A Parish of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton
SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH
Holy Mass
Weekdays Tuesday - Friday 09.30
Saturday Vigil Mass 18.00, Sunday 09.00 & 11.00
Reconciliation available Saturday 17.00-17.30
Please check our weekly newsletter for any changes to the schedule
This takes place each year from 18th to 25th January , providing an opportunity to focus our prayers on Christian unity and to join with our brothers and sisters in Christ. This year the Week of Payer takes Ephesians 4:1-13 as its central text; this includes the words “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4). Here in Cobham we are joining with the other Christian communities of the area in a United Service at 18.00 this Sunday (18th ), at the United Church in Oxshott Road.
The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Normal service is now resumed around The Presbytery and Parish . . . . . . With the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord last weekend Christmastide came to an end, the crib, wreath, tree, and decorations were removed and packed away until next year, and the Church entered into the first section of what is called Ordinary Time. During Ordinary Time green is the prevailing colour of the season up until Ash Wednesday which this year falls on 18th February - slightly earlier than last year. On Tuesday, having celebrated Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition, Fr D was off down to Crawley in the car ‘on a mission’ to prepare another judgement for next month. When he came back home in the late afternoon he was preparing for the launch meeting, with parents, of this year’s First Eucharist Programme. Having celebrated their First Reconciliation at the beginning of Advent our candidates and their parents are now embarking on preparations for the reception of the Eucharist (on June 14th this year). After Morning Prayer and Mass on Wednesday Fr D was dealing with some letters and then started work on this week’s newsletter before going off for lunch with Fr Ruslan (Walton-onThames). They do this once a month generally as a support to one another. When he got back in the afternoon Fr D was able to catch up on some reading that he has got behind on, before going upstairs for an early night. Thursday morning, after celebrating Morning Prayer and Mass, Fr D was back down to the diocesan offices at Crawley once more where he had a few queries to answer before continuing to finish one of his judgements for next month and doing the reading before beginning another. On the way home Fr D stopped off at one of the nursing homes in the Parish where he was able to anoint a parishioner. In the evening he finished ‘his parts’ of the newsletter so that Sarah could have them in the Parish Office on Friday morning to complete ‘her parts!’ Getting up a little earlier on Friday Fr D started the Notices and Universal Prayers for the weekend Masses before he had his breakfast. After celebrating Morning Prayer and Mass he went back to these to finish them and hand them over to Sarah to complete and print off along with the newsletter . . . . .
All four gospels give us an account of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. This story by the author of John’s gospel (who was not the same person as John the Baptist) is perhaps the most puzzling of the four. John speaks in somewhat odd and cryptic language, beginning with “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” As Catholics today, we recognise that phrase from the Mass when the priest holds up the consecrated host before Communion. However, readers and hearers of John’s Gospel would have understood it as a reference to their Jewish heritage. In Jesus’ day, Jews would take a lamb to the Temple in Jerusalem to be sacrificed as an atonement for their sins. When John stated that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he was making quite a claim - that Jesus was taking the place of a sacrificial lamb and that he was taking on the sins of the entire world! There are suggestions in several of the gospels that some people were beginning to think John the Baptist was the long-awaited Messiah. In this Gospel, John says everything he can to convince people that it isn’t him, but Jesus, who deserves that recognition. Clearly, he had a profound experience after baptising Jesus when the Spirit came “down like a dove from heaven,” leaving him without a doubt that Jesus was the Messiah, not him. Questions of the week If you have either children or godchildren who were baptised, what was that experience like for you? Jesus is given many different titles in the Gospels: Lamb of God, Lord, Saviour, Teacher, Christ, Messiah, etc. What title do you relate to the most? Why?
