Parish Priest: Fr. Peter Mansfield

Parish House: 1 Portnalls Road, Coulsdon, Surrey CR5 3DD

Tel: 020 8660 2452 Email: coulsdon@rcaos.org.uk

Parish website: www.st-aidans-parish.org.uk

Church Hall enquiries: staidanshallbookings@gmail.com

Property maintenance, report issues: staidanspremisesteam@gmail.com

St. Aidan’s School: 01737556036

Year A. 5th Sunday of Lent 29th March 2020

St Aidan’s Catholic Church - Coulsdon

'The God Who Speaks' ~ The Year of the Word

Mass times and intentions Not public Masses.

Sunday 10am Peter Van Der Sanden RIP

Monday 10 am Welfare of Cotta family Tuesday 10 am People of the Par ish Wednesday 10am Alan Griffiths RIP Thursday 6 pm Jennifer Dodwell RIP Friday 10 am Welfare of Cotta family Saturday 10 am Mick Fitzgerald RIP

Palm Sunday

Sun 10am Alan Terry RIP

MASS INTENTIONS. A Mass intention is said when a person requests that the priest remember a particular person living or dead at Mass. It can also be for a special intention and this may be stated or it can remain private. An example would be for God’s help and protection at this time for ……. Fr Peter celebrates Mass every day and will continue to do so. You may contact him by email or otherwise and request that he offer a Mass for your intention. He will usually be able to let you know the date the Mass intention is said. Every Mass is offered for the whole of humanity living and dead. That is because it is Christ’s sacrifice made present and Jesus offered himself for the whole world. Therefore a ‘Mass intention’ means that someone or something is brought to the altar and united in a special way with the prayer of Christ on the cross. Normally an offering is made to the priest who says the Mass intention but no one should feel that it is compulsory to do so. If you are making an offering it is currently not convenient to use cash. You can do BACS or cheque if you wish. A typical offering is £10 but it can be less or nothing as people’s circumstances vary. If you wish to have a Mass intention offered please email Fr Peter at coulsdon@rcaos.org or put a note through his letterbox.

The funeral of Jennifer Dodwell will take place at Bandon Hill on Thursday at 11am. The 6pm Mass on that day will be offered for the repose of Jennifer’s soul and in thanksgiving for her life, - especially her gentle Christian witness to the pro-life cause. A memorial Mass will be held at a later date. We also pray for Margaret Ditchfield (mother of Craig Ditchfield) who died recently.

Please pray for the sick and housebound: Jean Ridulfa, Philomena Clancy, Victoria Moore, Wendy Vaughan, Anne Parsons, Lesley Leavey, Josie Davitt, Bernadette Blaquiere, Anne Walker, Peter Leeks, Mary Reynolds, Claudette Lovell, Sammy McCarroll, Trudy Kiely, Mary Crehan, Mary Smith, Louise Harris, James Tomlin, John Cooksey, Sarah Bell, Joseph Darville, Barbara & Geoff Wood.

1) The faith of the people in Christ. The last line in today’s passage tells us that many who came to visit for the funeral came to believe in Jesus when they saw what he did. 2) It triggers the death of Jesus himself. The raising of Lazarus hastens Jesus’ own death because the spread of faith in him among the people angers the Lord’s enemies and they intensify their plot to kill him. This is why Jesus predicts to his disciples that he will be glorified as a consequence of what he will do for Lazarus. His glorification will be through his love manifested on the cross which will in turn be the path to his resurrection. In the dialogue between Jesus and Martha we learn that because of Jesus eternal life is not something for the future only but rather it has come into the present because of the presence of Christ. Martha expresses her solid Jewish scriptural faith when she says to Jesus that she knows her brother will rise again at the resurrection on the last day. Jesus replies, ’I am the resurrection’. We notice that Martha speaks in the future tense about the resurrection, - will rise - but Jesus’ answer is in the present tense, - I am the resurrection. Jesus is not saying to Martha that she is wrong about there being a resurrection but he is telling her that because of him resurrection and new life is mysteriously present in the here and now of her life and indeed all our lives. To show that physical death has no more power over people’s present and future eternal life, Jesus raised Lazarus as a sign that the source of that power is in him who Martha professed as ‘the Son of God come into this world’. Hence he can say ‘I AM’ not ‘I will be’ the resurrection, - because he is in the world. It is this teaching that helps us as Christians to understand that eternal life does not start after death but rather that it is a dimension of the lives of people who have faith in Christ here and now but which will reach it’s completion and fulfilment after death. You and I have an eternal dimension to our earthly life. Just as our physical lives need proper nourishment like bread, so our eternal life needs the ‘bread of life’, which is why Jesus comes to us under the sign of food and drink for the journey. We were baptised in water which itself is a very human symbol of life. This was but an outward sign of an inner reality, namely, the gift of eternal life which comes though faith in Jesus as our source of divine life.

May Christ free us from all that

keeps us bound so that we may

experience in full the

gift of life he brings us.

