EIN HARGLWYDDES SEREN Y MôR –

OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA – LLANDUDNO

Fr Jones’s Newsletter - Sunday 4 January 2009

Dear Parishioner,

There has been no let up in Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip overnight and Gordon Brown says that during 2009 there will be no change in the down turn of the economy.”  Those were the first words I heard in 2009, spoken by the Radio 4 newscaster.  And a happy New Year to you too!

Our Christianity does not shield us from the pressures and difficulties of life.  In one sense it makes them harder, for we are called on to recognise our solidarity with all God’s children, to sense the terror of the Palestinians as they lie in their beds at night not knowing whether the next bomb has their name written on it; to feel for all those, as well as ourselves, who are being hit by this credit squeeze and may find themselves unable to cope or out of work.  In a very real sense our Christianity, if it is to be genuine, roots us very deeply into this troubled earth. 

The early Christians, who faced the possibility of martyrdom for their belief in Christ, were well aware of this dimension of their Faith and they used to say that the Christian lives in the world but he is not of the world.  In, but not of.

Not of the world because we should have a completely different mind-set.  Our values and the world’s values are different, as Christ, by every word he uttered and everything he did so clearly demonstrated.  So a happy and prosperous New Year for us will not just mean making ends meet with a bit of a profit on the side; living healthily and peacefully in our own homes.  It will also mean reaching out for the things that God counts valuable; putting ourselves on his side in the great endeavour to see the coming of the Kingdom; and feeling for and supporting, as much as in us lies, those who are hurting and suffering and without hope.

As far as our Parish is concerned and as we look back on 2008, we see that we have tried to bring the good news to the poor, we have tried to comfort the broken-hearted, we have tried to lift up the lowly and fill the hungry with good things, we have tried to be a light to those who walk in the darkness.  And in 2009 our same parish effort must continue: we must go on trying to carry one another’s burdens.

2009 began wonderfully with a celebration of the Solemnity of the Holy Mother of God, when the church was almost full for the midday Mass.  We pray that Mary will lead us by the hand into this New Year and escort us gently into a closer familiarity with Jesus (for that is what ultimately matters).

We took a lot of knocks as a Parish last year.  We lost young Chloe Clark in that dreadful accident on the A55 and the entire Statham family in that horrific incident on the M6.  We lost many of our much loved parish family members.  I was four times in hospital and away from the parish for long periods, with the Welsh Mass having to be suspended.  But as we live in the world but are not of the world, we see that there is far more to all this than meets our human eye and we bless the Lord who is in total control of our lives, leading us always, through all our joys and pains and sufferings, to an ultimate Goal that only He fully appreciates and which He will make known to us in the end.

Suffering and pain, our share in the weight of Christ’s Cross, always bear fruit.  We can confidently expect, out of the troubles we have endured, that a shower of blessings will fall upon our Parish family.  Many people have expressed to me, individually and by letter, how the Statham tragedy has touched their lives and brought them nearer to God. 

We confidently look forward to these blessings coming our way, upon our parish and upon our school.  Upon our Parish that it may be the Light of Christ to others, that we may bring others to know Christ more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him more nearly.  This current Catechumenate is flourishing; may the one that will begin in May be even more successful.  May our Year of the Child bear much fruit, with each one of us recognising our responsibility for our neighbour and striving to bring back the children of the Parish to the practice of their Faith.  May our caring groups, the UCM, the SVP, GAS, the Bereavement Team go out in the Name of the Lord and bring the good savour of Christ into many people’s lives.  May the sick and housebound people rejoice in their weekly reception of the Sacraments and may their prayers, and the prayers of the Sisters in Loreto, be our parish’s powerhouse.  May our Altar Servers continue to serve the Lord with the gladness they now show and grow in their personal relationship with Christ.  May all our young people come to realise what the values are in life that really matter.  And may God’s compassionate blessing be upon each and everyone of us every hour of every day throughout the year.  And may the Holy Mother of God be our constant companion and guide.

 Fr Antony Jones