THE CATHOLIC PARISH OF ST. WILLIAM OF YORK 4 Brockley Park, Forest Hill, SE23 1PS Clergy;- Fr Habte Ukbay, Fr Gregory Griffiths, Deacon Amgad Gerges Telephone:- 020 8690 4549 email:- [email protected] THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (A) 7 June 2020 Dear Parishioners In honouring the Holy Trinity today we celebrate the great gi8 of God’s love for our world. The key to the Trinity is to understand that the three persons who make it up totally love each other and are completely involved in each other's acBons. This is important because it provides us with an important clue we need to understand ourselves. We need to know that we were created in love, with this dignity and love of God to humanity, we are made in the image and likeness of God. This past week, we have witnessed the horrific killing of George Floyd, subsequently many people triggered by the brutal killing are marching in solidarity to condemn and stand against the presence of racism and the injusBce people have been suffering for many years in the US. This goes against the basic belief of ChrisBanity. This problem is not limited to America but it exists in many parts of the world. Racism and discriminaBon of any kind goes against human dignity. As we celebrate the unity and love of the Holy Trinity, we ask for a spirit of reconciliaBon and forgiveness among human beings and pray that we all learn to respect the value and dignity of each individual. The parish Finance commiPee and I have been discussing the painBng of the interior of our church for some Bme, in our recent meeBng we have decided to do this job during this lockdown, this seems the opportune Bme to do such a job. The finance commiPee would like to ask parishioners to contribute towards this project, we will soon have a few fundraising events, such as Zoom quiz nights, we will communicate when this is organised and how it will work. We appreciate any contribuBon you may be able to make. We await specific guidance from the Government and the Archbishop regarding the possibility of our own lovely Church opening. This will depend upon various factors and once we have more informaBon we will share it with you. In the meanBme, if you would like to Volunteer to register to help with the opening of the church, please use this link volunteer here Thank you so much for your conBnued generosity and support to our Families in need Crisis Fund. To date we have received £6,700.00, in donaBons and £620.00 in Supermarket food vouchers a grand total of £7,320.00. Please conBnue to contact Mary by telephone 020 8690 4549 or email [email protected] if you are able to make a donaBon. !1 Please keep in your prayers all those who are suffering from the Coronavirus and those who have died and all their families who are suffering at this Bme. We pray for all the Doctors and Nurses and frontline staff who are working so hard at this Bme to care for so many people with the virus. Please pray for us as we keep all of you members of our parish community in our prayers, we take all your intenBons and prayers at the altar every day. Fr Habte Sunday 7th June 2020, The Most Holy Trinity, Year A Scripture Reflec?on Jesus has come to Jerusalem for the Passover. He has driven the money-changers and the animals out of the Temple, all the paraphernalia connected with the Temple worship according to the Law. This, and other signs worked by Jesus, impels Nicodemus, to learn more about Jesus. As a leading Pharisee, Nicodemus is a guardian of the Mosaic Law; he studies and interprets it. This Law was given by God in Covenant out of love for Israel, His chosen people, His special heritage. What Nicodemus hears from Jesus is God's love for all people, the world, embodied in His Son, Jesus Himself, sent to accomplish salvaBon for all people. God, through Jesus, is extending His loving-kindness, compassion and faithfulness beyond Israel, to embrace all people, the world. Nicodemus's reacBon is not recorded by St.John, but Jesus's words stayed with him, prompBng him, it would appear, to follow the course of Jesus's ministry at, we may imagine, a discreet distance. How do we know this? From the same source as has been chosen for the Gospel reading for Trinity Sunday. Saint John records three appearances of Nicodemus: in today's excerpt, by night, curious about Jesus, (John 3:1-21); pleading for a fair hearing for Jesus, (John 7:50-52); and finally, the third Bme, assisBng Joseph of Arimathaea to lower Jesus from the Cross. Throughout the Scriptures the number three occurs frequently, parBcularly at decisive moments in the unfolding relaBonship between God and ourselves: three men, addressed singularly by Abraham, "my Lord", promise him a son by Sarah. (Genesis 18:1-10); Abraham reaches the place of sacrifice with his son Isaac on the third day. (Genesis 22:4,5); God appears to Moses on Mt.Sinai to deliver to him the Law and the Covenant on the third day. (Exodus 19:10-16) Elijah prays three Bmes over the widow's dead son, and restores him to life. (1 Kings 17:17-24); The three aPributes of God: loving-kindness, mercy and graciousness. (Isaiah 63:7 & Joel 2:13); Mary is blessed by her cousin Elizabeth three Bmes. (Luke 1:42-45); Mary and Joseph find Jesus in the Temple on the third day. (Luke 2:46-50); Jesus changes water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana on the third day. (John 2:1-10); !2 Jesus takes three disciples up the mount of TransfiguraBon. (MaPhew 17:1-8 & Mark 9:2-8); Jesus is raised by God from death to life - on the Third Day Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen. AMcG “The true response to a fundamentalist approach is the faith-filled interpreta6on of sacred scripture” Verbum Domini Message from Archbishop John to the catechumens and candidates in the Diocese On Pentecost Sunday, a8er his live-streamed Mass, Archbishop John Wilson recorded a message for all the candidates and elect in the diocese, whose bapBsm and recepBon of the Sacraments had been postponed from Easter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please make sure that they hear of his concern. The link to the video is: hps:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kEeQiF0wQo LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER FROM ARCHBISHOP JOHN WILSON Archbishop John wrote to the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, this week expressing his understanding of "a growing sense of dissaBsfacBon" parBcularly as our churches are not yet permiPed to open where a growing number of retail outlet will soon open their doors. "Religious faith can help support people, both directly and indirectly, with respect to their wellbeing. Access to places of worship is integral to this." Archbishop John also wrote to all MP's with consBtuancies in the Diocese. A copy of his lePer to to the Prime Minister can be read by clicking here. I would like to encourage all to pray for Archbishop John and other Church leaders as they conBnue to dialogue with the Government to facilitate the reopening of our churches. !3 CARDINAL NICHOLS: NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE PHASED REOPENING OF CHURCHES In his Pentecost Sunday homily, Cardinal Vincent Nichols quesBons why churches have not been allowed to open for private prayer, especially when car showrooms and outdoor markets can open on Monday 1 June and non-essenBal shops from 15 June. He specifically asks why churches have been “excluded from this decision?”. Listen here. OPENING OF CHURCHES The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has responded to the Government’s document ‘Our plan to rebuild ...’ and has issued this statement: “The Bming and the manner of the opening of churches touches profound sensiBviBes and spiritual needs. The Government’s document and statements fail to recognise this. The Government’s posiBon, established today, includes these steps aimed at opening churches as soon as possible: the establishment of a task force for places of worship, to work closely with ‘stakeholders’ in ensuring that premises are COVID-19 secure; and heeding the experience of other countries in which churches are already open for worship. In dialogue with the Government, the Catholic Church will conBnue its engagement in this process and has already submiPed a detailed plan, in full accordance with public health guidelines, for churches to be opened for private prayer. The Church is ready to play its full part in the task force, understanding that this includes the possible earlier use of churches for private prayer, as a first safe step towards their use for public worship. It is likely to be some Bme yet before St William of York will be able to open up for public Mass. Over the month of July, it is hoped that we may be able to establish some form of opening hours so that individuals and families can come in at set Bmes for private prayer. In addiBon, when larger gatherings are possible, there need to be plans for church funerals and the celebraBon of Sacraments such as BapBsm, First Holy Communion and ConfirmaBon. We await specific guidance from the Government and the Archbishop regarding the possibility of our own lovely Church opening.