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Posted by National Shrine of Saint Jude on Friday, 15 May 2015

Fifth Sunday of Eastertide

'I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in them bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."   These words are from the Gospel of John for the 5th Sunday in Eastertide.  So what does Jesus mean when he says this to His disciples?  Well as so often Jesus is speaking in agri-speak; he is using images from the rural/fishing environment of most of his disciples; in this case that of the vineyard.  As anyone knows if they have tried to grow a vine or fruit trees or roses it is essential to keep an eye on how the branches and shoots are growing and whether they are becoming straggly using up energy from the plant or if the shoots are showing signs of fruit or flower buds.  This is the image Jesus uses to refer to his disciples and the wider group of his followers.  He is the vine, the source of nourishment for all those who profess his way of life and this strengthens our faith and gives us the strength to put into practice what he is teaching us. The branches exist to draw life from the vine so as to bear fruit.

"The fruit referred to in this saying is the holiness of a life made fruitful by union with Christ. When we believe in Jesus Christ, partake of his mysteries, and keep his commandments, the Saviour himself comes to love, in us, his Father and his brethren, our Father and our brethren. His person becomes, through the Spirit, the living and interior rule of our activity. 'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Failing to do so they are cut away, thrown out, only good as firewood;  "If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned." 

So that we may live as fruitful branches in intimate union with Christ, the true vine, he has given us the Church, his true body in the world. "The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit. This joint mission henceforth brings Christ's faithful to share in His communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit prepares men and women and goes out to them with his grace, in order to draw them to Christ who in turn brings us to the Father. The Spirit manifests the risen Lord to them, recalls his word to them and opens their minds to the understanding of his Death and Resurrection.  ‘And he opens their minds to understand the gospel.’ He makes present the mystery of Christ, supremely in the Eucharist, in order to reconcile them, to bring them into communion with God, that they may 'bear much fruit.'

The Church is not a way to Christ, as one choice among others, but the way to Christ. "Thus the Church's mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity." (CCC 738)  As a Church we are in some mystical union made a part of that Trinity.  Seek the opportunity for daily participation in the liturgy; draw from the Eucharistic sacrifice the life-blood of Christ the vine that you may bear fruit that will last: heart, mind, soul and strength aflame with God's love unto life eternal! Let us pray; we "meet Christ in the liturgy" (collect for 5th Sunday of Eastertide).

Fr Michael Manning, O.Carm.

Fr Michael Manning, O.Carm with the Prior General of the Order and Matt Betts, Development Manager

Credit and Debit cards now accepted

The National Shrine of Saint Jude are very pleased to announce that we can now accept credit or debit card payments for your donations and purchases.

If you wish to pay your donation (or part thereof) by credit or debit card, please call the Shrine on 01795 539214. Please note that credit card payments incur a 2% processing charge. There is no extra charge for debit cards.

We accept the following cards:

 

Shrine Office and Information Centre Upgrade

Work continues at the Shrine to update the offices and Information Centre before the celebrations.

Thoughts from our Chaplain - Octave of Easter

This week after the triduum is known as the Octave of Easter; the eight days following Easter.  However, this seems to imply that it is a separate entity while it is in fact a continuation of the celebration of the Easter festivities.  It is, as it were, one continuous festal cycle from the solemn entry into Jerusalem of Jesus, through the supper in the upper room and the prayer in the garden followed by the trial and crucifixion.  Three days later Jesus is risen from the dead and we then enter the Octave ending with the Second Sunday of Easter; fifteen days of celebrating Easter.

This Octave Week is marked especially by the Gospel reading which the Church puts before us. They start by following on from the end of the readings for Easter Sunday with Peter and the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved’ at the empty tomb early in the morning.  We hear two more accounts of how the tomb was found, firstly by the women who meet Jesus and are told to “go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there”. This gospel also tells us about the guards who tell the chief priests about the empty tomb and the start of the rumour that Jesus body was taken by his disciples.  On Tuesday we hear about Mary weeping outside the tomb and then meeting the ‘gardener’ who reveals himself as The Lord when he calls her by her name. Mary is told to go and tell the brothers that Jesus is “ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”.  So here we have three excerpts from the Gospels of John and Matthew developing the events at the empty tomb and bringing in new elements; the clothes folded in the tomb (John) with the cloth that covered the head separate; the fact that Jesus was not staying around Jerusalem but will go to Galilee to await the disciples and thirdly the announcement of Jesus that he is going to ascend to his Father and our Father.

