The churchmen in the photograph above must be sharing the exciting news regarding the Annual Colloquium of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy which is taking place at Aylesford this year between the 3rd and 4th November!

I really do urge all priests who value their faith to join the Confraternity and support this event. My brother priests in the Ordinariate might like to know that the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy have been great friends to us from our inception and welcome our membership. This year’s speakers are Fr. Jerome Betram, Dom Mark Kirby and Fr. Guy de Gaynesford and Bishop Paul Mason will also be present to celebrate Mass.

The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, which has branches across the world, has three guiding principles. It seeks to show fidelity; to Sacred Scripture, the Magisterium, the Councils and Catechism of the Catholic Church and to the Holy Father. It centres on formation; in human, spiritual, doctrinal and pastoral aspects of the Priesthood, and assistance in the Priestly ministry of teaching, sanctifying and governing. And it upholds fraternity; in mutual support and encouragement of Priestly life and ideals, by conferences, local chapters, study, retreats and publications. In other words it is a solid mainstream organisation that seeks to inspire professionalism and good standards amongst the clergy.

I am posting my booking form today!

A copy of Sunday’s sermon.

What does God expect of Christians? The new testament is, of course, the answer. In it Jesus, and later his followers, tell us precisely what is expected of those who take up the cross and follow.

St. Paul provided three helpful images. In Philippians he speaks of Christians as bond-slaves. Now Bond slaves had nothing to do with 007  but were liberated souls who, despite a new-found freedom, opted to remain in service of their masters out of love. The point being that we should serve Christ out of love not out of some sense of enforced duty.

In 2 Timothy St. Paul described Christians as Soldiers of Christ. We must expect spiritual battle. A war rages for the salvation of our souls. We must battle not only self but also the world and the devil. St Paul understands this point; stressing that this conflict is so severe that those genuinely attempting sanctification need put on the armour of Christ. Daily! Faith is not to be a vacation or feel good comfort blanket or an exercise in celebrating self. In fact weaklings and cowards need not apply. Because being a Christian is tough. You need self-discipline and virtue. You need to put in a lot of effort and you need to be willing to die to self.

Finally, in Ephesians. St. Paul refers to Christians as ambassadors for Christ. We are to be representatives of God on this earth. Speaking up for him, delivering his (and not our) message in love. And the reverse is true, we must speak on behalf of this world to God; interceding for sinners. All of which takes courage, warns Paul, because the prince of this world is at war with the God of heaven. Paul should know; he was imprisoned, flogged and beaten for his faith in Jesus. So again we learn that living out the faith with sincerity is not for wets or weaklings. And if we are not struggling with self, the world and the devil in our walk with Christ then something is seriously amiss.

Put Paul’s descriptions together and one thing becomes clear. Christianity is as much about action and behaviour as it is about belief. Our lives should be discernibly different from those around us- because we belong to God! That was clearly St. Paul’s message. Now let us look at what Jesus expects of his believers.

Well he too warned of struggle. If the world hates you- remember it hated me first.  Again the popular myth of comfortable easy going religion is dispelled. People seeking comfort or self indulgence should not climb the hill of Calvary. Those who shrink from difficult tasks will not take up the cross, they should avoid the scapular or collar. Because those in thrall to the noise of this world won’t discern that still small voice of God. If we go about faith seriously expect conflict and suffering, even martyrdom. Christians in Syria know that only too well. The timid are no good. God needs those who will bear witness to Him regardless of consequence and with unfailing confidence. You cannot have the crown without the cross.

Jesus also said ‘if your brother sins against you, rebuke him; but if he repents, forgive him’ We see here a balance between being firm but gentle. This is where the modern Church gets unstuck – it has grown weak and seeks only to be gentle and never firm. The Church of nice. But ‘peace at any price’ is no Christian mantra. You wont find it anywhere in the Gospel. Because soldiers stand for something. They do not water down revelation to appease the world. The blood of the martyrs proves this point. And when society is wrong, say via support for abortion or the breakdown of the family, the church must hold the line and not count the cost. Speaking out for Christ in defence of truth. That is what being a soldier means. For the only other option is to roll over and surrender truth for compromise. The reverse of what any saint or martyr ever did.

Finally Jesus asked Christians to believe that faith can cause things to happen. It should inspire us to act! ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed you could say unto this sycamore tree.. ’ Many people ask believe in God but leave it there! Believe mightily in God’s kingdom but wouldn’t uproot a daisy to establish it! Let alone a sycamore. We live in strange days when Christians speak proudly about the role of faith in history, about the heroism of former saints, but prove totally disinclined themselves to make history for Christ or become a saint!

