FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
EVANGELIUM VITAE by Pope John Paul II (Pt. 12)
25. "The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground" (Gen 4:10). It is not only the voice of the blood of Abel, the first innocent man to be murdered, which cries to God, the source and defender of life. The blood of every other human being who has been killed since Abel is also a voice raised to the Lord. In an absolutely singular way, as the author of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, the voice of the blood of Christ, of whom Abel in his innocence is a prophetic figure, cries out to God: "You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God ... to the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel" (12:22, 24).
It is the sprinkled blood. A symbol and prophetic sign of it had been the blood of the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, whereby God expressed his will to communicate his own life to men, purifying and consecrating them (cf. Ex 24:8; Lev 17:11). Now all of this is fulfilled and comes true in Christ: his is the sprinkled blood which redeems, purifies and saves; it is the blood of the Mediator of the New Covenant "poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Mt 26:28). This blood, which flows from the pierced side of Christ on the Cross (cf. Jn 19:34), "speaks more graciously" than the blood of Abel; indeed, it expresses and requires a more radical "justice", and above all it implores mercy, 19 it makes intercession for the brethren before the Father (cf. Heb 7:25), and it is the source of perfect redemption and the gift of new life.
The blood of Christ, while it reveals the grandeur of the Father's love, shows how precious man is in God's eyes and how priceless the value of his life. The Apostle Peter reminds us of this: "You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Pt 1:18-19). Precisely by contemplating the precious blood of Christ, the sign of his self-giving love (cf. Jn 13:1), the believer learns to recognize and appreciate the almost divine dignity of every human being and can exclaim with ever renewed and grateful wonder: "How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he? gained so great a Redeemer' (Exsultet of the Easter Vigil), and if God? gave his only Son' in order that man? should not perish but have eternal life' (cf. Jn 3:16)!". 20
Furthermore, Christ's blood reveals to man that his greatness, and therefore his vocation, consists in the sincere gift of self. Precisely because it is poured out as the gift of life, the blood of Christ is no longer a sign of death, of definitive separation from the brethren, but the instrument of a communion which is richness of life for all. Whoever in the Sacrament of the Eucharist drinks this blood and abides in Jesus (cf. Jn 6:56) is drawn into the dynamism of his love and gift of life, in order to bring to its fullness the original vocation to love which belongs to everyone (cf. Gen 1:27; 2:18-24).
It is from the blood of Christ that all draw the strength to commit themselves to promoting life. It is precisely this blood that is the most powerful source of hope, indeed it is the foundation of the absolute certitude that in God's plan life will be victorious. "And death shall be no more", exclaims the powerful voice which comes from the throne of God in the Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 21:4). And Saint Paul assures us that the present victory over sin is a sign and anticipation of the definitive victory over death, when there "shall come to pass the saying that is written:? Death is swallowed up in victory'. ?O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' “(1 Cor 15:54-55).
26. In effect, signs which point to this victory are not lacking in our societies and cultures, strongly marked though they are by the "culture of death". It would therefore be to give a one-sided picture, which could lead to sterile discouragement, if the condemnation of the threats to life were not accompanied by the presentation of the positive signs at work in humanity's present situation.
Unfortunately it is often hard to see and recognize these positive signs, perhaps also because they do not receive sufficient attention in the communications media. Yet, how many initiatives of help and support for people who are weak and defenceless have sprung up and continue to spring up in the Christian community and in civil society, at the local, national and international level, through the efforts of individuals, groups, movements and organizations of various kinds!
There are still many married couples who, with a generous sense of responsibility, are ready to accept children as "the supreme gift of marriage".21 Nor is there a lack of families which, over and above their everyday service to life, are willing to accept abandoned children, boys and girls and teenagers in difficulty, handicapped persons, elderly men and women who have been left alone. Many centres in support of life, or similar institutions, are sponsored by individuals and groups which, with admirable dedication and sacrifice, offer moral and material support to mothers who are in difficulty and are tempted to have recourse to abortion. Increasingly, there are appearing in many places groups of volunteers prepared to offer hospitality to persons without a family, who find themselves in conditions of particular distress or who need a supportive environment to help them to overcome destructive habits and discover anew the meaning of life.
