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Home , Raphael (archangel)

St. Raphael’s , Yeading St Raphael’s House, Morrison Road, Yeading, UB4 9JP Church Open for Private Prayer only from 9am - 10:30am Fri - Wed, Closed on Thursdays Masses: All public masses suspended until further notice. Confessions: No Confessions in church until further notice. Rosary: No public rosary in church until further notice. Parish Priest: Rev Fr. John Welsh Parish Administrator: Paulina Louison - [email protected] Catechetical Coordinator: Jane Foskett- [email protected] Tel: 020 8845 1919 Email: [email protected] 28th June 2020 - Solemnity of Sts. Peter & Paul, Apostles - Cycle A First Reading: Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11 Reflect Now I know it is indeed true: the Lord has saved me from the power of Herod. "Lord Jesus, I profess and believe that you are Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-9 the Christ, the Son of the living God. You are The of the Lord will rescue those who fear him. my Lord and my Saviour who has set me free Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 from sin and deception. Make my faith strong All that remains now is the crown of righteousness. like the Apostles Peter and Paul and give me Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-19 boldness to speak of you to others that they You are Peter; and I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of . may come to know you as Lord and Saviour." This Sunday’s celebration of the great apos- number of times in Matthew by Christologi- process and gladly poured out their blood tles Peter and Paul is a celebration of the cal titles this moment is not the revelation in loyalty to their Master, the Lord Jesus of who Jesus is as in Mark. Instead it marks Christ. Church. Mark places this incident at Caesa- rea Philippi. Luke, because of the im- an important moment in the development Among the twelve Apostles, Peter became portance he wishes to give to prayer in his of the Church. Jesus uses this occasion to the spokesman, as when he boldly Gospel, places it in the context of Jesus bless Peter, who represents all the disciples declared: “You are the Christ, the Son of the praying. But Matthew keeps it at Caesarea but also has a unique role to play in the Living God”. In the list of Apostles he is Philippi. In today's Gospel, Jesus asks the founding of the new community. Peter is always given precedence, and at Pentecost disciples for a “field report” by asking what blessed not because of a personal insight he delivers the first fiery sermon of the people are saying about him. He refers to but because God revealed to him who Jesus infant Church. himself as the Son of Man, a term derived is. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus Although not one of the twelve, Paul is also from the Jewish Scriptures, found in the truly was. He was the first apostle to pro- called an Apostle. He encountered the res- book of and in other apocryphal claim that Jesus was truly the Anointed One urrected Jesus as he rode to persecute the writings. Many scholars suggest that “Son (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Christians of Damascus. Paul’s mission field of Man” is best understood to mean Son of God. Peter is the rock on which Jesus was the vast Gentile territory in the eastern “human being.” will build the Church. Peter’s deliverance Mediterranean. Both men were martyred in from jail is compared to the deliverance of As Jesus turns the question directly to the Rome around the year 64 by Emperor Nero. Israel from Egypt. Like Israel he is rescued disciples and asks what they believe, Peter at Passover from “the hand” of his enemy In a sermon in the year 395, St. Augustine speaks for all of them when he announces by an “” after girding him- of Hippo said of Sts. Peter and Paul: “Both that they believe Jesus to be the Christ. self with belt, sandals, and cloak. apostles share the same feast day, for these “Christ” is the Greek translation of the two were one; and even though they Hebrew word for “messiah,” which means Today in many churches of the East and suffered on different days, they were as

“the anointed one.” At the time of Jesus, West the Apostles Peter and Paul are one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. the image of the “messiah” was laden with commemorated. Both were martyred in And so we celebrate this day made holy for popular expectations, most of which looked Rome in the first century. They tirelessly us by the apostles' blood. Let us embrace for a political leader who would free the worked for the spread of the gospel, not what they believed, their life, their labours, Jewish people from Roman occupation. only to the people of Israel, but to all the their sufferings, their preaching, and their nations as well. They risked their lives in the Because Jesus has referred to himself a confession of faith.” St. Thomas, Apostle - Feast Day 3rd July

Saint , also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus (meaning "Twin," or "Thomas" in Aramaic) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection after death when first told of it, followed by his confession of faith as both "My Lord and my God" on seeing and touching Jesus' tangible and physical wounded body in Gospel of John 20:28. Traditionally he is said to have travelled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, travelling as far as India. According to tradition, the Apostle reached Muziris, India in 52 AD and baptized several people who are today known as St. Thomas Christians or Nasranis.

