St. Bernardine of Siena (d.1444) was more absorbed in the contemplation of the virginal heart, and it is from him that the Church has borrowed the lessons of the Second Nocturnfor the feast of the Heart of Mary. St. Francis de Sales speaks of the perfections of this heart, the model of love for God, and dedicated to it his Theotimus.
In the second half of the sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth, ascetic authors dwelt upon this devotion at greater length. It was, however, reserved to St. Jean Eudes (d. 1681) to propagate the devotion, to make it public, and to have a feast celebrated in honour of the Heart of Mary, first at Autun in 1648 and afterwards in a number of French dioceses.
In 1799 Pius VI, then in captivity at Florence, granted the Bishop of Palermo the feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary for some of the churches in his diocese. In 1805 Pius VII made a new concession, thanks to which the feast was soon widely observed. Such was the existing condition when a twofold movement, started in Paris, gave fresh impetus to the devotion. The two factors of this movement were first of all the revelation of the "miraculous medal" in 1830 and all the prodigies that followed, and then the establishment at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, which spread rapidly throughout the world and was the source of numberless graces. On 21 July 1855, the Congregation of Rites finally approved the Office and Mass of the Most Pure Heart of Mary without, however, imposing them upon the Universal Church.
Reopening of churches – statement from Cardinal Nichols:
I am grateful to the Prime Minister for his decision that our churches may now open again for individual prayer. I thank the Secretary of State for Communities, Mr Robert Jenrick and the Minister of State, Lord Stephen Greenhalgh, for their leadership of the Task Force which helped bring about this important step.
This is a first, measured step in restoring the more normal practice of our faith and will be welcomed by so many, who have waited with great patience since 23 March when our churches were closed, by Government decision, as part of the fight against this pandemic.
I thank everyone for that patience. It is important that every care is taken to ensure that the Guidance given for this limited opening is fully observed, not least by those entering our churches. Our preparation is taking place with thoroughness. Visiting a church for individual prayer, benefiting from the sacredness of that space, can be done safely and confidently.
Not every Catholic Church will be open on 15 June. Local decisions and provision have to lead this process. But it is a great blessing, for individuals and for the benefit of all in society, that church doors will again be open to all who long to pray there for the peace and grace we need today.
This first step enables us to learn and prepare for those that will take us to a fuller use of our churches, for the celebration of Mass and other sacraments. We await that time with deep longing but patient understanding that the protection of the health of our society, especially of the most vulnerable, is a proper cause for caution and care.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols(President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales)
The pattern which seems to be emerging is that only a few designated churches will be allowed to open initially. The Church authorities are being extra careful that, in the event of a second spike in the number of cases, the Church will not be seen as being partially responsible. Prayerful patience is needed at this time.
Mass online:
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference website gives a useful link with easy access to churches with live streaming of Mass. You can search to find churches nearest you or look further afield in different dioceses:
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/our-work/health-social-care/coronavirus-guidelines/online-mass-directory/
Masses attended
Parishioners have “attended Mass” as follows:
Do you have any more to add to this list?
Praying together:
Sheila Breed reports that along with Terry and Bridget, they have regular telephone prayer meeting lasting some 20-30 minutes. They have variously shared the Angelus, a decade of the Rosary, the Trinity Sunday readings and bidding prayers. Are there any other impromptu gatherings taking place in the parish?
Bidding Prayers:
You will remember that, at the end of the Bidding Prayers each Sunday, the reader asks, “Does anyone have any other intentions?” Most weeks this question is followed by silence, but occasionally one of the congregation will make a contribution. I think that some people must feel a little daunted at the prospect of speaking up in front of everyone else, but now we can change all that. If you have a prayer intention, no matter how “trivial” it might seem, please do not hesitate to let me know and I shall include it in next week’s newsletter. This can be personalised or anonymous, as you wish.
This week’s prayer intentions include:
Let us all pray a hymn together:
If we all were to read (or sing) the parish “favourite of the week” what a great way it would be of reminding us of the community to which we belong. Some parishioners will remember the Rosary Crusade of Fr Patrick Peyton in the 1950s. He popularised the saying: “A family that prays together stays together”. We could easily adapt this to read: “A parish that prays together stays together”. Let’s give it a try.
Thank you to Bridget O’Dwyer who suggested that “O bread of Heaven”would be an appropriate hymn on the feast of Corpus Christi.
