Sunday January 20th. 2008
Fr Peter Wilkinson
Fr Peter is arriving in Roy Bridge on Tuesday, and will be here for a fortnight. He has very kindly offered to let me away for a few days next week after the Burns Supper, and will look after the parish in my absence. I will be grateful to make use of his very kind offer to spend a few days with my niece and her husband on their farm outside Perth on the Inverness road.
Catholic Education week
Next weekend is the beginning of Catholic Education week, during which the Church asks for the prayers and support of its people to maintain its Catholic schools. In times when religion is being openly attacked in our country, it is more essential than ever that we provide a solid Christina education for our children. There will a special collection for this purpose next weekend.
Week of Prayer for unity
This Sunday begins the week of prayer for Christian unity, when the churches come together to strive to fulfil our Lord’s prayer at the Last Supper when he prayed: “Father. may they all be one as you and I are one.” Friday is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus, and this is why this week is traditionally chosen as a symbolic time for every Christian to pray for that unity for which Christ was so anxious to maintain in his Church. St. Paul was later to preach—one faith. one Lord, one baptism.
Congratulations….
Our sincere congratulations to Peter and Karen Kennedy, Blarmafoldach, on the birth of their son, Craig Alexander, last Sunday in Raigmore, January 13, weighing in at 7lbs.
I had the joy of marrying Peter and Karen in Glenfinnan a year last November, so
they are blessed early on in their marriage with the gift of a lovely son. It is
nice that his name includes that of his late grandfather’s, -
Karen is a veterinary secretary with Chris Evans, so she would have been in touch
with the Lochaber stork beforehand to assure delivery on time!
May
God bless Craig Alexander and his parents.
At the foot of the cross, the rough Roman soldiers cast dice for Our Lord’s robe. Tough and crude as they were, they recognised that the robe had been skilfully woven in one piece, and they did not want to divide it for it would be a prized possession to have. Yet, down the centuries, Christians have torn apart that seamless robe of Christ. which is a symbol of his Church.
The Eucharist is the very beating heart of Christ’s Church, his real presence, which he assured his apostles would be with us until the end of time. He promised Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven: “whatever you bind on earth will be considered bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be considered loosed in heaven.”
These are the two main stumbling blocks of unity for many of the Churches. But there are so many things that unite us. It was said of the early Christians at Ephesus: See how they love one another. Although we may differ as regards some of the essential doctrines, let it be seen by all that there is no prejudice among us, and that we can be recognised by our Christian love for one another irrespective of our differences.
There will an ecumenical service in the Church of Scotland, Fort Augustus, this Sunday at 7 p.m. The Rev Dr. Adrian Varwell invites everyone to the
service, and there will be refreshments in the hall afterwards.