Leicester Catholic Chaplaincy

Come along to our Freshers 2017 Welcome Event! Check out the Leicester Catholic Students page for more news and events on offer this term...

Calling all freshers and returning students in Leicester... We have a new Facebook page! Check out the Leicester Catholic Students page for news and updates about what's on this term. Make sure you *like* the new page to stay informed!

Greetings all, I'm looking into setting up a Lourdes group to go probably in May with HNDL. If interested, please send me a message. HNDL are very different to diocesan pilgrimages so I've attached some info. Cheers, David W

http://www.cmfblog.org.uk/…/over-1000-d octors-reject-bma-a…/ tomorrow morning the BMA will be discussing whether to decriminalise and allow late abortions. Please sign the petition and keep it in your prayers that the motion is rejected

We pray this Pentecost for those who have lost their lives on London Bridge and Borough Market may they rest in the peace of Christ. We pray for the families who have lost their loved ones. In such a violent way. Our hearts are going out to those people injured and traumatised by what they have witnessed may God in his kindness heal their sorrow and pain.
We thank God for the Police, Emergency Services, the Hospitals of London and all those who offered shelter and assistance... to those Effected.
We celebrate Pentecost today which is about strengthening Gods people to send them out to do good! We pray for each one of us that on this Pentecost we have a renewed fire 🔥 to spread the Good news, peace and hope to all people.
Amen
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Val Collier (Salesians)
Today is the feast of the Ascension. It is a day of joy and hope. Jesus has won a victory over sin and death and goes back to the Father. The importance of the Ascension is the truth it points to – which is that our destiny and dignity is to be raised body and soul at the Last Judgement, to share in the glory of the Risen Christ. For just as Christ rose, so will we; just as Christ ascended so will we.
The Gospel today also reminds us of the mission of... the Church; to “go and make disciples of all nations”. As a Church we are called to engage with the world and all the problems we see around it; to recognise all that is good in the world and be hopeful about the ways we can help bring about change in the world. This is a tough and challenging mission. However, the final words of Jesus in today‘s Gospel are most reassuring. “Know that I am with you always; yes to the end of time”. The constancy of God’s loving presence with us is most encouraging and reassuring, especially at those times when we meet with opposition and seem to fail.
Today is also World Communications Day. Communication is a vital part of our lives as human beings. Through our words, our behaviour, our actions, we convey a host of messages around how we relate or want to relate to one another in our world. Our messages can be messages of love or hatred, generosity or selfishness, a care for one another and for the earth, and either hope or despair. Relationships are built and sustained through communication with our families, communities, societies, indeed with the human family throughout the world. We connect with our God through prayerful communication.
The Christian Story, the story of God’s saving love for us as revealed in the life, death, resurrection and Ascension of Jesus is a powerful Good News story. This is the story, which as followers of Christ we are charged with communicating. As Church, our task is to go out and tell that story in a world that is fractured and broken; and, guided by the Holy Spirit to carry on the healing and transforming work of Jesus. We need to do this with great respect and integrity and in an inclusive way. For as Pope Francis reminds us… Christ has come to save all nations and peoples. And so we take care to respect the religious beliefs of others. Of course it is important that we try to live to the best of our ability the Christian message we are proclaiming. The witness of a life well lived, carries more weight than what we say. We can draw encouragement from what Blessed Mother Teresa said; “I don’t pray for success; I pray that I may be a faithful witness”. May God Bless You All. Amen.
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Please keep all those affected in Manchester's bombing in your prayers. At least 22 killed and 59 injured, many of them children. Absolutely heartbreaking news. I had a number of friends working in the Manchester hospitals last night and please keep them and the emergency services in your thoughts too.

