Alone With God
In our seminary years, one of the spiritual exercises we were constantly encouraged to do was a series of silent prayers and recollections. This was a discipline that all seminarians must master to build the habit of being still before the Lord, and we had the opportunity to do this at least once every week. In the initial stages, we had difficulty being still and being alone with God, but today, we appreciate how being still before God has helped and continues to shape our Christian and priestly life.
Mother Theresa tells us the importance and benefits of being alone with God, and she puts it this way, “We need silence to be alone with God, to speak to him, to listen to him, to ponder his words deep in our hearts. We must be alone with God in silence to be renewed and transformed. Silence gives us a new outlook on life. In it, we are filled with the energy of God himself that makes us do all things with joy.”
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ had to withdraw and spend time alone, praying or meditating. In Matthew 6:6, he said that when we pray, we must go into our rooms, shut the door, and pray in secret and that our Father who sees in secret will reward us. Jesus did the same: “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” (Luke 5:16)
Alone with God is spending time with God, having a chat, telling him your fears, joys, and challenges, thanking him, asking him what he expects from you, etc., without interruptions from the outside world. To know God and know him better, we must spend uninterrupted time with him, reading His Word, speaking, and listening.
Other News
Our gas & electric bill for December and January was over £2500. If you could make an additional one-off donation towards these costs we really need it. We have struggled to pay our bills this quarter, please do dig deep.
Please consider moving your donations to the Parish Giving Scheme. It automatically claims the Gift Aid for us adding an additional 25% to any money you give. You can set it up by calling 0333 002 1271 and quoting our parish reference 230 623 503. Other ways to donate can be found at www.stanselm.co.uk/giving
Please check if you have a Christmas Card on the table at the back of church, because the table will be moved after Mass.
If we cannot cover our bills we could be in very serious trouble.
The Torfaen Male Voice Choir will be with us for another concert on the 9th March. This is a great fundraiser for us – we raised over £500 the last two times they came. Save the date, tickets available soon. Tell everyone!
Please support the church generously through your giving at www.stanselm.co.uk/giving