O bread of heaven, beneath this veil
thou dost my very God conceal;
my Jesus, dearest treasure, hail;
I love thee and adoring kneel;
each loving soul by thee is fed
with thine own self in form of bread.
O food of life, thou who dost give
the pledge of immortality;
I live; no, ‘tis not I that live;
God gives me life, God lives in me:
he feeds my soul, he guides my ways,
and every grief with joy repays.
O bond of love, that dost unite
the servant to his living Lord;
could I dare live, and not requite
such love then death were meet reward:
I cannot live unless to prove
some love for such unmeasured love.
Belovèd Lord in heaven above,
there, Jesus, thou awaitest me;
to gaze on thee with changeless love,
yes, thus I hope, thus shall it be:
for how can he deny me heaven
who here on earth himself hath given?
What is your favourite hymn?Let us know and we shall publish it in the next newsletter.
Sick List: Please continue to pray for the following members of our parish: Bernard Moyers, Patrick Hodgson, Tod Smith, Angela Doyle, Ida De Melo, Maurice Nixon, Eva Shirreffs, Stefania Stasior, Irene Pallot, Muriel Barfield.
Anniversaries:
Let us remember in our prayers those whose anniversaries occur in the coming week:
Youth Group Quiz:
The Youth Group held the second round of their Fancy Dress Quiz over Zoom. There are some lovely photos on the parish website (https://www.saintgregorysileby.org/youth-group-quiz.html)
Good news:
Sheila and Terry report that, thanks to Face Time and wonders of modern technology, they have seen the first three steps taken by their eighteen-month-old great-grandson in New Zealand as well as hearing him say “Grandma” for the first time.
Soup and Cake Lady:
Before lockdown, Rosemary McKee regularly supplied parishioners with soup and her cake-making prowess was also well known. The current situation has not prevented her from continuing her good work as seven parishioners in Sileby and three in Barrow continue to receive soup and cake each week, kindly delivered by Pam Looi and Simon Grant. What a star!
Newsletter typos (but not this newsletter!):
The following announcements apparently appeared in newsletters from around the world:
Hugh Jinks turns 9 on Friday 19th June. Happy Birthday from Mum, Dad, Isaac and all the parish.
QUIZ
Items on or near the altar:
What are these items that can be found on or near the altar (the number of letters is given in brackets):
Most are easy, but there are a couple of more tricky ones.
Answers below – no cheating!
1. A vessel similar to the chalice, closed with a lid, in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. (8)
2. A kind of transparent tabernacle used for exposing the Blessed Sacrament during Benediction. (10)
3. A golden plate upon which the host is placed. (5)
4. A square piece of linen placed on the altar cloth and upon which the host rests from the Offertory until the priest’s communion. (8)
5. A square piece of linen with which the top of the chalice is covered. (4)
6. The outer ornate garment which the priest wears during Mass. (8)
7. A vestment which the priest passes around his neck and crosses over his breast. (5)
8. A white cord tied around the priest’s waist. (6)
9. A large white linen garment which reaches to the feet. (3)
10. A small container in which the Blessed Sacrament is kept when visiting the sick and housebound. (3)
11. A censer in which incense is burnt on solemn occasions. (8)
12. A small table to one side of the altar where the water and wine are kept is known as the “******** table”. (8)
13. The hooked staff carried by a bishop. (7)
14. The tall headdress worn by a bishop. (5)
15. A square, black cap with three flat projections on top worn by clergymen. (7)
16. Another term for a cotta (8)
17. A full-length garment, usually black or red, worn by altar servers. (7)
18. The name/role of the altar server who leads the procession onto the altar carrying a brass candlestick. This term is sometimes erroneously given to the candlestick itself. (7)
19. A church bench. (3)
20. A cushion for kneeling on in church. (7)
21. A candle holder that is attached to the wall by an ornamental bracket. (6)
22. A glass container that holds water and wine. (5)
23. A basin for holy water attached to the wall near the door of the church. (5)
Answers:
1. ciborium
2. monstrance
3. paten
4. corporal
5. pall
6. chasuble
7. stole
8. girdle
9. alb
10. pyx
11. thurible
12. credence
13. crozier
14. mitre
15. biretta
16. surplice
17. cassock
18. acolyte
19. pew
20. hassock
21. sconce
22. cruet
23. stoup
Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) is the solemn commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist. It is, moreover, the Church's official act of homage and gratitude to Christ, who by instituting the Holy Eucharist gave to the Church her greatest treasure. Holy Thursday marks the anniversary of the institution, but the commemoration of the Lord's passion that very night suppresses the rejoicing proper to the occasion. Today's observance, therefore, emphasises the joyous aspect of Holy Thursday.
