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
“It is the Lord”
Last week we heard that Jesus appeared to his disciples who were gathered in a locked room, in
Jerusalem. In today’s gospel passage, the disciples are not in Jerusalem. They have returned to Galilee. They have gone back to their work of fishing. Simon Peter is still in the position of leadership. When he announces that he is going fishing, the other disciples follow him. They spent the night fishing but are unsuccessful.
In the early hours of the morning, Jesus calls to them from the shore. Just as in early appearances, the disciples do not recognize him immediately though they still followed his instructions and brought in a large haul of fish. It was at this point that the disciple whom Jesus loved realizes that It was Jesus who has appeared to them when he said, “It is the Lord.” With that recognition Peter jumped into the water to meet Jesus, the other disciples followed in the boat dragging the fish.
After the meal, Jesus directs himself to Simon Peter. This dialogue with Peter is a reversal of Peter’s three denials. Peter is forgiven. Having been restored to friendship with Jesus, Simon Peter is sent on a mission: “Feed my lambs…Tend my sheep…Feed my sheep.” These commands indicate that Peter is to be as Jesus, even unto sacrificing for the flock. As Jesus has fed Peter in the morning meal at the shores of Galilee and as Jesus feeds us in the Eucharist, so he also sends us to follow him, asking us that we offer our lives in service and sacrifice for the sake of the gospel.
God bless you all. Fr. Henry
IN THE NEWS...
Cardinal Fernández: Pope Francis was a tireless worker
In his homily for the sixth Novemdiales Mass in memory of Pope Francis, which falls on International Workers’ Day, Cardinal Fernández reflects on the late Pope’s emphasis on the dignity of work.
On Thursday 1 May, which is a public holiday in the Vatican as in many countries around the world, the College of Cardinals did not hold a General Congregation to prepare for the conclave.
Many members, however, did gather in St Peter's Basilica for the sixth mass of the Novemdiales, the period of mourning for the late Pope Francis.
Sistine Chapel chimney installed ahead of conclave
Perhaps the most famous chimney in the world has been installed. Workers have attached the chimney to the top of the Sistine Chapel, where all eyes will be glued as people look to see smoke announcing whether a new Pope has been elected.
The first recorded papal election in this Chapel took place in 1492. But the Sistine Chapel – decked out in frescoes of famed Italian artists – has been the permanent setting for conclaves since 1878.
As preparations gear up for the start of the election process on May 7, the Sistine Chapel has been closed and, over the coming days, staff will be setting up the space and audio equipment and prepping the flooring for the election.
Fire near Jerusalem impacts Catholic communities
Fire near Jerusalem impacts Catholic communities
The Trappist monks of Latrun and the Community of the Beatitudes in Emmaus-Nicopolis are among the most severely affected by the raging fires that have been burning close to Jerusalem for the past 30 hours. While the sacred buildings were miraculously preserved, several religious and lay residents lost their homes. Monastic farmlands were completely destroyed.
A sudden blaze : On the morning of April 30, multiple fire outbreaks were reported on the hills of Neve Shalom, directly across from the Trappist monastery in Latrun. High temperatures and strong winds caused the flames to spread rapidly. Authorities ordered the evacuation of residents and religious communities. The Trappist brothers sought refuge with the Benedictines and the Sisters of St. Joseph in Abu Ghosh.
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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