Reflection -The Nativity of Our LadyThe birth of a child is generally an occasion of joy, but it is particularly so when the child is much-wanted, even longed-for. Mary was just such a child – and not just for her parents, Joachim and Anna, as we shall see. Information about Mary before the Annunciation is scarce, and we have to look beyond the Bible to find it. The most interesting and complete account is to be found in the Protoevangelium of James, which dates, in its final form, from probably early in the second century and therefore at only a little over a hundred years from the events it depicts, which is around the same distance as we stand from the death of Queen Victoria. Although the Protoevangelium is not recognized by the Church as being inspired, as are the words of the Bible, that does not mean that it is of no value, as it probably contains a number of ‘memories’ of the earliest Christians, however embellished.Be that as it may, many early writers of the Church made use of the accounts here and from elsewhere in writing about Our Lady, a topic of much meditation and theological reflection. Mary was Theotokos, the ‘God-Bearer’, Mother of God and was rightly venerated from an early date and increasingly so as theological reflection on her role in salvation deepened. Paul tells us that the whole of creation had been sighing and groaning, awaiting it’s redemption and now, in the Immaculate Conception and the Birth of Mary, who the angels knew, through divine revelation, would be the Mother of God, that moment had begun to arrive.How it must have gladdened the heavenly host to know that, at last, the final stage of the redemption of humanity, and hence of the entire created order, had finally begun! The birth of Mary, who was to play such a central role in this drama, was absolutely necessary. Without Mary, the Incarnation could not have taken place. Oh, I suppose God could have chosen another girl to become the Mother of the Second Person of Trinity, incarnate on earth for us. Yet it was this girl, born of a priestly family in the first century of Roman rule in Palestine, who was chosen. God’s purposes are the deepest mystery and, as the Psalms remind us, are unfathomable but he does not make mistakes. The great mystery here is that having chosen the Incarnation as the means by which he would bring about our salvation, he entrusted it to this young Jewish girl. Imagine! The greatest event imaginable dependent on the ‘yes’ of this child. Yet that is how God chose to work. No wonder the Church has always honoured Mary so highly, praised her so mightily! Even the great Protestant writers, even after having abandoned and rejected the Catholic Faith and no friends of saints, were insistent on the greatness of Mary! Embarrassing to most modern Protestants, if they were even to know of it, the great 16th Century founder of Reformed Protestantism, John Calvin, was insistent that ‘No-once can have God as their Father unless they have Mary as their Mother’.This way of God in working with the freely-given ‘yes’ of a teenage girl is paradigmatic of the way in which he works with us all. God saves us. No human being is remotely capable of saving him or herself. Yet God requires our cooperation in doing so, we must work with him to achieve this free salvation and we always remain free to reject it. God loves us so much that he must always give us the option to freely reject him and his love, just as Mary could have said ‘no’ to becoming the Mother of her Saviour. Yet because God, in his infinite love for us has given us free will, this is necessarily a time-limited offer. It is limited by the moment of our deaths. At the moment in which we finally pass out of this world, a step every human must inevitably take, we are presented before the Lord and the time for choice is past. We shall, for good or ill, see Christ face to face. Because we will be presented with the awe-full reality of God, we shall no longer have the choice of accepting or rejecting him. All will recognize him for who he is and any form of atheism will be impossible.Some say that, seeing God, who could then reject him? All people will therefore accept him and be saved. Yes, this is an attractive idea, but it has no place in either the Bible or the consciousness of the Church. It is to do both God and humans a grave injustice, for it refuses to take seriously either the dignity of human free will or the absolutely radical love of God which must respect that free will! Universalism, the belief that all will ultimately be saved, cannot be reconciled with the words of Jesus, however hard that may seem.No, now is the time of choice, now is the time of salvation! That is why how we behave in our lives, how we repent of our sins and the extent we avail ourselves of the Sacraments which God has provided as the ‘ordinary’ means of our salvation actually really matters! Mary