Highly recommended if anyone fancies a trip to Liverpool in November

“A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
Jesus offers a clear contrast among shepherds. This would apply to priests, parents and all of us in our own unique way. The contrast He offers is between the ones who care deeply for those entrusted to their care, and those who are just going through the motions and are more motivated by selfishness than sacrificial love.
Jesus perfectly man...ifested sacrificial love as the Divine Shepherd. He was willing to go all the way for us, His sheep. He was willing to sacrifice everything. He did not let suffering, persecution, rejection and the like deter Him from His responsibility of caring for us in a total and complete way. It should inspire us, console us and encourage us to know how deep His love for us really is.
This love is seen, also, in the unwavering love of a parent, sibling, or dear friend. When the love one offers us is unwavering, especially in difficult times, this is a great support. And love offered to another like this forges a deep spiritual bond that is stronger than any hardship we may face. No matter what “wolf” comes our way, we must know of the unwavering support of the Divine Shepherd. And when we can see that love made manifest in the unwavering support of others, we are doubly blessed.
But the contrast should not be ignored either. Jesus gives the example of “a hired man who is not a shepherd” who sees the wolf coming and runs. It’s important to point out how damaging this man is to the people of God. When he runs from his responsibility and gives into selfish motivation, he leaves the flock untended and vulnerable to attack.
We should see in this hired man the temptation we all inevitably face in life. It’s hard to stick with it through the hard times. It’s hard to be there for those who need us when they need us. It’s hard to be faithful in all things and to never shy away in the face of the temptation of fear.
Jesus offers His unwavering love and support to us as our Shepherd, but He also wants us to return this gift to Him by offering this same unwavering commitment to one another.
Reflect, today, how well you imitate the Good Shepherd. Where you are lacking, let Him shepherd you so that you may shepherd others. Run to the Good Shepherd and trust in His perfect love for you.
Lord, I thank You for Your unwavering support of me as my Shepherd. And I thank You for those who act as Your instruments of this deep love and commitment. Help me to fulfill my role of shepherding Your people, the people You have placed in my life. May I never run from the glorious responsibility You have called me to. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Ever wondered why we light candles in Lourdes? http://en.lourdes-france.org/…/why-ligh t-a-candle-in-lourdes

Fancy joining thousands of Christians from across the UK in a big celebration of faith? The Big Church Day Out 2-3 June at Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire. This has been highly recommended and features a top line up including Matt Maher, Tim Vine, Tim Hughes and Bethel Music. Fr Frankie Mulgrew will say mass. There'll be fun and activities for all the family. https://bigchurchdayout.com/north

By Laura Kazlas
In the gospel reading today, two of Jesus’s disciples were traveling to Emmaus. It is good to take note that there were no solitary Christians in either reading for mass today, and there is a very good reason for that. Our faith is meant to be shared with one another, in our every day lives, with our family and friends, and at work, but also in the life of the church. We are called to participate in the life of the church.
There are many people who voluntee...
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu .be&v=SnoSijQAOec March for Life 2017: be great to see you there :)

By Archbishop Malcolm of Liverpool
How does the resurrection of Jesus make a difference for us? You might think that the answer is obvious but that is not what everyone thinks. Some will say, “So what? Even if Jesus was raised from the dead, and there are witnesses to that fact, then what has that got to do with you and me.’
One way to look for an answer to this question is to consider again the story of the conversion of Cornelius and his family. In the first reading toda...
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Today, there is a great silence. The Saviour has died. He rests in the tomb. Many hearts were filled with uncontrollable grief and confusion. Was he really gone? Had all their hopes been shattered? These and many other thoughts of despair filled the minds and hearts of so many who loved and followed Jesus.
It is on this day that we honour the fact that Jesus was still preaching. He descended to the land of the dead, to all the holy souls who had gone before him, so as ...to bring them his gift of salvation. He brought his gift of mercy and redemption to Moses, Abraham, the prophets and so many others. This was a day of great joy for them. But a day of great sorrow and confusion for those who watched their Messiah die on the Cross.
It’s helpful to ponder this apparent contradiction. Jesus was accomplishing his act of redemption, the greatest act of love ever known, and so many were in complete confusion and despair. It shows that God’s ways are so far above our own ways. What appeared to be a great loss actually turned into the most glorious triumph ever known.
So it is with our lives. Holy Saturday should be a reminder to us that even those things which seem to be the worst of tragedies are not always what they seem. God the Son was obviously doing great things as he laid in the tomb. He was accomplishing his mission of redemption. He was changing lives and pouring forth grace and mercy.
The message of Holy Saturday is clear. It’s a message of hope. Not hope in a worldly sense, rather, it’s the message of divine hope. Hope and trust in God’s perfect plan. Hope in the fact that God always has a greater purpose. Hope in the fact that God uses suffering and, in this case, death as a powerful instrument of salvation.
Spend time in silence today. Try to enter into the reality of Holy Saturday. Let divine hope grow within you knowing that Easter is soon to come.
Lord, I thank you for the gift of your suffering and death. Thank you for this day of silence as we await your Resurrection. May I also await your triumph in my life. When I struggle with despair, dear Lord, help me to be reminded of this day. The day when all appeared as loss. Help me to see my struggles through the lens of Holy Saturday, remembering that you are faithful in all things and that the Resurrection is always assured to those who put their trust in you. Jesus, I do trust in you.
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DKlD2TfmA6Q reflective video on Good Friday - worth a watch