CAFOD and Missio Lenten Calendars

 CAFOD and Missio Lenten Calendar

Although we are two weeks into Lent we thought we'd start to share some online Lenten Calendars which offer ideas for things we can reflect on during Lent, people or things to pray for, or ideas for how we can take action. Today we share the CAFOD calendar.

CAFOD have a daily interactive calendar which has a message for each day. The message for tomorrow, is a reminder about Food Poverty.  May be we can reflect on whether there are things we could donate to a local Food Bank, or maybe we need to make use of the food bank at the moment. 

Volunteer Roxinne gives a short talk for CAFOD
in a parish in the Diocese of Northampton.

This is a familiar story. Jesus told his parables to help people recognise themselves and their actions, and reflect how they could live differently. We might identify with Lazarus – feeling excluded, longing for someone to recognise our humanity as we struggle to get by. Or do we perhaps see something of ourselves in the rich man – the person who, because they have enough, can close their eyes to the problems at their own front door? Or again, we might be like the rich man’s brothers, who ignore the messages from the prophets, and won’t listen even should someone rise from the dead to tell them to change their ways. Whichever it is, there is a lesson here for us all. Extract from CAFOD Interactive Lent Calendar 29.2.24

At the start of Lent we gave out copies of the Missio Lenten Calendar and share a link here.  Today's activity is: 

2024 Year of Prayer: Learning from one another

 Year of Prayer

In preparation for the Year of Jubilee with its theme of Pilgrims of Hope, Pope Francis has dedicated 2024 a year of prayer, each Friday we hope to share different prayers, and to have people share their favourite prayer.

This video from CAFOD shows how important grandparents can be in sharing their faith and providing an example for their children, and how parents help their children.  Whoever we are we may be inspiring others to pray.  So as well as welcoming prayers we'd like to hear some examples of people who have supported you in prayer. 

Prayer for Family Fast Day

A prayer for tomorrow's Family Fast Day and one of the many harvest prayers from the Cafod website helping us to pray this harvest time.

Harvest 2021 photograph CAFOD

 

Walk beside us, Lord, in the cool of the day, in the garden you have created as

our common home.

Walk beside us, Lord, as the cries of the forest pierce the dawn, and flames rip through 

our common home.

Grant us courage, Lord, as we walk beside all those who struggle to protect

our common home.

Grant us hope, Lord, and the vision to walk dark paths in the light of a single sunbeam.

Grant us grace, Lord, to put the flourishing of all people and the wonder of your creation 

at the heart of all we do, as we strive to be guardians 

of our common home. 

St Francis, pray for us. 

Cafod Climate Crises or text CAFOD 10 to 70580 to donate £10

Go Green for Harvest Family Fast

 Go Green Challenge - the video below has lots of ideas for how we might go green, Go cycling, Go veggie or or Go plastic free.  More later in the week for some of the recipes to support

You can donate direc- Cafod Climate Crisis or text CAFOD 10 to 70580 to donate £10

Harvest Family Fast ... coming soon

Since the start of September we have been thinking about the season of creation. Pope Francis says we are a single family living in a common home and yet we hear on the news that there are things we do that are damaging our world. Our common home. God’s creation. 

This year's appeal gives us all a chance to think what we can do to protect our planet. Our common home. God’s creation. On Friday 1st October we are asked to think about ways we can support Cafod's Family Fast appeal.  Over the coming week we will share ideas and provide information for why and how we can get involved including Go Green for our families and meals from around the world, prayers from harvest, 

You can donate direc- Cafod Climate Crisis or text CAFOD 10 to 70580 to donate £10

CAFOD LENT APPEAL 2021

This year CAFOD FAMILY FAST DAY is FRIDAY 26th FEBRUARY - a day on which we are invited to pray, fast and give to people like Abdella.

Abdella lives in an extremely remote and mountainous part of Ethiopia. It takes him ten hours a day to collect water. He says his life is being wasted as he has no time for anything else. 

Donate during Lent to reach vulnerable communities around the the world with water and to provide other vital support.

• To give online visit - cafod.org.uk/ lent
• Text giving - Text LENT 5or10 or 20 to 70460
• Telephone - 0303 303 3030

Lenten Taize and Stations

This year on Friday 7.00 to 8.00 we will be using Taize music and looking at a couple of the stations of the cross as a time of reflection during Lent. We will use reflections from different stations including CAFOD, Mary's Reflections and start with reflections suitable for children.  All welcome to join us, 

To sign up for online events or parish gatherings.

