I LOVE SATURDAY MORNINGS
No, it’s not a chance of a “lie-in”, quite the opposite. Most Saturdays I am at some Gathering or another, and I love them. They are always full of surprises, the sort that give people a real boost in their ministry. I know I get a lot from them. If I am leading any of these Gatherings, I always ask people to start by reading and sharing Sunday’s Scriptures together. There are always some people for whom this is a completely new experience. But the results never fail to move and inspire. ‘We went off on a bit of a tangent,’ someone usually says and then recounts a faith story that is profound and helpful. God’s Word alive in their everyday lives.

On a recent Saturday morning I found myself in Fleetwood with Catechists and leaders of children’s liturgy from Fleetwood, Thornton and Cleveleys. The Gospel for the next day was the Woman at the Well, and the reflection was really good. We ended up thinking about the power and magic of “story,” particularly for children. I had brought along some new CDs and later in the day we shared those as well as looking at some simple guidelines for Children’ Liturgy. I like to remind people that it is worship and prayer. The key is to try to make the Gospel come alive for the children and various methods such as drama and visual displays are discussed.

If you are a catechist or help with children’s liturgy leader watch out for gatherings in Christ the King, Blackpool (April 9), Holy family, Preston (April 16), Education centre, Lancaster (May 21) and somewhere in Barrow on June 11

THE MINISTRY OF TOUCH
‘But Jesus came up and touched them. “Stand up,” he said, “do not be afraid.”’ (Mt 17:7-8) How important touch was to Jesus! So much of his power, described in words, was communicated through touch. From its very beginning the Church recognised this and a whole sacramental practice evolved around it. The laying on of hands to impart the Holy Spirit. Anointing with oils at baptism. The tap on the face at Confirmation.

And yet people reluctant to shake hands at the sign of peace. Blessings bestowed by hands tantalisingly close but not actually touching. We live in a climate where people have become a little afraid to touch. Perhaps it’s also a bit of English reserve. It’s a shame. There is electricity in touch. There is communication that goes far deeper that our clumsy words – particularly when we are hurting. There is encouragement and power.

Years ago on a youth pilgrimage to Lourdes I witnessed a touch that summed up the place for me. It was by an elderly lady, crippled with arthritis, as she held the fidgeting hand of a child with a severe mental handicap. It was the touch of Jesus and I never forgot it. Would that we had more touch like that.

You may well already have heard about a programme called “Stewardship” which has been designed to get us off the fence, stop the complaining, and get new life back into our communities. It’s a very practical programme and it has sound theology behind it. In our Baptism the Holy Spirit asked us to use the gifts we had been given, to build up the kingdom of God and there is no better place to start than our own local community; the parish.

Our parish community belongs to each of us. If one of us doesn’t contribute, it is lessened. And what we have to offer is different for everyone. Some offer their prayer, others their musical ability, others their counselling skills, others their administration skills, still others their passion for and knowledge about social justice. No-one is empty-handed. No gift offered should be under-estimated ( 1 Corinthians 12:21)
Read what Emrys Hughes from Carlisle has to say about it in Preparing To Be Stewards and ask yourself if your own community could not get back some of that old spirit if people just did a few simple things:

• Take stock of the general thrust of things in the parish.
• Become more aware of all the groups and ministries in the parish.
• Learn to recognise their own gifts and
• Start using those gifts for the good of the community

Bishop Patrick presided and preached on the readings from the first Sunday in Lent. Just as Jesus had faced a crossroads in his life in the wilderness, so too the candidates and catechumens. The journey ahead needs an act of faith, a deep trust in the Lord. The Bishop assured those gathered of the Church’s prayers, reminding them that they were joining not just the diocesan family but ‘the assembly of God’s family throughout the world’. As in the previous year, he exhorted us all to go out in a spirit of invitation and each return with a new person the following year. His previous words had obviously worked as we saw a doubling of numbers this year!

If you’d like to know more about the Rite of Election or how to run an RCIA in your parish please contact Dympna Magee or myself at the Education centre on 01524 841190.