Fourth Sunday in Lent
By CpC8-2548492 In Newsletter Blog On March 29, 2019
Mass and Devotions
Saturday 30 March – Fourth Sunday in Lent
Cranleigh 6pm Vigil Mass Peter Sprake (RIP)
Sunday 31 March
Bramley 9am Parish Mass Len Buckley (RIP)
Cranleigh 11am Parish Mass Brian Longman (RIP)
Tuesday 2 April
Bramley 10am Mass
Wednesday 3 April
Cranleigh 7pm Mass
Thursday 4 April
Bramley 10am Mass
Friday 5 April
Cranleigh 10am Mass
Saturday 6 April
Cranleigh 10am Mass
Saturday 6 April Fifth Sunday in Lent
Cranleigh 6pm Vigil Mass
Sunday 24 March
Bramley 9am Parish Mass
Cranleigh 11am Parish Mass
God’s prodigal love…
This week we have one of the most beautiful parables ever told by Jesus. In telling it Jesus revealed, in an incomparable way, his own understanding of the possibilities of a real relationship with the God whom he called ‘Abba”. The simple message that we can take away from the gospel is that ‘God loves me’ and will stop at nothing to find me when I am lost. The youngest son has lost himself through foolishness, arrogance, and waywardness. He foolishly believed that he would be better off as if his Father was dead. He arrogantly believed that all that would come to him was his to squander as he pleased, and his waywardness and irresponsibility led him to the direst of circumstances. In all this the Father never lost hope that his son would ‘come to his senses’. He constantly looked for him and longed for his return. On his return the Father restored him to his original dignity plus plus. From eating the husks for the pigs he had a banquet thrown in his honour and is clothed once more in his filial best robes.
The question for us all is: can I overcome my shame to return to the Lord? Everyone has something, or things, in their past that are shameful, that overshadow their present and threaten to limit life’s chances and fulfilment. The reconciliation offered in Christ seeks to remove that shame and restore us to the Father’s home – our home which we left behind. For what? For a vague promise of happiness and passing pleasure that lead to shallow friends and ultimately to being lost. Being reconciled and allowing God’s grace to work within us. How does St Paul put it today?
“For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. It is all God’s work.”
Being reconciled makes us into a new creation and restores us as God’s sons and daughters. It is all God’s work! Can you believe it? But we do have to recognise the opportunity and allow God’s grace to work within us. Perhaps the worst sins are, after all pride and shame. Pride in that we won’t let the father touch us and shame that we don’t think he wishes to or would do so for me – miserable sinner that I am. I say to you – be reconciled. Know the joy of forgiveness and the fulness of life lived in Christ anew. Fr David
Please support our parish retiring collection THIS weekend for this appeal. Your donation will give food, clean water and healthcare to people in desperate need.
Gabriele, our expert working with the Church in Mozambique at this time, tells us: “We know that Idai has wiped out crops and livestock, damaged water supplies and wrecked sanitation facilities, leaving vulnerable families even more exposed. With the support and generosity of the Catholic community, we can reach the people who really need urgent emergency aid.”
Thursdays in Bramley Morning Prayer at 9am and Stations of the Cross at 9.30am
Fridays in Cranleigh Morning Prayer at 9am and Stations of the Cross at 9.30am, in addition: Wednesdays at 10.00 in Cranleigh
This Lent we will again be running a Talents Scheme in aid of the Cranleigh Parish Room fund. Our wonderful Parish Room is already enriching our lives together – but it still needs paying for.
To support this project, we are asking you to take a £10 gift envelope offered to you under the Talents Scheme and then MULTIPLY it through your own talents and donate the money raised back to the project handing it in on or before the Feast of Pentecost which falls on June 9th.
£10 gift envelopes will be distributed at the entrance of the churches after Mass.
They can also be collected from the Parish Office which will also happily promote your talent to our community.
Raffle Leg of Lamb raffle – tickets are on sale at all weekend Masses £1 per ticket or £5 for 6 tickets. The draw will take place on Sat 6thApril, ready for Easter
Would you be interested in mentoring/ listening with individual students? This would mean helping young people to take responsibility for their own lives/choices and encouraging them. The Parish Church in Cranleigh invites members of other denominations to join them as volunteers in working with the Bridges project (Guildford diocese) to start a mentoring project with Glebelands secondary school.
Please contact Gabrielle Clarke (gabrielle@stnicolascranleigh.org.uk, 07853 502252) for more information. They plan to do an introductory training session just after Easter (Date/venue TBC).
The flower arranging team would love to have some more helpers. Please contact Anne Millar Tel: 01483 276902. Email annewightman7@hotmail.comas soon as possible as she is finalising the rota and can talk you through what the role entails.
Further information can be found on our website
The Passage is raising funds through the Big Give from 12 noon Tues 19th March – 12 noon Tues 26th March to support its work with homeless people moving from Street to Home. Double your Donation, Double your impact. This is a matched giving scheme for online donations. If someone (can be company, individual or trust) gave £10 online matched giving of £10 would bring the Gift up to £20 (and for individuals to £22.50 with Gift Aid with higher rate tax relief it may cost the donor less than £10).
For more information ring Andrew Hollingsworth 020 75921856 andrew.h@passage.org.uk
Donate at www.thebiggive.org.uk/thepassage2019
The maximum is £25,000 from any one donation. It is not a limit per person.
Come and relive the events of Holy Week as we are led by HAND IN HAND.
Saturday 13th April 2.30 pm at St. Wilfrid’s Parish Hall. Station Road Burgess Hill. RH15 9EN.
Audience participation welcomed!
Correction: The last insert for the Walking Pilgrimage had an incorrect website address. It should be www.thepilgrims.org.uk
I had typed www.pilgrims.org.uk
If you would like to advertise your Talents Event or service please email the details to office@cpcb.org.uk
Talents 2019
