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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The question, 'Who is Jesus?' will be asked sooner or later.  His closest disciples talked about this when they were  alone.   But  now  it  is  Jesus  who  asks  the  question.   The  people  place  Him  within  the  prophetic tradition.  Some identify Him as having the Spirit of Elijah and of John the Baptist.  This means He is the one who  is  ushering  in  the  Messianic  Age.   But  does  Jesus  fit  this  picture?     Peter  is  the  one  who  calls  Him Messiah.  Peter has the right word, but he doesn't have the right meaning.  
 
The Messiah is the Son of Man.  The Son of Man is one who lives in solidarity with God and Creation.  This is certainly Jesus Himself, but it is also true of His disciples.  They are the new humanity that His teaching will bring to birth.  The new humanity, however, will not be welcomed by the religious and political elite.  They will be rejected.  They will suffer for it and be killed.  But their efforts will not be in vain.  The Father’s energy (three days) will resurrect it.
 
Peter is not happy with what Jesus is saying.  He obviously has  something different in mind when he uses the word Messiah.  Although he is only a disciple, he rebukes Jesus, reversing their roles.  But Jesus pulls him to a deeper understanding.  One rebuke deserves another.  Jesus reasserts His role and commands Peter to get back in line and follow Him.  If he rejects Jesus teaching on the role and destiny of the Son of Man, Peter will join the ranks of those who wish to subvert God's plan.
 
David  Rhoads  contrasts  the  'things  of  God'  with  the  'things  of
humans'.  The Things of God are faith, courage, losing one’s life for the sake of the Gospel, being least, being servant and doing good.  The Things of humans are lack of faith, fear, saving one’s life, being great, lording it over others and doing harm. (Reading Mark: Engaging  the  Gospel.  p.88).  It  is  time  to  be  clear  about what discipleship is all about.  It is not about the chronic concern to  save  and  enhance  our  lives  at  the  expense  of  others.   The larger, more valuable life flows from God's love and follows the impulses  of  that  love.  Instead  of  wanting  to  become great,  we become small.  Instead of wanting to have power over others, we grow in service.  This way of thinking is deeply troubling to the rich and powerful who will not just look the other way.  They will want to make us suffer but we must accept this as the price of loving in a loveless world.  This is the way of heaven.
 
Will Jesus’ straight talking dislodge one of our favourite fantasies?
 
We are little people.  Even if we have status it is never high enough.  Even if we have money, we are never wealthy enough.  Even if we command respect, there will always be someone who demeans us.  We long to be important and we eagerly promote ourselves as much as we protect ourselves.  We sense the utter fragility of our lives.  A fall from the little Grace we have, haunts us.  We fear becoming sick, and old, and dying.  So, we fantasise.  We become Tevye from 'Fiddler on the Roof' and sing of the days when we will have enough! We can even spin this fantasy into scenarios of revenge.  We imagine ourselves being 'in charge', making decisions that impact thousands who offer us due adulation.  We may be little in reality but in our dreams, we are large.
 
Some Messiahs will feed this fantasy, and, for a short while it looked as if Jesus would do the same.  But perhaps the real reason  He came was to free us from our fantasy.  The Son  of Man  walks a different pathway and commands all who follow Him to do the same.  He chooses a life of trusting in God and of service to others.  He does not harm anyone to secure His own status or His own life.  In fact, saving Himself is the last thing on His mind.  And that is why He will not sanction our chronic concern with our own status and position. That is why He will not permit us to look the other way while others suffer so we can have a better life.  In short, the True Messiah is revealed in the precise moment that He will not give us what we want. 

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?

​DEADLINE TO REGISTER:
14th September 2018

INTRODUCTORY MEETING FOR PARENTS:
19th September 2018
​FIRST HOLY COMMUNION JOURNEY 2019

REGISTRATIONS NOW CLOSED
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.