shows us the way, the way which lies in offering our constant ‘yes’ to her Son. It is in her ‘yes’ that we can confide our own ‘yes’, trusting in her powerful intersession to aid our often feeble and faltering response to God’s call in our own lives. It is also on reflecting carefully on the results of her own ‘yes’ to God’s seemingly cruel and demanding requirements of her (adultery, which it would have been seen as, carried the death penalty) that we can find the hope and the courage so needed when God makes his will for our lives clear. God’s will for us may not be what we had hoped for, may even seem harsh, may even require that we be prepared to lay down our lives. Yet this same God who calls us to bear our cross, whatever that may be, is also the one who promises us eternal life with him in the Kingdom and who has crowned his own human mother Queen of that Kingdom. Imagine! One who is utterly human has become the highest of all created beings, of angels, as well as humans! She is next only to God himself and, whilst there can be but one in her position, he promises that we can be sharers in the Kingdom with her! It is no wonder that the saints, whilst on earth, when they contemplated the glories of this simple girl from Nazareth made Queen of Heaven cried for sheer joy!Therefore, let us celebrate this Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the true Mother of God, with great rejoicing. In her ‘yes', let us have the confidence to make our own ‘yes’, so that with her, we may come to rejoice eternally with all the saints in the Kingdom of her beloved Son, Christ our true God.
Reflection - Fame! And Why to Avoid ItWhen I was Head of Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (oh, boy! Don’t we just love accumulating ever-more important-sounding job titles?), in a boys’ private school, I often had cause to discuss my pupils’ career ambitions and life aims. Among the many more mundane occupations they had in mind for their future selves (accountant, lawyer, doctor, banker and the like: no would-be plumbers, bus drivers, bakers, cleaners and the like in THAT school), there were a fair number of boys who seemed to think that it didn’t greatly matter what they did, as long as it brought them fame – and, no doubt, fortune, with it. Fame seemed, to them, to be the measure of the success or otherwise of their lives. In fairness, a number of their parents/siblings/relatives did ‘enjoy’ a measure of what passes as fame in the contemporary world and this probably influenced them a good deal. Fame today seems to be the preserve of footballers, pop musicians or rappers, or perhaps actors and politicians (much the same, really!). In the past, fame has been variously acquired by explorers, scientists, through military or naval prowess and acts of supreme valour – or even, at times, through spiritual endeavour and achievement! How things have changed!Yet is fame really be sought after, even (or especially) if such fame comes at a price? The author, J.K. Rowling certainly has fame, but also a great deal of venom has lately been directed at her for daring to express opinions which, until a few years ago, were perfectly normal and very much in the mainstream. If she had not been quite so famous, it is unlikely that she would have garnered the degree of hatred which has been directed at her.Christians are called to live their lives without concerning themselves with the acquisition of fame. It can, of course, be ours anyway, unasked for and it can be the means of doing great good in the world, but in general we understand that the aim of life is not success in this world, but success in getting to the next world, God’s Kingdom. Our Lady, in one of her messages disclosed to one of the children of Fatima, said that ‘If men truly understood what eternity is, they would do everything to change their lives.’ The question is, not how I can gain fame, but rather, how can I gain eternal life with God? Surely, properly considered, everything else is subordinate to this goal!Today is the Feast of St Giles, truly a man who knew the pitfalls of fame. Born in Athens, Greece, in the middle of the 7th Century, Giles took this lesson to heart from an early age and, rather than seeking fame and fortune in this troubled world, determined to do his utmost to be found worthy, through the loving mercy of God, to inherit eternal life and citizenship of the Kingdom. However, although living a solitary life, his spiritual progress and feats made him an object of both curiosity and misguided devotion. Realising that this not only impinged upon his time but also came with the temptation to spiritual pride, Giles left Greece and travelled along the comparatively easy sea route to southern France, a place where he could find the solitude and anonymity he craved.Residing deep in a forest as a hermit for many years, Giles accidentally came to the attention