The Mass and the Office for the feast were edited or composed by St. Thomas Aquinas upon the request of Pope Urban IV in the year 1264. It is unquestionably a classic piece of liturgical work, wholly in accord with the best liturgical traditions … It is a perfect work of art.
In the words of St Thomas Aquinas:
"How inestimable a dignity, beloved brethren, divine bounty has bestowed upon us Christians from the treasury of its infinite goodness! For there neither is nor ever has been a people to whom the gods were so nigh as our Lord and God is nigh unto us.
Desirous that we be made partakers of his divinity, the only-begotten Son of God has taken to himself our nature so that having become man, he would be enabled to make men gods. Whatever he assumed of our nature he wrought unto our salvation. For on the altar of the Cross he sacrificed to the Father his own Body as victim for our reconciliation and shed his blood both for our ransom and for our regeneration. Moreover, in order that a remembrance of so great benefits may always be with us, he has left us his Body as food and his Blood as drink under appearances of bread and wine. "O banquet most precious! O banquet most admirable! O banquet overflowing with every spiritual delicacy! Can anything be more excellent than this feast, in which not the flesh of goats and heifers, as of old, but Christ the true God is given us for nourishment? What more wondrous than this holy sacrament! In it bread and wine are changed substantially, and under the appearance of a little bread and wine is had Christ Jesus, God and perfect Man. In this sacrament sins are purged away, virtues are increased, the soul is satiated with an abundance of every spiritual gift. No other sacrament is so beneficial. Since it was instituted unto the salvation of all, it is offered by Holy Church for the living and for the dead, that all may share in its treasures. My dearly beloved, is it not beyond human power to express the ineffable delicacy of this sacrament in which spiritual sweetness is tasted in its very source, in which is brought to mind the remembrance of that all-excelling charity which Christ showed in his sacred passion? Surely it was to impress more profoundly upon the hearts of the faithful the immensity of this charity that our loving Saviour instituted this sacrament at the last supper when, having celebrated the Passover with his disciples. He was about to leave the world and return to the Father. It was to serve as an unending remembrance of his passion, as the fulfilment of ancient types - this the greatest of his miracles. To those who sorrow over his departure he has given a unique solace."
Symbols:
The usual symbol for the Holy Eucharist is a chalice, with a host rising out of it. The chalice is shown with a hexagonal base, as a rule, symbolizing the Six Attributes of the Deity (power, wisdom, majesty, mercy, justice and love), and with a richly wrought stem of gold, studded with precious stones. The host is shown as the typical circular wafer, upon which may be imprinted the letters I. N. R. I., from which proceed rays of light, symbolical of the Real Presence, the substantial presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine.
Sunday Readings
First Reading: Deuteronomy: 8:2-3, 14-16
Moses said to the people: "Remember how for forty years now the Lord, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out whether or not it was your intention to keep his commandments. He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord. "Do not forget the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery; who guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its fiery serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in the desert with manna, a food unknown to your fathers."
Second Reading: Corinthians 10:16-17
Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is a participation in the blood of Christ. The bread that we break, is a participation in the body of Christ. Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
Gospel: John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." The Jews quarrelled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
St Richard of Chichester:
Bishop and leading figure in England during his era, he was also called Richard de Wyche. Born at Wyche, in Worcestershire, he was orphaned while a young lad, managed to regain his fortune which had been mismanaged by others, and received an excellent education at Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, Italy. At Oxford, he studied under the famous Robert Grossteste and became friends with St. Edmund Rich. He earned a doctorate in law from the University of Bologna. He was appointed chancellor of Oxford in 1235 and then chancellor to Edmund Rich, who by now was archbishop of Canterbury. After accompanying Edmund into retirement at the Cistercian abbey of Pontigny, France, he departed the community upon Edmund's death, taught at the Dominican house in Orkans, and was ordained there in 1243. Upon going home to England, he was named chancellor to Edmund's successor, St. Boniface of Savoy. When King Henry Ill appointed Ralph Neville to the see of Chichester in 1244, Boniface declared the nomination invalid and named Richard to the post, an act which caused an uproar in the kingdom. Finally, in 1245, Pope Innocent IV found in Richard's favour, but Richard was prevented from entering his palace by the machinations of Henry. Only after the king was threatened with excommunication was Richard able to take up his duties. He insisted upon strict adherence to discipline among the clergy, aided the poor, and fearlessly denounced the corruption and vices of the contemporary Church and the royal court. His death came at Dover, in a home for poor priests, while delivering a plea for a crusade. Richard was canonised in 1262, and his tomb became a popular shrine noted for its miracles until the Reformation in England.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus:
"I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment" (Jesus to St. Margaret Mary).
