The Transfiguration of Our Lord - 6th August 2023
Webmaster • August 4, 2023
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, one of the great feasts of the Lord which replaces the normal Sunday liturgy.
The Transfiguration is significant in Jesus’ life and ministry because it confirms His Divinity and demonstrates how He fulfils the Old Testament Scriptures. On this day, we see in the presence of Moses and Elijah how Jesus fulfils the Law and the Prophets. In the Old Testament, the Levitical law was given to God’s people as a temporary administration, demonstrating their need for a Saviour. Later, the prophets told of a coming Messiah, Who would mend the rift between God and man that had been caused by sin. Jesus was the only man able to satisfy the Law, the perfect, sinless sacrifice.
The Transfiguration also shows God the Father affirming Jesus as His Son, confirming His deity, and telling the disciples to listen to Him. Peter, James, and John now see a glimpse of Jesus’ true glory: God the Son, Who reigns eternal, and against Whom the gates of hell shall not prevail. God the Father shows Himself as He appeared to the Israelites of the Old Testament: in a cloud, because His glory is too great to be witnessed. That same glory is reflected on Jesus, Whose clothes become dazzling white. This event emphasises both the mystery and necessity of the Incarnation - in order for man to be made right with God, God had to become a man, because we in our finite and sinful state are unable to behold His full glory. In His Transfiguration Jesus strengthens the faith of His three friends and prepares them for the terrible struggle of which they were to be witnesses in Gethsemane, by giving them a foretaste of the glory and heavenly delights which we all can attain by accepting the suffering and challenges of life and picking up our cross and following the Lord Jesus.
This weekend, Fr. John Boles, Superior of the Columban Fathers in Britain, will celebrate all three weekend Masses and make an appeal on behalf of the Columban Missionaries. There will be a retiring collection for the Columban Missionaries at all Masses this weekend. You can also donate to the Columban Missionaries using a debit or credit card at the Electronic Donation Station at the back of St. Teilo’s or online at https://donate.mydona.com/st-teilo-our-lady-of-lourdes The Columban Missionaries were founded as the Irish (‘Maynooth’) Mission to China in 1918 and worked there until their expulsion in 1950, after which they went to serve in other countries in Asia and around the Pacific such as the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Pakistan, Myanmar, Chile and Peru. Fr. Boles has spent over 40 years as a Missionary in Latin America, principally in Peru.
Heddiw bydd y gymuned Gymraeg yn dathlu Offeren yn Gymraeg am 4.30pm. Today, we welcome the Welsh language community who will be celebrating Mass in Welsh at 4.30pm. Croeso!
Rest in Peace Please pray for Sandra Chisnall, Pamela Fox and Gina Cumberlidge who have all died recently. Sandra’s Funeral Mass will take place at St. Teilo’s at 1pm on Friday, October 3 rd followed by interment at Pantmawr Cemetery. Pam’s Funeral Mass will take place at St. Teilo’s at 1pm on Friday, October 10th followed by cremation at Thornhill. Mrs Cumberlidge‘s Funeral Mass will be on Saturday, October 25th at 10am at St. Teilo’s. Please also pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time: Father Terence Shaw, Eileen Tyre, Mary Evans, Lucienne Metenier, Vernon James, Terence Monks, Margaret Morris, Lily Burnett, Millie Ropke, Mary Cook, Lucia Cushieri, Vincent Darney, Eileen Watson, Kathleen Norman, Philip Donovan, Margaret Morris, Jean Donovan, Melvin Davidson, Mary Harry, Mary Burrows, Gertrude Richardson, James Hoffman, Eileen McAlevy, Florence Coles, Elizabeth Jones, Angela Paines and Waltraud. MacLeod.
The Parish Knit and Natter group will meet in St. Teilo’s Hall on Thursday 25th September at 10.30am. All are welcome to come along and join in the knitting or the nattering or both!
