Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth Registered Charity No. 246871

Corpus Christi Wokingham

South Berkshire Pastoral Area

Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth

Parish Priest: Canon Simon Thomson Telephone: 0118 978 0348

Office e-mail: wokingham@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk Website:- www.corpuschristi-wokingham.org

29th March 2020, Fifth Sunday of Lent —Year A

MASS INTENTIONS Saturday 28th March For the protection of all key workers Sunday 29th March Fifth Sunday of Lent (Mass will be live-streamed at 10am BST) Andrew Roberston RIP Tuesday 31st March Alex Robinson RIP Wednesday 1st April Molly Clark RIP Thursday 2nd April Clarice Sophia Adams RIP (FM) Friday 3rd April Brenda & Georgina O’Higgins RIP

Important Contacts

Other Priests of the Pastoral Area: Fr Marcus Brisley (Crowthorne and Sandhurst) 01252 876820 Fr. Danny Mc Avoy (Bracknell) 01344 425729 Fr Kevin Bidgood (Ascot) 01344 620591 Safeguarding Team: Claire & Jordana Tel: 0773 185 1296; email safeguarding.wok@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk SVP: David Thomas 07786 492948 ; davidrthomas@sky.com

Saturday 4th April Anna Zanelli RIP Sunday 5th April Palm of the Passion of the Lord (Mass will be live-streamed at 10am) Sarah, Dominic and baby (N.B. In the current very unusual circumstances it is not possible to indicate a specific time each day when Canon Simon will be offering Mass as it will vary depending upon his daily demands). The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick/Extreme Unction (Last Rites) will only be available “in extremis”- in danger of death. (See the article inside for more details)

Parish Office: Please note that Una, our Parish Administrator, will not be in the par-ish office for at least the duration of the Coronavirus lockdown. If you need to contact Canon Simon with a query or request please phone or email the office rather than calling at the presbytery door except in an emergency.

“As I started to compose this edition of the newsletter it suddenly struck me that so

much of its content in normal times - upcoming events and activities - would for the fore-

seeable future be completely missing. That is how much things have changed in such a

short period of time. And yet it is a cause of great joy for me that I can still list the inten-

tions for the daily Masses I am offering and in particular that we can share the celebra-

tion of Mass together on a Sunday - the day of the Lord’s Resurrection - through the

wonders of modern technology and the good offices of Techex.

Some of you will, I know, be concerned that you are not able to go to Confession at the

moment especially as Holy Week and Easter approach. Please see the box on page 3 in

which I explain how we can make an Act of Contrition and be assured of God’s for-

giveness of our sins at this extraordinary time.

I have been virtually self-isolating this week especially after I decided that Una should

stay at home in line with government guidance - even though in normal times her role as

Parish Administrator would be deemed absolutely “essential” to the day to day running

of the parish. Thank you to those of you who have been in touch to check on how I am.

Please don’t all phone me now! :-) A quick email is a good way to check on one another.

Well, I’ve got this far. Let’s hope I can now work out how to send this to you all. If you

know of a Catholic neighbour who isn't on the internet then perhaps you could print off a

copy and post it through their letter box to help break their isolation?

Keep safe. God bless and protect you all.” Canon Simon

In your prayers, please remember all who are sick, in hospital or housebound especially Joyce Unwin, Patricia Morton, Helen Power, Hugh Dwan, Mary Ann Froude, Daniel Sutton, Joseph Nemeth, Sarah White, and Sr Veronica.

The Financial support of our parish during lockdown To continue supporting the parish financially please consider setting up a standing order via internet banking. Our account details: Sort Code 30-93-04 ; A/c no. 00891666; A/c name: PRCDT Wokingham Corpus Christi - Thank you Thank you to those of you who already support the parish by standing order

This Sunday 29th March, the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Sunday after the Solemnity of the Annunciation, every Catholic in England will be invited to rededicate themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary so that England can shine once again as the Dowry of Mary. You may find the prayers of dedication here:- https://mailchi.mp/portsmouthdiocese/the-rededication-on-29th-march

Africa Fund - The annual Lent Appeal was intended to be made over the week-end of the Third Sunday of Lent. Due to the rapidly escalating effects of Covid 19, it was necessary to postpone the appeal, which will now be made later in the year. Some Parishioners and Donors may wish to receive a copy of the Update and donation form now, so that they can make donations within the current tax year ending on 5th April. If so please contact Jeremy at bestinuk@waitrose.com

The most unsettling parts of the Bible are the bits where Jesus doesn’t do exactly what

we expect. Today Jesus’ good friends Mary and Martha send him a message to come

quickly because their brother Lazarus is dying. We would expect Jesus to drop every-

thing and go quickly to their house. Instead, he hangs around for a couple of days and

does nothing. What can he be thinking of? In truth, the delay is an essential part of the

story. If Jesus had simply raised Lazarus from feeling unwell the story would have lacked

poignancy, and no one would have had their faith significantly deepened that day. That

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead has a dramatic and profound impact on all …. not

least Lazarus himself.

We might have expected Lazarus to have more to say on the matter. We might wish

that he had shared a couple of life after death experiences with us, but it seems that

Lazarus and his experiences are not really the point of the story. The main point of the

story is Jesus’ ability to transform the meaning of life and death for those who trust in

him. Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even

though they die will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” In

bringing Lazarus back to life, Jesus shows the crowds that death need hold no fear for

those who place their trust in him.

It is truly life changing to know that we are invited to place this much faith in God. It is

life changing to know that God can handle any situation in which we find ourselves, and

that he knows how to lead us through it. All we have to do is focus our faith on God

rather than our own imagined solutions. Expect surprises. Expect delays. Expect a God

who can guide us through life with all its challenges.

Easter Offering - A number of parishioners have kindly urged me to bring to people’s attention that the traditional gift to your parish priest of the collections at Easter Masses will not be possible this year. If you would like to make an offering then please do so directly into the parish bank account via internet banking - account details opposite. Please mark the reference “Easter Offering”. If you don’t have internet banking and would still like to give something then just hang on to it until better times. I won’t go bust in the meantime ;-)

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Lucy Collaco who died recently. Lucy used to be our parish bookkeeper. May she rest in peace.

Confession (Sacrament of Reconciliation) - In these extraordinary times it is not possi-ble (except in danger of imminent death) to go to Confession. Alternatively, after ex-amining our conscience we should make an act of contrition with sincere sorrow for our sins and a firm resolution not to sin again flowing from a love by which God is loved above all else. “Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994, Article 1452)

Small Acts of Kindness—Remember over the next few weeks of predicted sickness, to share little acts of kindness. One small thing that we can all do when we are out shopping is to add one or two items to the food banks. For those of us who cannot afford to stock our cupboards, foodbanks will become all the more important over the next weeks. NB: Please take any Food Bank donations direct to their office off Broad Street or to the various supermarket collection points.