December 2010 – Editorial
First of all an apology from your Editor for the lateness of this edition of the Lychgate – no excuse except one or two other matters got in the way of this most important task – I will try to do better next time in April.
This edition is once again packed with wonderful contributions from many parishioners and others that I hope will stimulate your thoughts and perhaps help you on your own journeys of faith. We have a firm and fair article from Daphne McLeod setting out to put the record straight on the facts of the child abuse tragedy and from Peter Grobel a response to the April contribution on Women Priests in the Catholic Church. As you would expect, in this Autumn of the Pope’s historic and stimulating visit to our country, we have a number of contributions, including from Fr Andrew MacKenzie of St Lawrence’s, thoughts of parishioners and an excellent contribution from Tom Paulson on his trip to Hyde Park. On the theme of walking we have a picture in words from a pilgrim on the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, an example of one of this country’s great martyrs St Thomas More who put his faith before his country, and an update on the wonderful work being done by Michael and Mary Agius in Africa.
What an amazing and stimulating week that was when his Holiness Pope Benedict came to our country? From the pre-visit negative media storm to the visual impact and evident holiness and humility of the man and the afterglow of feeling that we had all experienced a great and moving period in our lives. A tremendous example and an invitation to take on what he was suggesting to follow the individual path set out for each of us more effectively and openly. For Catholics I feel it was a shot in the arm helping us to grow in faith and encourage us all to take more active and obvious roles as Catholics in a less than Catholic land and to look for ways we can help others perhaps by being more concerned for those less fortunate and seeking to influence, in a modest and spiritual way, those around us who are our neighbours.
As Catholics in this parish we are very fortunate to have our Christian neighbours in the other churches with whom we share good relations and mutual interests stimulated by Churches Together. Perhaps we need to do more with our neighbouring Catholic parishes, although there are green shoots of working closer together – First Communion and Confirmation teaching are examples. With such a good basis for support should we perhaps be looking beyond the regular churchgoers to those who may have strayed and might welcome an invitation over this Christmas period to reconnect with their faith or experience a new stimulus? These words from one of the most eminent Desert Fathers might serve to encourage us all to reach out and offer the hand of friendship and perhaps guidance to a stranger and so pick up on the Pope’s message.
Our life and our death is with our neighbour. If we win our brother we win God. If we cause our brother to stumble we have sinned against Christ. Anthony the Great
I will close by thanking all who have contributed to this Lychgate and I would encourage you all to read the articles in this edition of your parish magazine and perhaps be stimulated to contribute something for the April edition. The editorial team wish you all a peaceful, safe and spiritual Christmas reminding us all of the true meaning – not the millions of expensive shopping expeditions, but rather the wonderful birth of our Lord who starts his earthly journey with us and gives us the encouragement and example to try and follow him.
| Dear God. These are my friends, whom I love and this is my prayer for them. Help them live their lives to the fullest. Please promote them and cause them to excel above their expectations. Help them to shine in the darkest places where it is impossible to love. Protect them at all times, lift them up when they need you the most and let them know when they walk with you, they will always be safe. Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move!! |
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