Parish Blog
"Begotten not made"
Dear Parishoners,
One thing that often disturbs modern people when they hear the gospel proposed is the sheer physical insignificance of the human person. In a universe of billions upon billions of galaxies filled with billions and billions of stars, how could a God who is even greater than all space and time possibly be interested in the affairs of some hairless bipeds crawling around on a grain of sand orbiting some random star at the edge of a run-of-the mill galaxy? Man is tiny compared to the size of the Universe, they complain. However, as G.K.Chesterton pointed out long ago, Man is tiny compared to the nearest tree. So what? What does size have to do with anything? The real distance God had to cover had nothing to do with space (a meaningless concept when God is infinite). It was the distance between his holiness and our sin. And still he did it. For us - who put Him on the cross!
Christianity insists that the Son of God is "begotten not made". Why? For the same reason we insist that our children are not the same thingas statues. An artist makes a statue, he begets a son. To beget is to share your nature with another human being who is of the same "stuff" as you. God made us humans. We are creatures. But God the Father begets the Son eternally. The Son shares in the nature of the Father. And since the nature of God is to have no beginning, the Son has no beginning. He is begotten from all eternity by the Father. This matters to us because the Son, when he becomes human, can only give what he has. He promises to give eternal life. But eternal life is only in God, not in creatures. So Jesus could not give such a gift if he did not possess it. And he cannot have it to give if he is not God, who is eternal life. Today, thank God that he gave his only begotten Son - the Word made flesh - to the world.
God Bless,
Fr. Patrick Brennan (from Newsletter of 18th Sun in Ordinary Time)
Fr. Patrick Brennan (from Newsletter of 18th Sun in Ordinary Time)
Entry dated: 01/08/2010.
Music Group
It has been well over two years since the Music Group began leading the worship at the Saturday evening Vigil Mass. In that time, we have seen a gradual increase in membership, a memorable joint leading of worship with Jo Boyce and Mike Stanley of CJM Music and a joyous celebration in St.Chad's Cathedral as we joined with other musicians to welcome several deacons into our diocese. As a parish we have learnt new hymns and songs together as well as recalling old favourites and we are thankful for the opportunity to 'pray twice' with you all.
On behalf of the whole group we would like to thank the parish for their continued support and we look forward to introducing new material as the new Roman Missal and its implications for the Mass are finalised and worked out. For those who are interested, the following is a brief description of how the music is selected for Mass.
First and foremost a prayer is offered up to the Holy Spirit for the group, the parish and for the selection of music.
Secondly the Scripture for the day is read and meditated upon before the themes, issues, ideas raised by Scripture are cross-checked with 'known' hymns and songs to the group and parish. If a new piece is to be introduced, complexity of music and relevance/appropriatedness of lyrics will also be considered.
The current parish hymnbook is then examined for 'obvious' hymn selections for the Mass eg. Marian hymns during May and factored into the planning.
Thirdly if a new song or hymn is currently being introduced, several other factors then have to be taken into account, 'how many times have the praish now heard this hymn/song?' Have we 'overplayed' this hymn/song to the extent that the meaning of the lyrics are now lost? Is there a more obvious choice of hymn to use based upon the theme of the Mass, regardless of personal preferences or the music's age?
Fourthly and finaly the music scores/guitar chords/song sheets etc. are prepared and distributed for Mass and the group meet to rehearse the music Wednesday evening before leading the parish at the Vigil Mass.
At all times, we remind ourselves that the primary purpose of music at Mass is to worship God and serve the Liturgy.
Entry dated: 26/06/2010.
May is Mary's Month
(From Fr.Pat's newsletter entry of the 6th Sunday of Easter)
May is Mary's month. It is a month, like Mary, which is not so much necessary (as if God is under the iron rule of some grim law of economics or physics) as radically unnecessary, gratuitous and lavish. People often ask why Mary is 'necessary' to Catholic piety. But this is like asking whether flowers or galaxies or beautiful weather are 'necessary'. It's a fundamentally tone deaf way of hearing God.
None of creation was 'necessary' to God. It exists because God just thought it was a good idea and loved it into being. But having loved it into being, He chose also to redeem it after it was affiliated by sin; not in any old way, but in a very particular way, by taking our humanity up into His divine life. And to do this, He chose Mary - again not because He needed her, but because He loved her gratuitously.
We, who have been loved with the same gratuitous, inexplicable, lavish love have little reason to cavail at this. God has loves far more than reasons. But the fact that He does so does not mean that we can't and shouldn't be grateful to Mary too. She had a lot of guts - a lot more than we have - to freely say, "Let it be to me according to your word." So honour her this month. We honour the young girl who laid down her will and her dear Son for the love of God and the whole world.
Entry dated: 11/05/2010.