Please note your contact details will be processed according to GDPR, General Data Protection Regulations. 

Advent Calendars - We place our star

There are lots of Advent Calendars which are used to count down the days towards the great Feast of Christmas.

For an interactive Family Advent Calendar from Cafod  

For an interactive family message Children's Advent Calendar - Message for today is 

'I will be kind in a special way to someone I do not like very much'

In our Gospel on Sunday we are asked to 'Stay awake'. The candle on our Advent wreath reminds us that we wait are a people of hope. 

The object on our Advent calendar is the guiding star shining above an empty stable.  

Why not have a guess at who will be added to our calendar tomorrow. 

Help us as we journey through Advent. Help us to share your hope with our friends and family Amen

Family Fast and Children's Liturgy

 A video from CAFOD for Family Fast Day

For those interested in Children's Liturgy you will need to register, but they also show a recording which you can watch later on in the day.

CAFOD Harvest Family Fast Day

Today is a day is Harvest Family Fast Day. This is a Harvest like no other and this year CAFOD’s Family Fast Day is to help people facing the worse of the Coronavirus crisis (chronic food shortages, malnutrition and poverty). We’ve all felt the impact of this terrible disease - but let us come together and with our support we can help people all over the world to rebuild their lives.

The theme for this year's CAFOD appeal is: 

SURVIVE    REBUILD    HEAL

Please pray for those affected.  And with the money you might have saved from having a simple meal, or for any other donations:

• Online at Donate to Cafod Give
• Text CAFOD to 70085 to donate £10
• Cheque to - Harvest Family Fast Day, CAFOD Head Office, Romero House, 55 Westminster Bridge, London SE1 7JB
• Basket at the back of Church ( Saturday 3rd October - Sunday 11 October)  

CAFOD Appeal 2020 Survive, rebuild and heal

Survive Rebuild and Heal: Family Fast Day

This year the CAFOD HARVEST FAMILY FAST DAY is on Friday 9th October but lots of things will be taking place giving you a chance to get involved.  More over the next few days. 

The theme for this year is: SURVIVE      REBUILD        HEAL

Why not get involved in a range of their online events for further details see CAFOD FAMILY FAST

Children's liturgy 

Join us at 10am this Sunday for our next virtual children's liturgy. Please register if you haven't before. Follow the link and click on "Enter the series" to register. If you can't join us live, a recording will be available to watch afterwards. 

Register for virtual children's liturgy

Family Fast Harvest Day

This weekend envelopes were given out and we were asked to consider having a simple meal and contribute the money we might have spent on our food to support the Harvest Family Fast appeal.  This year CAFOD video shows Fabiano who has to get up before sunrise to go and walk three miles to collect water for the family.  As we turn on our tap we might also want to take a moment to give thanks for how lucky we are and think about those who have to struggle to get something as basic as water.

Season of Creation Prayer

Pope Francis established 1st September as Day of Creation, and from then until 4th October when we celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi is identified as Creation Time. The following prayer is one you may wish to use during this time.  If any children would like to send through their prayers and pictures for creation time then please hand to one of the children's liturgy team. For more information about creation time see CAFOD website

Creator of Life, 
The Earth is full of Your creatures, and by Your wisdom you made them all. 
At Your word, the Earth brought forth plants yielding seed of every kind and trees of every kind bearing fruit, the waters teemed with swarms of living creatures of every kind, and world was filled with every kind of winged bird, walking animal, and creatures that creep upon the ground. 

During this Season of Creation, open our eyes to see the precious diversity that is all around us. Enlighten our minds to appreciate the delicate balance maintained by each creature. Inspire us to conserve the precious habitats that nurture this web of life. 

Mountains, plains, rocks, and rivers shelter diverse communities, and through the changing seasons Your Spirit renews cycles of life. In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 

Advent reflection ...

On Thursday a small group gathered at St Thomas More for a beautiful advent reflection ... we began with an advent litany with its refrain of Alleluia ... and Maranatha (Come Lord Jesus).
We then listened to readings from Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11, read an extract of Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd, listened to Amina's story and reflected on Mark 1: 1-8.  

