THIRD Sunday of Easter 22nd April 2007

Calendar:

Monday - St George
Wednesday - St Mark

Gospel Reflection:
Failure Is Not An Option

After the Resurrection, we might have expected the disciples to rush off in a fit of enthusiasm, spreading the good news, but no, today we find them back on the lake fishing. Peter had given up everything for Jesus and promised his all. Nevertheless, Peter had disowned Jesus three times. Almost certainly he would have been suffering qualms of guilt and failure. Is it really any wonder that fishing suddenly seemed a more attractive option than evangelising?

But for Jesus, failure is neither an option nor a stumbling block. Jesus appears at dawn by the lakeside where he asks Peter. "Do you love me?" Three times Jesus asks the same question . . the same number of times that Peter had previously denied him. It's as though Jesus is giving Peter the chance to put right a wrong. This is part of Peter's healing process. This is Peter's big chance to put his hopes and dreams back on track. Then Jesus, who has known all along what is in Peter's heart gives him a gentle reminder of his commission to shepherd his Church.

There's a heartening message for us in this story. We can get things wrong and we can let ourselves down . . but God who knows what is in our hearts is always there to remind us that failure isn't an option.

SAINT GEORGE - NATIONAL PATRON

St. George is thought to have been born into a noble Christian family in the late third century in Cappadocia, the area then known as Asia Minor which is now in Turkey.
When the emperor ordered the systematic persecution of Christians, George, then a Roman soldier, refused to take part. In 303 he was himself tortured and executed in Palestine, becoming an early Christian martyr.

That Saint George slew a dragon and rescued an innocent maiden from death is medieval legend enshrining the Christian ascetic ideal of the preservation of innocence and virtue against the satanic onslaught of evil realised in the lives of saints and martyrs. For a person who was also distinguished as a saintly soldier-hero in his own day then the legend becomes an essential detail of his story.
Feast - April 23rd

Week of Action - 'More Health Workers and Teachers needed. . . Lend Your Support'

23rd-29th April - Global Campaign.

Please petition world leaders to provide the four million health workers and two million teachers needed in the world's poorest countries. We need to put poverty back at the heart of the agenda at the 2007 summit in Germany. To fill in the online petition visit www.oxfam.org.uk and follow the 'Health and Education' link.

CONFIRMATIONS:

Would those preparing for Confirmation please note that the next preparation class is next Wednesday (25th April) and the Away Day in E.Molesley is next Sunday - 29th April

W.E.E.F. COLLECTION

(2nd Collection - Next weekend 28th/29th April)

The number of seminarians in our seminaries is at a 10-year high. This is wonderful news but it also requires greater financial resource. Please take an envelope today to be as generous as possible in next week's collection. Very many thanks

MASS FOR THE ELDERLY

Please note that mass on Thursday of this week will be for the elderly of the parish and will be celebrated at 2.30pm. There will follow an after-noon tea in the parish Centre to which all are invited