of the local king, who no doubt wished to gain ‘a friend at Court’ (the only Court which really matters). This king built a monastery for Giles and the few disciples he permitted himself. Credited with great holiness whilst living, on his death the fame could only increase with the many reports of miracles wrought through his intercession. Throughout the Middle Ages, his name and fame spread across Northern Europe, to the extent that his popularity as a true friend of God ensured his choice as Patron Saint of Edinburgh, later the capital city of Scotland.So, although eschewing fame in this world, which he rightly saw as being detrimental to progress as a Christian, Giles has ensured, through his devotion to Christ lived through a life of prayer, that his fame as a true soldier of God would spread far and wide, This fame has inspired many people through learning of his life to make the effort to reform their own lives and also, following his example, to draw closer to God. That is the only sort of fame for which St Giles, hermit, monk and Patron Saint of cripples and numerous cities across Europe, would have any time: a ‘fame’ which can be used in the divine mission of bringing people to God.So, let us not search for the passing ‘fame’ provided by this world, but rather, with St Giles and all the company of Heaven, for the true fame, the fame which can come only through knowing, loving and serving Christ!Father David
Benefice of Meir Heath and NormacotWhat to Expect on SundayWe extend a warm welcome to all those able to attend either of our churches for Low (Said) Mass on Sunday. The masses will be at the normal times of 9.30am at St Francis’ and 11.15am at Holy Evangelists’. Unfortunately, due to regulations on cleaning the building, we are unable to offer the usual 8am service. Please note that the following measures will be in place for your health and safety:1. If you have symptoms of the virus, please do not come to church.a. Those who are ‘extremely clinically vulnerable’, as defined by government, are advised not to attend.b. Those who are over 70 and/or clinically vulnerable, should take particular care to minimise contact with others outside of their household/‘bubble’.2. If arriving by car, we ask that you park in alternate spaces, where possible, leaving the adjacent space empty.3. Please do not attempt to park beside the church (unless for disabled access) as people may be queuing. The barrier may be in place.4. If queuing is necessary, please observe 2 metres distancing.5. Please wait outside the building until a steward guides you in and accompanies you to your seat. Please remain in your seat until invited forward to receive Holy Communion.6. Please use the hand sanitizer available inside the church.7. Under the latest Church of England guidance, the Church is operating a policy of 2 metres’ social distance. Please observe this on the way into the church, when taking a seat for the service, and on exit.8. Owing to Church of England guidance, there will unfortunately be no votive candles available in church.9. Mass booklets will be provided on your seat. Please leave them there at the end of the service.10. There will be the opportunity to provide your contact details, which are to be used only for the purposes of the NHS Test and Trace service, in case of necessity. If you wish to complete this, please use your own pen and hand the form to a steward on your way out. If you provide your consent your attendance will be noted on a register. Records will be stored and we will keep your details safely and in compliance with GDPR legislation for 21 days before securely disposing of or deleting them. This is entirely voluntary, and you are free not to participate. It is your choice.11. Members of the congregation are welcome to wear face-coverings if they wish; this is not mandatory.12. There will be no singing in the service, nor will the Peace be shared.13. Communion will be received standing at the chancel step, in the hand. Please use the hand sanitizer provided before receiving communion. Communion will be given in one kind only (the Host).14. The mobility challenged may prefer to receive Communion in their seat. Please speak to a steward before.15. The service is expected to last around 45 minutes. Only the disabled toilet will be available.16. At the end of service, you may be asked to stay in your seat until directed to leave, in order that exit from the church can proceed in a socially distanced manner. Please follow the direction of the stewards.17. As you leave the church, a plate will be available for your offerings.18. Outside the building, after the service, will be the moment to greet other members of the congregation in a socially distanced manner. Refreshments will not be served.Please note that these measures are in place for your and others’ safety. We warmly thank you for your support and co-operation.
