Does God exist? If so, what does that change in my life? Find out what the Church teaches about our longing for God and how we discover the purpose of our lives in His will for us.
‘The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for.’ Catechism of the Catholic Church [27]
It is said that the ‘greatest tragedy is when people do not want to become saints’ which might sit strangely with our modern world. It could be said that the world has become evermore formless with fluidity in people’s lifestyles, ambitions and choices for life. Everything can be bought and easily accessed and individual interests and attempts at self-determination can be answered by the click of a button.
There is much that can be said about the pandemic of 2020 and 2021 but one thing that it has occasioned is the inability that most have to do what was second-nature when times are normal. No one can travel, social life has been curtailed and there is much uncertainty in the job market which has probably compounded the sense of loneliness and confusion that will be with us for many years.
We believe that each of us is called into a relationship with God when we respond to His call. It is the same as in any relationship, there is an “I” and a “thou” which gives us our identity and sense of self-worth. We say however that that is a dim reflection of the relationship that is offered to us by God and what we hope that this Church of St Patrick’s is able to offer is that opportunity to cross its threshold and begin to know that we are being pulled into a personal relationship with God.
There are many questions that continue to besiege us such as “why I am here”, “what is the purpose of life”, “how do I give and receive love and what happens to me when I die”. A Christian community seeks to be able to answer those or at least point people in the right direction. We are blessed with a rich community of volunteers and a parish team who are ready to meet, engage and share faith in Christ. Please be in touch and indeed ask, the door is always open. However, be prepared for an adventure which means losing oneself so as to find oneself. Our world wants us to marry the spirit of the age but when we do we become a widow in the next generation. That is why our knowing and belonging to Christ is not about a holiday of convenience but an adventure into truth, freedom and of course the journey to Heaven.
Who is Jesus? What did He teach? Find out what the Church teaches us about Jesus of Nazareth and how He continues to transform lives today.
‘"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer. Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God."’ Catechism of the Catholic Church [2559]
Almost everyone knows that the Church is about Jesus Christ, founded by Him, inspired by His witness and called to offer the way to union with Him. It is a bold claim but one that many have lived and died for which is that Jesus is God and His Gospel teaches us how to live and love. We have many life decisions and critical moments in our lives and in an extraordinary and remarkable way, each of those moments can be embraced and informed by the Gospels of Christ namely his teaching, miracles, life and witness. He taught us above all that we are loved by God and that we find our dignity and beauty when we go on our knees, confess our sins and ask for His blessing which flies in the face of evil and darkness.
The proponents of darkness did not want Christ to be humble, to wash the feet of his disciples and to let the woman with a bad name anoint his feet with precious ointment for this did not suggest a world of pomp, power and authority. The one who is God chose the way of humility, simplicity and being a servant, to teach us how to live and he paid for it by the Cross. That Cross, we believe as Catholics, was vindicated on Easter Sunday by the Resurrection which means that our world is not the end but the beginning of the journey into Heaven.
We meet Jesus in prayer, in the poor, in the Church and at Holy Mass in the same way as his disciples met him 2000 years ago on the side of the Sea of Galilee. We hope that your journey into St Patrick’s, united in prayer, joined with the poor and meeting our community will help you in this encounter with Jesus. This Church building, beautiful, dignified and solemn has the only purpose of helping you in that meeting so that you may come into a life-giving and eternal relationship with Christ. The Church in all its richness, complexity and simplicity is about helping you have that meeting.
What is prayer? Does it work? Discover for yourself what the Church teaches about prayer and how living an active life of prayer changes everything.
‘"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer. Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God."’ Catechism of the Catholic Church [2559]
So many who say that they are not believers and are intimidated about crossing the threshold of the Church which is open throughout daylight hours. When we cross that threshold and open our hearts in prayer and listen to the voice of love and mercy, we become alive. It is important to care for the body but when we forget the soul we miss that which is essential.
Prayer helps us come to know that we are loved, known and cherished by God. Sometimes it is not easy and there can be moments of tiredness and boredom but God never stops looking at us in love and adoring His creation. It is a journey of mystery but in prayer, we begin to sense the love of the Father who embraced the Prodigal Son on his return to his Father’s house. There are many ways to pray and perhaps we can just start simply by saying that every time we pass the Church, we can give five minutes to coming in, lighting a candle and going on our knees. In the same way, we can make that prayer corner in our own house but here in the Church in the Tabernacle, we believe that truly we meet Christ. This is not something that is difficult, complicated and remote but it is radically close.
Each of us can pray but also each of us can ask others to pray for them. For nineteen years we have had the SOS Prayerline when someone is ready to answer the telephone between 7pm and 11pm to hear our prayers and to intercede. In those years 90,000 prayer requests have been kept, logged and placed next door to the Blessed Sacrament. We know that when we pray that we walk in the footsteps of Jesus for how often he spent the night in prayer, taught his disciples to pray and always wanted to be in the Father’s company. There are many different ways we can pray, from being quiet and contemplative, to the prayer of the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross, to most importantly the Prayer of the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration where love meets love.
The Holy Mass is the pivotal act of worship in the Catholic faith. In this most holy encounter with Christ, we gather together as a community to seek forgiveness, hear the Word of God, receive Jesus in the Eucharist, and are sent forth on mission.
The Catholic Mass and the belief in the Eucharist as the physical body of Jesus Christ can be traced back to Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, on the night before He was crucified.
‘Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.’’’ Matthew 26:26
This teaching is so difficult that in Jesus’ day, people struggled to believe it. In John’s Gospel, we read that many of His followers responded to the teaching by saying, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ (John 6:60).
Since then, Catholic Christianity has affirmed this teaching of Jesus, that He is truly present to us in the Eucharist and at every Holy Mass. This is an incredibly intimate way for Jesus to appear to us today, in a form which we can receive into ourselves every time we receive Holy Communion. Jesus loves us enough to be present to us in this way and through it, He continues to make His Church holy.
The Mass is an act of worship in which we are called to receive Christ so that He may transform us. The graces bestowed on us in receiving Jesus in the Eucharist bring us to a new life in Him, allowing us to reflect the love He has for us on to the people in our lives. The word ‘Mass’ comes from the Latin phrase, ‘Ite, missa est’ meaning ‘Go now, you are sent.’
Step back from the noise of the city and encounter God in the stillness and peace of contemplative prayer.
We open up our house to those in need, giving them a space to relax, eat great food, share good company and be restored.
If you are new and want to get to know our community, the best way is to join us for us for Holy Mass.