5th Sunday of Lent. Year A Gospel: John 11: 1 - 45.

Dear Sisters & Brothers, In today’s Gospel we hear the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It is the seventh and last sign in St John’s Gospel before the passion of Jesus. Where the term ‘miracle’ is used in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, - John uses the word ‘sign’. Why might he do that ? When we hear of a miracle our reaction is wonder and awe at the divine presence which is being manifested in Christ. But John wants us to go further because when we hear the word ‘sign’ we instinctively ask the question ‘sign of what ?’ or even ‘so what - for me and my life ?’ John is interested in getting at the inner meaning of the miracles because he regards miracles as not just being for the people in the story but as having meaning in the lives of his potential readers and community members. Last Sunday’s Gospel was a good example of that. Jesus healed a blind man and restored his sight after he told the man to wash in a nearby pool. Later Jesus meets the man and a second level of the man’s healing is revealed. Not only is the man’s physical blindness cured as he sees the light of day but his inner darkness is also healed because he comes to believe in Jesus and so he receives the gift of inner sight which enables him to see the light of the world which is Christ. Then the man says ‘Lord, I believe’. The physical ‘miracle’ is but an outward ‘sign’ of an even greater inner healing. John wants to teach us that even if we are not physically blind or have not received a physical cure, we have still received the more important inner gift from Jesus namely the inner sight of ‘faith’ and that that gift was celebrated when we washed in the pool ,- namely at our baptism because our pool is the baptismal font. In today’s story of the raising of Lazarus we can marvel at the drama of it all as a man walks out of his tomb. John however would like us to think about what it all means and he has provided us with some answers. Prior to the miracle he has given us a series of dialogues which contain the answers to the questions: ‘sign of what’ and ‘so what for me ?’. In the dialogue with his disciples Jesus said that this sickness will not end in death but in God’s glory and in his own glory. That comes about in two ways:

Coronavirus parish update.

The Catholic Church in Great Britain has suspended public Masses and other liturgies until further notice. This to delay the spread of coronavirus.

MASS from St Aidan’s will be streamed live on Sundays at 10am and most weekdays at 10am except when Fr Peter has other duties at that time. This week the Thursday Mass is 6pm because of a funeral in the morning at the cemetery.

To join the live Mass click on this link given on

our website. You will also find recordings of

previous Masses there.

If you cannot connect to the Mass using the link

follow the instructions below:

Open YouTube.

Search for: St Aidans Coulsdon (use these

exact words without any punctuation).

The St Aidan's channel should appear (there

is a circular image of our altar). Click on this

image.

In the channel there will be videos with dates

for previous streamed Masses. Click on the

Mass you wish to join. When Mass is

streamed live it will be the first video on the

list (there will be a caption saying 'live').

Click that video to join the Mass.

It is also possible to join with Masses streamed from other parishes. A good local example is St Mary’s, West Croydon: http://saint-mary.org.uk/ (click on Watch Mass Live on the top banner). Another good option is the live stream from the Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady in Walsingham: https://www.walsingham.org.uk/live-stream/

An alternative way to pray the Mass online is by means of a pre-recorded video Mass which you can watch at any time. For example, Redemptorist Publications have the Sunday Masses available on their website: https://www.rpbooks.co.uk/holy-mass-online In the meantime you can access the daily readings by following this link:

universalis.com/mass.htm Readings with commentary can be found at:

wednesdayword.org/sunday-gospel.htm Our church must remain closed until further notice. Baptisms, First Holy Communions and Confirmations are postponed. Funerals. Requiem Masses and other services with a congregation in church are not permitted. Fr Peter will conduct a simple service with a limited number of people at the cemetery or crematorium and will celebrate a Mass in church privately for the deceased; this will normally take place on the day of burial or cremation. DO YOU NEED ANY HELP DURING THE CRISIS ? We would like to hear from any parishioners who may need a helping hand during the weeks and months ahead. If you need help with shopping or other errands please contact Fr Peter on 020 8660 2452 and coulsdon@rcaos.org.uk VOULNTEERING. We would also like to hear from parishioners who are able to assist those in need. If you are in a position to help please contact us. This includes tasks like phoning people to keep in touch and shopping. Other ONLINE RESOURCES. The Tablet has on its website a very useful page of resources, including advice, links to live-streamed Masses, prayers and reflections: https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/12590/isolated-but-not-alone-resources-for-catholics We will continue to produce a weekly newsletter which will be available for downloading here as usual. Please keep visiting the website for the latest

updates. st-aidans-parish.org.uk/ or google: St Aidan’s Catholic Church Coulsdon (not the school !).

