5th Sunday of Easter 10th May 2020 St Osmund , Gainford Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle

Parish Priest: Father Ian Grieves Tel: 01325 730191 We b s i t e : www.stosmunds.co.uk e-mail: [email protected]

Hogarth Partnership

St Anne, St Augustine, St Mary, St Osmund, St Teresa, St Thomas Aquinas, SS William & St Francis De Sale

VE Day & Bank Holiday

Lord God our Father, we pledge ourselves to serve you and all humankind, in the cause of peace, for the relief of want and suffering, and for the praise of your name. Guide us by your Spirit; give us wisdom; give us courage; give us hope; and keep us faithful now and always. Amen.

Click here for video to accompany the The Month for Our Lady prayer, or type: Why not make this month a time to refresh our prayer life? See www.youtu.be/10MJA-1lhjc our website for ideas on Prayer Walks with Mary. Greetings from Capetown www.stosmunds.co.uk

Pat and Geoff Avison send their best 5th Sunday of Easter wishes to all in the parish. Normally at this time of year they would have arrived Theme: The Way, Truth and Life from South Africa to spend the summer here. That is now on hold. Catholic ’ Conference of and Wales The effects of Covid 19 are hitting people hard in Cape Town especially the most Mass for the Sick and their families, NHS Front-line vulnerable. They ask that we remember workers and those working in Social Care them in our prayers. God willing, they will In order to show a spiritual solidarity with all front-line and key see everyone later in the year. workers, a Catholic will celebrate Mass in their Please pray for: which will be live-streamed for people to join. This will take Pam Collins who has died recently. May place every Thursday at 7.00pm. from 24th April. Next two she rest in peace. weeks: cbcew.org.uk We ask that family and friends are 14th May Bishop Robert Byrne CO Newcastle Cathedral comforted at this time of sorrow. This wil complete a Diocesan Day of Prayer for the sick and their families, NHS staff, social care workers and other key workers. The day The sick of the parish: Christopher wil be streamed online via the diocesan website, beginning with Divine Smith, Irene Mulholland, Elizabeth Office at 10.00am. www.rcdhn.org.uk Leeman, Cath Simpson, Patrick Doherty, Julie Hall, Joan Towers, Toni 21st May Bishop Mark Davies Cathedral Neville and Fr. Wilfred Elkin.

St. Osmund’s Parish Gainford 5th Sunday of Easter 10th May 2020 Food Banks CAFOD Emergency Appeal Covid 19

The Well: 46 East Green, West The effects of coronavirus on developing countries where CAFOD works Auckland. DL14 9HJ. Opening are likely to be devastang. While we are not able to hold physical times: Tuesday and Friday 9.00 collecons in our church, you can donate as individuals at -12.00 noon cafod.org.uk/coronavirusappeal, Kings Food Bank: King’s Church, Prospect Place, Whessoe Rd., Live streamed services this week include: Darlington. DL3 0QT Opening times: Mon, Wed, Fri, 1pm -3pm In our Hogarth Partnership from St. Augustines at 9.15 am; on their Facebook page: St. Columba’s: St Columba’s Church, Clifton Ave., Darlington DL1 www.facebook.com/staugustineschurchdarlington 5EE. Opening time: Fri 1pm -3pm. Daily Mass and other services can be found on many other sites including:

If you happen to be passing, items Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle: www.rcdhn.org.uk may be left at the Foodbanks during their opening times or placed in St. Walsingham live: www.walsingham.org.uk Osmund’s Church porch. Please do Other Churches throughout the UK and Ireland: not make any unnecessary www.churchservices.tv/whats-on-now journeys.