Sixteenth century Calvinism and seventeenth century Jansenism preached a distorted Christianity that substituted for God's love and sacrifice of his Son for all men the fearful idea that a whole section of humanity was inexorably damned. The Church always countered this view with the infinite love of our Saviour who died on the cross for all men. The institution of the feast of the Sacred Heart was soon to contribute to the creation among the faithful of a powerful current of devotion which since then has grown steadily stronger. The first Office and Mass of the Sacred Heart were composed by St. John Eudes, but the institution of the feast was a result of the appearances of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675. The celebration of the feast was extended to the general calendar of the Church by Pius IX in 1856.
The Church, in this month of June, giving us the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, wishes us to understand the consequential devotion to Our Lady traditionally lived in the Marian month par excellence: the month of May. The Heart of Jesus is the See and Throne of Divine Mercy, revealed to the world in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.
The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI speaking of the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus said: “In biblical language, "heart" indicates the centre of the person where his sentiments and intentions dwell. In the Heart of the Redeemer we adore God's love for humanity, his will for universal salvation, his infinite mercy. Practising devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ therefore means adoring that Heart which, after having loved us to the end, was pierced by a spear and from high on the Cross poured out blood and water, an inexhaustible source of new life” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 5 June 2005).
The call which comes from this important feast day is first of all a call to Eucharistic adoration, because in the Sacred Host the Lord Jesus is truly present and he offers each of us his Heart, his Merciful Love. To spend time in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord, to adore him, is the best expression of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which, as we know, spread all over the world thanks to Jesus' revelations to Saint Margherita M. Alacoque in the 17th century: “Behold the Heart which so loved mankind”!
As a prolongation and accomplishment of this message, the Lord appeared to another Sister in the 20th century revealing the depth of his unfathomable mercy; she was Saint Faustina Kowalska who wrote in her diary, now world famous, these words of Jesus: “I have opened my Heart as a living source of Mercy; from it all souls draw life, all approach with deep confidence this sea of Mercy. Sinners will obtain justification and the just will be strengthened in goodness. I will fill the souls of those who put their trust in my Mercy with my divine peace at the hour of their death. My daughter, continue to spread devotion to my Mercy; in doing so you will refresh my Heart which burns with the fire of compassion for sinners. Tell my priests that hardened sinners will be softened by their words if they speak of my boundless Mercy and of the compassion which my Heart feels for them. I will give priests who proclaim and exalt my Mercy wondrous power, unction to their words and I will move all the hearts to which they speak” (Book 5, 21 January 1938).
The deepest longing of Christ's Heart is that we discover how much he loves us, the extent of his tender love for creatures who, cooled by their selfishness, look only inwards at themselves, as if they were afraid to let themselves be loved unconditionally by their Creator, who asks nothing and gives all!
How society, culture, economics, politics today need this Heart! It is really true, the more man distances himself from God-Love the more he becomes 'heartless', agitated about a thousand things because he has mislaid the principal one: to let oneself be loved by Christ and to respond to this Love with our love.
Many times during history the Supreme Pontiffs have reminded humanity that without the Lord Jesus life has no real meaning, man gropes in the dark to find himself! John Paul II introduced the Church into the Third Millennium with a mandate to become “Apostles of Divine Mercy”. The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI picked up where his predecessor left off and never tires of reminding us of the necessity to rediscover the merciful Heart, this infinite Love of God, who reveals himself in our lives if we open to him. “Open, open wide the doors to Christ” the voice of the Holy Spirit continues to say. By means of Eucharistic adoration we are “opened” from within by his invisible working in us. The Most Holy Eucharist, celebrated and adored, as the Church teaches us, is the greatest and most effective treasure of our salvation, an infinite treasure which must be safeguarded with profound respect and deepest devotion.
