Dear friends in Christ

Today’s Gospel recounts the arrival of Jesus to visit his friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus at Bethany. Jesus would often stop at their house to rest and eat with them. He felt at home there, surrounded by their warmth and affection. Bethany should remind us of the Tabernacle in our church: the place where we can rest and be renewed in the presence of our Divine Lord. Martha and Mary have often been contrasted down the centuries, as representing two rival lifestyles: Mary who contemplates, and Martha who works. The authentic way of seeing these two characters is, not as of rival lifestyles within the Christian vocation, but rather combining the love of Mary with the work ethic of Martha. Jesus says to us also: You are anxious and troubled about many things. We can never forget about Jesus in our daily work, from the most important concerns to the most mundane. We cannot put Him who is the Lord of all things aside for the sake of the things of the Lord. We certainly cannot minimise the importance of prayer with the excuse that we are too busy with all the activities of life, all the stuff that preoccupies us and distracts us so often from The Lord. Our love of God should be inseparable from our work and the love of our families and friends, since all is ultimately for the glory of God.

As we begin the School holidays we wish that this may be a time of renewal of body and spirit. Let us not forget, wherever we find ourselves, that Sunday Mass is paramount. Please do ensure we know where the local Catholic church is, and the times of Holy Mass. In this way, we honour God in our first Christian duty and genuinely renew ourselves in soul as well as body.

As some of us depart this Monday for our Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes—with a number of our parishioners including some young adults—we assure you of our prayers in that Marian Sanctuary. We shall offer Mass for the intentions of the Parish Family, especially for the sick and needy. We ask for the prayers of the Virgin Mother, that we may have the diligence of Martha and the presence of God of Mary.

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale