OCTOBER 22nd is the feast of SAINT JOHN PAUL II. . John Paul II was Pope from 1979 to 2005. He was born in Poland in 1920 and saw nazism and communism destroy the life and values of his country. He trained to become a priest in secret because religion was illegal under a communist government. In order to teach the faith, he wrote poetry and plays to communicate the Gospel, and would also take families on camping trips in the mountains so he could preach freely about God without the interference of the authorities. . When he became Pope, he used his papacy to remind the world of the value of each human life and our relationships. He had witnessed how nazism, communism and the sexual revolution had impacted humanities sense of dignity and self-worth. Many historians believe that Pope John Paul II played a key role in ending communism in Eastern Europe, particularly in his homeland of Poland, but also in the Soviet Union and East Germany. . Later in his life he suffered with Parkinson’s Disease until his death in 2005. He remained active as pope until his death which in a very special way taught the world about the dignity of human life, even in the face of illness and great suffering. As with all Saints it wasn’t his life that confirms him as a Saint of the Church, but the verified miracles attributed to his intercessions (prayers) after his death. . Let us continue to ask his prayers for all who still don’t live in freedom and love; especially those who don’t appreciate their own dignity and worth or that of others. St John Paul II: Pray for us
IN SUNDAY’S MASS READINGS a theme of gratefulness emerges from the New Testament Readings. . In the Gospel, Jesus calls us to “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God”. This causes me to reflect on whether I truly appreciate all that God has given me, and use it in a way that pleases Him and serves others. . In the Second Reading we have the opening of St Pauls First Letter to the Thessalonians. Typical of Paul’s epistles, he begins by thanking God for the people he is writing to, in this case the Christians in Thessalonika. He also emphasises, how in his prayers, he thinks of them, remembers them and gives thanks for them. . This is perhaps something that we should all do as part of our daily prayer – being grateful for the people and things that enrich our lives. In this way we cultivate an attitude of gratitude, which is strongly connected to our sense of personal happiness, peace and worth. . Perhaps spend a few moments are reading this to be still and simply list the things in our life that we are grateful for – no matter how small. Let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to pray for us, that we would grow in gratefulness, happiness and peace as we say: Hail Mary… . #catholic #church #prayer #Jesus #god #pray #prayer #reflection #meditation #gospel #rosary #bible #saint #feast #catholiceducation @rcwestminster @dowym #rosary
IN SUNDAY’S GOSPEL the disciples of the Pharisee are sent to set at trap for Jesus. . They see Jesus as someone who doesn’t care about the political or religious rules of the time. They see Jesus as a trouble make and so they set out to trap him by making him answer a difficult question. So they ask him “should we Jews pay taxes to Caesar?”. This is a trap because if Jesus says that they should pay taxes to the Romans, he will lose his popularity amongst the oppressed Jewish people. But if Jesus tells them to not pay taxes the people will love him, but he will be seen as a political trouble-maker to the Romans who will swiftly get rid of him before he can lead a rebellion. . Jesus, however is able to answer the question in a way that turns the question back on his inquisitors. Jesus asks to be given a coin – a denarius – and he asks them “whose head is on this coin? Whose name is written on it?”. They tell him (what he clearly would know) that it is the image and name of Caesar. Jesus then tells them to “give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.” . This answer gets Jesus out of the trap but also poses a challenge to us. With all that we invest in other things – not only taxes that support our society, but also what we spend on ourselves – our entertainment, food, clothes etc. Do we also give to God what belongs to God? Above all things Good has given us the gift of life. He has also give us freedom, talents and abilities. Do we give them back to God in service and love of others? Do we give to God what belongs to God? . Let us ask God to help us become more grateful for all that we have received from God, and more willing to share it with other, particularly those most in need as we pray: Our Father…
DAILY DECADE – THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES . This week’s Daily Decades of the Rosary are from the Sorrowful Mysteries. If you ar someone you know is suffering, unite that suffering with Our Lord’s. He knows pain, loss, grief, humiliation, abandonment, lonliness – and he endured them all for us, and overcame so that by his grace we can too. . Check out the videos at YouTube.com/theChaplaincy (Insta:Link in Bio) . #catholic #church #prayer #Jesus #god #pray #prayer #reflection #meditation #gospel #rosary #bible #saint #feast #catholiceducation @rcwestminster @dowym #rosary
ROSARY DAILY DECADE IN OCTOBER . This week I’ll be uploading a daily decade of the Luminous Mysteries. . During October, Monday to Friday I’ll be uploading a decade of the Rosary daily, meditating on a different mystery each day. . The JOYFUL MYSTERIES are uploaded already and the SORROWFUL and GLORIOUS mysteries are coming too. . OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY: PRAY FOR US . #catholic #church #prayer #Jesus #god #pray #prayer #reflection #meditation #gospel #rosary #bible #saint #feast #catholiceducation @rcwestminster @dowym #rosary
I’m really proud of the school I work at – amazing staff and pupils! I think we’ve done a really good job at capturing the essence of life at St Joan of Arc School in these videos. . They’ve all been made in house. They’re unscripted and genuine views from kids who volunteered to be involved. Not being able to do much ‘contact’ chaplaincy work, has given me the time to make these videos for this years Open ‘Evening’. . If they were unable to get to one of our tours, hopefully these videos will help families make the difficult decision of choosing the right secondary school for them. . Please share the link below with anyone you know looking at secondary schools in Rickmansworth, Croxley, Watford, Bushey, Chorleywood, Amersham, Chesham, Harrow, Ruislip, Northwood and the surrounding areas. . joa.herts.sch.uk
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