ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
14th August 2022
For the feast of the Assumption, the Gospel centres on Mary, the mother of Christ. If we are looking for a way to focus
our eyes on Christ today, it is through Mary. As we contemplate this Gospel, which is chosen by the Church to expound
Mary's special role in the history of salvation and her deserving the glory of being assumed into heaven, we envisage
the woman who held Jesus Christ in her womb, and one of those first moments in which his presence was made known. Through
Mary, John the Baptist recognized the presence of Christ and he leaped for joy. In the person of Mary, Christ was present,
and she brought him into the life of her cousin Elizabeth and into the life of the baby, John, in her womb. Mary allows us
to encounter Christ. Today, she is still the one who makes that path of encounter with Christ easier. May we encounter
Christ through Mary.
In the midst of this encounter, Elizabeth beautifully welcomed Mary, this bearer of the Saviour. She did so with great
humility, praising the "mother of her Lord". She felt unworthy to have received such a blessing; she showed us
how much we ought to value having Our Lord come and be present to us. She recognized the simple truth that one who brings
Christ to others is blessed. Today we can encounter Christ by making Mary present in our life and, like Mary, we can be a
source of that blessing in the lives of others. We also recognize that others have been that source of blessing for us.
Mary's response to Elizabeth was a beautiful hymn, the Magnificat, in which she praised God with greatest of
humility for the great things he had done in her life. Her song carries this strong characteristic: joy. She had every
reason to be overflowing with joy. She expressed gratitude that should be present in the life of every Christian: that
Christ has chosen to come and live inside of us. The Son of God is present in our life-that is the source of joy for us. He
is with us everywhere we go. He deigns to be with us even if we are small and unworthy, lowly and poor, and that gives us
uncontainable joy. In the midst of a life that can be difficult and painful, Mary teaches us the central attitude of
Christians: an attitude of joy, of considering oneself abundantly blessed by a loving God.
Lord, I long to take this message to heart today. Let me slow down my thoughts so these truths can pierce my heart and
transform it. I am touched by your presence, which your mother has brought into my life. Help me to see how blessed my life
is. Help me to see that, especially in the midst of all the difficulties I'm going through now. Help me to really
experience, as Mary, Elizabeth, and John did, the tremendous joy of knowing you are with me.
Happy Feast to all of you and May God bless you all.
Fr Jijo George
Notices:
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Cashless giving: In response to requests from parishioners and to keep up with the times QR codes have
been provided by the Diocese to enable cashless giving. These have been placed at the doors of our church. Please scan
the amount you want to donate and the money will automatically go into the parish bank account. The Donate link has
also been set up by the diocese to pay in directly to the parish account http://stream.seccomgroup.com/donations/saoc. Thank
you for your continued generosity.
- Priest Surgery: There will be Parish Priest surgery on Thursdays 5.30pm - 6.30pm. Please in order to
book a baptism date for your child, please attend the weekly Parish Surgery.
-
Baptism/Marriage Enquiries: Kindly make use of the parish email (click
here) for any request. Please ensure that you give us your contact number/email address for further communication.
Please do come to the Thursday priest Surgery.
- Baptism Preparation: If you have booked in for a Baptism, you are asked to take part in a Baptism
Preparation Course. The course will be conducted by the Parish priest on first Tuesday of every month at 7.30pm or by
appointment. The Parents and God-parents are expected to attend the course. The baptism dates will be available on first
and third Saturdays of every month and the time for Baptism would be at 12 noon.
- RECEIVING COMMUNION Please consume the Body of Christ in front of the Priest or Minister of
Communion NOT in your seat.
- KSC RACE NIGHT, FRIDAY 23 SEPTEMBER FROM 7PM Always a fun night! Bring your own drink and
refreshments. KSC would appreciate as much support as possible at this time, even if you can't be there on the
evening. Tickets only £1, buy a horse for £5 (the winning horse will win a small prize) - horses for the last
race will be sold by auction. We are also looking for race sponsors so if you know any business who might like to
contribute £25 (with the publicity of their name against the race) please put them in touch with Chris Thompson on
01245 469161.
- "BUY A TILE" Please consider buying a tile (or two! Suggested donation £10 each) to
help towards the £13,500 needed to meet the costs of essential repairs to the church roof. See full payment info on
website. Many thanks for your generosity and support.
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WALSINGHAM HOUSE GAP YEAR OPPORTUITIES Just finished A-levels or Uni? Aged 18-22? Interested in
working with young people? Join the Walsingham House Team 2022/23 for an amazing Gap Year opportunity starting
September 2022. You'll find information at https://bcys.net/applications-for-the-walsingham-house-team-2022-23-now-open/ or click
here to Email
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MARRIAGE & FAMILY LIFE: BEGINNING EXPERIENCE WEEKEND: If you have suffered a divorce, separation
or the death of your partner, a residential weekend to help you to heal will be held from 14th to 16th October 2022 at
the Sion Community, Brentwood, Essex. If you would like more details, please ring Freda 01322-838415 or Maura
07795-498445 or click
here to Email.
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CITIZENS ADVICE CHELMSFORD are looking for volunteers to support the Parished areas of Chelmsford. If
you would like to know more about these opportunities in areas of general information & advice, IT and money
management, please click here to
email or call on 01245 205588.
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RETROUVAILLE: A PROGRAMME FOR COUPLES STRUGGLING IN THEIR MARRIAGES Help Your Marriage - Do you feel
alone? Are you frustrated or angry with each other? Do you argue … or have you just stopped talking to each
other? Does talking about it only make it worse? Retrouvaille is a programme to support couples who have difficulties
in their marriage. It brings a positive focus, new hope and helps nourish and grow your marriage. Tens of thousands of
couples headed for divorce have successfully saved their marriages by attending and using the tools provided. The
programme helps spouses uncover or re-awaken the love, trust and commitment that originally brought them together. It
helps them through difficult times whether they are disillusioned or in deep misery. There is no group therapy or group
work. For confidential information about 'Retrouvaille' or to register for the next programme commencing with a
Virtual weekend on 13 - 16 October 2022 or a Face to Face weekend in Welwyn Garden City on 24 - 26 February 2023, call
or text 07887 296983 or 07973 380443 or click here to email -
or visit www.retrouvaille.org.uk.
- PARISH INCOME - If you do not pay by standing order and are not able to get to Church, you can pay
directly to "Catholic Church of St. Augustine of Canterbury Springfield" on account 91082884 at sort code
40-13-22. Envelopes can be dropped through the Presbytery letterbox.
- HOSPITAL VISITS: If you go into hospital or a member of your family, inform the Parish Office so
that the priest can visit you in hospital.
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DBS CHECKS: It is a legal requirement for those working with children and vulnerable adults within the
Church to be DBS checked, these checks are now carried out every three years, this must be adhered to. Our Parish
Safeguarding representative is Christina Coen or for info from the Diocese please contact Antoinette
click here to Email.
Please remember to pray for:
Daily for the sick clergy of our Diocese
The sick and housebound
Those who have recently died
Years Mind:
Sunday: Fr Stephen Keane
Thursday: Canon Peter Prendergast
Friday: Canon Vincent Hurley, Fr Andrew Hurley
