Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine...

The march from the Carfax after the service.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

I was fortunate enough to be able to be a part of the Remembrance Sunday service in the Carfax this Sunday morning. I am very glad to say that the place was packed (you could barely move!) and as we prayed for the dead from all conflicts there was a deep sense of reverence in the atmosphere. Even if we have never known a person who has served or died in a war (although I'm sure that most of us probably have) it is important to remember them, to keep the knowledge of what war is and what war does and what war costs (in terms of the lives of servicemen and women) fresh in our minds. The sacrifices of our armed forces must never be played down or forgotten, what they underwent for our sake is too important to be put to one side. Wearing a poppy is a simple but powerful sign that they still have a place within our hearts, that they mean a great deal to us. But is it enough to simply keep the two minute silence? Should we not do more for those who fought to keep our country and its people free and safe from harm?

Just as May and October take on special significance for us as Catholics in being dedicated to the Blessed Virgin during November we remember all those who have died. On the first we celebrate the saints in heaven and on the second we look to those souls still undergoing their purification in purgatory. These feasts remind us that not only can we rely on those who form the Church Triumphant to intercede for us daily with God (CCC 956) but that our loved ones who have died can still benefit from our prayers here and now. Our penances and sacrifices, however small, our prayers and daily devotions, still make a big difference and we are encouraged, this month in particular, to take this more seriously and to pray more regularly that the people in purgatory will come into the light of God's presence in heaven.

So why not, this November add to the wearing of the poppy, add to the two minute silence, add to the commemoration by saying a prayer each day for the souls of everyone who died in war. It can be something small, like a Hail Mary or, if you have time, perhaps the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The lighting of a candle is a powerful prayer too. In the martyrs chapel for the whole of this month we also have a book where everyone can write the names of people they'd like to be remembered in the Mass, why not add a name? Our prayers never go unheard and are never fruitless. Even if we cannot see their effects right now we can trust in God that they have indeed helped someone.

Something new for young adults...

Horsham is a very warm, welcoming and enthusiastic parish with all sorts of groups and programmes going on here there and everywhere. One thing that has been noticed, however, is that there is nothing specifically tailored for young adults living, studying and working in Horsham and the surrounding area. It can be extremely hard in our modern, materialistic and secular world to stand up and be counted as a Christian, our society does not cultivate faith in God but encourages a person to think only of themselves and their own individual desires with no regard for the needs of our neigbour. It can also be...awkward if friends and colleagues ask questions about our Catholic faith to which we may not have an immediate answer or they make assumptions about who and what we are, what we profess and what we do. Sometimes it is nice to simply sit down and chat socially with someone who gets what we mean when we say we've been to Mass, who we can talk about our beliefs to and share in the joy of being a Christian in the 21st century. As a result Tom Kent and I are starting a dedicated Young Adults group here in the parish. Our plan to begin with is to keep things nice and low-key, we all go to the 6:30pm Mass on Sunday and then head over to a local pub for a drink (or two). If you or someone you know might be interested then please do give them a copy of the flyer below (which can also be downloaded here.)

Late have I loved you...

Yesterday we celebrated the memorial of St. Monica and today we remember and venerate her son; St. Augustine of Hippo. Despite many people's view of saints Augustine, like so many others, wasn't born holy, although his mother, by all accounts, was a very devout woman and a good example of what a Christian wife and mother should be. He received a Christian education as a small child but as he grew older he drifted away from the Church and, whilst studying in Carthage, fell into a downward spiral; he associated with what we might describe as "the wrong crowd", had numerous affairs (including one which lasted 13 years and through which he had a son) and became heavily involved with the Manichaean religion. Despite his abrupt loss of morals his mother did what all mums do, worried greatly and prayed constantly for her son's conversion. And, despite many years of darkness, her prayers did bear fruit and he was eventually received back into the Church. After having so long embraced a life of excess he went and sold all of his possessions, giving the proceeds to the poor and lived simply. He was later ordained a priest and became Bishop of Hippo. St. Augustine is best known for his written works, which if you haven't read you really must. They give us a great insight into the heart and mind of a man who has given himself over totally to God and discovered him in a deeply intimate way, they give us a tantalising glimpse of what it is to have such a personal glimpse of God and make us hunger for the same. At Mass this morning Fr. Richard read a short passage from Augustine's Confessions (it is part of a longer piece which was included in this today's Office of Readings) which I think beautifully highlights this so I have pasted it below.

"Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!  You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you.  In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created.  You were with me, but I was not with you.  Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all.  You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness.  You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness.  You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you.  I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more.  You touched me, and I burned for your peace."

Celebrating with Sts. Peter & Paul

Today is one of those extra-special feast days that really bring home what a joy and a privilege and a blessing it is to be Catholic, not least because it is a holy day of obligation and all the faithful come to Mass to worship the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and share in the fruits of his sacrifice. But the thing that seems to always strike me most of all each year is the sheet wonder that is the Body of Christ, the Church.

The antiphon for the Mass today is; "These are the ones who, living in the flesh, planted the church with their blood; they drank the chalice of the Lord and became the friends of God." and it is that statement, that through their sharing in that suffering of Christ and relinquishing their own lives for the sake of the Gospel they have strengthened and formed the Church in ways we can never hope to. Their deaths didn't just send out a message that Jesus was worth dying for and, despite the obvious loss of two marvellous teachers and apostles for the early Christian community, the people weren't left alone. Peter and Paul testified to the awe-some power of Christ's death and resurrection in giving up themselves for his sake and enduring gruesome fates so that the faith of the community might grow and bear even greater fruit.

This feast I love because we celebrate the lives of two holy men who were totally dedicated to the work of God. I love it because we see in Peter and Paul examples of our own human frailty and what God can do to transform that if we simply say, "yes." I love it because their deaths still give us hope and strength when our faith is weak and the temptations and noise of the world seem all too much. I love it 'cause we all have to go to Mass!

Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us.

Singing away with the SVP

Yesterday morning after the 10am Mass the SVP hosted one of their fabulous brunches for the people in the parish they visit, some of whom can't regularly get to Mass. It was wonderful to see them all and they were treated to a fry up with sausage and bacon (as it was a feast day as Fr. Richard hastily pointed out) and egg and hash browns and all sorts! The morning was thoroughly enjoyed by all and we were even entertained with Bernard Smith on the keyboard and a few songs too!!

Thank you to everyone who made yesterday happen!!

Confirmation Mass at St. John's

As you all know last Thursday Bishop Kieran came down to Horsham to celebrate the Confirmations of no less than 39 of our young people!! (Three had already been confirmed at Worth but everyone else received the sacrament last week.) It was really very special to have this here in our own parish as it allowed the whole community to share in this wonderful moment in a bigger way and, for the young people, it must have been quite touching too.

The Mass itself was beautiful (as always) and the presence of the Holy Spirit was tangible (and spine tingling) as each group went up with their sponsor to be anointed with oil.

I only have a few snaps from my phone of the event, if anyone has any others they'd like to share please leave a comment in the box below and I'll arrange to have them added. We really would like to see them!!

The marvellous Robert Bousfield of Bousfield:PHOTO was taking lots of snaps that night which can be viewed and ordered here.

Preparing for Confirmation

This evening at Mass the parish watched and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to see our full-to-the-brim class of Confirmation candidates take part in their formal enrollment. First Fr. Aaron asked them of their commitment, were they ready to take this next step, did they understand it and would they joyfully live and embrace it. (To which they all, of course, answered, "we do.") Then to the parents he reminded them of the commitment they had made to raise their children in the practice of the faith at their baptism, asking would they continue to support and encourage them along this new and exciting step (again a resounding, "we do"). And finally to the parish community he asked if we too would support and pray for each one of these candidates both now and in the future (a very hearty "we do" there too!)

Seeing the candidates taking on their faith, making it their own, wanting to have a deeper, more personal, more intimate relationship with Christ as they mature into adulthood was very moving (even if they were a little nervous standing on the Sanctuary with everyone a-watching) and a powerful reminder to the rest of us that our Catholic faith is not something we should take for granted. It is vibrant, it is always relevant, always personal and a constant journey in which we are called to give ourselves more and more to God. Very cool stuff, eh?

Please, please, please pray for the candidates, their families, their sponsors and catechists as they prepare for this wonderful sacrament in May.