Month: March 2014

Would You Like To Know More About The Faith?

St-Catherine
Adults who wish to explore becoming a Catholic, or who simply wish to find out more about the Catholic faith, are welcome to ‘come and see’, as Jesus invited his first followers. The Looking Into The Faith group is aimed at those who would like to become Catholics or who would just like to know more about the faith. We should hasten to add that the group is also made up of people from the parish who come along to learn and to support those who may enter into the church. Our meetings are very informal and take place every Thursday – we’ll even make you a cup of tea and offer you some biscuits! Father John is always there (except when he attends meetings) as we explore the faith through a course called Evangelium, which offers an excellent grounding in the full panorama of Catholic beliefs. This course is delivered through a PowerPoint presentation and covers many of the questions you have about the Catholic faith.

If you’d like to know more, visit our Looking Into the Faith page on this website. And please let your friends and family know about this group.

The Word This Week

Franceschini, Giacomo Gesù e la Samaritana al pozzoThe Gospel of the third Sunday is the remarkable conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman by the well. The theme is water – which gives life, which cleanses, which is so necessary. This reading forms part of the catechesis given before Baptism at Easter: the candidates who would go into the water are invited to reflect on what that means. But more necessary than the water which gives life is the water which gives eternal life – the water of baptism, the water flowing from Jesus’ side on the cross, his life and Spirit. We have only one candidates preparing for Baptism into the new life of Easter, but with her, we will all renew our baptismal promises: We are invited to reflect on what baptism has given us, what God has done for us in this gift, and what he seeks to renew in us all.

Today’s Scripture (Psalter: Week3)

Exodus 17: 3 – 7

Response: Psalm 94
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;
hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come before him, giving thanks,
with songs let us hail the Lord.

Come in; let us bow and bend low;
let us kneel before the Lord who made us
for he is our God and we //
the people who belong to his pasture,
the flock that is led by his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice!
‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as on that day at Massah in the desert //
when your fathers put me to the test;
when they tried me, though they saw my work.

(Sung Antiphon: O that today you would listen to his voice; ‘Harden not your hearts’.)

Romans 5: 1–2, 5–8

Acclamation for the Gospel:
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of Life!
Jesus said: “I give you a new commandment:
Love one another, just as I have loved you.”
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of Life!

John 4:5–42

Prayer of the Faithful: R/. Lord, pour out your spirit.

To read Today’s scripture, visit the Catholic Online.

The Word This Week

Pietro Perugino: Collegio del Cambio (Trasfigurazione) 1496-1500Lent is a Season of preparation for the whole Paschal Triduum – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday: not just a time to reflect on the Cross. Often our Lenten devotions can focus exclusively on the Cross, and the idea of Baptism can be lost. This is why the Church invites us to join the disciples in looking beyond the cross this Sunday: we see the glory of Easter, the glory of the resurrection and the glory of the baptised. We see all this in the Transfiguration: We are invited to recognise who Jesus is. It is the glorified Jesus, whom we will celebrate at Easter, who calls us to journey through Lent, just as God called Abraham to journey far from his home. So the readings lead to us acknowledge that Lent is a very special ‘calling’, to follow the Lord of glory to the renewal of baptismal purity.

Today’s Scripture: (Psalter: Week 2)

Genesis 12: 1 – 4

Response: Psalm 32
The word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.

The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
The lord is our help and our shield.
May your love be upon us, O Lord,
as we place all our hope in you.

(Sung Antiphon: May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.)

2Timothy 1: 8–10

Acclamation for the Gospel:
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
From the bright cloud the Father’s voice was heard:
‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

Matthew 17: 1 – 9

Prayer of the Faithful: R/. Lord, fill the earth with your love

To read Today’s scripture, visit the Catholic Online.

St Helen’s Bereavement Support

As some of you are aware we have set up a new group within the church – the St Helen’s Bereavement Support.  The bereavement group offers support and help on behalf of the parish community through parishioners who have volunteered to do this. The parish can offer support either as a one to one meetings over a period of time or in a group to share thoughts and experiences and to help one another at this difficult time. 

For more information, please visit the St Helen’s Bereavement Support page.

