Dear family members and friends: In today’s Gospel acclamation we recite, “Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven.” It is a portion of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus gives us great hope when He proclaims the beatitudes where He speaks clearly about who the Blessed people are. Whatever Jesus speaks there is actually what he practiced in His life and further we can say it is a synonym of the life of Jesus. The life of anyone who follows the beatitudes is blessed and his reward will be great in heaven. Let us try to be poor in spirit in order to trust the Lord and depend on Him to be a true Christian and enjoy the fruits of the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
This year’s theme for Racial Justice Sunday “Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21): Promoting Racial Justice in our Parishes. Racial Justice Sunday is devoted to the promotion of racial justice in our Catholic parishes across England and Wales and society and an encouragement to be conscious of the need for justice in all its forms.
When Christ commissioned his disciples he intended the message of his reconciling ministry, death and resurrection for all peoples, times and places. The word that came to summarise this reality was the Greek word ‘Katholikos’ – Catholic – meaning universal. Our model for community wellbeing has to be as diverse as the disciples
Jesus called and the places they were sent, as varied as the parables he taught, as extensive as the good news Jesus preached. It is an ongoing encouragement for us today that the early Church was this diverse in her make-up of believers and in her geographical spread. As the Letter of James tells us – God shows no partiality in what he has created.
Dear family members and friends: “Today’s Gospel brings to us two important ministries of Jesus. First one is the beginning of His preaching saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The most important mission of Jesus was to open the kingdom of heaven for the mankind. He preaches that the means to enter the kingdom of heaven is to repent since no one with any evil will be able to enter the kingdom. Secondly, Jesus calls the first disciples to follow him. It is interesting that they left everything and followed Him. Together with them Jesus continues the ministry of preaching and also healing many people of their afflictions. Let us also follow Him to enter the kingdom of heaven, to be healed of any afflictions and also to be with him proclaiming the kingdom of heaven through our lives. Amen.
This is where we celebrate his first entrance into the temple in Jerusalem, to be presented as a baby. We process into church lighting candles, to celebrate Christ the true light of the world coming to his believing people, for the first time. We shall bless our hand candles, the Parish liturgical candles as well as any devotional candles for use at home that you may wish to bring along.
Following both Masses next Sunday we will have the blessing of throats which is usually done on the feast day of St. Blaise, the day after Candlemas. Find out more
St. Simon Stock Catholic Church 
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