July 2020

9 Buckden Roundabout July 2020 Church News Weekly Prayer Roster Each week during the year the Churches, in their prayers, remember the residents of particular streets in the village, those who work in the parish and village organisations. Those to be remembered this month are: 5th July Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, Guides, Brownies and Rainbows, Playgroup and Day Nursery, Buck- den out of Schools Scheme, Buckden Towers Youth Retreat Centre 12th July Mayfield, Springfield Close, The Osiers, Stirtloe 19th July Vineyard Way, Burberry Road, Swan End, Lark End, The Library and its librarians 26th July The churches of the village: St Hugh ’ s, St Mary ’ s, Buckden Methodist Church, also Perry Baptist Church, members of home groups from these and other local churches, ministers and all who make our churches welcoming and worshipful places Thought for the Month Dear friends in Christ, For Jesus, Faith is not opposed to not believing in God, it doesn ’ t mean you go to church, or that you are into religion or that you say “ Lord, Lord! ” (Mt. 7:21). Faith for Jesus is the opposite of anxiety. People have been anxious about the strange situation that we have been experiencing due to Covid19 pandemic. We need to believe in the Lord whatever the strange circumstance that we undergo. If you are anxious, if you are trying to control everything, if you are worried about many things, you don ’ t seem to have faith, according to Jesus. You do not trust that God is good and on your side. So, we need to trust in the Lord without being anxious about any- thing. We need to develop a friendly attitude towards our neighbours known or unknown. This attitude will help us transmit the faith and the God experience we have to our brothers and sisters who are anxious and seem to have lost hope at this weird time. If you give love in a friendly way, you will be able to influence people. We normally prefer to say yes to individuals we know and like. Jesus invites you to become better people by being friendly and loving towards the person or group. Jesus reveals everything to us when we become trustworthy and friendly. Jesus, in fact creates rapport and even goes beyond by offer- ing loving friendship as well. In this way, he conveys his love, his empathy, his compassion, his patience, his unconditional trust, even his empowerment by means of questions – even something more, that characterizes and summarizes the core of any friendship, and that is confidence, confidence as a rev- elation of his personal secrets. Jesus offers his friendship as another means to give himself. Through his confidence he reveals the secret of his heart. And this is the reason he gives to call his friends. “ I shall no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master ’ s business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learned from my father ” (Jn 15:15). Jesus really treats his disciples as true friends. He reveals his personal secrets to those who are ready to listen to him. By being friendly to such a degree, he can influence people. He becomes able to spur people towards personal change, and growth, and fulfilment. We need to adopt a friendly attitude at this strange time in order to welcome everyone as we are meeting people after facing a hard and strange situation. The friendly attitude is a powerful tool because it makes us similar to others. We become like them. And as you know, we like people like us. When we confide in a person, we reveal our interior experiences. And some characteristics are, in one way another, common to most of us. For example, sadness, joy, resentment, love, anxiety, peace, hope, motivation, etc., are universal. All of us experience these in one way or anoth- er. I am sure we all have experienced the one or the other at this time of Covid19 pandemic. Therefore, when somebody shares her or his experience with us, we feel that the other person is like us. And her or his self - disclosure makes us vulnerable to her or his influence. Stay well and safe trusting in the everlasting presence of the Lord at this strange time. God bless you! Rev. Antony Arockiam, CMF Parish Priest St. Hugh ’ s Catholic Church