Daily Gospel Reflection

30th April 2020Mrs D Ferris

THE BIRTHPLACE OF WORLD EVANGELIZATION
“The Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away.” —Acts 8:39
Jesus’ last words before He ascended into heaven were: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Philip, the deacon and evangelist (see Acts 21:8), may have been the first person to fulfill the promise and command of Jesus to be His witness to the ends of the earth.

Philip was instrumental in reaching Ethiopia with the Gospel. He did this by converting the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:35). Philip qualified for this international harvest of souls because he had first preached in Samaria (Acts 8:5). Prior to this he served the Lord and His Church as a deacon in Judea and Jerusalem. First of all, Philip was a family man. He shared the Gospel of Jesus with his four daughters, who became prophetesses in the early Church (see Acts 21:9). Philip was an evangelist because he first served as a deacon. He was a deacon and evangelist because he first evangelized as a husband and father.

International evangelization begins at home. The family is the birthplace of world mission. If we are faithful in first things, the Lord will entrust us with later missions. “Bloom where you’re planted.” Then plant the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

PRAYER: Father, make my family a “domestic church” (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1655ff, 1666).
PROMISE: “No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him; I will raise him up on the last day.” –Jn 6:44
PRAISE: Pope St. Pius V was elected shortly after the close of the Council of Trent. He took on the enormous challenge of implementing the decrees of the council, many responding to the Protestant Reformation. In his humble way, he continued to wear his Dominican habit while Pope.

Daily Gospel Reflection

29th April 2020Mrs D Ferris

THE VOCATION IN ALL LOCATIONS
“Philip, for example, went down to the town of Samaria and there proclaimed the Messiah.” —Acts 8:5
Philip, the deacon, was a witness for the risen Jesus no matter where he was. He witnessed in Jerusalem and even in Samaria. Philip witnessed to Simon the Magician (Acts 8:13), the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:35), and his four daughters who became prophetesses (Acts 21:8-9). He witnessed at home, in Jerusalem, in Samaria, and then in the Ethiopian’s chariot on “the road which goes from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route” (Acts 8:26). Then the Spirit “snatched Philip away” (Acts 8:39). “Philip found himself at Azotus next, and he went about announcing the good news in all the towns until he reached Caesarea” (Acts 8:40).

Because Philip began as a family man to witness to his family, he was led in stages to witness to the ends of the earth by the effects of the Ethiopian’s conversion. Philip exemplified the last words of Jesus before His Ascension: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Do you witness for the risen Jesus everywhere, especially beginning at home? Do you freely break the unwritten rules against witnessing for Jesus at work, at school, even in some homes, and in countless other places in our secular humanistic culture of death? Where are the places in your life where you are most strongly tempted to join in the exclusion of Jesus? By the power of the Holy Spirit, be like Philip. May you never let your location stop you from living your vocation to witness for the risen Jesus.

PRAYER: Father, fill me with love for Jesus. May I always speak from the abundance of that love (Lk 6:45).
PROMISE: “No one who comes will I ever reject.” –Jn 6:37
PRAISE: St. Catherine was the 23rd child in her family. The Lord had special plans for her. She greatly influenced public affairs and had a profound impact on the papacy in her time.

Daily Gospel Reflection

28th April 2020Mrs D Ferris

BREAD THAT IS BROKEN
“God’s bread comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” —John 6:33
Did you ever fall in love with someone and wonder if they really loved you? You might wonder: Does she really love me for who I am, or only for what I can do for her? Will he love me when I grow old? Will she still love me when the attraction fades away? If you aren’t at your best, and your beloved nevertheless loves you even more, then your heart is filled with joy.

Jesus, “Who dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Tm 6:16), came down from heaven (Jn 6:33). If He desired, He could captivate all humanity with His blinding glory. The Jews asked Him to do so when they requested a glorious sign to prove His worth (Jn 6:30). Yet Jesus “humbled Himself” (Phil 2:8) and took on the form of bread and wine in the Eucharist. Like the lover mentioned above, the Eucharistic Jesus no longer has to wonder who loves Him and who doesn’t. He, Who is King of glory (Ps 24:8), is offered at every Mass in a host which doesn’t look much different than a potato chip. From this vantage point, Jesus can easily see who truly loves Him when He is presented in Eucharistic humility. This love surely brings joy to His heart.

Jesus can also easily see who ignores Him, overlooks Him, and snubs Him. When we refer to the “breaking of the bread,” we could also be speaking of the broken-hearted Eucharistic Jesus, Who daily offers Himself to all, and is daily rejected or ignored by so many. The Eucharist is a real proving ground of our love for Jesus. Jesus asks each of us: “Do you love Me?” (Jn 21:15) Let us make a return of love to Jesus by receiving Him in the Eucharist as often as possible (Ps 116:12-13).

