Third Sunday of Lent – 4th March 2018

By Fr David In Newsletter Blog On February 28, 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters

In the gospel today, Jesus explains angrily that the Temple is not meant to be a place of bartering and trade, even if those things are for the religious benefit of the populace, but it is a place in which to meet God. Access to God is meant to be free and equal – the rich man and the poor man have the same access and the same duties. Anything that comes between God and His people, therefore, is to be removed. This event, more than any other in Jesus’ ministry was probably the main reason why the authorities of the Temple plotted to have him arrested and “silenced”. After all the status quo and the livelihoods of many of the peripheral people around the temple were being threatened. The Chief Priests and the leaders had become corrupted by what we might call “custom” and had forgotten that the Temple was actually a meeting place for all peoples with the living God and not primarily a place to do business.

But Jesus does something else with this moment. He uses it to make an analogy between himself and the temple. He is the temple of God and if it is destroyed, then he will rebuild it in “three days” – a claim that causes much bewilderment and scorn to be levelled at him. Yet, he did rebuild it in three days and now the Temple of God is not just in Jerusalem, or the Body of Christ Jesus but in all those who “join themselves to Christ” and who complete their Christian initiation of baptism, confirmation and eucharist. We become the temple of the Lord. Thus as St Paul says our “bodies are not our own”. They have been “bought and paid for in the blood of the Lamb”.

If we were to let our church become dilapidated and shabby; if we were to allow unseemly things to take place within it’s walls; if we were to allow music and songs to be sung that did not “fit” the image of a Christian place of worship; if we were to allow others to “use” our church who had no sympathy with the Catholic faith then people might begin to ask what was actually going on here. The church must be a place of worship, used appropriately and joyfully for Christian uses so that we “proclaim” a message of our faith and practice to the world. It is a sign of who owns it and dwells within it.

Similarly, if we allow ourselves to “fall” into habits and practices that are not consonant with our Catholic faith then we distort the image of Christ that dwells within us and, little by little, we disguise our true selves as temples of the Holy Spirit. We may well ask ourselves whether this is, in fact, true.

Lent is a time for spring cleaning of the soul. We need to clean and polish the windows of our souls – our eyes, mouths, ears so that what we look at, say, and listen to are things that nourish the Spirit dwelling within us. The Ten Commandments are a very useful ready reckoner for seeing how we are doing. Do we desire God and His ways more than “pure gold”? Are his commandments “sweeter than honey” to us?

Fr David

Cranleigh & Bramley Talent Show

Song/Dance/Bands/Comedy/Drama/….showcase YOUR talents!For fun. and fundraising! Come to perform, or for refreshments and to cheer us on!

Sat 10^th Nov, 2018 7:30pm at Cranleigh Band Room GU6 8AF

!!! ACTS WANTED !!!

If you wish to appear please register now:

jcromtalent@gmail.com or the Parish office 01483 272075 jcromcloud@icloud.com

Save The Date! …Get Ready!

Mic/PA & some instruments will be available, contact us for your needs. Offers of help and equipment also welcomed. We promise no rotten tomatoes! All welcome!

WANTED! MC/COMPERE!!!

Monday Lenten Group at 6 Linersh Drive, Bramley, starting at 10 am. All are welcome. Maureen LovederStations of the Cross during Lent at JCROM Wednesday 10.00 am for 30 minutes. All are welcome. Contact Helen Rollo 277395.

7 last words of Jesus – Discussion group led by Father David Wednesday 7/3, 14/3 and 213 in the Cranleigh Lady Chapel 7.30-8.30pm. All are welcome

VESPERS AT THE SEMINARY by kind permission of the Rector, Canon Bryan Coyle, we are all invited to join the Seminarians and Staff at the Seminary for VESPERS at 8pm on MONDAY 5^th MARCH. This invitation is extended to our fellow Chrsitans in the village through C.T.C. It would be nice to have a good representation from our church community.

The next CAMEO event will be hosted by Katherine Bergin on Tuesday 6^th March at 7.30pm in the Cranleigh Church “Journeying through Lent with Mary”. There will be refreshments in the hall following as well as planning CAMEO events for 2018. Please RSVP to the Parish Office.

Parish Lenten Retreat – Saturday 17th March

Sr Margaret Crinyion OSM will be returning to the parish on to lead our annual Lenten Retreat day at St Thomas More Church. Sr Margaret is an inspiring speaker and experienced Retreat giver so it should be a good day. Mass will be at 10am and Sr Margaret will give two talks, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon, with time for sharing as well as for prayer. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available but please bring a packed lunch. For more details contact Bridget Eacott 892406.

There will be a FUNDRAISING SOUP LUNCH FOR POKOT THURSDAY 22^ND MARCH from 12.30pm in the Cranleigh Parish Meeting Room. There will be a choise of 4 soups and tea/coffee and cake will be served. There will also be CAKES FOR SALE. Please support this event. It was very popular last time. Win Bracking 275573

Save the Date for the Parish Picnic by kind permission of Mr & Mrs Lebus in their garden, Shere on Sunday 8^th July. Further details nearer the time. All members of the Parish are welcome for the afternoon to enjoy a shared picnic, swimming pool and tennis court.

Please note the St Thomas More church will have no services and will be closed for some redecoration work during the period 26th March until 30th March inclusive. This will not affect anything associated with the parish room at Bramley.

The next Guildford Deanery Initial Safeguarding Awareness Training has been arranged for the at Christ the Redeemer of Mankind, Cranleigh, GU6 7AQ on Tuesday, 13th March 2018 from 7 – 9 p.m. This training is for everyone but particularly for those who work with or minister to Vulnerable Groups (Children and Adults at Risk.) It is the expectation of the Bishop, Trustees and Safeguarding Commission that this initial training is undertaken and refreshed every three years. New Volunteers should undertake the Initial Training within the first year of being appointed. A Refresher Training Programme is being rolled out from September 2018 starting with those who did their training in 2015. People are welcome to attend initial and refresher sessions in other Deaneries if this is more convenient. Please let the Cranleigh Parish Office know of your intention to attend by Tuesday, 6th March for refreshment and hand out purposes.

Thumbnail November Open Event.jpg All are welcome to join two events in our local area:

9th March – St Pius X in Laustan Close, Merrow are offering a Bread and Soup lunch in aid of CAFOD. It starts at 11.30 with rosary in the church and is followed by lunch in the hall.

21st March – Climate Change – A Christian’s Response by Dr Martin Hodson, Operations Manager of John Ray Initiative, an educational charity which promotes scientific and Christian understanding of the environment. It is in the Parish Hall, Our Lady Help of Christians, Madeira Road, West Byfleet starting at 7:30pm.

FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT

It’s a shocking fact that millions of poor farmers who produce the food we love still don’t earn enough to feed their own families. It’s time for this injustice to end.

Through Fairtrade, millions of poor farmers and workers are already coming together to demand a change. They are working hard to close the door on exploitation and transform their communities, supported by Fairtrade.

The annual fortnight promoting Fairtrade starts on Monday 26 February. Both Cranleigh and Bramley are registered Fairtrade Churches. As such, we have made a commitment to serve only Fairtrade tea and coffee at all parish events and, where possible, to use other Fairtrade products such as sugar and biscuits – throughout the year, not just during the Fortnight. Parishioners are also encouraged to buy Fairtrade items as much as possible as part of our normal weekly shop.

Did you know that there is a jeweller in Cranleigh who only uses Fairtrade gold? Jon Dibben Jewellery is at 40a Smithbrook Kilns on the A281 Horsham Road. For Fairtrade Fortnight they have a special exhibition of Fairtrade jewellery open 10 am – 5 pm Tuesday to Saturday. Moreover, if you go to their Facebook page, you could win one of four hampers packed with Fairtrade goodies.