The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Hopefully everyone has enjoyed a wonderful Christmas amongst their friends, family, and loved ones. This year, due to the timing of Christmas Day, we have a Second Sunday of the Christmas season before we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany on Tuesday (Masses at the Sacred Heart 09.30 and 19.30). It may surprise some people to discover that we are still celebrating Christmas. Although some are still conscious of the tradition of taking down decorations on ‘Twelfth Night,’ for so many others Christmas more or less ends on Boxing Day, and in the shops Christmas decorations disappear rapidly after the 25th to make way for the sales posters. It can seem strange that the nativity scene is such a relatively small element of such displays, but in fact it illustrates an important point: ‘The Word became flesh and lived among us.’ The term translated in most bibles as ‘lived’ – or ‘dwelt’ in some older versions – has the literal meaning ‘pitched tent,’ or perhaps ‘encamped.’ ‘The Word became flesh and encamped among us!’ This reminds us of the tent which the Israelites carried with them in the wilderness, the tent in which the Lord dwelt; but there is a difference too. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, the tent was at the centre of the community. It was also quite a ‘dangerous’ place, which only the ritually pure could enter. However, in our Christmas story the place where the Word chooses to enter and live among us is almost inconsequential; an animal shelter in a small town. One where lowly shepherds are welcome to enter, indeed are the first to witness this event. Yet though it may seem inconsequential, without it no crib scene would have any significance. The Holy Family in the stable may appear to be a small element, but in fact it is the reason for all the rest of the scene. The image of the tent also suggests the image of a journey. We’ve already mentioned the echoes of the journey of the Israelites in the wilderness, but we might also think of the travels of the Holy Family from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then to Egypt, and then back again to Nazareth. Journeys marked by worry and danger. Saint Luke’s account of the journey to Bethlehem places the Holy Family in a land controlled by an oppressive occupying force. Saint Matthew’s account of the flight into Egypt reminds us perhaps of the plight of contemporary refugees fleeing persecution. The Word became flesh and encamped among us . . . . .
Welcome to the Parish of the Sacred Heart
The Parish of the Sacred Heart is an active Roman Catholic community within the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton for those living in the environs of Cobham, Stoke D’Abernon and Oxshott. Comprised of people from all walks of life, from different age groups and diverse cultures the Parish is an active community offering spiritual and pastoral support in the Catholic tradition. If you are thinking about coming to live in the area or are already in residence you are very welcome to join our community you can be assured of a welcome, being offered a wide range of spiritual and educational support. We also run a thriving Sunday school providing Religious Education for children from four to fourteen years of age and provides preparation for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation.
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Quote of the week
"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives
fully is
prepared to die at any time - Author unknown
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The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Normal service is now resumed around The Presbytery and Parish . . . . . . With the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord last weekend Christmastide came to an end, the crib, wreath, tree, and decorations were removed and packed away until next year, and the Church entered into the first section of what is called Ordinary Time. During Ordinary Time green is the prevailing colour of the season up until Ash Wednesday which this year falls on 18th February - slightly earlier than last year. On Tuesday, having celebrated Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition, Fr D was off down to Crawley in the car ‘on a mission’ to prepare another judgement for next month. When he came back home in the late afternoon he was preparing for the launch meeting, with parents, of this year’s First Eucharist Programme. Having celebrated their First Reconciliation at the beginning of Advent our candidates and their parents are now embarking on preparations for the reception of the Eucharist (on June 14th this year). After Morning Prayer and Mass on Wednesday Fr D was dealing with some letters and then started work on this week’s newsletter before going off for lunch with Fr Ruslan (Walton-onThames). They do this once a month generally as a support to one another. When he got back in the afternoon Fr D was able to catch up on some reading that he has got behind on, before going upstairs for an early night. Thursday morning, after celebrating Morning Prayer and Mass, Fr D was back down to the diocesan offices at Crawley once more where he had a few queries to answer before continuing to finish one of his judgements for next month and doing the reading before beginning another. On the way home Fr D stopped off at one of the nursing homes in the Parish where he was able to anoint a parishioner. In the evening he finished ‘his parts’ of the newsletter so that Sarah could have them in the Parish Office on Friday morning to complete ‘her parts!’ Getting up a little earlier on Friday Fr D started the Notices and Universal Prayers for the weekend Masses before he had his breakfast. After celebrating Morning Prayer and Mass he went back to these to finish them and hand them over to Sarah to complete and print off along with the newsletter . . . . .