He died a martyr’s death, killed by a spear at Mylapore, near Madras. An ancient stone cross there marks the place where his remains lay buried until they were removed to Edessa, in 394 and later moved to various places. In 1258 they were brought to Abruzzo, in Ortona, Italy, where they have been held in the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle. He is often regarded as the of India, and the name Thomas remains quite popular among Saint Thomas Christians of India. His feast day is July 3rd and he is the patron of architects. © 2020 Loyola Press. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. © 2020 Servants of the Word. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Parish and Sacramental Programme News Update on resumption of Public Liturgies

Dear Parishioners,

Following a recent Government announcement to allow places of worship to reopen for prayer & services, we now have further instructions from the Diocese on this matter. The full text is available via a link on the parish website.

Therefore, we are able to inform you that weekday Mass will resume on Monday 6th July. The exact times to be announced on Wednesday 1st July.

Sunday mass will restart on either 5th or 12th July. Decision to be announced on Wednesday 1st July.

Here are some important points on the social distancing rules which will still be in place.

 We will be operating social distance within the church of 1 metre plus mitigation. Therefore face coverings are compulsory for all adults and children in Year 7 and above. No admission to church without a face covering.

 Sunday obligation to attend mass has been, and continues to be suspended. Please consider attending weekday mass or the live streamed mass online as an alternative to attending the church building on a Sunday.

 The church building will operate at less than 50% occupancy, so please plan accordingly. Once the church is full no further parishioners may be admitted.

 Please follow stewards advice on maintaining 2m social distance outside the church and 1m with mitigation, within the church.

You will be kept informed of any updates on this matter as soon as plans have been finalised. Please remember to check you emails for communication updates. This information will also be available on the parish website.

Fr John, Fr Jude & The Parish Committee

Church open for Private Prayer

The Church is open for private prayer from 9am - 10:30am everyday, except Thursday when the church will be closed for cleaning. A big thank you to all the volunteer stewards and cleaning team that have made this possible. We ask everyone attending in the coming days to follow the stewards instructions for the safety of all.

The Rosary and Mass will continue to be streamed live from church everyday. You can follow it by clicking on the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/St-Raphaels-Catholic-Church-Yeading-427779637306617/videos/

Rosary - 11:30am Holy Mass - 12noon

If we are needed in an emergency please call the parish office. 020 8845 1919. May God bless us and keep us safe – until we meet again.

Fr John & Fr Jude

Pope Francis: teaches us to bear witness to Jesus

In his greetings to the Italian-speaking faithful at the weekly General Audience, Francis recalled the liturgical solemnity of the day.

“Today is the feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist,” he said. “Let us learn from the one who was the forerunner of Jesus the ability to bear witness to the Gospel with courage, beyond our own differences, while preserving the harmony and friendship that form the basis of any credible proclamation of the faith.”

The Pope also said, in his address to the Spanish-speaking faithful, that both Saint John the Baptist and King knew how to draw people’s attention to the true God.

He prayed that their example might be a source of encouragement for the faithful, so that “we may seek God’s friendship through prayer, and our example might help bring God to men and women, and men and women to God.”

God in the beauty of creation Turning his thoughts towards the current temperate season in the Northern Hemisphere, Pope Francis expressed hopes that the sum- mer might be “a time of serenity and a beautiful opportunity to contemplate God in the masterpiece of His creation.”

He prayed that, despite the Covid-19 crisis, the holiday season might be “a peaceful time of rest, enjoyment of the beauty of creation, and strengthening of the ties between us and God.” (source: vaticannews.va)

ONLINE MASSES - Website address for Live Streaming - http://www.churchservices.tv