Stay in, Stay Safe Children’s Liturgy Offertory A Children’s liturgy from Cafod for this Sunday can be found on our website. www.stosmunds.co.uk There have been questions about Cafod do a live Children’s Liturgy at 10.00am on what to do over the usual offertory Sundays. Register at https://cafod.org.uk/ collections. Is it ok to save our weekly donation and bring them Education/Children-s-liturgy. Please keep sending on return to Church? - Certainly. in pictures and letters from the Children’s Liturgy to Fr. Grieves or Standing orders will continue as e-mail: [email protected] usual. If you wish to make your donations directly to St. Osmund’s bank account the details are: Counselling and Listening Services As part of the pastoral care of parishioners and others during this HSBC St. Osmund’s COVID-19 lockdown, a number of qualified counsellors and listeners have Account No. 41164015 generously made themselves available to anyone who may be troubled by the negative effects of the situation. These counsellors and listeners can be Sort Code 40-34-18 contacted through the St Mary’s Cathedral Listening Service on 0191 232 6953 and the Northumberland Listening Service on 07732 980740. This is the only account for donations to St. Osmund’s. Keep in Contact There is no need to drop It is important to keep in touch in these unusual times. Keeping in contact donations off at Church. with other parishioners through a telephone call, e-mail, text or social Stay in, Stay Safe media is a simple way to show that we care. Receiving a call, message or seeing a friendly face on our phone, tablet or computer can be a real tonic. To whom should we go? Visit the Parish website for more news and information. A seven session discernment www.stosmunds.co.uk programme for those considering If you have any news, information, questions please send a message to: the priesthood starting Monday [email protected] 11th May.To find out more contact Fr. Christopher Warren In particular, let us know if you are aware of anyone who may be feeling at: [email protected] isolated or could benefit from some help, by contacting the above e-mail address, or Fr. Grieves on 01325 730191

St. Osmund’s Parish Gainford 5th Sunday of Easter 10th May 2020 Readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter In the Catholic tradition, a Homily, interprets the readings, shining a light on the present and asking each one of us what we must change in our lives, fom today. The chalenge is not so much about recounting the history or reteling the story, but living the gospel.

First reading Acts 6:1-7 to bring men down. They stumble over it because they do not believe in the word; it was the fate in store for them. They elected seven men full of the Holy Spirit But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a About this time, when the number of disciples was consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the of God who called you out of the darkness into his Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were wonderful light. being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right Gospel Acclamation John 14:6 for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven Alleluia, alleluia! men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them, and No one can come to the Father except through me.’ continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service Alleluia! of the word.’ The whole assembly approved of this Gospel John 14: 1-12 proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not let your hearts be Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me. prayed and laid their hands on them. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; if there The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number were not, I should have told you. I am going now to of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and large group of priests made their submission to the faith. prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too. You know the way to Responsorial Psalm Psalm 32(33): 1-2, 4-5, 18-19 the place where I am going.’ Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. way?’ Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. Exult, you just, in the LORD; No one can come to the Father except through me. If you praise from the upright is fitting. know me, you know my Father too. From this moment Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; you know him and have seen him.’ Philip said, ‘Lord, let with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises. us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’ ‘Have I Upright is the word of the LORD, been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and and all his works are trustworthy. you still do not know me? ‘To have seen me is to have He loves justice and right; seen the Father, so how can you say, “Let us see the of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full. Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, as from myself: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing upon those who hope for his kindness, this work. You must believe me when I say that I am in To deliver them from death the Father and the Father is in me; believe it on the and preserve them in spite of famine. evidence of this work, if for no other reason. I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform the Second reading 1Peter 2: 4-9 same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater Christ is the living stone, chosen by God and precious works, because I am going to the Father.’ to him What is our role as disciples of Jesus today? Everyone, The Lord is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen priests and laity in the Church share ownership of by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him different aspects of community life. Christ showed us the so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the way - a role of service - to reconcile ourselves with one spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made another and with God. His example was one of what it acceptable to God, may be living stones making a means to be compassionate and minister to one another. spiritual house. As scripture says: See how I lay in Zion a precious cornerstone that I have chosen and the man who Look at ourselves, at the dignity of our individual call to rests his trust on it will not be disappointed. service. What is it? Can I change? Can I do better?

That means that for you who are believers, it is precious; Copyright: Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published but for unbelievers, the stone rejected by the builders has and copyright 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd proved to be the keystone, a stone to stumble over, a rock and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc St. Osmund’s Parish Gainford