Christ the King

I vow to thee my country

It is said to be a favourite hymn of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. The tune written by Gustav Holst. The words based on a poem by Sir Cecil Spring Rice are not without their challenge. The poet rehearses the pull of loyalties between ones country and our heavenly home land. The love that asks no questions. No regime can demand of us an absolute blind loyalty that does not ask questions.
 
Our questions are always informed by the love we have for the Kingdom of God. In our readings for this Sunday, (Matthew  25.31-46) God is portrayed variously as a monarch, judge and shepherd. Jesus tells us  that we will be judged on our actions not simply our attitudes. Jesus Christ announces the Kingdom, the Reign of God in his preaching. Christ is in each person we meet.  What we do to others we do to Christ. The first verse of I vow is a call to  the sons and daughters of the nation to defend their homeland. It was in  written in 1921, after the 1914-18 Great war. One war had finished and the seeds of the next had been sown. The second verse of the hymn attempts to balance the first verse  with the higher call of a love that is not bound  simply to one’s own kith and kin.
 
And there’s another country
I’ve heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her ,most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her king
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering:
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness And all her paths are peace 
 
Or with apologies to Coldplay fans and to paraphrase; the point is not to rule the world, but to sweep the streets… to  serve the world.

Mgr Jim

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News Items:

Planning for Christmas 
It is not clear  what will be possible at Christmas. However we are making remote preparation. It seems clear that we will need to ticket the Masses on Christmas eve and Christmas day. With social distancing and the need to clean the Church between Masses we will not be able to accommodate all those who normally attend Mass at OLV at Christmas. As soon as we know what is possible we will let you know. We will  also provide resources for households and families to pray together at home during Advent and the Christmas season. We can take this opportunity to deepen our faith and knowledge of the Lord whose love is boundless.

See the Bishops of England and Wales response to IICSA Report and Cardinal Vincent Nichols personal statement here. 
We hold all those who have suffered abuse as children or vulnerable adults and those who work for their healing in our prayers. 

Mass times without a congregation:
Mass broadcast live, Saturday 6.00pm, Sunday 9.30 am. 
All Masses will be recorded and available immediately after broadcast.
Church will be open on Sunday form 10.30 am to 12.30 for personal prayer. 
During the week days Mass is broadcast at 9.30 am and church will be open from 10.00 am onwards.
 
Primary school applications: 
Catholic Certificate of Practice. If you are applying for Primary school and need a Certificate of Catholic Practice. Phone the parish office to arrange an appointment with Mgr Jim.

Confirmation 2021: 
Confirmation registration for 2021 is now open. Candidates for confirmation should be in year 9 and have Our Lady of Victories as their common place of worship. Please contact parish office at kensington1@rcdow.org.uk for the registration form and other information. 
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Mutual Aid: 
Mutual Aid Kensington and Chelsea was formed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mutual Aid is a not-for-profit and non-political group of local residents providing neighbour-to-neighbour support.
The primary aim of Mutual Aim, during the first wave of the pandemic, was to provide local support to those vulnerable/shielding residents in need of shopping or medication collection.
The ongoing economic impact of Covid-19 could leave an estimated 15,500 RBKC residents at a sudden loss of income. Many of these residents will have no experience with connecting with local support services. 
Mutual Aid’s Platform Website helps signpost residents to the information, resources, and networks they will need in this challenging time.  It will do this through:
The platform Portal – An online one stop-shop portal hosting on Mutual Aid website for key Covid-19 support available to residents on money, housing, health and wellbeing, your rights, and jobs and re-training. The Platform is now live https://www.mutualaidkc.com/platform

We invite residents who may be facing hardship as a result of furlough or redundancy and who may need a space to think or want to find out information about what’s happening, what support is available, or just socialise over a meal.
This is a pilot scheme for the Central and South of the RBKC.
To book a place visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk or visit mutualaidkc.com/platform.