The current generation of believers, who should be lions, have become mice. Frightened of the world and frightened to offend it. Not standing up for Christ because, I suspect, we are all too comfortable. Why focus on the culture of death when a new season of Bake-off airs at 9…

We all like the idea of  a gentle private faith. And the world has never objected to a private faith with good reason. It might produce pleasant spiritual experiences for self but it is never enough to build the kingdom or transform the world. Faith needs translating into brave action to work miracles; to be justified and proved in the fires of this world. Belief alone does nothing. Yet so many today act as if belief is enough. They do almost nothing concrete for Christ. Nothing to establish his kingdom on earth. Nothing for the salvation of souls.

Ultimately it is impossible to reflect on the teaching of Jesus, and later St Paul, regarding discipleship without feeling embarrassed , even scandalised, by the church in the West. For it has been on the most recent watch that faith has grown lukewarm and the faith of past generations has been surrendered to the Spirit of the Age- that prevailing anti-Christian culture- with barely a whimper.

What Christ and St Paul taught was no impossible ideal requiring us to merely aim for it and expect nobody to live it out. It was a minimum standard for living faith- the sort that can bring light into darkness, the sort that is salt in this world. How the modern church needs to wake up and establish the kingdom! We must stop hiding in trenches and confront this world with love and prayer, example and action. We must focus on Christ not self and we must believe the faith can be lived out!

We approach a year of evangelisation for our little parish; a time for self examination. Is my faith growing or diminishing? What do I offer besides my belief? Am I actually building the kingdom with my life? Winning souls for Christ including my own? These questions leave me a little ashamed, so please join me in trying to do better. Pray for our year of outreach- that you might reach out yourself to God. Let us together make this coming year of mission work successful. For that I need your support and contribution. No- He- needs your support and contribution. That this church might be a growing one that is full of bond-slaves, ambassadors and soldiers for Christ. What a vision for us to aim for. Lets do it.

This week the final touches are being put to the organisation of our forthcoming parish pilgrimage to Rome, which begins in the early hours of this coming Monday morning. Father Nicholas and I are working out exactly what we need to take with us, in terms of ecclesial tat, and what will be supplied by the various churches and basilicas that we will be worshipping in. Tom, our director of music, is finalising his folder of accompaniment and the choir have been rehearsing tunes for Evensong.

The excitement mounts then as we prepare for this special journey within the Year of Mercy. To send out the pilgrims on Sunday with aplomb we shall be singing the wonderful hymn ‘full in the panting heart of Rome’ at the end of each Mass.

The St. Anselm’s Autumn Raffle will be drawn on the first Sunday in November. Tickets are available from this Sunday and need to be sold and purchased with zeal! I am also hunting for decent prizes- let me know if you can be of any help or have contacts you could speak to on our behalf.

Harvest Festival will take place on Sunday 23rd October. This year we will be supporting the Pembury Food bank, which we collect non-perishable good for throughout  the year. The food bank has really struggled to meet demand in 2016 and is now collecting to meet need for the Christmas food hampers which are sent out to deserving villagers each year. Please bring produce to Mass for the harvest procession.

32 parishioners will be travelling to Rome for our parish pilgrimage between 10-14 October. Please note that there will be no midweek worship that week as there will be no resident clergy. The other churches in our deanery will be staffed as usual and can be called on for daily Mass or if a priest is needed in an emergency.

Tuesday 1st November is All Saints day and it is a day of holy obligation for all Catholics. Mass will be offered in Church at 7pm. The following evening is All Souls day and our main celebration will also take place at 7pm. During this Mass there will be an opportunity to light a candle for a loved one and to pray for them.

A working party is being organised for Saturday 8th October. (For those not travelling to Birmingham for the Ordinariate Newman pilgrimage) We need people to strip out the old kitchen and dispose of the units at the local tip. We need others to set to work in the garden, especially with the weeding of the borders around the paddock. If these jobs are too heavy then bring some brasso and polish and give the altar rails and pews a little love.

October will also see building work begin on the new parish kitchen and, we hope, within the church. The kitchen, having been gutted, will be completely refurbished. The main body of the church will have two walls plastered and painted, a gradine built to house the sacrament and ‘big 6’ candlesticks and a stage built to raise the altar. Scaffolding may be present for a week or two. In the side chapel, which is now dedicated to the Sacred Heart, a wall will be plastered and the new reredos mounted. Please be patient during these work phases.

