Holy Mass and Other Services
Public Celebration of Mass, Fr Luke writes ...
Church will be open this Sunday as usual 12-2 pm for private prayer and Holy Communion.
Public Masses will resume on Wednesday 2nd Dec 10 am at Brandon.
To attend Mass next weekend, you will need to book as usual, if you want to guarantee a seat, this can be done by contacting Angie Jordan on 07595 914361 or emailing her (bmrcparishsecretary@gmail.com).
Bookings open each week at midday on Wednesday and close midday on Saturday.
Prayer of St Alphonsus to be said at the Online Mass:
“My Jesus,
I believe that you are present in this Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things and I passionately desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my soul so that I may unite myself wholly to you now and forever. Amen.”
What is ‘Private’ Prayer?
It seems that the government is willing to allow places of worship to open for “private prayer”. it also seems reluctant to indicate when this may be extended to allow services, such as Mass, to be celebrated. The opportunity to be back in church, even for ‘private’ prayer, will be welcomed by many, especially Catholics. However, prayer can be made in almost any context you can think of, not just in a church. One wonders if the government understands that churches, by definition, are places for people to congregate, to come together in friendship to celebrate their faith as a community, not just as random individuals who happen to share the same space. As a place, a church comes to life when a congregation has gathered there and shares in worship.
‘Private’ prayer is somewhat different. It is individuals talking with God, whether in praise, supplication or thanksgiving, or even, as a friend of mine used to say “having a bit of a craic with Jesus.”
There are some things to remember when you are saying a private prayer.
Privacy is about being somewhere where you can relax and concentrate. You need not be alone, but you must be assured you’ll not be distracted by others. You also need to be somewhere where you can be comfortable.
Prayer is not a competition. You don’t have to say it in a given time. It is more like floating on water than paddling stridently to get somewhere. Prayer is more “Letting Go’ than “Holding On”. It is important to pray at a pace that helps you focus on the meaning of what you are saying. There is a risk with certain repetitive prayers, such as litanies or the Rosary, that you get to a stage when the repetition speeds up and what you offer to God is an unthinking gabble, rather than a thoughtful word. It is better to take fifteen minutes to say the Lord’s Prayer thoughtfully, than to rush through it in three minutes.
Do try not to say too many prayers. That too can lead to loss of concentration. Finally, very often you will find that the best prayer is silence. Give God a chance to talk to you. Even if you don’t hear anything there and then, the message will come through eventually. And the sound of silence can be a most spiritually uplifting experience when you pray.
TC
Jesus to your Door!
Fr Luke writes: Would you like a personal visit from the Risen Lord? Although restrictions prevent people receiving Holy Communion and gathering in Church. As a ‘religious worker’ I am key worker and so can come to you and assist you. I can bring the Blessed Sacrament to your home, expose the Host in small monstrance at your door or window (keeping 6ft away) lead prayers with you (and any members of your household) and then give you Benediction. So how about it? Are you missing Jesus? Want to pray together in person? Contact me now and we’ll book in time for a visit from the Risen Lord! I will remain at your door/front window with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, I will not come in, social distancing will be observed at all times.
Other Church Services
During our transition back to normal service, please contact Fr Luke directly at 01842 812200.
Our Virtual Parish Services
Mass for our Parish ...
is broadcast today, Sunday at 11:00 am, and Tues. at 10:00 am this week.
Go to www.facebook.com/bmrcparish/live
Send in your intentions by phone, email or post!
Public Masses resume from Wednesday, 2nd Dec. See the weekly diary.
Fr Luke’s blog
Read Fr Luke’s blog at https://www.frlukegoymour.com/ Latest post: “Advent: waiting in joyful hope”.
More about attending a ‘Virtual’ Mass: Top Ten Tips from Fr Luke
"Taking part in a virtual Mass can help us to keep the Eucharist, and thus Christ at the center of our lives. Like anything, however, the extent to which it will be fruitful in our own lives depends in no small part on us, so here are my top ten tips to help you participate in Virtual Masses!
1. Read the Sunday readings beforehand and pray with them during the week. Many people do this already and this is good to do anyway if you were coming to Mass physically on a Sunday or joining us through the internet.
2. Make a Spiritual Communion – Jesus can’t be received sacramentally via the internet but he can always be received in spirit (I lead this prayer at Communion at the Masses I stream and invite participants to say the prayer along with me at home)
3. Keep the Eucharistic Fast: The Church asks that we prepare for Holy Communion by not eating or drinking anything (except water) for a minimum of one hour before Holy Communion. Although you will be making a spiritual Communion and so technically this fast is not needed, it might be a fruitful way of preparing yourself, ahead of time, for spiritual participation at Mass.
4. Set up an altar/focus for prayer in your house. If possible, prepare a space where you can drape a cloth over a table, light some candles - if you are streaming to a portable device (laptop, phone/tablet) you could put this near or behind the altar
5. If you have space in your house (corner of a room/spare bedroom) set up a prayer space and ‘go to Mass’ in this room
6. If you have young children, consider doing your own children’s liturgy with them during the liturgy of the word.
7. Turn off phones (that you are not using to stream!) set notifications to silent turn off radios and TV’s on other parts of the house
8. Make sure you participate: i.e. don’t just watch but say the responses at the correct points
9. Send in Mass Intentions and ask for prayers to be included in the Mass
10. Invite friends (virtually) to stream along with you and participate in the Mass at the same time. Knowing that your friends and family in their own houses are participating in the same Eucharist and watching the same live feed can be enormously encouraging, especially in this time of social isolation."
Fr Luke's Homilies -- Online and as a Podcast
Listen to Homilies online and as a podcast! Homilies will be loaded up shortly after the Sunday they are preached: visit: https://anchor.fm/fr-luke-goymour/ or search on Spotify, Google, Apple, and other major platforms.