A Lenten Journey - A Lenten Journey - Your brother will rise again. In this Sunday's Gospel Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead: "The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’" To illustrate this week's Gospel we add a gauze bandage to the Lenten tableau in front of the altar. In this way we continue our symbolic journey with Jesus from the desert to Jerusalem. In front of the lectern we have a hessian lectern fall on which we have a representation of “The Way of Life”. Along its many twists and turns Christ travels with us from darkness to the light of the cross. Each week we add to the path a shell, the universal symbol of pilgrimage; as we walk with Jesus on our Lenten pilgrimage we need to pack light: to set

Parish finances. The impact of the current situation on parish weekly income is likely to be immense. Without public Sunday Masses it may be helpful for parishioners who do not have a banker’s standing order to set one up. A form is available from me Peter McFall the Parish Treasurer via email. You can send this to your bank or it can be returned as an attachment for me send it to your bank. Alternatively, if you have internet banking you could use our sort code and account number to set up a standing order or to do one-off BACs payments. The parish account details are available by request from me at coulsdontreasurer@rcaos.org.uk Please inform me when you have activated a standing order or made a BACs payment. Those who are not eligible to join the Gift Aid scheme can still do their offertory contribution by Standing Order or BACs. If you are doing any of the above and you are already in the Gif Aid scheme you also need to let Emma Sinclair the Gift Aid organiser know of your intention giftaidorganiser@gmail.com This year the new GA envelopes were due to begin in April. The envelopes have now been moved to a storage cupboard where they cannot get contaminated. I hope the above may be of use to you, but if not, please ignore it, and we will wait for normal happier times to return ! We are very aware that many people are under financial pressure at this time. The parish website is constantly updated. st-aidans-parish.org.uk Please keep safe and let us all stay united as a parish in prayer.

Peter McFall Parish Treasurer

Fr Peter writes … As I write this newsletter I am aware that many people in our parish are struggling with so many challenges and demands. Apart for the issue of the coronavirus, there are the associated problems of isolation as well as the wellbeing of the elderly, housebound and sick. There is immense pressure on children and young people to cope in this situation. The burdens on people who have to work at this time are also a source of great stress. Financial problems are inevitable for many. Please be aware that you are remembered in your Church. If there is anything practical we can do please get in touch. My thanks to those whoa are volunteering to help do shopping for housebound and all who are helping me to keep a sense of community here in the parish at this difficult time.

THE ACT OF ENTRUSTMENT OF ENGLAND TO MARY.

Based on Prayer of Erasmus 1532, Dedication of England to the Mother of God 1893, Prayer for England, Cardinal Griffin’s Act of Consecration 1948, Act of Consecration St John Paul 1982 Prayer O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon England thy “Dowry” and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in thee. Response We your faithful people assembled here offer you this country in which we live. Once it was yours, all its children were your children and you were honoured throughout England as its Protectress and its Queen. Again do we consecrate it as your Dowry, and entrust it to your maternal care. Prayer By thee it was that Jesus our Saviour and our hope was given unto the world; and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more. Response. To you we entrust the Church, which invokes you as Mother. On earth you preceded her in the pilgrimage of faith. Comfort her in her difficulties and trials. Make her always the sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of the unity of the whole human race. To you, Mother of the human family, and of the nations, we confidently entrust the whole of humanity with its hopes and fears. Let it not lack the light of true wisdom. Guide it to seek freedom and justice for all. Direct its steps in the ways of peace. Enable all to meet Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Prayer Plead for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the Cross, O sorrowful Mother. Response Pray, O Holy Mother of God, for the conversion of heart of the people of England, restoration of the sick, consolation for the troubled, repentance of sinners, peace to the departed. Queen of Peace, pray for us and give to the world the peace for

which all peoples are longing, peace in the truth, justice and charity of Christ. Give peace to the nations and to the souls of all, that in peace, the Kingdom of God may prevail. Prayer Intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the supreme Shepherd, the Vicar of thy Son. Response May your prayers bring back this country to the fullness of its ancient faith. May your intercession lead us to a closer union with your divine Son. We offer you all the people of this land, especially those who know you so little or not at all. May all in our country know Christ, the light of the world and its only Saviour. Prayer Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with thee, in our heavenly home. Response May we who follow your Son, be fruitful in the good work of building a culture of life in our world, where all human life is treasured and the gift of God’s creation is respected and cared for, so that all may share the fruits of Gods generous love. V: Pray for us O Holy Mother of God R: That we may be made worthy of the Promises of Christ. O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon England, thy Dowry, and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in thee. By thee it was that Jesus, our Saviour and our hope, was given unto the world; and he has given thee to us that we might hope still more. Plead for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the cross, O sorrowful Mother, intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the Chief Shepherd, the Vicar of thy Son. Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith, fruitful in good works, we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with thee in our heavenly home. Amen.

This Sunday Catholics in England are called to make a personal dedication to Mary , taking up her example as Christ’s first disciple. The ceremony will take place at 12 noon at the Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady in Walsingham: It will be streamed on https://www.walsingham.org.uk/live-stream/ Archbishop John has asked priests to do it locally on behalf of their parish. Fr Peter will do so at 6pm today Sunday and stream it on our YouTube channel.