Close to the Heart of the Son is the Heart of the Mother whom the Church celebrates the day after the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let it again be the Holy Father who illuminates us with regard to this mystery: “The heart that resembles that of Christ more than any other is without a doubt the Heart of Mary, his Immaculate Mother, and for this very reason the liturgy holds them up together for our veneration. Responding to the Virgin's invitation at Fatima, let us entrust the whole world to her Immaculate Heart, which we contemplated yesterday in a special way, so that it may experience the merciful love of God and know true peace” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 5 June 2005).
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
In the midst of the Second World War Pope Pius XII put the whole world under the special protection of our Saviour's Mother by consecrating it to her Immaculate Heart, and in 1944 he decreed that in the future the whole Church should celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is not a new devotion. In the seventeenth century, St. John Eudes preached it together with that of the Sacred Heart; in the nineteenth century, Pius VII and Pius IX allowed several churches to celebrate a feast of the Pure Heart of Mary. Pius XII instituted today's feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the whole Church, so as to obtain by her intercession "peace among nations, freedom for the Church, the conversion of sinners, the love of purity and the practice of virtue" (Decree of May 4, 1944).
The growth of devotion: The attention of Christians was early attracted by the love and virtues of the Heart of Mary. The Gospel itself invited this attention with exquisite discretion and delicacy. What was first excited was compassion for the Virgin Mother. It was, so to speak, at the foot of the Cross that the Christian heart first made the acquaintance of the Heart of Mary. Simeon's prophecy paved the way and furnished the devotion with one of its favourite formulae and most popular representations: the heart pierced with a sword. But Mary was not merely passive at the foot of the Cross; "she cooperated through charity", as St. Augustine says, "in the work of our redemption". It is only in the twelfth, or towards the end of the eleventh century, that slight indications of a regular devotion are perceived in a sermon by St. Bernard (De duodecim stellis). Stronger evidence is discernible in the pious meditations on the Ave Maria and the Salve Regina, usually attributed either to St. Anselm of Lucca (d. 1080) or St. Bernard; and also in the large book De laudibus B. Mariae Virginis (Douai, 1625) by Richard de Saint-Laurent.
In St. Mechtilde (d. 1298) and St. Gertrude (d. 1302) the devotion had two earnest adherents. A little earlier it had been included by St. Thomas Becket in the devotion to the joys and sorrows of Mary, by Blessed Hermann (d.1245), one of the first spiritual children of St. Dominic, in his other devotions to Mary, and somewhat later it appeared in St. Bridget's Book of Revelations.
St. Ambrose perceived in her the model of a virginal soul. St. Bernardine of Siena (d.1444) was more absorbed in the contemplation of the virginal heart, and it is from him that the Church has borrowed the lessons of the Second Nocturnfor the feast of the Heart of Mary. St. Francis de Sales speaks of the perfections of this heart, the model of love for God, and dedicated to it his Theotimus.
In the second half of the sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth, ascetic authors dwelt upon this devotion at greater length. It was, however, reserved to St. Jean Eudes (d. 1681) to propagate the devotion, to make it public, and to have a feast celebrated in honour of the Heart of Mary, first at Autun in 1648 and afterwards in a number of French dioceses.
In 1799 Pius VI, then in captivity at Florence, granted the Bishop of Palermo the feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary for some of the churches in his diocese. In 1805 Pius VII made a new concession, thanks to which the feast was soon widely observed. Such was the existing condition when a twofold movement, started in Paris, gave fresh impetus to the devotion. The two factors of this movement were first of all the revelation of the "miraculous medal" in 1830 and all the prodigies that followed, and then the establishment at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners, which spread rapidly throughout the world and was the source of numberless graces. On 21 July 1855, the Congregation of Rites finally approved the Office and Mass of the Most Pure Heart of Mary without, however, imposing them upon the Universal Church.
Reopening of churches – statement from Cardinal Nichols:
I am grateful to the Prime Minister for his decision that our churches may now open again for individual prayer. I thank the Secretary of State for Communities, Mr Robert Jenrick and the Minister of State, Lord Stephen Greenhalgh, for their leadership of the Task Force which helped bring about this important step.