PRAYER: Eucharistic Jesus, make me love Thee more and more.
PROMISE: “No one who comes to Me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in Me shall ever thirst.” –Jn 6:35
PRAISE: Join in some of the virtual praise and worship open to you, for example, CJM Music-Jo Boyce, The Kenelm Trust-the Soli and Alton team and One Life Music.

Daily Gospel Reflection

27th April 2020Mrs D Ferris

THE FACE OF PEACE

“The members of the Sanhedrin who sat there stared at him intently. Throughout, Stephen’s face seemed like that of an angel.” —Acts 6:15

If a large number of people were debating with you, what would be the expression on your face and the reactions in your heart? What if, after your opponents lost the debate, “they persuaded some of the men to make the charge that they had heard” you “speaking blasphemies” (Acts 6:11)? When others lie about you and falsely accuse you, how do you look; how do you act? If these liars were believed and you were accosted, seized, and brought to court, how would you react, especially when more liars accused you of blasphemy? Stephen, the victim of all these crimes, took it quite well. His “face seemed like that of an angel” (Acts 6:15).

 

Stephen was profoundly peaceful because he had his eyes fixed on Jesus (see Acts 7:55-56), “Who inspires and perfects our faith” (Heb 12:2). Like Jesus at the time of His death, Stephen entrusted His life to the Lord (Acts 7:59; cf Lk 23:46). Like Jesus at the time of His death, Stephen also forgave his murderers (Acts 7:60; cf Lk 23:34). Stephen had such amazing peace under such evil conditions because he was immersed into, preoccupied with, and baptized into Jesus. His attention was entirely on Jesus. Stephen was like Jesus and lived through Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus, and for Jesus. Stephen had peace in Jesus (Jn 16:33).

 

When we began the Easter season, we renewed our baptismal promises. Baptized into the risen Jesus, we have peace beyond understanding (Phil 4:7).

 

PRAYER:               Father, transform me completely through the risen Christ.

PROMISE:            “You should not be working for perishable food but for food that remains unto life eternal, food which the Son of Man will give you.” –Jn 6:27

PRAISE:               What can you do this help the NHS or your community?

Pray Rosary During May

26th April 2020Mr M Jones

Pope Francis would like us to pray the Rosary during the month of May, “when the People of God express with particular intensity their love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary”

In a Letter for the Month of May, published on the feast of St Mark the Evangelist (25 April), the Pope talks about the tradition to pray the Rosary at home with the family.  He also highlighted how the imposed restrictions of the pandemic have made us come to appreciate this family aspect from a spiritual point of view.

 

Young People Competition – WIN up to £15 in Vouchers

24th April 2020Mrs D Curtis

🌟 COMPETITION ALERT! 🚨
WIN AMAZON VOUCHERS!

BASE 25 are holding two competitions to engage the children and young people of Wolverhampton to join the campaign and create your very own #ISTAYHOMEFOR poster to display in your window.

There will be two separate competitions for under 12’s and 13-18 year olds.

1st Place = £15 Amazon Voucher
Runner-up (2nd) = £10 Amazon Voucher

TO ENTER:
👉FOLLOW US (PARENTS CAN ON A CHILD’S BEHALF)/ Facebook or Instagram
👉LIKE THE Facebook or InstagramI POST OR SHARE US IN YOUR STORY/FEED
👉COMMENT BELOW AND TAG FRIENDS TO JOIN

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
👉 CREATE A POSTER/PHOTO IMAGE/VIDEO
👉IT MUST INCLUDE THE HASHTAG #BASE25 AND #ISTAYHOMEFOR
👉LIST THE REASONS WHY YOU STAY HOME DURING THE CURRENT OUTBREAK.
👉TIP: TRY AND BE CREATIVE, WE LOVE UNIQUE!
👉SEND YOUR CREATION TO [email protected]

Please submit your entries by: 06/05/2020. The winners of each competition will be announced on 08/05/2020.

Please note, only Wolverhampton residents (under 18) are eligible to win a voucher, others can still participate to feature on our social media and support a positive cause!

If you are a Wolverhampton resident and under 18years old who has already submitted your creation, your work will be submitted automatically and you will not need to re-enter.

🌟EVERYBODY IS A WINNER! ALL YOUR WORK WILL BE SHARED ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA!🌟

🧡GOODLUCK!

