Do I hunger for that which really satisfies the heart and soul and will last in this life and the next?
Times and intentions for Holy Mass
Public Masses are indicated in bold print. (Evesham Masses in the Parish centre)
(E)= Evesham (B)= Broadway
Sat 31st 4.00pm(B) People of the Parish
Sun 1st 8.45am(E) Maria Dolores Corton
10.00am(E) Giovanni Devizio
Mon 2nd 10.00am(E) Mary Wilson
Tues 3rd 10.00am(B) Matthew Picton
1.00pm(B) Funeral Mass for Vi Nicholls
Wed 4th 10.00am(E) Raymond Shaw
Thur 5th 10.00am(B) Eleanor & James Hardiman
Dedication of St Mary Major
Fri 6th 10.00am(E) Irene Redfern
7.00pm(B) Deceased Broadway Priests
The Transfiguration of the Lord
Sat 7th 10.00am(E) John Albertini
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sat 7th 4.00pm(B) Henry Joseph Coleman
Sun 8th 8.45am(E) People of the Parish
10.00am(E) Teresa Ashton
Please remember The directions of the Archbishop concerning the cautious implementation of the regulations concerning Public worship
Confessions.
Confessions after Mass or please contact the presbytery
Private Prayer in Broadway:
Sunday Wednesday Friday 10;00-11.00am
Volunteers
In order to have our Churches open for public Masses, it is essential that we have sufficient volunteers to act as stewards, cleaners and helpers. Those wishing to volunteer should. Contact Dominique in Broadway or in Evesham email your contact details to:
[email protected] We need as many volunteers as possible.
Evesham Food Bank
Please phone 07721559387 in order to discover how and when to take any contributions
Catechism points and themes
Sunday 18 (numbers indicate paragraph number)
CCC 1333-1336: Eucharistic signs of bread and wine
CCC 1691-1696: life in Christ
Please pray
For the sick and housebound of our parishes
Of your charity
Pray for, the repose of the souls of Violet Nicholls and Teresa Ashton and all who have died in recent days and for George Spencer Pacey Elizabeth De Vizio whose anniversary of death falls at about this time.
From Fr Christopher
The essence of the Gospel message, the heart of what Jesus is trying to say to us, might be put in the form of a question. What might Jesus be asking us in the Scripture readings we hear today? Could it be something like this: for what do you most hunger? Is it health, wealth, and beauty, that is fleeting things, or love, truth and life, that is, things that will last?
At the heart of that basic question, For what do you most long ?, is this question: do I ultimately hunger for the that which satisfies the body, but only lasts for a time, like the manna in the desert; or do I hunger for that which really satisfies the heart and soul and will last in this life and the next?
We find in the Prophet Isaiah a question that Jesus may have had in mind when he taught his hearers and can still be asked of us: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2). Jesus may also have had in the mind the familiar words from Deuteronomy and Exodus (chapters 8 and 16 respectively): “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Perhaps we need to ponder the whole question of hunger, since it is a central issue in the Scripture readings this Sunday. We recognise that there are two basic kinds of hunger: physical and spiritual. What we eat and drink can satisfy our physical hunger, and we need to eat food and drink (at least water) in order to stay alive! If we neglect to do so, we die. We are never to think of physical hunger and its satisfaction as something evil or unessential.
Our spiritual hunger, even deeper than our physical hunger, only God can satisfy. The hunger of our heart and soul, the hunger for truth, for communion, for love, is something which perishable food cannot satisfy.
Jesus speaks in the Gospel passage about the works of God and what we must do to be doing the works of God; namely, to believe in God’s Son whom the Father has sent into the world. This may sound simple enough, but what is implied in this is preferring nothing whatever to Christ, as Saint Benedict exhorts his monks in his Holy Rule, because, as an early Church Father, Saint Cyprian of Carthage put it, Christ has preferred nothing whatever to us!