The next social event as part of this centenary year will be “A Pie, A Pint and A Song Night” on Friday, October 10th from 7.30pm to 10.30pm at Rhiwbina Recreation Club. Tickets, priced at £5.00 will be available after mass on September 21st and 28th and October 5th. Tickets will include a pie (steak, chicken & mushroom vegan and gluten-free options available). The event will comprise of 30 minute intervals of songs followed by 30 minutes of time to chat. While performers are live, we ask that those attending to respectfully listen or if appropriate to sing along. If anyone would like to sing a song or recite a poem and for enquiries regarding this event, please contact John Steele on 07491677528. Due to spaces available song/poem slots will be on a first come first served basis.
• Are you someone without a formal religion who wants to be baptised in the Catholic faith? • Are you a Christian from another faith tradition who would like to be received into the Catholic Church? • Are you an interested inquirer who wants to find out more about the Catholic Faith? • Are you an adult who has missed out on the Sacrament of Confirmation? If any of the above applies to you, you are most welcome to join the Parish Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) programme which will run in the Parish Hall at St. Teilo’s on Wednesday evenings at 6pm beginning on Wednesday, October 15th . Please come along and discover more – attendance does not commit you to completing the programme but is designed to allow you to reflect on God’s call for you. (The Parish Hall is accessed from the back of the Church building, between the Church and the Priest’s House.)
With Canon away, there will be no weekday Mass at St. Teilo’s and Our Lady of Lourdes. St. Teilo’s will be open each day for people to spend time in private prayer. Many thanks to the small group of volunteers who are facilitating the Church opening by agreeing to open and lock the Church each day. Weekday Mass is available in our neighbouring churches: Nazareth House (access to the chapel is through the door on Colum Road, lift assisted access is via the convent entrance) – Mass is celebrated at 10am at Nazareth House on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (No Mass on Tuesday) St. Joseph’s – Mass is celebrated at St. Joseph’s at 9.15am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 7pm on Wednesday. The Three Churches – Mass is celebrated in the 3 churches as follows: Monday at 9.30am at St. Brigid’s, Tuesday at 9.30am at Christ the King, Wednesday at 9.30am at St. Paul’s, Thursday at 9.30am at Christ the King, Friday at 9.30am at St. Paul’s, Saturday at 9.30am at St. Brigid’s. St. Mary of the Angels and Holy Family –Mass is at 9.30am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at St. Mary’s and at 9.30am on Thursday at Holy Family.
Today the Church celebrates Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) Sunday. This year, the Church has been celebrating a significant anniversary. It is 1,700 years since the Council of Nicaea. At Nicaea, the great gathering of Bishops from around the Church began the work to formulate the Creed we proclaim Sunday by Sunday. It is the content of this Creed that is our mission as faithful followers of Jesus, so that we may know and love God in this life, in order to be happy with Him forever in the next. The Creed begins with a profound proclamation, “I believe…” This is the theme for Evangelii Gaudium Sunday 2025. To help in its Great Commission to proclaim the Good News, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has a mission team which is based at their secretariat in Eccleston Square in London. This office supports the bishops in their work to promote the proclamation of the Gospel across England and Wales. The Mission team does this in several diverse areas, but all of which help to serve the kingdom of God. There will be a retiring collection at the end of all Masses this weekend to support the Department of Evangelisation and Discipleship to allow the Church to continue to spread the Good News proclaimed in the Church each time we say the Nicaean Creed. You can also donate using a debit or credit card at the Electronic Donation Station at the back of St. Teilo’s or online at https://donate.mydona.com/st-teilo-our-lady-of-lourdes
St. Teilo’s Friends of Divine Mercy Prayer Group meets on Saturday, September 27th at 2.30pm in the Parish Hall. Everyone is welcome to come along to pray for the parish and the intentions of the parishioners.
Liam Kelly, one of our parishioners, along with two others is undertaking an Ultra Run of 100 Kilometres (62 Miles) on October 11th to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Maureen Lewis a 90+ year old parishioner of St. Peter’s has been a lifetime supporter of the Association and has asked the three runners to support her on her final fundraising event for the Association. If you would like to sponsor Liam on the run please follow the link to the Just Giving Page - https://www.justgiving.com/page/maureenlewis - or donate in cash by signing the sponsor form at the back of the church.