Picture a soldier sat in the trenches. Despite the sound of battle above, which cannot be mistaken, he feels safe as long as he remains underground. His loyalty cannot be questioned. He is passionately patriotic and unswerving believes in the kingdom he serves. Furthermore he has every confidence that, ultimately, his side will win..

But what would we make of him if we discovered that he had lost his nerve? That he himself refused to fight anymore. Had grown too timid to even raise his head above the parapet and take aim at the enemy? Would we not denounce him and seek to send the infamous white feathers? Would we not be quick to accept that he himself is of no use to the kingdom he claims to serve?

St. Paul was clear; the Christian life, if done with sincerity, is a battle. Jesus also pointed out that he came not to bring peace but a sword! A point made at each and every baptism. Weaklings need not apply because the cross of Christ is heavy; it comes at tremendous cost.

Why then do we present the faith today as a comfort blanket for the lame- as belief alone will do? Where is the call to arms- why they won’t even sing Onward Christian Soldiers anymore! Despite a battle which St. Paul warns us is so severe- and he should know having been beaten, imprisoned, chained and shipwrecked, – that we need daily put on the armour of Christ. Evil is real and must be defeated and we will need to be loving yet firm to conquer for Christ.

How sad then that the church in the West, like that cowardly soldier, seems emasculated at present beyond parody! When did men of God like St Paul, who risked everything for Christ, turn into middle managers and politicians; silent regarding moral issues in the media but enraged if Mass faces East?! And let us not only point at the Episcopate because this disease is near universal. Meaning you and I are part of the problem too. We do not challenge as we should. We buy into the nonsense of the church of nice and cosy having grown so very comfortable in this world as to have lost the zeal and hunger of the ancient saints and martyrs.

Yet the enemy advances at pace. All around us Judeo-Christian culture is under attack and a brave new world is being erected. Just consider the forthcoming election in America where the so called ‘choice’ is between an abortion enthusiast serial liar with strong ties to the war machine, and a narcissistic thrice married twit whose dick swinging antics belong in the Neanderthelic era!

Is this really the best on offer for the most powerful political post on earth? Where is the Christian voice in all of this? Where are the bishops speaking out and demanding greater honesty and integrity and better candidates within the political process? Why do Christians just shrug shoulders when faced with the obvious truth that anyone espousing our  beliefs today would get nowhere in the political process? Only the corrupt, the compromised and the self serving need apply. So much for civic duty and the building up of society for future generations.

The point I am making- whilst enjoying a jolly good moan- is that the Church of the West is sick at present. So many Christians having rolled over to the prevailing culture that the church has lost its fight. How pathetic mealy mouthed clerics of the West appear in comparison with those giving lives for Christ in Middle East! Where is the back-bone? Where the staunch defence of the faith? How did the redefinition of marriage occur with barely a whimper? The loss of our adoption agencies with almost no fight?

Dear Lord save us from ourselves. Raise up men and women of true courage and zeal to rescue us from peril and restore the true vision of Saints.

The level to which our decadent society is denying reality is becoming disturbing. Last month the press informed us that a woman was fighting on front lines for the first time. The reality was that a disturbed man remains in active service whilst his superiors applaud. This week we have been told about the first man to give birth. Spoiler alert- it was not a man. The presence of vagina and womb would have given that one away to small children. It was yet another confused soul who wishes to deny the biological fact of their identity. When will the madness end?

During a conference in America this year I listened with horror, fascination and some amusement as a pastor explained the difficulty of ministering within the liberal left community of Seattle. He was attempting to give counsel to a couple of lesbians who were raising a child belonging to one of them. Decent people by all account. Yet the mother of the child had decided to identify as a man. And this was leading her partner to consider leaving the home because…..well she was a lesbian and didn’t want to be in a relationship with a man?!!?!

Understand that when the remains of King Richard III were dug up under a car park in Leicester nobody argued over the scientific analysis- that the bones clearly belonged to a man. It is a fact of nature that men and women are different to the point of possessing different skeletons. And no matter how much makeup, fancy clothes and butchery one undertakes- if your body is analysed after a terrible fire then the chromosomal information still reveals the truth as opposed to the desire. Why then are we denying science, truth, fact to play this charade?

The conclusions of the sexual revolution are leading us beyond sanity. What madness we sow as we witness the hubris of mankind attempting to deny his true nature. What denial of scientific fact and obvious truth is needed as the State continues its war on the conventional family and hammers home a fantasy of gender fluidity; a slap in the face of hardwired biological fact. I doubt many are really convinced, in truth, but they are afraid to speak out. Because the use of thought policing and hate labelling has left most people more afraid of being thought un-inclusive than deranged. So the nonsense continues.