This is a first, measured step in restoring the more normal practice of our faith and will be welcomed by so many, who have waited with great patience since 23 March when our churches were closed, by Government decision, as part of the fight against this pandemic.
I thank everyone for that patience. It is important that every care is taken to ensure that the Guidance given for this limited opening is fully observed, not least by those entering our churches. Our preparation is taking place with thoroughness. Visiting a church for individual prayer, benefiting from the sacredness of that space, can be done safely and confidently.
Not every Catholic Church will be open on 15 June. Local decisions and provision have to lead this process. But it is a great blessing, for individuals and for the benefit of all in society, that church doors will again be open to all who long to pray there for the peace and grace we need today.
This first step enables us to learn and prepare for those that will take us to a fuller use of our churches, for the celebration of Mass and other sacraments. We await that time with deep longing but patient understanding that the protection of the health of our society, especially of the most vulnerable, is a proper cause for caution and care.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols(President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales)
The pattern which seems to be emerging is that only a few designated churches will be allowed to open initially. The Church authorities are being extra careful that, in the event of a second spike in the number of cases, the Church will not be seen as being partially responsible. Prayerful patience is needed at this time.
Mass online:
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference website gives a useful link with easy access to churches with live streaming of Mass. You can search to find churches nearest you or look further afield in different dioceses:
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/our-work/health-social-care/coronavirus-guidelines/online-mass-directory/
Masses attended
Parishioners have “attended Mass” as follows:
- St Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham
- Walsingham
- St Joseph’s, Leicester
- CAFOD Mass on a Wednesday evening.
- St Peter’s, Brighton
- St Alban’s & St Hugh’s, Derby
- Sacred Heart, Rochdale
- St Anthony’s, Wythenshawe
- St Peter in Chains, Doncaster
- Shrewsbury Cathedral
- Santuario di Oropa, Italy
- Ta’ Pinu, Gozo
- St. Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast
- St. Gabriel’s, Viewpark, Uddington
- Westminster Cathedral
- Holy Name, Jesmond, Newcastle
- St Peter’s, Brighton/Hove
- St Paul’s, Falls Road, Belfast
Do you have any more to add to this list?
Praying together:
Sheila Breed reports that along with Terry and Bridget, they have regular telephone prayer meeting lasting some 20-30 minutes. They have variously shared the Angelus, a decade of the Rosary, the Trinity Sunday readings and bidding prayers. Are there any other impromptu gatherings taking place in the parish?
Bidding Prayers:
You will remember that, at the end of the Bidding Prayers each Sunday, the reader asks, “Does anyone have any other intentions?” Most weeks this question is followed by silence, but occasionally one of the congregation will make a contribution. I think that some people must feel a little daunted at the prospect of speaking up in front of everyone else, but now we can change all that. If you have a prayer intention, no matter how “trivial” it might seem, please do not hesitate to let me know and I shall include it in next week’s newsletter. This can be personalised or anonymous, as you wish.
This week’s prayer intentions include:
- All those people caught up in the turmoil in the USA.
- Everyone whose physical and mental health has been affected by Covid-19.
- Our very young parishioners who made their First Holy Communion just over one year ago (June 9th)
- Fr John on the anniversary of his mother’s death on Sunday 14th.
- Muriel Barfield who went into hospital on Tuesday.
- The brother of David Cafferky who is in a critical condition after a horrific accident. He is in a medically induced coma with multiple surgeries ahead. Could we please all pray for him and his speedy recovery and also to give David and the family the strength they need at this difficult time.
Let us all pray a hymn together:
If we all were to read (or sing) the parish “favourite of the week” what a great way it would be of reminding us of the community to which we belong. Some parishioners will remember the Rosary Crusade of Fr Patrick Peyton in the 1950s. He popularised the saying: “A family that prays together stays together”. We could easily adapt this to read: “A parish that prays together stays together”. Let’s give it a try.
Thank you to Bridget O’Dwyer who suggested that “O bread of Heaven”would be an appropriate hymn on the feast of Corpus Christi.
O bread of heaven, beneath this veil
thou dost my very God conceal;
my Jesus, dearest treasure, hail;
I love thee and adoring kneel;
each loving soul by thee is fed
with thine own self in form of bread.
O food of life, thou who dost give
the pledge of immortality;
I live; no, ‘tis not I that live;
God gives me life, God lives in me:
he feeds my soul, he guides my ways,
and every grief with joy repays.