Short advent reflection for those unable to join us

To aid our reflection we used all our senses, listening to the Word of God, touching the stones from the shores of Lake Galilee, looking at images of refugees, at the light of candles of hope and peace on our advent wreath, and Peruvian statues of Mary and Joseph, tasting some honey, and smelling and touching the straw.  All symbols to help us in our time of preparation for the coming of the Lord.

We were reminded of the words of Pope Francis who said after he visited Lampedusa where many refugees lost their lives "The Lord needs our hearts to show his merciful love towards the least, the outcast, the abandoned, the marginalised".  We remembered not only Mary and Joseph who had a difficult to journey to Bethlehem but all people who today are travelling in search of shelter and safety.

Harvest Fast Day

Today is Harvest Fast Day ... What can you do?
In schools young people are being asked to Brighten up this harvest and build a brighter world.









Last week we shared Lilian's story and how she was helped by CAFOD.  Today we share Lilian's prayer which we might make our own.

Thank you Lord my God for being with us.I thank you Lord and I pray that you protect us.I pray you will protect me in the future.I thank you for everything you have done for me. Amen

Harvest Festival

CAFOD the (Catholic Association For Overseas Development) is asking us this Harvest Fast Day ( Friday 5th October) if we could eat simply - perhaps by giving up a meal, or just having a bowl of soup- and make a donation to CAFOD? 

It could save someone's life - you could give a family a bag of seeds to grow and feed themselves or could help to mend a water point for an entire village. Every life around the world is precious. 

Please pick up your envelope this weekend and return it the following week or donate online at Cafod Harvest 

Many thanks from CAFOD and all its partners.

Simple acts for refugee week

Continuing our refugee week theme and following the example of our parish walkers
What simple things might you do, for 20 simple ideas see the Refugee Week website

Share the journey prayer from CAFOD
For more prayers and ideas

God our refuge,

you share the journey

with migrants and refugees,

lightening their footsteps with hope.

For you, Lord, are close

to the broken-hearted.

Pour out your Spirit

upon world leaders.

May they see the tragedies

of our human family,

and be moved to respond with

wisdom, compassion and courage.

Open our eyes and hearts

to the God-given dignity

of all your people.

Move us to welcome our neighbours,

and so bear witness to your love.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Refugee Week 18th-24th June

Did you know

• More people are on the move now than ever before. Every minute, 20 people around the world are newly displaced 
• Half of the world's refugees are children and thousands  take flight without the protection of parents or other family members
• Three out of four of the World's Refugees are hosted by developing countries.

Pope Francis 

"calls us to act in solidarity with refugees and migrants. Every human being is a child of God, created in God's image and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect". 

How can we respond to Pope Francis' call to embrace refugees?
One way we can respond is to support Pope Francis' Share the Journey Global Campaign

Locally For more information see Lancaster Faith and Justice  

'Refugee Digital Stories' all  week at Lancaster library

Film 'Human Flow' Duke's cinema Friday 22nd (5 40pm) 

More about ways to get involved with Lancaster and Morecambe City of Sanctuary

First Holy Communion

Today, 28 of our young people who attend the Cathedral and St Thomas More received their First Holy Communion.  They and their families have been preparing since January and today they received Jesus in this second sacrament of their initiation into being a full member of the Church.
Fr Steve writes:

First Holy Communion, is truly a wonderful occasion, the first of many, when they will know the joy of receiving The Lord and taking their rightful place within the Body of Christ (The Church). I wish to express my appreciation of them and their parents who have followed the way of preparation so fruitfully. Please be assured that there is always a welcome for you all within our community. Fr Steve

Holy Communion 2017 

There will be a celebration mass where certificates will be presented on Tuesday 11th July at St Thomas More at 6.30pm

Laudato si' - Climate is a common good

Poster of Pope Francis and United Nations Environmental 

Another theme from the Pope's letter (encyclical) encourages us to think about creation and the climate.  

See Cathedral Parish Young People's Facebook for song about creation, 

What images would you choose when thinking about the climate?

St Francis of Assisi feeding the birds and
taking care of nature

Do you know why St Francis of Assisi might be linked to Laudato Si?  

Laudato si - Discussion Group and children's animation

On Thursday 29th October, 7.30 in Day Chapel, there is the first of the discussion groups about the Pope Francis' letter Laudato si' : Care of our Common Home.  All are welcome to join us.
Below a short video which explains some of the key themes, something for families to discuss.

For a link to Pope Francis' letter Laudato Si