First Words

Every work needs some form of introduction. I've been a Deacon in the Parish of St Bartholomew, Norbury (London, England) for nearly 9 years. As I start this blog the parish is having a retreat with the principal theme of the Sacraments looked on as manifestations of God's call to the individual Christian to form their lives around their Christian vocation.

I was really looking forward to taking part in the retreat as I've just completed a 4 week module on Sacraments and thus felt both equipped and motivated to take part -but this was not to be! Three weeks ago I slipped on ice in the back garden and broke both bones in my lower left leg! The fractures plus subsequent operation led to some complications and I'm just home from 3 weeks in hospital. I'm stuck at home, but I have a computer and an Internet connection so I thought a remote contribution might be an idea.

I believe passionately that we should all be "grown up Catholics". The church has a long history of expecting compliance and obedience from the Catholic faithful -but has not felt the need for Catholics to truly understand and own their beliefs. Even 50 years after Blessed Pope John XXIII announced the council which would return to the laity their right to fully participate in the life of the church, there is still so much to do.

In any modern congregation their will be lay people who are doctors, nurses, teachers, accountants, and members of myriad professions. Today we expect over 50% of our young people to go into third level education. We cannot expect people to be wise in the matters of the world and be happy to leave them ignorant of the matters of God. Sadly though, this situation is commonplace in the church of the third millennium.

I believe God has given me a gift of understanding, I can "get" quite complex ideas with relative ease, but I also have a gift in communication I find it easy to relate theoretical matter to life and the lived experience. With God's grace I hope in this blog to throw some personal light on the matters which form our mutual faith in Christ, lived out as members of his spiritual body on earth, the church.