What more can I do to develop
my parish?
Can its liturgy be improved?
How can it speak out in the world?
What is its option for the poor?
Maranatha
I have come
that they may have life
and have it to the full
John 10:10
Living life to the full - that's a modern philosophy and aim. But Our Lord's promise - reported by John - dealt with the spiritual life. It's that kind of life which God's people here in Hexham and Newcastle are responsible for building up.
We have to start with ourselves and work with the community, co-operating with other Christians and people of good will. The diocese thrives only if its parishes flourish and become real communities of love.
How do parishes do that? First through the priests: they're the leaders - teaching the faith, focusing unity and linking with the Bishop and the universal Church. Priests require study and prayer to help them teach, support and empower God's people.
But what if priests aren't available? The people will survive. They form the parishes and they're empowered by Baptism to ensure God's work flourishes - even if that has to be without a resident priest.
A good parish has three responsibilities:
- Worship with faith;
- Proclaim the Gospel with action; and
- Serve everyone with love.
In other words: God is worshipped - truth is spoken - needs are met.
NEXT STEP..
Is our parish flourishing?
What can I do to help develop it?
They recognized
him
in the breaking of the bread
(Luke 24:35)
Parishes unite at Mass, Eucharistic Services and other imaginative liturgies. Celebrated with unhurried dignity and involving everybody, the Eucharist inspires a sense of the sacred. Our worship should always be accessible to everyone, whether old, young or housebound.
Suitable courses, widely available in the diocese, will help understanding and faith to grow. Personal prayer and meditation, often helped by small groups, are firm foundations for liturgy.
This is the basis for public worship...come alive!
NEXT STEP
Is our parish liturgy alive?
What do we need to improve it?
Go out
to the whole world;
proclaim the good news to all creation
Mark 16:15)
Telling news is easy. Telling it well and thoroughly and with authority takes practice. Telling the Good News is another story. For this, the Parish has a big audience to reach: it's going to need to be a beacon and a powerful witness to influence people on the margins, anyone searching for a purpose in life and Catholics who no longer practice their faith.
A flourishing parish shares its faith with frankness and tackles ethical questions that underlie so many social problems. But this requires a grounding - through parish discussion groups, journey in faith sessions, reflection on the scriptures, adult Christian education courses, a degree course in theology - the sky's the limit.
But it isn't just a job for someone else. As God's people in Hexham and Newcastle, it's our responsibility for building up Christ's Church. It starts with me.
It can all begin at home and be developed in parish and school - which can touch parents, enriching their own faith through learning to share the Good News with their children. In turn, that can lead to opportunities for Baptism and Confirmation for adults as well as young people. The role of each one as Good News reporter is vital.
NEXT STEP...
How do we make our example
and voice more powerful?
Give and there
will be gifts for you;
the amount you measure out is the amount you will receive
(Luke 6:38)
OK, good parish - reach for the skies! Hexham and Newcastle, we need to make a serious effort to reach out to every need imaginable. If we can make every person feel special, we'll be traveling!
And parishes with few resources, you can rely on getting help from those who are better off.
Examine the needs! Family life is under pressure, single people face hard choices, the elderly feel threatened, the addicted need help, young people are trapped by peer pressure and the poor often have no voice.
We all have something to offer: young people respond generously to calls for practical help; women - central to the Church story - make an invaluable contribution to its work.
Catholics have always worked to help the needy. Our social teaching gives the foundation for Justice and Peace in the world. We team up with other Christians, all people of good will, and the State, to make these a reality.
Can we fix it? - Yes we can!
How? Not through Bob the builder. but through faith, hope and co-operation in building God's Kingdom.
NEXT STEP
What are my special gifts?
How can I meet people's needs?
The Church and Catholic attitudes have changed a lot since Vatican ll. Some think of this as desert time, like the years God's people spent on the way to the Promised Land and the days of Jesus in the wilderness. But from those times came growth. The same is true today. The key is total confidence in God and trust in each other. When priests and people work together and share the best practice, the Church will grow. We rejoice in the great gifts we have received from God; we must not keep them to ourselves. We are called to be the light of the world, to build God's Kingdom wherever we live, work or worship. Whatever the difficulties God gives us ample strength. We must not fail him!
'A Diocesan Vision' (Concise Version) - Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle