Dear Friends
The reading from the book of Wisdom is pure invitation: all are invited to the feast including the ignorant and the foolish. There is a clear link with the Gospel where Jesus also invites using challenging words: ‘If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you’. In Hebrew ‘flesh and blood’ mean the whole person. For St John this person is Christ and includes the Eucharistic Christ. Just as food and drink are essential for human life so the food and drink of the eucharist sustain the life of Christ within us – ‘whoever eats me will draw life from me’. For the Jews at the time this was a difficult teaching as it is for some of our contemporaries. But for us the real presence of Jesus in the Mass is at the heart of our faith.
Father Gavin Small, a retired priest from Australia, will be staying in the presbytery from 7th September to the 1st October. This is Father Gavin’s third visit and his longest – he clearly enjoys this part of Norfolk where he has family roots. It makes it possible for me to attend (with two parishioners) the Adoremus conference in Liverpool on 7-9th September, to join the Aylsham Twinning’s visit to France during the week of the 17th September, to attend a weekend theology conference in Scotland on 21st-23rd September and, not least, to spend some time with my family.
God bless
Father James
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On Tuesday there will be the annual Memorial Garden Mass at 6.00pm in the grounds of the Sacred Heart. This is for the whole parish and replaces the (NW) 9.30 am Mass.
St John of the Cross Liturgy Committee meets on Friday 24th August at 10.00 am.
The Bible Group meets in the Parish Hall on Friday 24th at 2.30pm.
The next PPC Meeting will be held at St John of the Cross, Aylsham on Tuesday 28th August at 7.30 pm.
The vacancy for a representative on the Parish Pastoral Council from the St Helen’s community has now been filled. We will welcome Richard McGreevy to join our members.
A Pop-up Lunch to support the work of the SVP will be held on Saturday 1st September at Ivythorn Cottage, Thorpe Market. To reserve a place call Naomi on 01263 834838 or email – naomiperowne@icloud.com or text/call 07825 510013
An ecumenical Songs of Praise Service will be held at Hoveton Riverside, Pocket Park, Hoveton, next Sunday afternoon, 26th August, at 3.30 pm (This is an area adjacent to Riverside, off Station Road).
The “Early Afternoon Tea” that was held last Saturday in the parish hall raised £150 plus £100 in subsequent donations; and very well deserved! This was one of the money-raising events that the sisters, Kerry and Lauren are organising from time to time to support Lauren on her Panama WYD trip in 2019. Lets give them our full support.
The Norfolk Churches Trust are putting on their annual Bike Ride, Walk or Drive on Saturday 8th September. There will be an additional attraction: they would like people to send in pictures on the day and Brown & Co., who are sponsoring the event, will choose a couple of photographs, give a £50 prize and send them to the EDP to be published. http://norfolkchurchestrust.org.uk/bike-ride/competitions/
Advance News. Churches Together (NW) are having their annual Safari Supper on Saturday 22nd September. The Sacred Heart will be providing the main course. Please let Adrian Rudman or Chris White (CTNW reps) know if you would be able to help with this meal.
We pray for all our sick parishioners, including Mary Johnson, Joe Seely and Sheila Hall.
We pray for all those whose anniversaries occur at this time including: Hilda Howard, Audrey Barnes and George Mayer.
May they rest in peace.