Jesus is offering in his Incarnation, preaching and life-giving death and Resurrection, a new relationship with God that the old reign of sin and death could never support. Something new appeared when God took on our flesh and pitched his tent among us. Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant between God and man, a covenant of peace and eternal life. The new covenant is a new kind of life, a different way of living, a life of love and service, of forgiveness and bearing one another’s burdens.
All of this of course corresponds to the way God treats each of us, with unbounded mercy and kindness. We are being called to a life of holiness which corresponds to the holiness of God. We are also being led to a life of obedience and trust, which corresponds to the wisdom and knowledge of God. This is the work to which Jesus directs us, and he not only points out the way, but is ever-present to enable us to act in an upright and righteous way. Jesus calls himself the way, and is always at our side. God became man so that we might partake of divine life. This is still true and our undying hope.
The children of the Hebrews were provided with miraculous food in the desert. Their physical hunger was temporarily satisfied, but God desired they learn a deeper lesson: that it is God who awakes and God who slakes our thirst. We are nothing without God. Earthly food will perish, but the spiritual food which God gives will carry us to the life beyond this one.
We can ask ourselves today: do I really hunger for the bread that comes from God? Do I thirst for the words of everlasting life? Probably few of us can give an unqualified yes to the questions, but we are being encouraged to ultimately do so, to truly prefer nothing whatever to Christ, who has preferred nothing whatever to us.
Little by little as life goes on we are hopefully realising that God alone can satisfy the deepest longing and hunger in our hearts. May we hunger for the bread that lasts, and be satisfied with what God is trying to give us, the True Bread from Heaven, the only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, who is ever-present, and is our life and joy. Christ is the one thing needed ) to live to the full this present life and to enjoy happiness without end in heaven with the Blessed Trinity and all the Saints.“I will run the way of your commands; you give freedom to my heart,” says the psalmist. May this kind of good zeal be ours!
Times of Holy Mass
At present there are no plans to change the times of Mass or to restore the Sunday evening Mass. At the moment it is not necessary to celebrate three Masses in Evesham for Sunday, If this situation changes and if parishioners indicate that it is impossible to come to Sunday Mass other than in the evening then the matter can be reviewed. We have been urged not to multiply the number of Masses without necessity.
Solemnity of the Assumption 15th August
All things being equal this will be the first celebration of the Holy Mass in the renovated Church in Evesham.
Various Items!
The paintings behind the altars the Statues and the stations of the cross will need cleaning and restoration after the restoration of the fabric. When the estimates for these are known I would ask that individuals or groups “sponsor” these costs
Brasses etc
These will need a good clean and polish and some will need repair. We are in need of cleaners and polishers. Please indicate yo Fr Christopher if you wish to be involved in this important work
Going out into the future
We need to ensure the ongoing maintenance of the building together with the “life” of the parish. I would ask everyone to give some thought as to how they might be involved in this importance aspect pf parish life. Some though not all of the areas involved will have to do with cleaning, the care of silver and brass (candlesticks, thuribles lamps etc.) The washing and ironing of altar linen(large and small) the ongoing care of the sacristy and care of the Cassocks and Cottas for the altar servers With regard to the liturgy, we shall be needing to gather those who can sing to participate in the “Schola Cantorum”. We shall need to have more people who are willing to read at Holy Mass and to serve at the altar. Although there will be several different options concerning financial contributions to the parish we shall still need to maintain the traditional (offertory collection).
Health and Safety
The details of our health and safety officer are at the hea of the bulletin. Please feel free to being to his attention anything which you notice which we may not have noticed.
Broadway Information
Funeral Mass
for Violet Nicholls 3rd August 1.00pm
Volunteers
As well as the added care of the church during the present difficulties. We do need volunteers to care for the church as we go out into the future.
The Transfiguration of the Lord(6th August)
This is the Feast if title in Broadway. Solemn Mass at 7.00pm
Track and Trace Slip
(This may be used in Broadway and Evesham
Name:
Contact Number:
Size of Group
Date attended