O bond of love, that dost unite
the servant to his living Lord;
could I dare live, and not requite
such love then death were meet reward:
I cannot live unless to prove
some love for such unmeasured love.
Belovèd Lord in heaven above,
there, Jesus, thou awaitest me;
to gaze on thee with changeless love,
yes, thus I hope, thus shall it be:
for how can he deny me heaven
who here on earth himself hath given?
What is your favourite hymn?Let us know and we shall publish it in the next newsletter.
Sick List: Please continue to pray for the following members of our parish: Bernard Moyers, Patrick Hodgson, Tod Smith, Angela Doyle, Ida De Melo, Maurice Nixon, Eva Shirreffs, Stefania Stasior, Irene Pallot, Muriel Barfield.
Anniversaries:
Let us remember in our prayers those whose anniversaries occur in the coming week:
- June 14th: Kathleen St John (2019)
- June 14th: Thomas Reilly (1994)
- June 16th: Frederick Brant (1988)
- June 16th: Jean Glenn (2014)
- June 20th: Lucy Middleton (1982)
- June 21st: Lily Owen (1987)
Youth Group Quiz:
The Youth Group held the second round of their Fancy Dress Quiz over Zoom. There are some lovely photos on the parish website (https://www.saintgregorysileby.org/youth-group-quiz.html)
Good news:
Sheila and Terry report that, thanks to Face Time and wonders of modern technology, they have seen the first three steps taken by their eighteen-month-old great-grandson in New Zealand as well as hearing him say “Grandma” for the first time.
Soup and Cake Lady:
Before lockdown, Rosemary McKee regularly supplied parishioners with soup and her cake-making prowess was also well known. The current situation has not prevented her from continuing her good work as seven parishioners in Sileby and three in Barrow continue to receive soup and cake each week, kindly delivered by Pam Looi and Simon Grant. What a star!
Newsletter typos (but not this newsletter!):
The following announcements apparently appeared in newsletters from around the world:
- The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
- This evening at 7pm there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
- The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
- Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
- The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7pm. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
Hugh Jinks turns 9 on Friday 19th June. Happy Birthday from Mum, Dad, Isaac and all the parish.
QUIZ
Items on or near the altar:
What are these items that can be found on or near the altar (the number of letters is given in brackets):
Most are easy, but there are a couple of more tricky ones.
Answers below – no cheating!
1. A vessel similar to the chalice, closed with a lid, in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. (8)
2. A kind of transparent tabernacle used for exposing the Blessed Sacrament during Benediction. (10)
3. A golden plate upon which the host is placed. (5)
4. A square piece of linen placed on the altar cloth and upon which the host rests from the Offertory until the priest’s communion. (8)
5. A square piece of linen with which the top of the chalice is covered. (4)
6. The outer ornate garment which the priest wears during Mass. (8)
7. A vestment which the priest passes around his neck and crosses over his breast. (5)
8. A white cord tied around the priest’s waist. (6)
9. A large white linen garment which reaches to the feet. (3)
10. A small container in which the Blessed Sacrament is kept when visiting the sick and housebound. (3)
11. A censer in which incense is burnt on solemn occasions. (8)
12. A small table to one side of the altar where the water and wine are kept is known as the “******** table”. (8)
13. The hooked staff carried by a bishop. (7)
14. The tall headdress worn by a bishop. (5)
15. A square, black cap with three flat projections on top worn by clergymen. (7)
16. Another term for a cotta (8)
17. A full-length garment, usually black or red, worn by altar servers. (7)
18. The name/role of the altar server who leads the procession onto the altar carrying a brass candlestick. This term is sometimes erroneously given to the candlestick itself. (7)
19. A church bench. (3)
20. A cushion for kneeling on in church. (7)
21. A candle holder that is attached to the wall by an ornamental bracket. (6)
22. A glass container that holds water and wine. (5)
23. A basin for holy water attached to the wall near the door of the church. (5)
Answers:
1. ciborium
2. monstrance
3. paten
4. corporal
5. pall
6. chasuble
7. stole
8. girdle
9. alb
10. pyx
11. thurible
12. credence
13. crozier
14. mitre
15. biretta
16. surplice
17. cassock
18. acolyte
19. pew
20. hassock
21. sconce
22. cruet
23. stoup
