Wednesday 13th May 2020 - A WEEKLY PRAYER CUSTOM Welcome to the of Our Lady & St. Robert Robert Street, Harrogate, HG1 1HP ( of ) Registered Charity No: 249404 Celebrating the Year of the Word Clergy: Canon Jim Callaghan –Parish Priest with The Wednesday Word. Priests: Fr. Ben Hilton -Assistant Priest Lectio Divina - prayerfully Parish Office (St. Robert’s Presbytery)- Closed until further notice preparing for the Sunday Mass. web:strobertsharrogate.co.uk The P ar ish V er sion Tel: (01423)504988 e-mail: [email protected] Preparing for the Mass of Sunday 17th May 2020 - The Sixth Sunday of Easter St Robert’s Centre—Closed until further notice 1 Relax & Remember Tel: 01423 529771 e-mail: [email protected] web: strobertscentre.co.uk

Set aside 10 -15 minutes and create a suitable environment by removing any distractions. Make sure that you are comfortable. Perhaps light a candle. Make the sign of the cross † and remain still for a minute of settling silence. Call to mind the love that God has for you. Remember that through this scripture our Lord is truly present. Then read the Gospel, preferably aloud and slowly, and pay attention to any words that stand out. If any do, meditate on them for a few minutes and be invited into a dialogue with God.

2 Read

Taken from the Gospel for Sunday 17th May 2020 - The Advocate whom the Father will send (John 14:15-21) Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If you love me you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever, that Spirit of truth whom the world can never receive since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come back to you. In a short time the world will no longer see me; but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will understand that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you. Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them will be one who loves me; and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and show myself to him.’ Sunday 10th May 2020 3 Reflect Canon Jim Callaghan and Fr Ben Hilton will say Mass privately After spending a few minutes considering this Gospel, continue by reading Fr Henry Wansbrough’s reflection. Only in John’s Gospel is the Spirit whom the Father will send called ‘the Advocate’ or ‘the Paraclete’. Both names have the same derivation and the same each day for your Intentions meaning, but the former is from the Latin language, the latter from the Greek. It means someone ‘called to one’s side’ as a helper, principally as a defender in a lawsuit. The word ‘Paraclete’ also suggests comfort and strength, as implied in the quality ‘paraclesis’ or perseverance. In the discourse after the Last Supper, when Jesus is preparing his disciples for their future task, there are four separate sayings about the Paraclete. The Paraclete is sent both by Jesus and by the Father, but always from the Father’s side. The Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, will teach the disciples everything and lead them into all truth, witnessing to the Father. The Paraclete is ‘another Paraclete’, that is, other than Jesus, who will make Jesus present when Jesus is no longer physically LIVE-STREAMING OF DAILY MASS AND DEVOTIONS FROM LEEDS with the disciples. The close link and interplay between these three figures (Father, Son and Spirit) gives us not only the beginnings of the theology of the Trinity, but also a lasting confidence that Jesus is never absent from his Church. With the guidance and patronage of the Paraclete the Church enters more and more deeply into the understanding of the divine mystery. Holy Mass will be live-streamed EACH WEEKDAY at 10.30 am and on SUNDAYS at 11.00am Why do we need a Paraclete to guide us? There will also be a live-stream of the Angelus at 12.00 Noon each Reflection: Open yourself to the guidance of the Paraclete. Allow the Paraclete to lead you further into the life of the Trinity. weekday, followed by praying the Rosary. Details of other devotions are available via the Leeds Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB Cathedral website and Cathedral Bulletin.

4 Respond & Request To participate online, please access the Leeds Cathedral Live YouTube channel www.leedscathedrallive.org.uk where the words of Prayers, Devotions and Orders of Service Now slowly and prayerfully read the Gospel once again but this time in silence. Consider how this Gospel could apply to your life in general. Then thank God for any insight you may have received. Conclude by asking God to bless you with one of the following spiritual gifts to help may be viewed, or downloaded from the Diocesan and Cathedral websites. you act on any resolution you have made: love, understanding, wisdom, faithfulness, peace, self control, patience, or joy. Please remember to pray for the Church and particularly our school families. Then conclude by requesting the prayers of Our Lady & St Joseph.

