Novena Prayers preparing for Pentecost
 
Divine Spirit, renew your wonders in this our age, as in a new Pentecost, and grant that your holy Church, praying perseveringly and insistently with one heart and mind, together with Mary the Mother of Jesus, and guided by Saint Peter, may increase the reign of the Divine Savior, the reign of truth and justice, the reign of love and peace. Amen
St Pope John the 23rd
 
Father, pour out Your Spirit upon Your people and grant us a new vision of Your glory, a new experience of Your Power, a new faithfulness to Your Word and a new consecration to Your service, that Your love may grow among us and Your Kingdom come through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
 
As we prepare for the Feast of Pentecost ..
.. it is good to hear the reflection of one of the members of our Parish who attended “Flame - The unstoppable - Fan the flame of hope” earlier this year when 10,000 young people gathered in Wembley Arena for a day of talks, worship and prayer.  The day was predominantly aimed at Catholic teenagers upwards from Year 9
He writes that  “Organised by the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation, the day involved lots of music as well as talks from celebrities like Bear Grylls and Adonike, bishops, organisations and monks. The day also included Gospel readings, prayer and adoration.
Bear Grylls is probably most recognisable for his series tv about extreme adventure. He is a former 21 SAS soldier, who went on to become one of the youngest ever climbers of Mt Everest. He is also a commited Christian and book author. He spoke at Flame about his journey of faith and hardships and gave away a copy of his latest book - “ The Greatest Story Ever Told” - to everyone at Flame.
It is the story of Jesus retold in action book manner gripping detail through eyewitness accounts whilst staying true to the biblical context by directly quoting Jesus when he speaks.  The book allows young people and people who struggle to read to more easily access Jesus’ story.
The day also included messages from Pope Francis and  , the Apostolic Nuncio to the United Kingdom.
The music throughout the day, performed by various Catholic groups and singers like One Hope project and Adonike. The music really brought the day together allowing everyone to join in and enjoy themselves”.
 

Novena for Pentecost
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On Thursday the Church begins 9 days of preparation for the Feast of Pentecost.  Below are two prayers you might like to use during this time.
 
Divine Spirit, renew your wonders in this our age, as in a new Pentecost, and grant that your holy Church, praying perseveringly and insistently with one heart and mind, together with Mary the Mother of Jesus, and guided by Saint Peter, may increase the reign of the Divine Savior, the reign of truth and justice, the reign of love and peace. Amen
St Pope John the 23rd
 
Father, pour out Your Spirit upon Your people and grant us a new vision of Your glory, a new experience of Your Power, a new faithfulness to Your Word and a new consecration to Your service, that Your love may grow among us and Your Kingdom come through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Pope Leo the 14th Motto
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Pope Leo XIV has also chosen a motto that reflects this Augustinian tradition “In Illo uno unum”, which means “In the One, we are one.” The phrase is taken from Saint Augustine’s Exposition on Psalm 127, where he explains that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.”
In a 2023 interview with Vatican News' Tiziana Campisi, then-Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost spoke about the significance of this motto: “As can be seen from my episcopal motto, unity and communion are truly part of the charism of the Order of Saint Augustine, and also of my way of acting and thinking,” he said. “I believe it is very important to promote communion in the Church, and we know well that communion, participation, and mission are the three key words of the Synod. So, as an Augustinian, for me promoting unity and communion is fundamental.”
Saint Augustine’s reflection on Psalm 127 highlights the theological foundation of this idea. “Christ - head and body - is one single man. And what is the body of Christ? His Church,” Augustine writes. He then adds, “Although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one. We are many and we are one - because we are united to Him, and if our Head is in heaven, the members will follow.”

Prayer Pope Leo XIV

"Peace be with you all.
Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the flock of God. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter our hearts, to reach your families: to all people wherever they may be, to all nations, to the whole earth: peace be with you. This is the peace of the Risen Christ: a disarmed peace, a disarming peace, humble and persevering, it comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally.”
Words spoken from the balcony after his election
 
Almighty God, shepherd and guardian of all,
we pray for your servant Pope Leo.
Grant him grace to follow in the footsteps
of the Good Shepherd,
to preach the Gospel with boldness,
to build up your people in unity and peace,
and to serve them with humility and love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

​The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
 
May 13 is the anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady to three shepherd children in the small village of Fatima in Portugal in 1917.   An apparition of ‘a woman all in white, more brilliant than the sun’ presented itself to the three children saying “Please don’t be afraid of me, I’m not going to harm you.” Lucia asked her where she came from and she responded,  “I come from Heaven.”  The woman wore a white mantle edged with gold and held a rosary in her hand. The woman asked them to pray and devote themselves to the Holy Trinity and to “say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war.” She also revealed that the children would suffer, especially from the unbelief of their friends and families, and that the two younger children, Francisco and Jacinta would be taken to Heaven very soon but Lucia would live longer in order to spread her message and devotion to the Immaculate Heart.  In the last apparition the woman revealed her name in response to Lucia’s question:   “I am the Lady of the Rosary.” Perhaps the most well known utterance of the apparition of Our Lady at Fatima was her confident declaration that  “My Immaculate Heart will triumph”. 
 
Reflecting on this Pope Benedict the 16th wrote “The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world—because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this: “In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.

The Paschal Candle
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The Paschal Candle is one of the most sacred and enduring elements in Christianity. Made of beeswax to represent the purity of Christ, the candle’s wick signifies Christ’s humanity, and the flame His Divine Nature. It is adorned with one or more Christian symbols, often the cross to represent His redemptive sacrifice; the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet - Alpha and Omega – to signify that He is the beginning and the end;
The Paschal candle is a rich symbol of our faith. It reaches its pinnacle at Easter. Each year during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday a fire is kindled and blessed and from this fire the Paschal candle is lit and carried in procession into the dark church. The “new” fire serves as an image of the Resurrection. The candle, which represents Christ himself, is placed on a special Paschal candle stand near the altar. Five grains of incense are inserted into the candle to recall the aromatic spices that were used to prepare Christ’s body for the tomb, and the wounds in His hands, feet and side, which remained after His resurrection.
The Paschal candle remains in the Sanctuary during the full 50 days of the Easter season. After Pentecost the candle will be placed next to the baptismal font. The candle is lit during all baptisms throughout the year, passing the light of Christ to each person baptized. The candle is also used at funeral services, and placed next to the coffin during a funeral Mass, a reminder that the sacrament of Baptism is itself a death and resurrection in Christ, and testifies to Christian certainty in the resurrection of the dead and life with Christ in the world to come.
This candle, also called the Easter Candle, originated in the earliest days of Christianity, when evening prayer began with the lighting of a candle. This practice was probably inspired by the Jewish custom of lighting a lamp at the conclusion of the Sabbath. Historical references mention the Lucernarium, the evening prayer rite with which the early Christians began each Sunday vigil. The lighting of the candle dispelled the darkness and represented Christ – the Light of the World.
This solemn rite was carried out with even greater reverence during the Easter Vigil. In the time of Constantine we are told by the historian Eusebius that the emperor "transformed the night of the sacred Easter Vigil into the brilliancy of day, by lighting throughout the whole city pillars of wax, so that this mystic vigil was rendered brighter than the brightest daylight.”
In Italian basilicas the paschal candle stand was made of marble and designed as a permanent attachment to the ambo. Several of these candle stands still survive, as in the Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura (Saint Lawrence outside the Walls) in Rome, which was built in the 3rd century.
By the second half of the 4th century, a hymn in praise of the candle and the Easter mystery was sung, as referenced by Saint Jerome in 384 AD. Saints Ambrose and Augustine are known to have composed these hymns of praise.
 The precise use of the Paschal candle has varied over the centuries. Initially it was broken up after the Easter Vigil and fragments were given to the faithful, but from the 10th century onward it was kept in a place of honour near the Gospel until the Feast of the Ascension, 40 days after Easter. By the 12th century, it was common to inscribe the candle with the current year. Over time the candle grew in size to merit the description of “pillar”. By the mid-sixteenth century, some Paschal candles weighed as much as three hundred pounds, and, after use, were melted into tapers to use at the funerals of the poor.
The word "paschal" is the equivalent of the Greek paschs, derived from the Aramaic pasḥā and Hebrew pesaḥ, meaning the passing over. In the Old Testament it refers to the night the Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land, when God struck the houses of the Egyptians but left the Israelites untouched, thus “ passing over” or sparing them.With Christianity the word “paschal” took on a new meaning, referring to Our Lord’s passion, death, resurrection, and glorification. These events stand at the center of our faith. God's saving plan for us was accomplished by the redemptive suffering and death of Jesus. His resurrection and glorification are our assurances of eternal life - if we follow His words and His way.