Welcome
Welcome to St Bede Catholic Church
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
And the love of God
And the communion of The Holy Spirit
Be with you all
"Being Humble in all things..."
Meals in many cultures are important events in people's lives. At the time of Jesus meals played an important role in the life his people. Mealtime is more than a time for sharing nourishment. Meals were a time to share ideas and to model different aspects of social relationships. In Luke’s gospel, which could be similar in many cultures, the places that a person ate from (at the house of a tax collector, 5:29), the people with whom a person ate (sinners,5:30), and as is the case here, the place that a person sits while eating are all important. In our gospel passage Jesus tells a parable to teach both the guests and the host about finding true happiness at the heavenly banquet.
Jesus warns guests to wait before taking their places at the table lest they be asked to move to a lower seat if someone more important arrives. This is more than just a lesson about table manners or dinner etiquette. It is advice on how to find our true place in the Kingdom of God. Jesus challenges the hosts not to invite people who would be expected to repay them back by inviting them in return. But to invite those that can not repay them: the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. This is where real blessings can be found.
Jesus’ teaching in the gospel this Sunday is that God’s blessings come to those who behave humbly. Jesus challenges us not to seek status and honours from other people. It is in being humble that we will find favour with God. Christ will lead us to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, if we will only follow him in humility.
God bless you all. Fr. Henry
IN THE NEWS...
Pope to Augustinians: 'Peace begins with what we say and do'
Pope Leo XIV sends a video message to the Augustinian Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova on the feast of their spiritual father, and invites everyone to listen to God's loving voice, which alone can bring peace.
To mark the Solemnity of Saint Augustine, Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to the Augustinian Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova, in the United States, expressing his gratitude for the conferral of the Saint Augustine Medal.
In his message, the Pope recalled with affection that the local parish is dedicated to Saint Thomas of Villanova, the Augustinian friar and bishop remembered as “father of the poor.”
UN warns Israeli Gaza offensive could be ‘beyond catastrophic’
United Nations officials warned Friday that Israel’s planned military takeover of Gaza City could have devastating consequences for civilians across the enclave.
The warning comes as Israeli forces ramped up operations on the city’s outskirts.
“The impact of a full-blown offensive would be beyond catastrophic — not only for those in the city but for the entire Gaza Strip,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement, noting that several neighborhoods have already come under deadly attack in recent days.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the escalation as a “new and dangerous phase,” telling reporters that hundreds of thousands of civilians — already displaced, exhausted and traumatized — could be forced to flee again, deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Pope Leo expresses sorrow over shooting at Catholic school in Minneapolis
Pope Leo expresses sorrow over shooting at Catholic school in Minneapolis
Pope Leo XIV expresses profound sorrow over the murder of two children and the injuring of 17 others at the Annunciation Catholic church and school complex in the US city of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Pope Leo XIV has expressed his profound sorrow upon learning of the loss of life and injuries following the shooting that took place at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the US.
In a telegram sent to Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis, the Pope expressed his "heartfelt condolences and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child."
ABOUT SAINT BEDE...
St Bede 673-735AD
Bede was born in 673 AD in the northeast of England. From the age of seven, he received a Benedictine education at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Wearmouth, today part of Sunderland. Bede spent his whole life within the twin monasteries of St Peter at Wearmouth and St Paul in Jarrow, where he became a Benedictine monk and continued his studies using the fine libraries established by the monastery's founder, St Benedict Biscop, Bede's first teacher, and under the guidance of Abbot Ceolfrith (Ceolwulf).
Bede wrote on many topics. His most famous work, Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (the Ecclesiastical History of the English People), earned Bede the title "The Father of English History". His works revealed not only Bede's qualities as a scholar and historian but also the qualities of modesty and humility which make his works so memorable. However, Bede's work shows that he had at his command all the learning of his time. Bede's writings included papers and articles on scientific, historical, theological, and mathematical matters, as well as poetry and literature. St Bede is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. His sainthood was generally recognized around fifty years after his death on 25th May 735 AD. His bones were later elevated from St Paul's in Jarrow to Durham, where they lie in the Galilee Chapel at Durham Cathedral. Bede's scholarship and importance to Catholicism were recognized on 13th November 1899 when Pope Leo XIII decreed the title of Doctor Ecclesiae to St Bede the Venerable, making him the only English Doctor of the Church.
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