13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Faith has saved you. Dear Parishioners, Dear Friends: Have you heard the song, A thousand year’s by Christina Perry? “don’t be afraid. I have loved you for a thousand years I will love you for a thousand more…” You start to heal because you believe. Does that sound a touch new age? Does it smack of self-help? Yet it’s what Jesus says,” Your faith has saved you”.  Miracles are always signs that can trigger or confirm faith. They are rarely the reason for belief.  All of us are in need of healing.  All wounded. Every day brings a little death. A parting of friends, the end of a romance or a forgetful moment.  There is no escape from our end. The cruelty of death haunts humanity. Life can seem like an unceasing daily struggle with little deaths. Now violent, now more insidious, never relenting. Our victories, our little resurrections can seem fragile, even provisional. In our gospel Jesus tells of a Father, a desperate parent who wants to save his daughter from death. Many parents who have lost a child continue to suffer and grieve secretly. Turning to their memory of loss long after everyone else has forgotten the source of their pain. But we are fashioned for life. Our pain in the face of death paradoxically demonstrates our love of life, and others.  The first Christians reinterpreted death as sleep.  A sleep that we will awake from. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Our loss, every death is an invitation to see how much we are made for life. If it weren’t it wouldn’t matter to us. That’s the invitation of Christ: don’t be afraid for I have loved you, I will love you. You start to heal because you believe.      A fond farewell It was William Shakespeare who wrote: All the worlds a stage. We have our entrances and our exits. We play our parts. It is not unusual at this time of year to say farewell to families and individuals who have been part of our parish. This year we seem to be saying:  Slan, Adieu, Adios, Ens veiem, Arriverdechi, Paalam… to many. The reasons are manifold. Many of you have been parishioners for more the 20 years ago. So many memories.  So many friendships. It’s hard to express our gratitude for what you as families and individuals have brought to our community. We have prayed, laughed and cried together.   Thank you for pitching your tent amongst us. For putting your roots into our soil. For making this your home. You have blessed and enriched us in so many ways.  You have played your part in in our school, parish, children’s liturgy, catechism and so much more. It has been a privilege to play some small part in your lives. The words of the sage in Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 keep coming to my mind: For everything there is a time, a moment. A time to sow and a time to reap, a time to laugh and to cry, a time to plant, a time to pluck up what is planted, a time to mourn and a time to dance. As you have brought a little of you to us, so you take something of London and OLV with you. A wiser person than me advised: Don’t look back with regret, look forward, but if you do look back, let it be with gratitude. For every blessing and indeed every loss, little death taught you to love life and cherish others. The great Rhineland mystic Miester Eckhart OP taught: If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is Thank you, it will be enough. To all of you who have allowed us to share your journey thus far, and blessed us.  Thank you. Mgr Jim   Parish News: Fr Daniel Herrero Pena. After 3 years as assistant priest with us Fr Daniel will take up a new appointment in September. He has been appointed as the assistant priest to Our Lady of Grace, Chiswick and also serving the parishes of Grove Park and Gunnersbury. The Cardinal has appointed the Rev Marco Salvagnini to succeed Fr Daniel as the assistant priest for our parish. Marco will be ordained to the priesthood next Saturday, June 26th. You can watch live the ordination of the new priests at 10.30 am from Westminster Cathedral website. Use the button below.  Ordinations to the Priesthood Remembering Fr Freddie Jackson. The first anniversary of Fr Freddie's death will fall on Saturday the 17th of July. The 6.00pm Mass that evening will be offered for the repose of his soul. Members of his family will be joining us. We had hoped that the social distancing regulations would have been lifted. Unfortunately we still have to limit the number of people who can attend the Mass.     Please, pray from our children and young people, who will be receiving their First Holy Communion and confirmation in the next months of June and July.    Settlement Scheme for European Citizens   EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who were living in the UK by 31st December 2020 have until 30th June 2021 to apply for the Settlement Scheme. Those who do not apply are at risk of losing their rights to live and work here or access important services such as healthcare.  Relevant information can be found on the official government website (https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/applying-for-settled-status), from the European Commission (www.eurights.uk/what-you-need-to-know) or from the charity Settled (https://settled.org.uk/en/). Our Lady of Victories 16 Abingdon Road London W8 6AF 020 7937 4778  kensington1@rcdow.org.uk