Well you can label this traditional Christian a hater if you think it wins you the argument. But I would still rather stand with science and reason over insanity. I prefer to insist that you can sympathise with, and care for, those who are  uncomfortable in their own skin without resorting to buying into their delusions. Just as one can support and help the man who thinks he is Nelson without resorting to cutting of his hand and gauging out his eye. If it does not help an anorexic to tell them they are fat then why do we imagine it is helping anyone playing along with the fantasy that they are other than as they were born. In fact it strikes me as cruel.

The invention of the motor car and the internet have made the world a smaller place. Long distance travel has not only become much easier, it is also safer and relatively cheap. And so it is that people travel today as seldom before, not only for leisure but also for work. It has led to an explosion of social mobility – people moving on from town to town and city to city. The job in Dundee is applied for by the man in Harrogate- the cheaper house in the Yorkshire Dales is sorely tempting the stressed commuter in Surrey.

Clearly there are many positive aspects about social mobility. But I think we sometimes overlook and dismiss the negative ones. Mum and dad no longer live on the other side of town, and can be cared for in old age. And so residential homes have become a burgeoning business. Fishermen on the North Norfolk coast find their children priced out of the housing market by second home owners from the more prosperous regions. And communities are much, much weaker than before. Indeed it is said that the busiest cities in the world are also the loneliest places.

And what effect has social mobility had on the Church? We all know a shift to liberal secularism by the leaders of the world, an championed in the press, has damaged the church on a number of levels. But what effect has the increased movement of people had? I suspect it is a bigger factor than we suspect in the downsizing of congregations in recent years.

Firstly because some people, who were at the heart of a parish in one place, find it difficult to adjust to a new setting. There are many reasons people go to church but one main reason they stay- that is if they make meaningful relationships. But joining a community can be hard, especially alone, and it can take time to move from the boundaries to the centre. Mrs X, who always did the flowers at St. Andrews, discovers the formidable Ms Y does them at St. Matthews and has no desire of sharing the responsibility! Her role gone Mrs X finds herself at sea. She still attends but not with the same degree of commitment or attachment as before. Her previous parish struggles for flowers and her new one hasn’t really benefitted.

Then there is the effect on belonging. One of the uphill struggles for clergy today centres on volunteerism. Most worshippers attend on a Sunday but dual income mortgages, the rise in cost of living and the explosion of cheap home entertainment means few offer much time beyond this. And the less involved we are in something, the less invested we will be. You get out what you put in. A challenge multiplied ten fold for newcomers who have no emotional bond with the place in which they worship. To them it is just ‘a church’ and not a ‘spiritual home’. The bond between worshipper and parish is weakened and, I suspect, at cost to faith.

And the invention of the motor car has undeniably encouraged the toxic practice of ‘church shopping’ – that which stops people supporting a local parish in favour of hunting down cosy worship centres where little is demanded of them. Britain’s Cathedrals boast ever rising numbers of worshippers but at what cost to the smaller and less resourced centres of worship? And the fact that birds of a feather have the means to flock together has, I strongly suspect, contributed hugely to the strains placed on unity. When all the modernist minded fellows get together in St. Hippies to bang tambourines just as all the traddies gather in St Smokies for Solemnity with all the bells and whistles….well neither practices tolerance very well. Instead of mucking in together and learning from each other, they grow apart.

And clergy do move so much these days. They whizz in with great ideas but then whizz off again. Leaving the next to whizz in with different ideas and the end result can be a bewildered community of believers. In years past a clergyman would bed into a community for life and baptise several generations. It developed trust and fostered continuity and community. I am not at all certain therefore that the revolving door of clergy appointments is good news. It tends to encourage careerism for the clergy themselves never feel they belong. One of the positive things about being Ordinariate is the knowledge I have nowhere to go! It means I must invest in the parish I have been given for the long run. And this encourages, I suspect, greater pastoral care and concern. I must live with my own mistakes!

And then there is the disruption caused by all the changing faces in the pews. Not long ago I scoured records worried that we seem to attract new people but do not always hold on to them. My research uncovered a story of social mobility. Our Director of Music and his family left for a new life in Australia. The Seminary claimed a family of six. Another family of six have been priced out of the area and relocated. The more I went through the books the more surprised I became. The number of people who arrived and then left the area is large. No sooner do people travel from boundary to centre than they are off again. But the pastor in me wonders at what cost to faith communities and to souls?