24th January, 11.00-16.00 at St Michael’s Church, Worthing, BN13 3AL. Led by Bishop Richard and Catherine Christmas (diocesan Liturgy & Music Adviser) this day will include talks on the Scriptures, the Lectionary and its use in the Liturgy, the Liturgy of the Word, and preparing to minister as a reader. Register your free place: https://abdiocese.churchsuite.com/events/
Trying to understand the true significance of an event like Christmas can not be done in a single day. Much like the epic natural beauty of the Grand Canyon, or the Baroque majesty and splendour of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, we need multiple visits to take the whole thing in. So it is with the mystery of the Nativity. For Catholics, Christmas is not just over and done with on December 25th. It’s only just begun! At a time when many are taking down their decorations and throwing their Christmas Trees to the kerbside, Catholics should still be celebrating. Christmastide is the name given to the Christmas season in the liturgical calendar. This begins with the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve and ends on the Sunday celebrating the Baptism of the Lord (11th January). This usually results in a Christmas season of around twenty days or so. Of special note is that the Christmas season licks off with a gift - seven special days other than December 25th, designed to extend our focus on the mystery of Christ’s birth. During these days, we’re to take in all the joys and graces associated with such a momentous event. These days are called the ‘Octave of Christmas,’ and you can remember their timing because the Octave starts and ends with a solemnity - the Nativity of the Lord on December 25th, and Mary, Mother of God on January 1st . At one time there were actually fifteen feast days in the Church that included Octaves, but since 1969, only Christmas and Easter are extended by these special days of celebration. Ultimately, while all these details of the season can get a little confusing at times, the major conclusion to draw is this: our Christmas celebrations are often way too short, and end far too early! So do not miss out on the opportunity to stay in a holy, holiday spirit, by celebrating for the entire Christmas season this year
Epiphany means manifestation. so, as we honour this moment in time when the Christ Child was made manifest to the world, we should look into our own hearts. It is there, we discover Christ’s ongoing manifestation to us so that we can worship the One who has also chosen to be born within our hearts. We ought to diligently seek out this manifestation of God within us and respond to it in the same ways that the Magi responded. Firstly, the Magi determined when they saw a sign from the heavens that pointed to a new King, they stopped everything and departed in haste to find Him. When God speaks to you and manifests Himself to you in some way, nothing could be more important than to be attentive to His voice. The Magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. God was honoured and glorified by the giving of these gifts. God created gold to manifest His beauty and dignity. It was a gift that symbolised kingship. When we ponder the natural gift of gold given to the Christ Child, we are inspired to give Him our own gift of symbolic gold, prayerfully acknowledging Him as our own King to whom we pledge our complete submission. Made from the sap of trees frankincense and myrrh are also fruits of God’s creation. Used in worship to symbolise prayers rising to heaven, frankincense symbolises the Christ Child’s divinity. We offer frankincense to Christ when we acknowledge His divine nature, since He is God in the flesh. Often used in burial, myrrh honours the Christ Child Who came to give His life as a sacrifice for many. We offer myrrh to profess our belief in the saving power of Christ’s death on the Cross and our need for that gift of salvation.
Parish Priest Notices
Important items highlighted by Fr. Daryl. These will contain news elements & important requests
Many, many thanks for all the Christmas wishes, thoughts, and cards received over the past couple of weeks - they are very much appreciated. Every good gift comes from the Father of light. May he grant you all his grace and every blessing, and keep you safe throughout the coming year. May he grant you all unwavering faith, constant hope, and love that endures to the end. May he order your days and works in his peace, hear your every prayer, and lead you to everlasting life and joy. Fr Daryl
Would ALL our regular Servers, Readers, and Welcomers please make a point of looking at the Christmas Ministries Rota at the rear of the church. As well as the Masses over Christmas there are other readers needed for our Parish Carol Service and the traditional Readings and Carols before Midnight Mass. Hopefully the slots will all be filled in by the Parish Carol Service this weekend. Thank you.
This takes place each year from 18th to 25th January , providing an opportunity to focus our prayers on Christian unity and to join with our brothers and sisters in Christ. This year the Week of Payer takes Ephesians 4:1-13 as its central text; this includes the words “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4). Here in Cobham we are joining with the other Christian communities of the area in a United Service at 18.00 this Sunday (18th ), at the United Church in Oxshott Road.
