This Sunday
28th April 2024
5th Sunday of Easter, Yr B
Second Collection: Supporting paying off parish debt
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’ for this Sunday ~ Fr Prem
Some Hymn choices for Sunday, for our own prayer and reflection
325 – He is Lord click here
142 – As the deer pants click here
697 – Unless a grain of wheat click here
681 – This is my body click here
200 – Christ he triumphant click here
197 – Christ is made the sure foundation click here
371 – I received the living God click here
201 – Christus vincit
Children’s Liturgy Activity and Work Description –
Our Children 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: 21st April 2024
4th Sunday of Easter, Yr B – Vocations Sunday
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Second Collection: Supporting Clergy Training Fund
thank you!
Readings & Prayers for the Mass
- 4th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 21st April 2024 (Vocations Sunday)
- General Mass Prayers for Sundays
Children’s Activity for this Week
A ‘little thought’ for this Sunday ~ Fr Prem
4th Sunday in Easter – Vocations Sunday, the prayer of the church today and in our time and age seems a watered-down version of the day of prayer for vocations to the priesthood, religious and consecrated life. So much so that even the vocations offices in the dioceses seems to stop short of calling it ‘vocations to the Priesthood, Religious and Consecrated life’. So no wonder a shortage of vocations especially in the west, when no longer consecrated life is valued, but confused with every vocation, oh well, even the word ‘consecrated’ taken out of the dictionary of the western church!!
The model presented to us for the Vocations Sunday is the Good Shepherd. Good shepherd Sunday call it, is not simply the model for the leadership and the governance of the church, but also the guarantee of God’s providence to his people in and through the church and so the shape and format of such providence.
The ‘cardinals red’ which the leaders of the church adorn is not for its brightness, pomp and pageant but to tell the world that they are ‘the first martyrs’ at the test of faith. They are the first to speak and defend the truth, stand up against insult and shame upon the dignity of life, and the protection of life and all life. They are to be in the front line, not at the commanding line, but the witnessing line.
The leaders of the church are the voice of the people, the poor the vulnerable the voiceless – ‘they know his voice and he knows them’. There is no room for betrayal, denial or fleeing away for the life of his own, letting his-own be hound down by the scavenging wolfs. The paramount duty of the local ordinary, the bishop, the apostolicity is the care for his own.
This laying down of ones life is done with authority not in cowardice, submission or letting another take over you. But done in style, with dignity and glory; ‘it is in my power to lay it down and take it up’. The fulfilment of the mandatum God has entrusted to him.
We pray that the church leadership be spared from celebrity statuses, carrier achievements, intellectual, social or spiritual innovators but good ‘Good Shepherds’
This Sunday is known as the ‘World day of prayer for vocations to the Priesthood and Religious life’; (all though it is very much dropped down simply to as a day of prayer for vocations – no wonder there are no priests and religious!) The special prayer in our parish is:
That young people who are searching for their future direction in life might find wise mentors and support along their way. May they not be dismissed in their call to serve the lord in the consecrated lives to the priesthood and religious. Lord in your mercy R/ Hear our prayer
May the church be blessed with vocations to the priesthood and religious life, with families, parishes and church communities positively encouraging the young. May the world, especially the west be open in encouraging and welcoming priests and religious from the rest of the world to serve and restore the ailing church in the west from vocations. Lord in your mercy R/ Hear our prayer
Some Hymn choices for last Sunday, for our own 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 Townend click here