I have no real conclusion to any of this. I am just sharing thoughts, probably because we have lost a lot of cherished faces all at once recently. How can the church better respond to a migrant nation? Doubtless there are gains as well as the losses I highlight. But what implications has all of this on our evangelistic mission on these shores? Is there a decent book written on the subject?

Above is a poster I have designed for use in the match day programme at the local rugby club- Tunbridge Wells RFC. A fabulous club which is very close to my heart and full of some dear friends. The poster advertises our new 8am Sunday Mass pointing out its suitability for those involved in running children’s sports on Sunday mornings. If you could put the poster up locally please print off a copy and do so.

The 8am Mass has only been running for two weeks. I had expected only a couple at first but it surprised me with over a dozen souls thus far. They have been a mix of those who play sport and those who normally attend our later services but have a reason to be absent. Clearly then there is some need for this short early mass but it would be wonderful to increase the number further in the coming months.

At Saint Anselm’s we are beginning to turn our attention towards a year of evangelisation and mission. We want to ask how we can be more outward looking in our focus and thereby reach out to people around us and not just expect them to walk through our doors. Please pray for our initiative.

Our parish pilgrimage to Rome is weeks away. So it is time for a little nagging to ensure we are ready come the big day. Here is a check list for pilgrims:

Do you have an up to date EHIC? 

An EHIC card enables British citizens to access European health cover. In the event  of your being bitten by Fr. Nicholas and contracting rabies, this little card will save you from being hit with an impossible bill. It would therefore be foolish to travel without it or to discover it is out of date. In addition you will need personal travel insurance and it is your responsibility to sort this prior to departure.

Here is a link for application and renewal.

Is your passport up to scratch? 

Yes this is a fairly obvious thing but it is surprising how often problems arise. Check your passport today and apply for an emergency renewal if there is a problem. It will prove a very short pilgrimage without it.

Here is a link for emergency renewal. 

Do you have suitable luggage? 

We are not checking  luggage into the hold of the aircraft but travelling with hand luggage only. This means each person must bring only  essentials and not exceed 10kg in weight and their bag must be able to fold down to 55cm x 40cm x 20cm. Do pack a jumper for the cooler evenings and visiting the catacombs etc..

The best way to maximise space is to buy a bag designed to fit the check in criteria. And wear the larger items of clothing on the plane!

Here is a link for those wanting to buy a case of the right dimensions.

Sensible footwear

We will be walking a lot. Sensible footwear and hosiery is essential. Fr. Nicholas recommends walking boots and points out that cheap trainers are neither sensible nor stout. Ignore at your peril!

Food

Bed and Breakfast is provided. Lunch ,Supper, Drinks and Ice Creams are not. Please budget accordingly.  We will try to keep things reasonable, to purchase snack lunch and dine in the evening, but Rome, like most major European cities, is very good at extracting cash from tourists.

Accomodation

We are staying at:

Casa di Santa Francesca Romana a Ponte Rotto, 61, Via di Vascellari, Trastevere, Roma, (00 39) 06 5812 125

A 15th century palazzo close to St Cecilia in the heart of Rome’s medieval suburb and within walking distance of everything. It has a chapel and a lovely courtyard. Bedrooms have en suite facilities.

Finally a huge thank you to Father Nicholas who has organised this pilgrimage. And he doesn’t really bite…honest.

In our Gospel Jesus says be prudent, be shrewd about attaining your salvation. Yet he adds a caveat as a warning; people of faith tend to be less prudent than ‘children of the world.’ There is some truth in this. With some notable exceptions, I discovered long ago that if you insert the word ‘Christian’ into a business then too often it denotes second rate service. There can be something ‘amateur’ at play when we Christians do business. Jesus says learn from the world; where people are more astute. Jesus recommends we apply the same foresight, energy and standards one finds in successful business to faith. Why? Because third rate practice, third rate liturgy, third rate Christian living- these are not fitting responses to God. They do not reflect well on our faith.

Ultimately we are stewards. Responsible for what belongs to God including our lives. And as the steward in the parable was called to account, so one day we will be called to account for our lives. What does the worldly Steward teach us? He was prudent; despite huge character flaws he worked urgently reducing debts owed. He knew he couldn’t make things ‘right’ but he did try to make them better. He worked to amend shortcoming. Now remember this is a message to Christians not actual stewards. So what is the point?

