This Sunday
10th /11th May 2025
4th Sunday of Easter Year C (Good Shepherd Sunday – World Day of Prayer for Vocations)
Retiring Collection – Clergy Training in the Archdiocese
The Saturday Vigil
6.00pm – St Thomas More KidlingtonSunday
9.30am – St Hugh of Lincoln, Woodstock
11am – St Thomas More, Kidlington – zoomedLive Interactive Holy Mass Sunday at 11am (come by 10.50 only 97 logins available so come early).
To join in click here, or or enter zoom id 450 188 0791 password if asked 769512
Parish YouTube channel click here – Our Sunday Mass at 11am is Live streamed on YouTube and you can join interactively on Zoom.
Readings & Prayers
Children’s Activity for this Week
A ‘Little Thought’ to ponder for this Sunday ~ Fr Prem
From Living Word – Today, we have the role model of Jesus as a shepherd who deeply loves and cares for his sheep. On Good Shepherd Sunday, we pray for vocations to the priesthood and to religious life. And each of us can reflect on our own vocation in life and how we are living it out.
- First Reading Acts 13:14. 43-52 Rejected and abused by Jews who had assembled to hear them in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas begin preaching to the pagans who “thanked the Lord for his message”.
- Second Reading Apocalypse 7:9. 14-17 People from every nation, race, tribe and language stand before the Lamb of God who is their shepherd and who promises to “wipe away all tears from their eyes”.
- Gospel John 10:27-30 Jesus reveals his divinity and promises eternal life “to the sheep that belong to me”.
- HOMILY “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
Thought by Fr Prem
There is increasingly tendency, even within the church leaders, to think that every work of life is a vocation. Sure, it is, I wish and we all could wish. But historically, and traditionally ‘Vocation’ was reserved for the ministry to the priesthood, religious and consecrated life. This shift in our time, age and our culture, especially in the West can be the cause for the lack of faith and the loss of vocations. What would be that is so unique and special in one hand and so common in the other? Why is the vocation to the priesthood, religious and consecrated life different to any other work of life, including marriage. This is a unique and a special teaching held by the Catholic church for centuries.
The Good Shepherd is the model that is presented to us in the readings for this Sunday – what is unique and special to these roles of shepherd and sheep. Where is this shepherd leading his sheep to, why?
‘Habemus Papam’ – We have a Pope! What a Sunday it is to be gifted with such a message, the Good Shepherd for the church, the successor of Peter. He is called to nothing less, nothing more.
A remark: The loss of Christian faith in the world, especially in the West, and the lack of young men and women entering priesthood, religious and consecrated life, is a sign that the church suffers possibly with priests, bishops, church leaders leading the church, with a lack of faith, but simply as a profession, running a business like institution or a service to the community, possibly a question to ask ourselves. It is important that people taking up responsibility within the church, to do so for the right reasons. Even in our parishes when people get involved in the church, in the services it is very very important that it is their faith, hopefully a tremendous one that calls them to be faithful in their service to the church and so even leading liturgical services. It must be for the right reason, not simply as a profession and a service to the community. When one gets involved not with faith and a faithfulness to the Lord, however much a noble idea it may be and seems a service to the community, the community suffers, the church suffers, Christ suffers. I worry about it!
Some Hymn for our own prayer and reflection for this Sunday
Here’s a link to a choice and selection of hymns click here
Some hymns from the Parish Hymn Book and YouTube links to learn the tune, for prayer and reflection
708 We are his children click here
494 Nothing shall separate us click here
709 We are his people click here (different YouTube clip)
656 The King of love my shepherd is click here
147 At the name of Jesus click here
661 The Lords my shepherd (Crimond) click here
661 The Lords my shepherd (Brother James’s Air) click here
The Lords my shepherd (Goodall – theme from The Vicar of Dibley) click here
The Lord’s My Shepherd – Stuart Townendclick here
Children’s Liturgy Activity and Work Description
See the introduction by Clare Haley regarding our children’s liturgy click here
Our Children’s activity on Sunday, shared!
Creative Activity by Parishioners shared with us
Our Sunday Parish Mass on interactive Zoom streaming
Sharing the joy of this Sunday with all. Let us be inspired and be an inspiration to the others!
Readers (Lectors) click here (and scroll right down) to
have a look at the Readings for Next Few Sundays – download below or
have a look online for your practice and preparation.
Please be aware that you will be reading from the missalette left in church, not this print or format. Let me know in time please if you need the format that is given above, or you may come with your own print. I will be more than happy to print it for you.
Last Sunday: 3rd /4th May 2025
3rd Sunday of Easter Year C
Retiring Collection – Support Parish Bebt recovery
Readings & Prayers for the Mass
Children’s Activity for this Week
A ‘Little Thought’ to ponder taken from the Living Word and some comments
Taken from the ‘Living Word’
First Reading Acts 5:27-32. 40-41
Peter witnesses to the name of Jesus and declares his obedience to God.
Second Reading Revelation 5:11-14
John’s vision is of all creation worshipping the Lamb of God on the throne.
Gospel John 21:1-19
Jesus appears to the disciples on the shore, there is a miraculous catch of fish and Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?”
A thought by Fr Prem: We read these texts for this week at the backdrop of the funeral of Pope Francis when he is laid to rest and the church is looking forward to the one who takes the succession of Peter. During this period the whole church is in a ‘conclave’ – whole church must be one with the college of cardinals, and it is the paramount duty of the cardinals to be in prayer with the whole church asking nothing but purely for God’s will and wish, the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If this be true, God will for sure work wonders. What is required from us is simply a faithfulness to the Lord, and God’s working, not our own or our agendas nor a bunch of influential peoples.
Sadly, the media hostages the needs, the will and wish of the people possible over and above the action and the will of God. So, the media hype begins ‘conservative or liberal’, ‘traditional or progressive’, ‘east or west, north or south’, ‘black or white’, ‘Asian, African, Latin American or European’, ‘ours or others’, ‘clericalism or laitism’, ‘introvert or an extrovert’, ‘elitist or a populist’, ‘monkish or outgoing’ …… goes on.
Sadly, the bookies open, and so the betting begins, in keeping with the culture and trend of our times. Hey place your bets!! A chance to make a buck.
I think simply the readings for this weekend, without any interpretation would speak ample for today, right here and now, would it not you think?
Some Hymn for our own prayer and reflection for last Sunday
Here’s a link to a choice and selection of hymns click here
Some hymns from the Parish Hymn Book and YouTube links to learn the tune, for prayer and reflection
380 – I will bless the lord at all times
229 – Crown him with many crowns click here
379 – I will be with you wherever you go click here
420 – Let all the world in every corner sing (Lukington) click here (Ralph Vaughan Williams) click here
146 – At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing (Tune: Salzburg – 4vv) click here
105 – Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord click here
350 – I am the light (Come, follow me) click here
497 – Now thank we all our God click here
Children’s Liturgy Activity and Work Description
See the introduction by Clare Haley regarding our children’s liturgy click here