Newsletter —Sixteenth Sunday of the Year A – 23rd July 2023
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Overall Theme of Readings: The readings convey a theme of growth in virtue for eternal life. It also conveys the theme of agriculture and sowing the seed of God’s Word in our lives.
First reading: – Wisdom 12:13,16-19: God has shown himself to be a God of justice and mercy. God’s word is always effective in our hearts because it is always new. This same Word is not just on the Sacred page, but He became man so that He may become our hope and salvation that brings life to our souls.
The Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 86: A prayer to God for mercy. The psalm is a thanksgiving hymn, recognizing that God is generous in providing fruit for the labour of farmers.
Second reading – Romans 8:26-27: The Spirit intercedes for us with God. The first fruits were the first valuable of the harvest. Christians are those first fruits that are growing towards eternal life by the Spirit. Though we suffer we can offer our sufferings in union with Christ’s salvific work of redemption. This act transforms our suffering to have purpose and meaning. This is a gift because we can endure any ‘what’ if we have a ‘why’.
Gospel – Matthew 13:24-43: Jesus offers parables about the Kingdom of Heaven and explains them to his disciples. The seed that falls in the path are those who hear the Gospel but do not comprehend it. The seed on the rocky soil receives the Word but shrinks in persecution. The seed in the thorns are caught up in worldly anxieties. The seed in the rich soil are those who hear, receive, and bear fruit from the Word of God.
To bear fruit is to have virtue and win souls for eternal life.
The Knights of Saint Columba National Relic Tour 2023
We are delighted to announce that the Diocese of Brentwood will be graced with the presence of esteemed relics during the Knights of Saint Columba National Relic Tour 2023. From July 30th to August 12th, we welcome you to witness and venerate the sacred relics of St. Columba of Iona, St. Andrew the Apostle, and St. Margaret of Scotland.
The relics will be here at St Antony’s Church from
Wednesday 2nd August—Friday 4th August 2023
Wed 2nd Aug 12.30—6pm: Welcome service and Veneration
Thurs 3rd Aug 8am-12 Noon: Veneration before and after 10am Mass till 12 Noon
Fri 4th Aug 8am-12 Noon: Veneration before and after 10am Mass till 12 Noon
Friday 4th August relics depart at 12.15pm
For timetable of dates, time and places where relics can be viewed throughout the
Diocese visit: https://ibb.co/VWMPSVv
These relics, rich in spiritual significance, offer a unique opportunity for personal reflection and communion with these revered saints. Join us in this profound spiritual journey as we celebrate their enduring legacies. Let us come together in faith and embrace the blessings of this extraordinary experience!
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