The Letter of James says “whoever brings back a sinner from error will save his soul and cover a multitude of sins.” So when, despite our character flaws, we at least try to put things right with God; obeying his commands, bringing others to Church- like that dishonest steward- we show that we care. And this pleases God. Scripture says it will be to our credit on Judgment Day. Better an imperfect Christian standing up for the Gospel and striving for the kingdom, than what we might call the pious inactive; those who seemingly believe the right thing but do nothing for the salvation of others, for the work of the church.

Having demanded prudence Jesus endorses ‘dishonest wealth’. That might shock you but Jesus is saying Christians are in the world, even if we are not of it. And because we are in the world then we have no option but to live by some of its rules.  Take money, which Christ highlights. Why act as if cash is of secondary importance, too dirty to sully spiritual parishes, when you can do nothing without it!? Prayer is of little use without corresponding action and generosity.

Here, alas, something negative must be said about the modern tendency of Christians in the West to underfund churches at parish level. Over the last half century it has caused tremendous damage; buildings have become shabby, mission is impoverished as it becomes an optional extra, amateurs soon replace professionals, and a low expectation of clergy leads vocations to dry up at clear cost to standards. Ultimately we get the church we pay for! Decline the inevitable result of Church done on the cheap, faith dumbed down. We lose ground when we close parishes through fear and do not open them in faith. Somehow we must reverse this trend that has developed the more cosy in the culture we find ourselves. But how?

All wealth is dishonest in one sense: there is no pound sterling in Heaven. But Jesus stresses it can and should be put to work for God. We must stop playing at building the kingdom; running parishes as though a hobby or as a club for a few empowered laity. If we are serious about evangelisation and about our faith then we need properly resourced parishes, in every community in Britain, parishes emboldened to preach Christ crucified. Able to stand up to the culture and not be seduced by it. We need high standards of preaching and liturgy; a great deal higher than can seem the case at present. And- most of all- we need bishops who are authentic men of God and not emasculated politicians. And that the need for these things cries out to heaven for answers at present…tells us the church is clearly in crisis in the West. So how do we apply this Gospel passage to it? What can be done?

Be shrewd says Christ. Make use of material goods, though tainted. Here I must pause to congratulate you; because this parish has risen, against all expectations, to the challenge of establishing itself for God in the last few years. Giving has risen dramatically and progress made possible. Thank you. Please continue to be a willing, generous giver. But such development isn’t obvious everywhere.

Indeed when you examine the ‘kingdom building’ of the last fifty years against the ‘kingdom building’ of our ancestors it is beyond embarrassing, it is deplorable. Consider the vision and generosity that built Canterbury Cathedral or which established those Catholic schools of excellence- Oxford and Cambridge. Visit any ancient parish church and ask how the poorer residents then, who largely lived on gruel and sweat, resourced and construct churches lasting a thousand years- whilst in the last fifty years, at a time of excessive wealth in the West, we have tended only towards the cheap and the ugly- the concrete blocks?

Tourists still flock to Westminster Abbey and Norwich Cathedral, even Pembury old church. But I cannot imagine, a thousand years hence, they will visit many pre-fabricated churches to marvel at the cheap carpet, electric pianos and pot plants…. Who can deny then, based on such evidence, that our standards have slipped? What we need to do, quite clearly, the is return to what worked in the past. Emulating the firm unflinching faith, the appreciation of beauty and art, the sacrificial love and willingness to die for Christ, shown by Christians in the days when we actually took on a pagan culture and won. That we might win souls for Christ!

And it is to this end that resources should be put at the service of the Gospel. To save souls and prepare ourselves for salvation. We must be serious about faith. It isn’t to be a hobby but a first priority. So when will we up our game in the West and inspire a watching world for the salvation of souls? You and I cannot answer that, for it is beyond our control. And fortunately God will not be asking us to account for anything out of our control. But what we will be asked about, what we can influence, is what happens here. In this place. So that becomes our vocation -to hold together and build up God’s church in this place. To make sure our little parish reflects a sincere love of God and fidelity to the faith of the Apostles.

To this end, in recent years, we have constructed dignified space for the worship of God. The next phase of our life must now be a missionary call. We must go out into the world, out into the village, out into the town and bring people to God. We must fill each pew, adding additional Mass times if necessary. All of which is to say that the foundations are now laid and it is time to build. Not in bricks and mortar but flesh and blood. Which is why, from Advent, we begin as a parish a special year of evangelisation. My hope and prayer is that this initiative will not be left to the predictable few but taken on by all. What will you do to bring another soul to Christ in the weeks and months ahead?