Rite of Election

 Rite of election

Te Deum Window:

Front cover of the service sheet

This year on the first Saturday of Lent St Peter's Cathedral was full with people from around the diocese, for a simple but important service celebrating the choosing by the Lord of men, women and children who, with the help of the Church, acknowledge God's election of them for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist. 

The Rite of Election marks the beginning of the final period of intensive preparation for the sacraments of initiation, during which the elect will be encouraged to follow Christ with greater generosity (cf RCIA #105)

The Rite of Election is for Catechumens are seeking Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist and candidates for reception into full communion as well as those Catholics completing their initiation at the Easter Vigil.

As we move through Lent, please pray for all those preparing for to these sacraments. 

First Confessions

 First Confession 

Focal area for our prayers of penance

This year we have several groups preparing for the sacraments in our parish of St Peter's Cathedral and the Lancaster Martyrs, so lots to share.

At St Peter's Cathedral we have 12 young people and their families who have been meeting on Saturday mornings to prepare for their first confession.  On Saturday 21st February they made their first confession.

This is an important step in their faith journey and is the second of the seven sacraments.  In June they will make their first Holy Communion.  

After the children made their first confession they came and lit a candle and said their penance.

At St Joseph's there is another group who have just begun their preparation.  

Sacramental Preparation: Lent

Sacramental Preparation: Families learning about Lent

Today our families gathered to prepare for Lent and to reflect on three of the stations of the cross to help us learn more about Jesus. We focused on the 

4th Station where Jesus meets his mother and learned more about the different mysteries that we reflect on when we pray the rosary

5th Station where Simon of Cyrene carries Jesus' cross and thought about what we could do during Lent, which is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving

6th Station where Veronica wipes the face of Jesus and thought about those who are sick in our parish and families.  We made cards to let them know we are praying for them.

We also learned some more words that are linked to our faith, and played a form of pass the parcel when the music stopped we shared some of the new words we had been learning.

Very fitting Fr Philip picked Jesus: The earthly name for the Son of God,
born as man, it means Saviour

We begin Lent on Wednesday 5th March.  The stations of the cross are a traditional prayer we pray especially during Lent.  Here is a short video of the 5th and 6th Station of the Cross from a series by Missio

Sacramental Preparation: Families learning about the Trinity

 Jesus Comes to Me: Learning about the Trinity

Today our children and their parents spent the morning remembering about their baptism, thinking about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  

One of our activities we sang a song about joining God's family at baptism. 

We join God's family at Baptism

At the end of our session we also spent some time sharing the new words and things we had learned and had a photo to show the things we had made.

Families showing our images of the world to remind us of God the Father,
a cross filled with hearts reminding us that Jesus loved us so much he died for us,
and a dove made of hands with our prayers, reminding us of the Holy Spirit.

Please pray for our children and their families as they
prepare for the sacraments of reconciliation
and Holy Communion.

Sacramental Preparation begins

 Sacramental Preparation

Tonight parents and adult supporters gathered together in the library as we began our Sacramental Preparation programme for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion.  This year we are using a programme called Jesus Comes to Me.  
Our programme includes sessions for adults to reflect on their faith as they are the first teachers of faith for their children. 
On Saturday we will have the first of our family sessions where adults and children come together. 
At the start of Lent we will have some sessions with children after Mass.

Tonight we talked about the Trinity and who we pray to and watched one of the programmes from the Sycamore catechesis series.  We then went into Church where Fr Philip showed us some of the vestments and talked about the prayers that are said when the priest put on each item of clothing.  

Fr Philip in vestments
used in ordinary time

We closed with a prayer and reflection in the Baptistry, remembering this is the gateway sacrament.

Families gathered around the Font in the Baptistry

Sacrament of Ordination - Bishop, Priest and Deacon

Deacon Simon wearing a
dalmatic a Deacon's vestment.

As we know, the sacraments are outward signs of inward spiritual gifts that God gives to His people. The sacrament of Holy Orders is an important one not just for those who receive it but for the whole Church because it is there precisely to be at the service of the Christian people. 

On Saturday 19th October we celebrate the ordination of our deacon Simon Marley as a priest. 

