“We are not living an epoch of change so much as an epochal change, Pope Francis says. The forms of religion and their roles in different societies and cultures are also changing. Secularisation has not brought about the end of religion but rather its transformation. While some forms of religion are experiencing major upheavals, others are so vibrant that they have transcended their former boundaries. Traditional religious institutions have lost their monopoly on religion. The culminating process of globalisation is encountering resistance: manifestations of populism, nationalism, and fundamentalism are on the rise. The world community of Christians is not united – today the greatest differences are not between churches but within them. Differences in doctrine, and in religious and political attitudes, often have roots hidden in the deeper layers of people’s intellectual and spiritual lives. Sometimes people reciting the same creed in the same church pew have very different ideas about God. Among the transformations of today’s spiritual scene is the collapse of the wall between “believers” and “nonbelievers”, noisy minorities of dogmatic believers and militant atheists are being marginalised, while there is a growing number of those whose minds and heart faith (in the sense of proto-faith) and unbelief (in the sense of doubting scepticism) are intertwined. I am finishing this book in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic; around me many sick people die daily in overcrowded hospitals, and many of the living and healthy are slipping into existential insecurity. The certitudes of our world are also shaken by this experience. In addition to the long-standing crisis of traditional religious certitudes, there is also a crisis of traditional secular certitudes, especially the belief in humans’ dominium over nature and their own destiny. The state of the Catholic Church today in many ways resembles the situation just before the Reformation. When an unsuspected number of cases os sexual and psychological abuse were exposed, it shook the credibility of the of the Church and raised many questions about the whole system of the Church. I regarded the closed and empty churches during the coronavirus pandemic as a prophetic warning sign: this may soon be the state of the Church if it does not undergo a transformation ….” Tomas Halik
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I Am the Vine - A Sonnet by Malcolm Guite
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
How might it feel to be part of the vine?
Not just to see the vineyard from afar
Or even pluck the clusters, press the wine,
But to be grafted in, to feel the stir
Of inward sap that rises from our root,
Himself deep planted in the ground of Love,
To feel a leaf unfold a tender shoot,
As tendrils curled unfurl, as branches give
A little to the swelling of the grape,
In gradual perfection, round and full,
To bear within oneself the joy and hope
Of God’s good vintage, till it’s ripe and whole.
What might it mean to bide and to abide
In such rich love as makes the poor heart glad?
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Easter is behind us and we are grateful for a marvellous celebration in all our churches. Thanks to all who worked particularly hard to make it so special. Lovely celebrating the 65th Wedding Anniversary of Ann and Bob, and the 60th Anniversary of Margaret and Roger Charlton on Easter Sunday. Sadly, Roger has since died. Our prayers and sympathies are with you Margaret at this sad time. We are delighted to welcome Bishop Stephen to the parish of the Durham Martyrs on the weekend of 8 th/9th June. There will be further updates on the Bishop’s visit.
The Parish Council met on Tuesday. Again, big thanks to the many silently working away in the background as members of the various groups. We are hoping to have one representative from each group to give an update at future meetings. Reaching out to the local community is something we might build on. Some haven’t returned since Covid, but new faces have and continue to give great hope for the future. Thanks to those who responded to my invitation to be a reader and be a Minister of Holy Communion. Very encouraging for the future.
Draconian Sunday parking laws have been implemented around the centre of Durham, and may impact on St. Godric’s on Sunday morning, so please be alert. We are looking at ways of challenging these new laws as Churches Together. However, we’re not too optimistic.
Well done to the Bethapudi brothers, Ben and Rafa, on their prizes for debating. The prizes were given by the Catenians at St. Joseph’s last Sunday. Their achievements are all the more remarkable considering the challenges faced by St. Leonard’s. So well done to the school too.
Exposition on Sunday afternoon at St. Godric’s continues to be a real strength to the parish. It’s inspiring seeing the increased number of young people sharing in the extraordinary peace afforded by this hour of prayer. Thanks to Kathleen and Dorothy for ensuring its continued availability. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament comes easily. Never feel worried if you find you have no thoughts whilst you are before the Blessed Sacrament. Never feel inadequate about being an adorer even if you have not developed a spirit of devotion, if you are numb, down and out, weakened by life. The all important factor is that you are there before the Lord. Before Him who knows you inside-out. He reads your innermost thoughts and He still loves you immensely. Imagine that! St. John Vianney once compared adoration to spiritual sunbathing. You are taking in the warmth of the grace and love radiating from the Sacred Host.
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