All four gospels give us an account of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. This story by the author of John’s gospel (who was not the same person as John the Baptist) is perhaps the most puzzling of the four. John speaks in somewhat odd and cryptic language, beginning with “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” As Catholics today, we recognise that phrase from the Mass when the priest holds up the consecrated host before Communion. However, readers and hearers of John’s Gospel would have understood it as a reference to their Jewish heritage. In Jesus’ day, Jews would take a lamb to the Temple in Jerusalem to be sacrificed as an atonement for their sins. When John stated that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he was making quite a claim - that Jesus was taking the place of a sacrificial lamb and that he was taking on the sins of the entire world! There are suggestions in several of the gospels that some people were beginning to think John the Baptist was the long-awaited Messiah. In this Gospel, John says everything he can to convince people that it isn’t him, but Jesus, who deserves that recognition. Clearly, he had a profound experience after baptising Jesus when the Spirit came “down like a dove from heaven,” leaving him without a doubt that Jesus was the Messiah, not him. Questions of the week If you have either children or godchildren who were baptised, what was that experience like for you? Jesus is given many different titles in the Gospels: Lamb of God, Lord, Saviour, Teacher, Christ, Messiah, etc. What title do you relate to the most? Why?
It is a traditional practice for Catholics (especially families) to make a visit to the Christmas Crib over Christmastide (25th December - 11th January), to pray especially for those persons/families who do not have the great gift of spending Christmas as we do. The Catholic Children’s Society (C.C.S.) is helping local disadvantaged families facing severe hardship through the Arundel and Brighton Family Crisis Fund, providing quick, practical support to families in need. Recently the C.C.S. helped a young mother who had given up work to care for her five-year-old daughter who had been diagnosed with cancer. Here daughter often felt cold, so the mother would keep the heating on to help the child feel warm and comfortable. The family could just afford their rent and food but had no way to address their rising energy bills. C.C.S. provided a one-off grant to help the family through the winter. The mother said: ‘I felt so helpless and scared. All I wanted to do was look after my daughter, but I couldn’t stop worrying about how I would pay our bills. You have taken that worry away and now I can focus on caring for my child. Thank you.” There are many more vulnerable families in need of support and our Parish will be donating our Crib Offerings to support this important work. Every penny donated will be give out via the C.C.S.’s Arundel and Brighton Crisis Fund to support local families in need. You can donate using the box at the Crib; if you are a registered Gift Aid member please complete and use the special envelopes by the Crib to make your donation tax efficient.
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OUR DIAMOND JUBILEE - VIEW THE GALLERY
PRAY FOR OUR BISHOP RICHARD MOTH
As a Parish we encourage our community to pray for our shepherd, Bishop Richard as he leads our Diocese.
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The Order of Franciscan Friars Minor has announced that 2026 will be a Franciscan Jubilee Year, with a Plenary Indulgence linked to the Jubilee. Francis of Assisi was born in Italy in 1181 or 1182. After a carefree youth, he amended his ways and the Order of Friars Minor - commonly known as the Franciscans - began. A young woman, Clare of Assisi, wanted to share St Francis’ choice of life, with the Order of the Poor Clares originating from her. Francis received the stigmata on the mountain of La Verna in 1224. The following year he composed the famous Canticle of Brother Sun, a poetic prayer of praise to God the creator of everything; this prayer and his attitude of respect for creation inspired his proclamation in 1979 as the patron saint of ecologists. Francis died on 4th October 1226 in Assisi and was declared a saint in 1228. In a letter to the Franciscans, Pope Leo writes: “In this age, marked by so many seemingly interminable wars, by internal and social divisions that create mistrust and fear, [St Francis] continues to speak. Not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace.” “The Franciscan vision of peace is not limited to the relations between human beings, but also embraces the whole of creation. Francis, who calls the sun “brother” and the moon “sister,” who recognises in every creature a reflection of divine beauty, reminds us that peace must be extended to the entire family of Creation. This insight resonates with particular urgency in our time, when our common home is threatened and cries out under exploitation. Peace with God, peace among human beings and with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation.”
30th January, 18.30, Arundel Cathedral. People across our diocesan family are invited to join a special Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop Richard, followed by a reception in the Baron’s Hall, Arundel Castle, by kind permission of His Grace, the Duke of Norfolk. All are welcome
Bishop Richard - A talk on Mary leading us to Her Son
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Vocations
Are you feeling increasingly compelled to spend time with Jesus? Do you find that your time is spent seeking him and all things connected with him?
