Welcome to Our Parish Community of St Joseph & St Margaret Clitherow Bracknell

THE YEAR OF MARK:
​Eating With The Bridegroom.
Fr Danny's Blog
Mass Times
Sat Vigil: 6:00pm
Sunday: 8.30am,10.30am
Weekdays: Times in the newsletter
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Office Hours: Mon - Fri: 9.30am-2.30pm.
Tel: 01344 425729
Email: stjb@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk 
New to our Parish? Welcome!
Register online here.
The parish is part of the Diocese of Portsmouth.   Portsmouth Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust registered charity 246871  
Reflection Upon the Sunday Readings
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The disciple is impressed by the power and grandeur of the Temple.  After all, it is the religious and economic  centre  of  his  world.   Every  decision  that  is  made  there,  touches  every  life  in  the community.  The disciple thinks this will last forever. 
 
Jesus looks with different eyes.  He sees the foundations cracking and the facade crumbling.  This building does not need minor repairs.  It is falling down and will fall apart.  It is a tree which bears no fruit.  It has become a den of thieves. 
 
Saint Mark describes Jesus as sitting opposite the Temple and opposing all that it stands for.  He has predicted its ending and his close disciples clamour for details.  They need to get ahead of what is coming.  But Jesus description of what is coming  is a bitter pill to swallow. Things will have to get worse  before  they  get  better.   The  destruction  of  the  Temple  will  happen  alongside  other catastrophes.  Nations will go to war, there will be all the usual horrors associated with that.  Out of this chaos, false prophets and leaders will emerge, promising a way forward.  But tragically they will only lead the disciples more deeply into the land of loss.  This is how it begins.  The death of this way of life is the birth pangs of something better. 
 
Few people get through life without facing the major collapse that Jesus predicted.  Our spiritual, social and political landscapes - which gives us a sense of meaning - can suddenly vanish.  The sudden death of a loved one, the unpredicted redundancy, the loss of love or trust are unwelcome visitors who arrive unannounced at any time.  No matter how resilient we think we are, we cannot skate through these events.  Sudden change or slow transitions often leave us feeling lost, feeling we have no compass and, worst of all that there is no end in sight. 
 
One of the most powerful images of this in-between time is of the trapeze artist who has let go of one bar and has not yet  grabbed the other.  It is mid-air living.  Our old world is gone and the new has yet to arrive.  People notice we are not ourselves. We grow tired of people asking us how we are doing with the same intensity as we are hurt when they don't.  Our friends try to push us through by telling us to 'hang in there.'   We'll find a way to deal with it, to adjust, to go on.  The losses that we will never get over we try to get beyond. 
 
But is there any value in these moments? Spiritual Teachers think there 
is much to be learned in mid-air living.  They seem to agree that this is 
the only place we can learn that we are more than what is happening to 
us.  Just  when  we  thought  we  were  drowning  in  loss,  we  watched 
ourselves rise above it and our soul caught a glimpse of the unchanging 
Love which is our life.  In other words, when it's all going our way, this 
spiritual truth does not come near us. God is always giving us a place to  stand  and  it  is  paradoxically  found  in  the  space  between  the bars!  The Sufi Mystic Rumi wrote that when the gift of this spiritual truth 
comes to bless us we should, "enjoy this being washed / with a secret we sometimes know / and then not". (Stormy Water in The Essential Rumi 1995) 
 
This seems to be the way of God.  We remember the infinite holiness of our lives when we need it and forget it when we don't. But moments of change, transition and loss can bring a clearer vision. When  the  dust  of  ordinariness  is  washed  away,  we  grasp  the  truth  in  a  way  no  other  time  will grant.  Rumi does not condemn this state of affairs or how easily we forget; instead he invites us to enjoy the surprises that come between the bars

Let Us Pray Together

Loving Father, you so loved the world that you sent us your only Son, that we might believe in him and have eternal life. May we encounter Jesus Christ anew this day and live the Good News with joy. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, help us to “go out to the whole world and proclaim” our faith with confidence. Give us the courage to witness to the Joy of the Gospel by our words and actions. Help our parish to become more welcoming and missionary, so that you may be known and loved by all people. We make this prayer through Our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever, Amen.
Our Lady, Star of the New Evangelisation. Pray for us.
Blessed John Henry Newman, Pray for us.
St Thérèse of Lisieux. Pray for us