This Fortnight, let’s close the door on exploitation and open more doors to Fairtrade. For more information go to www.fairtrade.org.uk

LENTEN Cake Raffle. Kirsty Kay-Russell will be selling raffle tickets for entry into her cake raffle which will be drawn at Easter. All proceeds from the raffle will go to towards the Parish Meeting Room fund and you get to liaise with Kirstie about which cake you would like her to make for you. WIN-WIN.

Diocesan Chrism Mass takes place at Arundel Cathedral on Wednesday 28^th March and all are encouraged all to attend. Chrism Masses see the gathering of the entire diocese, bishop, priests, deacons and lay faithful, and are the occasion on which the bishop blesses the holy oils, and when the priests and deacons renew their promises to serve God and his people.

ADOREMUS National Eucharistic Pilgrimage & Congress in Liverpool 2018 takes place September 7^th to 9^th. It is a wonderful opportunity for all the Dioceses of England and Wales to come together to reflect on the gift of the Eucharist and the central place it holds in the life and mission of the Church. If you would like to be a Delegate for your Parish contact the Parish office for more information or www.catholicnews.org.uk

26-27 May 2018 Big Church Day Out

Cranleigh & Bramley Parish would like to organise a group event to this event at Wiston House in West Sussex. It is a weekend of music, events, camping, dancing and rejoicing of worship and celebration of all that is good in the church.

See www.bigchurchdayout.com to understand the full extent of this family festival weekend. Posters are in the porches.

The National Novena to St Joseph will take place from 10-18 March 2018 at St Joseph’s Church in Maidenhead and at Herbert House, Freshfield, Liverpool. Each year the Mill Hill Missionaries prepare for the Feast of St Joseph, their patron, with a special Novena of Masses and prayers to ask for god’s blessing on their Society and the missionary outreach of the Church, as well as for the intentions of all those who support their work. You are invited to send in your petitions and/or request a Novena booklet to enable you to join in from home by praying the daily Novena prayer. Email Fr Liam Cummins at noveenamhm@gmail.com

Are you a graduate with a strong desire to inspire young people and transform lives through exploring some of life’s biggest questions? Have you considered becoming a Secondary RE teacher?

The University of Sussex offers full and part time PGCE and School Direct Courses in Religious Education resulting in qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a PGCE of up to 90 Masters Level Credits For more information including eligibility and entry criteria visit http://www.sussex.ac.uk/education/ite/pgceandschooldirectsecondary/religiouseducation

To discuss further contact either Sally Dudley, Initial Teacher Education Recruitment, Selection and Admissions Lead at Sussex University s.e.dudley@sussex.ac.uk or Claire Rooney, RE Curriculum Tutor c.rooney@sussex.ac.uk.

Lent, Holy Week and Easter at the Catholic Church

5 Sundays of Lent – usual Sunday services

Palm Sunday

6pm Vigil and Blessing of Palms at Jesus Christ Redeemer of Mankind

9am Mass and Blessing of Palms at St Thomas More, Bramley

11am Mass and Blessing of Palms at Jesus Christ Redeemer of Mankind

Holy Week

Monday – 10am Mass at Jesus Christ Redeemer of Mankind

Tuesday – 10am Mass at St Thomas More, Bramley

Wednesday – 6pm Chrism Mass at Arundel Cathedral

The Sacred Triduum – all at Jesus Christ Redeemer of Mankind

Maundy Thursday – 7.30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper and Footwashing and watch until midnight in Garden of Repose

Good Friday – 3pm Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord

Holy Saturday – 8.30pm Easter Vigil of the Resurrection

Easter Day

9am – Mass of the Resurrection at St Thomas More, Bramley

11am – Mass of the Resurrection at Jesus Christ Redeemer of Mankind

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Third Sunday of Lent – 4th March 2018

About the Author

Fr David

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