The Word This Week

In the Cycle of Sunday Readings, the oldest are those of Year A in Lent – these Gospels have accompanied the Church for many centuries. We must realise why: Lent was originally the time of immediate preparation of candidates for Baptism at Easter (something which has been reintroduced to the Church in the R.C.I.A.): those already baptised used it as a time to prepare for the renewal of Baptismal promises. This is why so much of the Scripture in Lent is about Baptism, New Life and Salvation. What is the new life of Baptism? What are we set free from? What is sin? We begin Lent by hearing about sin and temptation; the Gospel will tell us of Jesus’ own temptations, something he shares with us, though he did not sin. The other Scripture readings prepare us for the Gospel, in which Jesus, the new Adam, triumphs over temptation.

Today’s Scripture
(Psalter: Week 1)

Genesis 2: 7 – 9. 3: 1 – 7

Response: Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, God in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

My offences truly I know them;
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.

A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervour sustain me.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
(Sung Antiphon: Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.)
1 Romans 5: 12 – 19
 Acclamation for the Gospel:
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory!
Jesus said: “I give you a new commandment:
Love one another, just as I have loved you.”
Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory!

Matthew 4: 1 – 11
Prayer of the Faithful: R/. Lord, have mercy

Why not take some time to rad Today’s Readings on Catholic Online?

Archbishop Stack Writes Of His Concern For Those Who Are Troubled and Overburdened

Archbishop George, Stack Archbishop of CardiffThe Archbishop of Cardiff, The Most Revd George Stack, has written of his care and concern for all those who are troubled and over burdened at this time, inviting them to seek divine comfort in prayer.

In a Pastoral Letter, written to launch a new project to help people pray and bring their burdens to God, called ‘The Light Is On For You’, Archbishop George Stack, said:

“Every one of us carries burdens and has things that trouble us, and also things that we regret. As Lent begins, receive and know that in a special way ‘The Light Is On For You’ in many of our churches throughout the Diocese. What we are doing for the first time this Lent, is opening the doors of a number of our parishes between 7pm – 8pm on Wednesday evenings. The hope is that we can provide a space for people to speak to God heart-to-heart to seek his healing and help. Priests will be present to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also called Confession, which will enable Catholics to get off their chest anything that they’d like to be forgiven.”

Read the Pastoral Letter.
Visit the Light Is On For You web page.

Lent and Easter Dates

AshWednesdayCrossMarch

Date Event
Wednesday 5th Mass and Ashes 10am.
Exposition and Adoration 2 – 8 pm.
Service of Blessing and Distribution of Ashes – 6.30pm
Reconciliation 7 – 8 pm. (Every Wednesday)
Friday 7th 6.30am Early Lenten Mass; + breakfast in the Hall. (Every Friday)
Lunchtime Mass and Sermon in Saint David’s Cathedral (+ soup) (Every Friday)
Friday 14th Lenten Family Fast Day
Saturday 22nd First Celebration of Reconciliation for
32 Children and their Families 10.30am
Wednesday 26th Lenten Deanery Station Mass, Treforest 7.30p m

April

Date Event
Saturday 5th Confirmation Candidates’ day of Recollection
Sat/Sun 12th/13th Palm Sunday of Our Lord’s Passion
Monday 14th Deanery Service of Reconciliation, Treforest 7.00pm
Wednesday 16th The Mass of the Chrism, Saint David’s Cathedral, 11.30pm.



Thursday 17th
Friday 18th
Saturday 19th
Saturday 20th


Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
Holy Saturday
Easter, Alleluia		 “The Great Threedays”, our invitation and opportunity to celebrate and seal the Lenten renewal of our baptism into the communion of the risen Body of Christ in the Church.

May

Date Event
May 16h Confirmation of 8 of our Young People as full adult Christians.

June

Date Event
June 14th & 15th 32 Children share in Sacramental Communion for a first time.

And later in the year

Date Event
September 3rd 50th Anniversary of the Opening of Saint Helen’s Church:
Mass with the Archbishop, Parishioners old and new, and Guests.
October 18th/19th Parish Mission Weekend: “Life to the Full!”