Fr Tony writes.....

BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY
Churches across the country are keeping this Sunday as “Back to Church Sunday”. They are trying various initiatives to encourage those who have drifted away to come back. In Bognor there is an ecumenical celebration in the grounds of the Royal Norfolk Hotel starting at 3pm. There will be a joint act of worship at 4pm. Our own Church has a stall offering information for those who wish to know more.

WELCOMING OUR LADY TO YOUR HOME
Some people have been reluctant to welcome the statue of Our Lady because they understood that it would necessarily involve asking neighbours to join in the prayers. That is merely an option for those who wish. The main idea is simply to provide an occasion for family prayers around the statue of Our Lady in your own homes. If you would like to do so, please sign on the list which is available in each of our churches.

THE SIGN OF PEACE
Some people may be reluctant to exchange the sign of peace with a handshake, and prefer a simple bow. What is important is that we are at peace with one another before we approach Holy Communion. We need to respect other people's wishes in these matters.

I thought it might be useful if I were to remind you about the importance of receiving Holy Communion reverently. No one is irreverent deliberately, but it is very easy for any of us to become careless in these matters. The choice of receiving the host in the hand or on the tongue is for you to decide. If you are taking the host in your hand it is recommended that you form a “throne” by placing one hand above the other. To avoid the danger of dropping the host you need to keep your hand as flat as possible.
It is an excellent custom to genuflect or at least make a bow before coming to the priest or minister to receive the host. If you are not taking the chalice it would be good to make a bow when passing the minister who is giving the chalice. What is in the chalice is also the Blessed Sacrament. We should speak not of “the wine” but of “the Precious Blood” of Christ.
The proper response to “The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ” is “Amen”. This is an act of faith in the Real Presence.
If you have any cold symptoms it would be appropriate to receive only the host, and not to take the chalice. We need to use our common sense in these matters.

I recently received a very interesting suggestion from a parishioner, one that I would
like to share with you.
“I’ve always thought it a shame that there isn’t a neutral space within the parish in which to ask some questions about the Faith.... Having faith in modern society can be difficult at times, and the values of faith versus a secular society can be grossly different; so a neutral questioning space might be useful for teens and adults alike to address these issues.....
One of the issues I don’t think is dealt with very well at grass roots level is that of declarations by the Vatican on current affairs issues that are often posed by those inside and outside of the Church, for example, women priests, homosexuality, divorce, contraception and medical advances.
I would bet that the vast majority of lay people have a strong opinion upon each topic but have little idea of the Church’s position concerning them. A space in which to discuss, learn, question and form an independent opinion that has been informed by faith, I believe to be very important in both engaging our current congregation and encouraging those who have fallen away, in addressing the difficulties they have with the Church.”

I would welcome your thoughts on how we might respond to this suggestion.