God of compassion, You sent Jesus to proclaim a time of mercy reaching out to those who had no voice, releasing those trapped by their own shame, and welcoming those scorned by society.
Make us ambassadors of peace and reconciliation.
Open our ears that we may listen with respect and understanding.
Touch our lips that we may speak your words of peace and forgiveness. Warm our hearts that we may bring wholeness to
the broken-hearted and dissolve the barriers of division.
Guide the work of your Church and renew us with the Spirit of your love. Help us and all people shape a world where all will have a place, where the flames of hatred are quenched, and where all can grow together as one.
Forgive, restore and strengthen us through our Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen

WHAT'S NEW?

Saturday  24th  November  at  St  Joseph's  Church presents a varied programme of fine music in our Autumn concert  with contrasting 17th and 20th  century  pieces. 
The choir will be led by Greg Hallam, our professional musical director with professional orchestra, the Braccan Ensemble 
and soloists, Anna Prowse - Soprano, Sarah Anne Champion - Mezzo-Soprano and David Le Prevost - Bass. 
The  concert  starts  at  7.30pm.  Tickets  cost  £15  (accompanied  under-18's  free)  and  can  be  purchased  at 
www.bracknellchoral.org.uk  or  from  choir members. Wine  and  soft  drinks  will  be  served  in  the  interval  for  a  small 
donation.
CAR PARK PROPOSAL
As a parish we are extremely fortunate to have a dedicated church car park, especially in such a busy town centre. However, as our wonderful community continues to grow, this space is often filled well beyond capacity and particularly at the weekend. Read more...
CHOIR PRACTICE
Everyone is welcome to our choir practice every Thursday in the Church from 7.30pm to 8.30pm with our wonderful organist John Weeks. Just come along, you will be warmly welcomed.   
“To sing is praying twice”.
BAPTISM PREPARATION FOR PARENTS - We are looking for volunteers to join our Baptism  Preparation  team.   If  you  have  a  heart  for  this  most  beautiful  and rewarding ministry and would like to find out more about what is involved, please contact the parish office 01344 425729 or email stjb@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk .
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Justice, Peace and Social Responsibility. This is a group that meets to discuss a whole range of issues that are effecting people in Bracknell from homelessness and poverty to disability, abuse, dementia, autism and the challenges of being a single parent. The mission of the group is to stimulate a real passion for social justice within the parish and the town. Passion, energy and commitment was certainly present. Over the coming months we hope to share more of our plans and aspirations with you. If you would like to know more or maybe even get involved please contact the parish office.

Some of the Community Pictures.

Salvation Geography, the Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by Bishop Philip,on the theme of the Sacraments, was a wonderful unforgettable experience. Here is the link to an account together with the pictures from there. 

Pope's Corner

News from Vatican..... 
Mercy and commitment

​Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
The Jubilee of Mercy is a true opportunity to enter deeply into the mystery of the goodness and love of God. In this Season of Lent, the Church invites us to learn to know the Lord Jesus ever better, and to live the faith in a consistent way with a lifestyle that expresses the mercy of the Father. It is a commitment that we are called to take on in order to offer to those we meet the concrete sign of God’s closeness. My life, my attitude, the way of going through life, must really be a concrete sign of the fact that God is close to us. Small gestures of love, of tenderness, of care, that make people feel that the Lord is with us, is close to us. This is how the door of mercy opens.
Today I would like to pause briefly to reflect with you on the theme of this expression I used: the theme of commitment. What is a commitment? What does it mean to be committed? When I commit myself, it means that I assume a responsibility, a task, for someone; it also means the way, the attitude of faithfulness and dedication, the particular care with which I carry out this task. Each day we are asked to put our heart and soul into what we do: prayer, work, study, but also in sport and recreation.... Committing ourselves, in other words, means making every effort to do our best in order to improve life....
​                     to read further....
SICK AND HOUSEBOUND – If you would like prayers for anyone who is sick, housebound or in hospital and those who care for them, please contact the Parish Office on 01344 425729 or speak to Fr. Danny.