Wednesday gives us the famous story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and how Jesus joins them and explains all the scriptures that refer to his life, death and resurrection.  Joining them for supper (note the time of day) Jesus says the blessing and breaks the bread with them and then disappears leaving them alone.  I ask myself where these disciples were going; out for a pleasant walk and  evening meal or were they leaving Jerusalem to return home to Galilee.  Given that they tell Jesus about the events around his crucifixion they would probably be going back to an area where they felt secure and safe – their home villages.  But they also mention the resurrection and the empty tomb.  It was clear they still did not understand what Jesus had told them on his journey with them.  They then sit down to Supper, an evening meal, a meal which seems to reflect the time of the Supper in the Upper Room.  Here Jesus repeats the actions from that last meal together as he says the blessing and breaks bread giving it to the disciples.  Suddenly they are aware of whom they have before them; but he is gone.  The two then return to Jerusalem, something has given them courage to go back and tell the others about what happened to them and they there learn about the other appearance of Jesus.  See how the gospels are building up or filling in details about the time following the Triduum.

Thursdays gospel continues on from the Emmaus episode and has Jesus appearing to the gathered disciples, probably in the room where they pray together and they are so shocked they think him to be a ghost (it was obvious he didn’t walk in through the door then) but he proves he is the Risen Lord by showing them the wounds caused by his crucifixion.  Jesus then eats with them (not a ghost-like habit) and again explains what he meant when he had talked about his suffering, death and resurrection.  The third time Jesus appears to his disciples is at Lake Tiberias where he tells the unsuccessful fishermen to re-cast their nets and behold a huge catch is netted.  He then invites them for breakfast and they eat fish and bread together; Jesus breaking the bread and feeding them.

Saturday’s gospel gives us a quick resume of the previous days ending with his command to all the disciples to Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.  Monday to Saturday we have been taken deeper and deeper in to the events of the Easter Triduum in a number of vignettes which explain different aspects of those three days of His passion, death and resurrection.  We too have been given this instruction, this explanation because like the disciples we often don’t fully understand what Jesus says to us.

            Alleluia, Alleluia, Christ is Risen indeed, Alleluia

Fr Michael Manning, O.Carm.

Fr Michael Manning, O.Carm with the Prior General of the Order and Matt Betts, Development Manager

Prior General of the Carmelite Order visits the National Shrine of Saint Jude

On 26 March 2015 the Prior General of the Carmelite Order, Most Rev. Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., visited the National Shrine of Saint Jude, Faversham to officially launch their diamond jubilee. He attended with the Councillor General for Europe, Very Rev. Fr. John Keating. The National Shrine is looked after by the British Province of the Carmelites.

During the morning, Fr. Fernando and Fr. John met the community at Faversham, and then the team at the Shrine Office, so that they could see the work of the Apostolate. Afterwards, they were taken on a tour of the Shrine.

In the afternoon, Fr. Fernando celebrated Mass for the community and lay staff in front of the beautiful sixteenth century statue of Saint Jude.

Fr. Fernando launched the diamond jubilee by thanking all the Pilgrims who have supported and visited the Shrine since 1955.  Fr. Fernando noted that the Carmelite Order are very proud of the work of the Shrine, the community and lay staff. He then unveiled a plaque to celebrate the start of the diamond jubilee and his visit. On his departure, Fr. Fernando was given a gift of a statue of Saint Jude and Life Membership of the Guild of Saint Jude.

Fr Michael Manning, Chaplain, said: “It was a truly joyous occasion and Fr. Fernando thoroughly enjoyed his visit to our special Shrine”. Mr Matt Betts, Development Manager remarked: “The National Shrine of Saint Jude is rightly proud of its 60 years of ministry and we are very pleased that Fr. Fernando has started our celebrations off. We are looking forward to seeing pilgrims at our Summer Celebration on 30 May 2015, when celebrations will continue – all welcome”. 

Shrine Office upgrade

We have had a busy few days at the Shrine Office here at the National Shrine of Saint Jude with the creation of a new office and meeting room. This is only the beginning of the upgrades to some areas of the Shrine outer buildings, and we'll post more as and when they are completed.