Saint Jude's Burse - 2014 Grand Draw

The draw took place at 3pm today. The tickets were drawn by Fr Wilfrid Mcgreal, former Prior Provincial of the British Province. All winners will be advised soon, and a list of winners will go up on the website in the next week. Thank you to everyone who took part. All proceeds go towards the Shrine and the work of the Carmelites in Britain and worldwide.

The winners were:

1st prize, £1000: Mrs Morrison (County Mayo, Ireland)
2nd prize, £250: Ann Sheil (Birmingham)

Runners up prizes: K McKedditt (County Down); A Tuohy (County Clare); Julia White (Woodford Green); Ameila D’Souza (Bexleyheath); Mr & Mrs Frain (Westbury on Trym, Bristol); J Hassett (Gloucester); Lindsay Betsy (Canterbury); Leonora Long (Bishops Stortford); Eliz McCormack (Glasgow); Charlie Tobin (Ealing London); D Godfrey (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne); Buckley Family (Coventry); W McBrearty (Paisley); Marie Reardon (Belfast); K Appletton (Rossendale); Forello Moffo   (London); T MaGee (London); Mary Adussa (Croydon); Louis Cecile (London); M C Brady (County Durham).

Thoughts from our Chaplain - Not in vain!

I have just been reading (in Dutch) sections of a letter between Teresa of Avila and her friend Luisa de la Cerda. It is in the present issue of “Karmelimpuls”. What especially struck me was the way she wrote about suffering. 

She tells her friend that relationships in this world are so different: “Those, who could help you, won’t do it and I, who wants to assist you, can’t do it”. She adds that “we mortals have to endure those and even worse situations” Try not to worry. Think of how much depends on your health. These days mine has been very bad. It would have been even worse, if I, on your insistence, had not received the good care in your home.” She acknowledges that she needed this insistence, because the scorching heat of the sun had made her pain so much worse. By her arrival in Toledo, Teresa immediately had to undergo two blood-lettings, and was not able to move or turn in bed because of the pain in her shoulders and neck.

This weekend, the parish is celebrating our annual Parish Day to commemorate Our Lady of Mount Carmel. We know that there was much suffering in Our Lady's life too. She offered them up, together with her Son, to the Father, and for the salvation of all.

Like Our Lady and Teresa, our sufferings don’t have to be in vain. That thought helps us to bear them more easily.

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.

Thoughts from our Chaplain - Ora et Labora!

It is Wednesday 2^nd July and I’m in the William Harvey hospital for my last chemo session – at least for the moment!

I am reading in Living Faith (April - June edition) excerpts from a book by Fr Ronald Rolheiser entitled “Prayer. Our Deepest Longing”. Coming from him you know that there will be some pearls in it.

He writes that spirituality is as real as science. However, we live in a world where the real has been reduced to what is physical: to what we can see, taste, touch etc. But that won’t still our deepest desire. He quotes St Augustine, who wrote “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you”. All of us will struggle with prayer, but if we want to get anywhere we have to embrace the fundamental or non-negotiable rule, “You have to show up for prayer and you have to show up regularly.”

It reminds me of this morning’s reading from Amos,“Seek good not evil so that you may live and that the Lord may really be with you as you claim he is.” Somewhat later he writes, “Let justice flow like water, and integrity like an unfailing stream.” That tells us that prayer should lead to worthwhile action. As St James wrote, “Prayer without good works is quite dead.” Or to use the ancient motto, “Ora et Labora: Bid and work.” Let us do just that!

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.

Photo of the month - July 2014

The Resurrection of Christ (depicted on one of the windows in the outer shrine).

The stained glass windows were installed about 1957 and were executed by Richard Joseph King. This series of windows can be compared to similar windows made for the Church of Swinford in Mayo in the 1950s. The artist also did a picture of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for the Carmelite Church in Aberystwyth.

Note the crosses of Calvary in the background on the right. The angel of the resurrection on the bottom right and Pieta on the bottom left reflect the passion and resurrection theme. The letters INRI on the top of the cross Christ is carrying. Christ displays wounds in his hands. The ChiRho (PX) is the early christian symbol of Christ. The star of Bethlehem in the background on the left is a reference to the birth of Christ. This symbol is balanced by the crosses on the right which refer to his death. Rays coming from heaven are seen behind the Christ figure. The influence of cubism in the. handling of the composition is particularly seen in the interaction between Christ's halo and the cross, and in the handling of the empty tomb at the bottom of the picture. Note also the symbolic treatment of colour: red and white symbolise passion and resurrection, yellow, white and blue are also resurrection colours favoured by King.

For more information on the stained glass window, please visit our special page. 

Thoughts from our Chaplain - Making doubly sure!

This weekend we are celebrating the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul. 

It always reminds me of my confirmation. One day our primary school teacher told us, “When you get home today ask your parents what saint’s name you are going to take for your confirmation”. I asked my mum and without more ado she said “Saint Paul”. Next morning the teacher asked us what our choices were. When she came to me she asked “And Piet what is yours?” and I replied with great pride “Paul”. She hesitated for a moment, but then she said “I see. You are making doubly sure”! 

I feel really happy about having been named after these two great saints. However, it always struck me that on this feast day Peter seems to receive much more attention than Paul. Our First Reading is all about Peter’s arrest and his miraculous escape from prison, whilst in the Gospel Reading he speaks up for the others and for each one of us (!) by saying to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” In the Second Reading Paul tells Timothy that his life is being poured away like a libation and that he has fought the good fight. 

Within the year we celebrate their own feast: the Chair of Peter and the Conversion of St Paul. This weekend we remember their heroic martyrdom. It that way they made doubly sure of gaining eternal life. Let us be inspired by their self-giving.  

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.

Thoughts from our Chaplain - The Mass is not ended!

This weekend we celebrate the great feast of Corpus Christi. My thoughts go back to a week ago, when we had the lovely celebration of the First Communions and how well the children had been prepared for it.

Over the centuries different aspects of the Eucharist have been emphasized: personal thanksgiving, adoration, the sacrifice of Jesus, sharing a meal, etc.

I like the way St Paul writes about it to the Corinthians. He told them off for eating their own food in a hurry and as a consequence some went hungry, whilst others got drunk! He tells them what he taught them, i.e. “that on the same night that Jesus was betrayed he took some bread and thanked God for it and broke it  and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me’.” (1 Cor. 11: 23-25). Paul tells them: Jesus didn’t eat his own meal. Instead he took bread, broke it and gave it away.

Actually he gave himself away, because he said, “This is my body for you”. The message is: Let us break the bread in order to give it to others. To me that means that at the end of the Eucharistic celebration the Mass is not ended, but that we bring what we have received, i.e. Jesus and his values, to others. That would be a very worthy celebration of Corpus Christi.             

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.

Novena for the Feast of the Sacred Heart: 19 - 27 June 2014

Pope Francis reminded us this month that we are invited to pray to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Statue of the Sacred Heart, National Shrine of Saint Jude

At the end of his General Audience last week, the Holy Father urged the thousands gathered in a hot St. Peter's Square to turn to Jesus' heart, explaining that this devotion teaches the young to love intensely; the sick to be strong and to carry the cross of their suffering with patience; and the newly married to build their family on the foundations of the faithfulness and love of God.

The following novena from the National Shrine of Saint Jude is for the nine days leading up to the Feast of the Sacred Heart, which falls on 27 June. You may pray the novena in private, with your friends or family, or in a group:

Merciful God,

we rejoice in the gifts of love

we have received from the

heart of Jesus your Son.
Open our hearts to share his life

and continue to bless us with his love.

We ask this through

our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Make your special request now

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be...