Medical science, thanks to the committed efforts of researchers and practitioners, continues in its efforts to discover ever more effective remedies: treatments which were once inconceivable but which now offer much promise for the future are today being developed for the unborn, the suffering and those in an acute or terminal stage of sickness. Various agencies and organizations are mobilizing their efforts to bring the benefits of the most advanced medicine to countries most afflicted by poverty and endemic diseases. In a similar way national and international associations of physicians are being organized to bring quick relief to peoples affected by natural disasters, epidemics or wars. Even if a just international distribution of medical resources is still far from being a reality, how can we not recognize in the steps taken so far the sign of a growing solidarity among peoples, a praiseworthy human and moral sensitivity and a greater respect for life?
To be continued.
LIVE STREAMING. This has now started and you will see notices in the church to guide you on filming areas. Please remember that all readers, altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, sacristan’s and anyone who needs to enter the sanctuary must complete a consent form, which are in the porch, and given to Fr. Innocent or placed in the box in the porch. We cannot be held responsible if you knowingly appear on camera and have chosen to not sign a consent form. Please speak to Fr. Innocent for more information.
THE ROMERO ROSARY by Archbishop John Wilson.
Archbishop John Wilson has written a new book entitled The Romero Rosary. The Archbishops warmly invites everyone to the book launch on Wednesday 12 February 2025 at 6.00 for 6.30pm at Amigo Hall, adjacent to St George’s Cathedral, Southwark, London, SE1 7HY. See the poster in the porch for more information and buying details.
PARISH MASS BOOKS. The Lectionary has now changed. Due to this change, the Mass books that we have will need to be changed which comes at a large cost to the parish. We have purchased part 1 of cycle C but we still need donations for the remaining 5 books which will cover all 3 cycles. We have received £1,655.00 so far and donations can be made in the usual ways.
JUBILEE TOUR to Westport, Knock & Co Mayo, 6th April 2025. £799.00 pps. Price includes flight, 4* accommodation with Dinner, Bed & Breakfast. Lunch on three days, entertainment, excursions and transport. Single supplement on enquiry. See the poster in the porch for more details.
PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORJE.
4th-11th August 2025. The full cost of the pilgrimage is £770. Please feel free to share this information with friends & family, who may benefit from this. Online & telephone details for deposit payments are below. If you prefer to pay by cheque, please contact Noeleen for postage details. Please see the poster in the porch for more information.
https://marian-uk.com/onlineBooking1.asp?id =Medjugorje&tour=7028
Contact Noeleen on 0203 808 5156.
LUNCH CLUB.
The next meeting will be on the 20th February 2025 at 12.30pm in the hall.
ST THOMAS MORE SOCIAL CLUB.
St Thomas More Social Club nights on Sunday evenings. Open to all very friendly atmosphere and a great way to get to know the parish community. We are also looking for new committee members and always need new bar staff. Please see the poster in the porch for more information.
INFORMATION FOR THE NEWSLETTER. Notices for the weekly parish newsletter need to be emailed by Tuesday evening to bostallpark@rcaos.org.uk.
DEATHS.
Please pray for the souls of Kathleen Fitzpatrick who died recently & Tom McCormack who died on the 28th January. May they rest in peace.
FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Saturday 8th February
G Feria
9.30 a.m. Adoration
10.00 a.m. Holy Souls in Purgatory
FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C
6 p.m. Daily Rosary
6.30 p.m. Goes Family WB
Sunday 9th February G
8.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
9.00 a.m. Zachary Nunes TG on his birthday
10.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
11.00 a.m. Tom McCormack RIP
Monday 10th February
W St Scholasica
No Public Mass Today
Tuesday 11th February
G Feria
9.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
10.00 a.m. Bunny & Saby TG
Wednesday 12th February
G Feria
9.30 a.m. Adoration
10.00 a.m. Izunna Family TG
Thursday 13th February
G Feria
9.30 a.m. Adoration
10.00 a.m. Augustinho Fernandes RIP
Friday 14th February
W Ss Cyril & Methodius
9.30 a.m. Divine Mercy
10.00 a.m. In Loving Remembrance of Sr Valsamma
Saturday 15th February
G Feria
9.30 a.m. Adoration
10.00 a.m. Aisha – Deliverance & Mercy
SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C
6 p.m. Daily Rosary
6.30 p.m. Alvaro & Afra Collaco RIP
Sunday 16th February G
8.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
9.00 a.m. Catherine Matthews RIP
10.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
11.00 a.m. Holy Souls in Purgatory