The sacrament of ordination consists of three grades (bishop priest, deacon), each of which makes the recipient able to represent Christ in a specific way in service of the people. These three grades fulfil the Old Testament figures of High Priest, priest and Levite. 

Deacons are ordained to proclaim the Gospel, to minister at the altar and witness to Christ as servant of all. 

Right, is Fr John in a Chasuble which is the vestment worn by a priest when celebrating Mass.  Both deacon and priest are wearing green a sign of ordinary time 

Priests are ordained to offer sacrifice (the Mass) and to forgive sins (in confession and anointing of the sick). They are an image as Christ the High Priest who intercedes for His people and Christ the Good Shepherd who cares for and nourishes them. 

Bishops are consecrated to confer the sacraments of ordination and confirmation. They are tasked with the role of teacher of the faith and shepherd of the flock over which they are called to rule in gentleness and love. 

Bishop Paul Swarbrick accompanied by two deacon incensing the altar during the Chrism Mass where priests from the diocese renewed their ordination vows. 
See also the jugs of oil right which are used for sacraments throughout the year, including Deacon Simon's priestly ordination on Saturday 19th October

How many commandments? 1, 10, 613 or ...

How many commandments? 1, 10, 613 or ...

On Sunday our 1st reading was from the book of Exodus. We heard how Moses went up the mountain and came back with the Ten Commandments.  On Sunday at Children's Liturgy we talked about how we could remember the commandments.  The following video from the Bible Project helps explain the connection between the different laws and commandments in the Old Testament and the link to Jesus commandment to Love God and your neighbour as yourself.

Going to Confession

Lent is a time when many will reflect on their lives and take this as an opportunity to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Some people will use the commandments as a source of examining their conscience when preparing to make their confession.

• A one page examination of conscience based on 10 commandments
• A children's examination of conscience based on 10 commandments

What other scriptural or other resources do you use to help you prepare for the sacrament of reconciliation. Please use our contact form to share your ideas.

Advent 2: God's grace through the sacraments

“Everything that was written long ago in the scriptures was meant to teach us something about hope from the examples scripture gives of how people who did not give up were helped by God.”  

By our baptism, a baptism that St John says is with the Holy Spirit and fire we are made sharers in the life of God. At our baptism God fills us with His grace and promises that, when we are faithful to Him in our lives, He will continue to fill us with the many graces that we need to prepare us for the life of Heaven. This promise that the Lord makes and His generosity should fill us with hope. Grace is God’s way of helping us in times of difficulty and in times of joy, it is the way that God helps us to keep on the straight and narrow and ultimately the way that leads to eternal life. We receive God’s grace in all manner of ways, but most especially through the sacraments. The frequent reception of Jesus Himself in the Holy Eucharist is one of the surest ways to receive the help that we need from God. God gives Himself freely to us, He asks only that we respond with faith and try each day to grow closer to Him through prayer. 

St John speaks of the need for repentance. The Sacrament of Confession is at the heart of this repentance, whereby we receive the Lord’s forgiveness. Advent is a time to be aware of our need to receive the beautiful graces bestowed through this sacrament. The Lord comes to free us from sin, and so He invites us to work with Him in showing sorrow for our sins and amending our lives. Therefore, let us take the opportunity in this season of preparation to prepare a way for the Lord to enter once again into our hearts. Hearts that are free from sin and filled with grace. St Padre Pio said of Confession “Confession is the soul’s bath. Even a clean and unoccupied room gathers dust; return after a week and you will see that it needs dusting again.”  Fr Chapple 

Confessions at the Cathedral are on 

Saturday morning 11am-noon and 

Sunday evening 6pm-6:20pm. 

Confessional

Art and Faith: Christ washing the disciples' feet

Tintoretto, “Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet,” 1548–1549

In the Gospel of the Lord's Supper we hear the account of Jesus washing the disciples feet, normally the Bishop would wash the feet of members of the congregation, a reminder that like the disciples we too are called to follow Jesus' example to serve one another by following this new Commandment.

This is also the night when the Jesus celebrated the Last Supper.  During the consecration it is worth listening out to the Bishop (or priest) who says that it was "the day before he was to suffer, which is today ...". This reminds us that we are journeying with Jesus and not merely remembering events from the past.