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  
Universalis
Reflection Upon the Sunday Readings
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Jesus uses Parables to teach about the Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom of God is being born, is coming to be, in and through His disciples.  Their struggle for a new humanity and a new community will drive all darkness away.  It is not something we experience only on the other side of the grave.  It is here!  It isnow!  It is in the very heart of us!  And boy do we know it when it speaks and makes itself known!
 
Parables are not like other stories.  They are laden with depths of meaning which cannot be accessed by the casual listener.  Serious apprentices listen over and over again to the Parable so that it might reveal its meaning and offer up its treasure to us.  Ordinary events illuminate spiritual realities.  The Kingdom of God is like this, but it isn't not like this either.  The images are  deliberately open ended.  They open a territory but do not map it.  They discipline the heart to look in certain direction, but they do not tell the heart  what  it  will  see.   What  the  teacher  is  trying  to  do  is  to  raise  awareness,  to  heighten  the consciousness of the disciple.
 
This Sunday, we are given the gift of two Parables.  The first is about seed  and soil and urges us to trust the natural growing process.  Once contact has been made between the seed (the word) and the earth (the receptive heart) a process of development begins.  This process is more mysterious than we know and we should not interfere in it.  We can live our lives and we can sleep easy.  Sower Control is not permitted!  Hence the story of the farmer who wanting to see it all, poked around his crop every day and ended up with nothing.  For those who lack trust, nothing grows!  But for those who trust, the miracle unfolds.  Step by wonderful step we gaze on the ripeness that will be harvested to become bread for the hungry.
 
The second Parable is very reassuring.  God likes to hide in small things.  The greater is contained in the lesser.  What we now know may be as small as a mustard seed.  But once the seed has been sown into mystery it will grow.  What will be harvested will be the enhanced ability of disciples to defend, shelter, protect and comfort others.
 
The Gospels make it clear that Jesus does not want casual listeners among His disciples. He wants to give  His  words  to  serious  apprentices.  His  words  are  wings.   He  sees  more  in  us  than  we  see  in ourselves.  It takes real humility to know ourselves as mustard seeds and to sit in the presence of the One who sees us as the sheltering tree of life.
 
Paul Murray's poem, 'Know Yourself' captures some of this energy.
 
There is a world within you no one has ever seen,
A voice no one has ever heard, not even you.
As yet unknown, you are your own seer, Your own interpreter.
And so, with eyes and ears Grown sharp for voice or sign
Listen well-
Not to these words
But to that inward voice, That impulse beating in your heart like a far wave.
Turn to that source, and you will find what no one has ever found.
A ground within you  none has ever seen.
A world beyond the limits of your dreams horizon.
(The Absent Fountain [Dublin:Daedalus Press,1991]12).​ ​

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?

CAR PARK SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL
 The 2018/2019 car park subscription forms will be available in the porch from Friday 1 June 2018 for renewals and new subscriptions.  The new subscription period will be from Sunday 1 July 2018 until Sunday 30  June 2019.  The subscription forms will NOT be emailed to existing subscribers.  In accordance with new GDPR guidelines all 2017 subscription forms will be shredded.
​ALPHA
 ALPHA is starting on Thursday 7th  June 7:30pm-9pm with a taster session in our parish hall.  The Alpha experience explores 
the basics of the Christian faith and encourages conversation in an open and informal environment.  Sign-up for the taster 
session on the parish website or pick up a form from the porch.  More details are on the insert contained in this newsletter. 
JOIN TEAM ALPHA: If you'd like to help on the team welcoming, catering, small group discussion leader, please speak to 
Mary McNab or email bracknellpa@portsmouthdicoese.org.uk
DIOCESAN DAY FOR READERS
SATURDAY 16 JUNE  2018  -    9.30am  to  3.00  pm,  starting  with Mass. This is for everyone involved in reading at Mass, 
an  opportunity  to  meet,  share,  be  formed,  and  pray together.  Lunch  and  refreshments  provided  St  Bede’s  Catholic Church,  Popley  Way,  Basingstoke,  Hampshire  RG24  9DX.    For more  details,  and  to  register:  www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/readers.  Please see the poster on the porch noticeboard.
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 .

DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET

​Sunday TBC at St Joseph Bracknell
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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.