The Wednesday Word is under the patronage of St Joseph, Patron Saint of Families and Protector of the Church Within the tradition of the , each Wednesday is dedicated to St Joseph

® The Wednesday Word Ltd. A registered Charity in England and Wales limited by guarantee – 1125628 © Copyright 2020 The Wednesday Word Trust www.wednesdayword.org Parish Finance Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Many thanks to all who continue to support our of St. Robert’s and St. Aelred’s during the present time of crisis and lockdown. The Diocesan Finance Office report that many people from around the Diocese are phoning and sending e-mails asking how they can contribute to their parishes while public Masses are suspended. What follows is an explanation of the ways in Each year, as the days and weeks of the Easter season continue, we which you can contribute but if you already have a standing order, or collection envelopes please ignore what follows. recall that while the church gives us 40 days of preparation for the Giving to your Parish: great solemnities of Holy week and the Lord’s resurrection, that time Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has continued to support St Robert’s and St. Aelred’s week in and week out, especially those- who have made new arrangements to donate towards the continuing work of our parish during these difficult times. is superseded by 49 days of celebration. It is possible to make your weekly or monthly offerings in several ways: Set-up a Standing Order with your bank or building society. (GAD forms can be downloaded) to either St. Robert’s or St. Aelred’s Diocese of Leeds Our Lady Immaculate St Robert’s Harrogate Sort Code: 40-27-15 Account No: 81017489 Celebrating Mass each day, I am struck by the sense of freshness, Diocese of Leeds St Aelred of Rievaulx Sort Code: 40-27-15 Account No: 41017470 urgency and energetic joy, which characterized the first generation of Make a one-off payment via internet or telephone banking to the Church using the details be- low: Christian believers, as evidenced by the writing of St. Luke in the Acts Diocese of Leeds Our Lady Immaculate St Robert’s Harrogate Sort Code: 40-27-15 Account No: 81017489 Diocese of Leeds St Aelred of Rievaulx Sort Code: 40-27-15 Account No: 41017470 of the Apostles. These were people truly trying to be “fit for mission.” Press the Donate Button on the opening page of the St. Roberts or St Aelreds webpage,. Use the text service, to donate £5 to St Robert’s text CHURCH ROBERT to 70500 for St. Robert’s and to donate £5 to St. Aelred’s text CHURCH AELRED to 70500 for St. Aelred’s **Please note that it is a feature of the text-giving facility that allows for no more and no less than £5 to be given to the In the weeks and months to come we will do well to emulate that Offertory via each text. If your regular weekly parish giving is either more or less than this amount, please feel free either to sense of renewal, trusting in the word of the one who tells us “Behold, send more than one text – or maybe use this facility just once a fortnight or once a month.** Leave a donation (cash or cheque) through the Presbytery letterbox at St. Robert’s. I make all things new.” Thank you all for your generosity and the support you give to your parish. Bless you all!

************************************************************************ On a practical level, a number of parishioners have contacted me this

Mass for the Sick and their Families, NHS Front-Line workers and those working in Social Care. week concerned that they have not been able to contribute their usual The Catholic of England and Wales recognise that this time of the COVID-19 pandemic is offertory by their numbered envelopes. affecting every person in our countries. Those who are sick, and their families, are suffering many hardships of isolation from contact with those they love. Our front-line workers in hospitals and in Please don’t worry ! The parish has a healthy credit balance and I care homes all over our lands are giving exceptional service to those who are vulnerable at this know the generosity of our people is such that we will make up any time. In order to show a spiritual solidarity with all those who are involved in the ways described above, each week from next Thursday, a Catholic will celebrate Mass in their Cathedral temporary losses after the “lockdown” is over. which will be live-streamed for people to join. This will take place every Thursday at 7.00pm

Similarly with requests for Mass Intentions to be celebrated—don’t 14th May Bishop Robert Byrne CO Newcastle Cathedral worry about Mass offerings—just send us a note by post, email, or 21st May Bishop Mark Davies 28th May Bishop Terence Drainey phone us to let us know what you need. Masses booked in for specific By visiting the Cathedral webpage, or the Bishops’ Conference Webpage dates before “lockdown” will be celebrated as you have requested. (cbcew.org.uk) links for the live-streaming of these Masses can be found. With our prayers for you each day;

Please pray for all the sick of the Parish. Anniversaries at this time: Canon Jim. Recently deceased: