Liturgical Year: Ash Wednesday/First Sunday of Lent Cycle: B
Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11

This week, we are praying with Matthew’s Gospel which describes Jesus’ temptation in the desert (Please click on the link to play the video).

“A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace”

This year Pope Francis’ World Peace Day Message focuses on the need for us to care for each other as the way to build a peaceful world. He asks us to “combat the culture of indifference, waste and confrontation”, reminding us that global peace starts within each of us and within our own individual communities. Peaceful hearts, lead to peaceful words and actions. In these days of the COVID-19 pandemic there is a greater need than ever that we care for each other, with kindness and respect.

This Sunday is Peace Sunday

“… may we strive daily, in concrete and practical ways, to form a community composed of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another.”

     (Pope Francis, 2021 World Peace Day message)

Pax Christi, the international Catholic movement for peace, is offering a Peace Sunday reflection via Zoom on 16^th January, 6-7pm. Click here to register.

Next week is the octave of prayer for Christian Unity. This year the resources have been prepared by the ecumenical Monastic Community of Grandchamp in Switzerland which has fifty sisters, women from different generations, church traditions, countries and continents. This year’s theme is based on John 15:1-17, ‘Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit’. Resources, including daily reflections, are available for download here: https://ctbi.org.uk/resources-for-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-2021/

Lord, you invite us to abide in you who are the vinedresser who cares for us with love.

You call on us to see the beauty of each branch united to the vine, the beauty of each person.

And yet, too often the difference in others makes us afraid.

We withdraw into ourselves.

Our trust in you and one another is lost.

Come and direct our hearts toward you once again,

That as one family we may praise your name. Amen.

Thursdays at 7pm 

Live-streamed Masses with a special intention for the sick, their families, NHS front-line workers and those working in social care.

Please click the link below for full details:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VwBs9sOWTC0q1ISX9XXjeuWoVZwiwthy-Q_OR1BXEsw/edit?usp=sharing?