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Jesus Christ brings God’s light into a world darkened by sin. He calls us to share in his mission to let this light shine out to all people in our world today. He was born as one of us, and because he has himself been through temptation he is able to help us when we are tempted. Christ was rejected by many in his day, yet through his death and resurrection he took away the power of evil.

Jesus Christ lightens our darkness, and helps us to see the real meaning of life and to put aside our differences. Christ calls us to follow him, to enable his light to shine in us and so to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom.

Christ promised to build his Church on Peter, the rock, and assures us that the power of evil will never overcome it. Paul became the apostle to the Gentiles, so that the Good News spread throughout the whole world. Through these two great apostles the Church was gathered as the one family of Christ. Christ is still with us today as we witness to his power in our lives, that the world may come to believe in him.

Jesus was transfigured in the presence of his apostles, and they realised how wonderful it is to be with him. Jesus is always with us, ready to transform our lives if through faith we believe in his power. He is as faithful to us as the Lord was to Abraham, who put his faith in him.

We were invited by Fr Regis to attend the Congress in Liverpool over the weekend of 7th – 9th September 2018. We have been members of the parish for 21 years and both play an active part in the life of the parish. Having said that, we both felt sceptical about the Congress weekend, not really knowing what it would entail and what would be expected of us.
The weekend was a story of two halves, the first day being very dry and almost academic in its content, with seemingly little or no relevance to our lives, the life of the parish or our school. We were left at the end of the day feeling underwhelmed and uninspired. The second day, however, was completely different. It was much more uplifting and inspiring, with two fantastic keynote speeches from Bishop Robert Barron and a series of talks/discussions given by lay people from across the country, their stories showing how the Word of God is being lived in the 21st Century. In particular, the chat show style interviews with young Catholics highlighted how they discovered Christ in their lives. It was encouraging to hear them speaking about their experiences with such joy and pride. On reflection, it seems that the church needs to support young people to find their own paths to their faith.
At the end of the weekend, we felt privileged to have been part of the Congress and understood that the first day gave some context to the second day. We understood that there is a theological side as well as a practical side to the Eucharist and that to fully understand the Eucharist one needs to be aware of its deeper meaning, but we felt that if our parish and school and community could remember that love is at the heart of the Eucharist then perhaps the deeper understanding would follow.
The keynote speeches from Bishop Robert Barron were the highlight of the Congress. They were thought-provoking, inspirational and gave us a new perspective on our faith. They have given us things to reflect on a daily basis, particularly around the 3 paths (2nd Keynote speech). They gave us a deeper appreciation of the mass and helped us to understand that the mass is an invitation from our Lord to share a meal with him.
We would highly recommend that you watch the videos of the keynote speeches. They can be found on www.catholicnews.org.uk. The links will also be on the parish website.
The weekend ended with the celebration of Mass at Liverpool Cathedral.

Barbara & Phil Cavanagh

Keynote 1 – http://catholicnews.org.uk/Home/Special-Events/Adoremus-National-Eucharistic-Pilgrimage/Congress-Day/Bishop-Barron-1
Keynote 2 – http://catholicnews.org.uk/Home/Special-Events/Adoremus-National-Eucharistic-Pilgrimage/Congress-Day/Bishop-Barron-2

Please join us on 7th October 2018, at 2pm, in Mayow Park, Sydenham, to help raise funds for the parish, or if you’re unable to attend please sponsor Fr Regis.
Bring a picnic, enjoy a short walk, then relax, and enjoy a good natter. Sponsorship forms are available outside Church each weekend Mass.

Sr. Agnes passed away on Friday 22nd June. Her funeral Mass will be at 11 am, Friday 6th July at St. Joseph’s Convent, Layhams Road, West Wickham, BR4 9QJ. Her funeral will be held at 2.30pm at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 10 Chelsham Road, Warlingham CR6 9EQ, to join her other sisters of the Daughters of Mary & Joseph. 

If you would like to send flowers please ensure they reach the funeral directors by 3 pm on Thursday 5th July – J&R Killick Ltd, 112 High Street, West Wickham, BR4 0ND, or if you prefer to make a donation, please put it in a envelope marked “Sr. Agnes’ Charity” and pop it into the presbytery, and it will go to a charity supported by Sr. Agnes. 

Please let Steve Pearce (0208 778 9460) know you would like to attend the funeral by Wednesday 4th July, as St. Joseph’s convent would like an idea of the numbers attending. 

We, as a Church, will be having a Memorial Mass for Sr. Agnes at 11 am on Sunday 8th July. This will be followed by refreshments in the Hall. 

 We are constantly being tempted to put other people and things before God. Our Lady gives us the example to follow, and encourages us not to weaken. 

She is not only the physical mother of Jesus, but is also his mother because she hears the will of God and keeps it.