We try to update this page each weekend with information from the church bulletin but it's always best to call ahead for additional details if you are unsure.
13th October 2024
The 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time (B)
First Reading
Wisdom 7:7-11
I prayed, and understanding was given me; I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me. I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones; compared with her, I held riches as nothing. I reckoned no priceless stone to be her peer, for compared with her, all gold is a pinch of sand, and beside her silver ranks as mud. I loved her more than health or beauty, preferred her to the light, since her radiance never sleeps. In her company all good things came to me, at her hands riches not to be numbered.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89(90):12-17
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? Show pity to your servants.
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Give us joy to balance our affliction for the years when we knew misfortune.
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
Show forth your work to your servants; let your glory shine on their children. Let the favour of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands.
Fill us with your love so that we may rejoice.
Second Reading
Hebrews 4:12-13
The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.
Gospel
Mark 9:30-37
Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him. They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’
Weekly prayer intentions
Prayer is a time to reflect on one's own life, but also to think of others.
Please pray for:
all those who are sick or housebound in our Parishes and also for all those who have recently died and for their families.
Our Parish Prayer
Father, pour out Your Spirit on the people of this Parish and grant us a new vision of your Glory, a new experience of your Power, a new faithfulness to your Word and a new consecration to your Service, that your Love may grow among us and your Kingdom come, through Christ our Lord.
Amen
Prayer to St. Michael
Holy Michael Archangel, defend us in our conflict. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust down to hell, Satan and all the wicked spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen
Act of Spiritual Communion
(To be said when one cannot receive communion in person)
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in this Holy Sacrament of the altar.
I love you above all things and I passionately desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my soul so that I may unite myself wholly to you now and forever. Amen
The Rosary
Please spare a moment to Pray the Rosary every day
Please try to pray the Angelus at noon and 6pm every day
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary...
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary...
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you (Lk 1: 28)
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb' (Lk 1: 42).
This weeks further news and notices
Please let us know if you would like anything adding to the notices for the coming week.
This week’s sanctuary candles will burn in memory of: Haydn & Edith Calvert in St. Cuthbert’s, for Amy & Bill Wilson in St
Mary Magdalen’s and Hazel Robinson in St
Michael’s.
Confidential Parish Listening Service
Please be aware that we have a free
confidential listening service in the parish,
for anyone who would like to speak,
anonymously, to a trained Counsellor by
telephone. Just text 07759582979 any day,
and the Counsellor will get back to you as
soon as possible if you would like to talk to
her. You may have suffered a
bereavement, be experiencing family
problems or some other difficulty in your
life…. it’s always good to talk.
New Crucifix for Church:
This weekend we will finally have a crucifix
for St Mary Magdalen’s Church. It has
been brought from the Philippines. Thank
you to Catherine for sorting this out and
for arranging its construction and
transportation. We will bless the new
crucifix at the start of Mass.
Funerals:
(Please pray for the following)
David Cummings’ Requiem Mass will be
held in St Michael’s on Thursday 24th
October at 12 noon.
The funeral service of
Elizabeth Cooper will take place in St Mary
Magdalen’s at 12.30pm the same day.
Thank you for all your contributions to the
collection at all our Masses. Your
generosity keeps our churches going!
Night of The Choirs
Bethany Gospel voices would like to extend a warm welcome to the whole community for a free evening of amazing choir singing. This will take place in the Bethany Church just off Hetton Road in Houghton-le-Spring on 18th October. Please book your tickets via event brite using the coded link on the flyer which is also available in St. Michael’s porch.
Oppose Assisted Suicide:
Bishops are calling on Catholics in England
and Wales to unite in prayer and
compassionate action to oppose assisted
suicide. On Wednesday, 16 October, the
House of Commons will hear the first
reading of a new bill on assisted suicide
tabled by Kim Leadbeater MP. The
proposed legalisation undermines the
sanctity and dignity of human life. We are a
praying community. Please pray that our
lawmakers will act wisely and will value
human life. Please contact your local MP to
express your views. For Seaham that is:
grahame.morris.mp@parliament.uk. And for Houghton-le-Spring that is:
bridget.phillipson.mp@parliament.uk. The
charity Right to Life UK has a simple online
mechanism to do this with a provided
factual letter. It can be found on the
Bishops’ Conference website together with
materials explaining the Church’s grave
concerns about the proposed legislation
at https://www.cbcew.org.uk/opposing-assisted-suicide/
Feast of the Douai Martyrs:
Mass at Ushaw
The 30th October is the Feast of the Douai
Martyrs. Their feast day is kept as a
Solemnity at Ushaw, which was established
o continue the work of training priests
when the college at Douai closed. Everyone
is welcome to attend Mass on Wednesday,
30th October, the Feast of the Douai
Martyrs, at 7pm in St. Cuthbert’s Chapel.
Prisons Week
Prisons Week is a call to the entire Christian
Community to pray for change, where
change is needed, and for an end to the
human suffering endured by all those
affected by crime and imprisonment. It runs
from 13th - 19th October and is an initiative
led by the SVP Working with Prisons group.
As this years' Prisons Week begins, we pray
for all those connected with prisons and
probation in our Diocese. That prisoners are
treated with the same dignity and
compassion that every human being
deserves. That those released are able to be
supported by their families and
communities and are able to start anew in a
positive way. That prison staff and chaplains
find reward in such a challenging
environment. We pray in thanksgiving, too,
for all charities and volunteers who work
with those in prison or their families.
Ave Maria Coffee Club:
Every Monday in
St Mary Magdalen’s Hall from 12 -3pm. All
welcome.
Safeguarding Message:
The Diocese is currently carrying out a
volunteer census in our parish. This is to
ensure we identify all our volunteers and
offer support, appropriate training and
recognition for the important part they all
play in the life of our parish. A volunteer is
anyone who gives their time freely and
regularly to assist anywhere within the
Parish, School, or Diocese. During weekends
of 12th/13th and 19th/20th October, the
census will be explained in more detail after
the weekend Masses. If you volunteer
within the Parish/School/Diocese please
complete one of the forms which will be
available at the back of church or complete
your details via the QR code. Volunteering is
a grace from God…Volunteers are the
strength of the Church.
Thank you to all our volunteers!
Journey of Faith (RCIA):
Our first meeting for the journey of faith this year will be on Sunday 13th October at 4.00pm in St Mary Magdalen’s Parish Hall. This will be the introduction, and we can decide if Sunday afternoons or late Saturday mornings would be the best time for the course. This is a very gentle and prayerful journey together and is essential for anyone who wishes to be received into the Catholic faith. It is also a wonderful opportunity for anyone who would like to refresh their knowledge or learn more about our Catholic faith. Sister Michael will lead most sessions and journey with us. Please let Fr. Marc know if you are coming along. I encourage all parishioners to consider joining in this renewal of faith together. All are very welcome.
Saints days this week:
October 14: Saint Callistus I, Pope and Martyr—Optional Memorial
October 15: Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor—Memorial
October 16: Saint Hedwig, Religious—Optional Memorial
Also:
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin—Optional Memorial
October 17: Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr—Memorial
October 18: Saint Luke the Evangelist—Feast
October 19: Saints Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, Priests and Martyrs; and their Companions, Martyrs—USA: Memorial