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/base25.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/base25_/?hl=en)

 

#instacontest #instagiveaway
#giveaway #contestalert #win #winit #amazon #winitwednesday #base25 #shopping #activity #mentalhealthservice #Wolverhampton #youthwork

Daily Gospel Reflection

24th April 2020Mrs D Ferris

THE CHURCH IS FROM GOD

“If their purpose or activity is human in its origins, it will destroy itself. If, on the other hand, it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them.” —Acts 5:38-39

The apostles had been arrested for teaching the people of Jerusalem about Jesus. They were brought to trial before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish “Supreme Court.” The apostles stood their ground and declared they would continue teaching about Jesus, and would obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). “When the Sanhedrin heard this, they were stung to fury and wanted to kill them. Then a member of the Sanhedrin stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law highly regarded by all the people. He had the accused ordered out of court for a few minutes, and then said to the assembly, ‘…Have nothing to do with these men. Let them alone. If their purpose or activity is human in its origins, it will destroy itself. If, on the other hand, it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them without fighting God Himself’ ” (Acts 5:33-35, 38-39).

 

We who live in the twenty-first century should stop and think about the origins of Christianity. We are asked to give our lives to a Man condemned to death, the equivalent of being put to death today in the electric chair. His main followers were a group of uneducated fishermen. Yet we moderners still continue to follow this Man two thousand years later. This is a great testament to the truth that Jesus is God and His Church is led by the Holy Spirit.

 

Gamaliel’s words echo strongly today, just as they did to the Sanhedrin. Gamaliel and St. Luke are telling us that the Church comes from God. Pour your heart and your life into God’s Church.

 

PRAYER:               “Lord, remember Your church throughout the world; make us grow in love together with” our Pope, bishops, and clergy.

PROMISE:            “I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living.” –Ps 27:13

PRAISE:                 St. Fidelis, a priest and martyr, prayed that he be completely faithful to God and not give in to lukewarmness or apathy.

St Edmund’s ADT Easter Fun

23rd April 2020Mr B Thompson

The ADT department wanted to have some fun with the students  so they devised a Fun Activity Sheet for the students to do over the Easter holidays.  We had several entries which we thought were fantastic and showed that the students at St Edmund’s are creative.We would like to thank Grace,Autumn,Gloria,Patrick and Ewan for their entries.

Daily Gospel Reflection

23rd April 2020Mrs D Ferris

THE MEAL OF LOVE

“Taste and see how good the Lord is.” —Psalm 34:9

At each Mass, Jesus offers us His Body and Blood in the Eucharistic feast. The Church, through the voice of the psalmist, invites us to taste and see how good the Eucharistic Lord is (Ps 34:9). At the first Eucharist, the Last Supper, Jesus told His apostles and each of us: “I have greatly desired to eat this Passover with you” (Lk 22:15). The Mass is a marriage between heaven and earth, and the Eucharist is our wedding banquet (see Rv 19:7).

We approach the altar of the Lord as His spouse. In a very real sense, the Eucharist is a kiss from the Lord’s lips to ours. The opening verse of the biblical book of the Song of Songs reads: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth” (Sg 1:2). Have you ever approached the Eucharist with that verse on your lips? The Song of Songs is a book about the passionate love shared between the bride and groom. Jesus is the Groom, and we, the members of the Church, are His bride (see Mk 2:19; Eph 5:25; Rv 19:7). Too many times in my own life, my attention has been elsewhere as I receive the Body and Blood of my Spouse, the Lord Jesus, Who loves me with the deepest desire.

Jesus “greatly desires” to give each one of us a Eucharistic kiss. Let us receive Him with devotion and committed love, and return the kiss by our complete devotion, gratitude, trust, and obedience.

PRAYER: Father, may my love for Your Son always exceed the love of any newlywed for their spouse on their wedding day.
PROMISE: God “does not ration His gift of the Spirit.” –Jn 3:34
PRAISE: As bishop of Prague, St. Adalbert instituted clerical reforms. Those who resisted his efforts were successful in exiling him — twice. After his second exile he won a martyr’s crown.

Good Deeds

22nd April 2020Mrs D Ferris

The power of Facebook and the joining of old friends happened this morning! Our Lay Chaplain saw a message on Facebook from an old friend she used to work with over 25 years ago, asking for donations of elastic, as she was making ‘facemasks’ for a Care Home.
Mrs Ferris sent an appeal out and today travelled to Northfield, Great Barr and West Bromwich to collect and deliver the much-needed elastic – meeting another old friend, she had not seen for 15 years. Good deed done, friendships re-established and smiles all round.