St Anthony of Padua Anerley

The Sixth Sunday (A)

Mass Readings: 136 – 139

Order of Mass: Pages 7- 60

Sirach, author of today’s first reading, had a glimpse of the ideal. About 180 years before Christ, he wanted to promote the Word of God as the basis for human wisdom. Here, he gives the strongest emphasis of all Scripture on free will. We are free to choose between virtue and sin, life and death. We have inherited a tendency to evil called Original Sin, and we need God’s grace if we are to triumph. And this reading tells us that  the fundamental choice in life is that  between fire and water, life and death.

St. Paul addresses that division in today’s second reading. For Paul, a blunt and direct man who wanted no frills, the only genuine factor in Christian life is a vital and practical faith in God’s gift of  Jesus Christ. Paul, along with St. John’s Gospel, held that Jesus replaced the Torah; Jesus Christ in flesh – not the Torah – is the eternal, ultimate, unchangeable self revelation of God.

Paul contrasts two groups: material persons who use only their natural faculties of knowledge, and spiritual people who allow the Holy Spirit to dwell and act within them. Some spiritual people in turn are infants, beginners in the spiritual life and others more full grown in Christ: the mature. The latter are wise in the full sense.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is wisdom – not the temporary mode of fads or fashion, but the way of eternal insight. When reflected on in prayer, God in Jesus can answer our ultimate questions about life and meaning. That, of course, means we realize that most of what is really essential is visible to the eye. It also reminds us that true religion is something primarily for adults. There is nothing automatic about being a true Christian. And it entails facing our inner motivation, desires and priorities, and holding them up to Jesus’ new standard of honesty and love.

Sunday Teas:

This Sunday’s teas will be served by the French Speaking Prayer Group.

Next Sunday’s teas will be served by the SVP Group.

Thank you to all those who help out with the Sunday Teas.

Last Sunday’s Collections: The 1st collection was £343.32 + £272.20 in Gift Aid envelopes giving us a parish total of £615.52p. The 2nd collection for Parish Funds was £58.40p. Thank you for your generosity.

The 2nd collection today is for Racial Justice (promoting racial justice in our schools, parishes and wider society).       

Recently Deceased:  Please pray for the soul and family of Danny Crowley. The funeral for Danny Crowley will be on Friday 28th February at 12.30pm. May he rest in peace.

Baptism Preparation Classes: Please note that the next classes will be on Mondays, the 24th February and 2nd March at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre (4 Genoa Road). There will not be any further classes until after Easter.

Holy Communion Classes: The classes continue on Saturdays, the 22nd February, then the 7th, 21st and 28th March at 10.30am in the Parish Centre.

Confirmation Classes: Please note the next classes will be on Thursdays, the 20th February, then the 5th and 12th March at 7pm in the Parish Centre (4 Genoa Road).

Spirituality and Reflection: Films will be shown in the Parish Centre every Tuesday until Holy Week with the view to promoting reflection on our Faith. The next film will be screened on Tuesday 18th February from 7.30pm – 8.30pm and will focus on the Gospel of John – Part 2. Please see the notice board for the full programme. Please come and join us. All are welcome.

Lenten Masses in Croydon University Hospital: There will be a Mass on Ash Wednesday (26th February) at 12 noon and every Monday at 12 noon during Lent in the Hospital Chapel (Near Woodcroft Road). All are most welcome.

The God who Speaks – SDC Bible study meetings: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales have declared 2020 to be a year of special focus on the Bible. We are called to explore and celebrate the Word of God through the Scriptures, share the Word with others and respond to the “God who speaks” in the way that we live. SDC would like to invite parishioners to their monthly meetings which take place at 38 Ryefield Road, Upper Norwood SE19 3QU. The next dates for this term are this Friday 13th March and 3th April. All are welcome. We start at 7.30 pm. The meeting will include reflections, readings and prayer. For more information call the SDC House on 02087685159 or text John on 07986533292.

CYM Musical ‘The Crusader’: As part of the CYM programme for 2020, we will be putting on a brand new and original musical called ‘The Crusader’.  Although ideally suited to Years 9,10 and 11, we encourage all young people and members of the deanery community with a passion for music, acting, singing and stage production to get involved in this exciting production which we hope to perform in mid-late Spring. We will be holding auditions for actors/singers and musicians to be part of the orchestra on Saturday 22^nd February from 12-2pm at St Joseph’s Church Hall, Plaistow lane, Bromley. For more information, please contact Joseph Gulliford (Seminarian at St. Edmund’s and writer) gullifordjoseph@gmail.com, or Susan Longhurst (Deanery Youth Coordinator) susan.longhurst@bromleydeanery.org.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter:  For the past 50 years Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering marriage enrichment retreats all around the world. Focused on couples who want to enrich their relationship and gain a deeper understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage, the retreat offers a unique experience. It’s a chance to explore your relationship at a deeper, more intimate level, regardless of how long you have been together. Thousands of couples in the UK have benefited from a Marriage Encounter weekend retreat, the next retreat is 6th – 8th March in Swindon, why not find out more at wwme.org.uk

Repository: Please take a look at the items on sale in the Repository. The Southwark Directories for this year are now available. There are also ‘The Stations of the Cross’ booklets, ‘Lent Extra – Your Journey towards Easter’ booklets and ‘Gospel Power’ which contains daily Readings and Reflections for the whole year in a pocket sized book. Come and have a look at the spiritual reading on offer.

Please pray for the sick of the Parish: Mercie Ihekweme-Hill, and Michael Creech.

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS (16th Feb —23rd Feb 2020)  (Year A)