Where is God?
Has He abandoned us?
This is a question that was familiar to the writer of the psalms and this week it has been at the forefront of several conversations with people as they have come to church following the news of the fatal stabbing in Blyth Road on Friday morning.
As the air ambulance flew low over the vicarage and landed in the Navnat Centre carpark behind us I knew that something was very badly wrong.
Violence has been simmering on the streets of Hayes for a few weeks. Last week we stopped a knife fight outside the church on Saturday evening and I asked you all to pray for peace and calm.
We plan to walk the streets and cover them in prayer over the two weeks of the Rosary Mission in July (4th-18th), we plan to hand people a rosary and give them an invite to come and find the peace that only Jesus can offer.
And it’s in this Peace that we discover the truth behind the question, ‘where is God?’
The truth is that His Peace is available to all, freely offered, but just like any gift it has to be freely received and accepted.
If that Peace is rejected – or worse – is not known about – then evil will dominate in that persons life.
It is our job as Christians in Hayes to ensure that EVERYONE knows about the Peace of Jesus Christ.
It is our job as Christians in Hayes to ensure that NOBDOY walks these streets alone, afraid and abandoned to evil because we have failed to let them know about Jesus.
So no, God has not abandoned us. His love is very real and very present – but just as with any gift it can be thrown aside and ignored. When that happens evil gets a foothold.
It’s time to stop that evil entering the world. To bring people to Jesus Christ and to His Peace and love.
Fr. Matthew
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Thank you very much to Fr. Yaro for covering the Mass last Thursday at very short notice.
The Rosary Mission in the parish will run from the 4th July to the 18th July (when the Bishop will join us). I would like to form a mission committee to plan our outreach for the summer. Our first meeting will be after Mass on the 13th June, please do let me know if you’d like to come.
Next week we celebrate Fathers Day with a special mass for those people in our lives who have offered examples of fatherly love and care.
Safeguarding training is being re-arranged and details will be available soon.
Help fund an organist – please consider setting up regular giving with the Parish Giving Scheme. Call 0333 002 1271 with your bank details to hand and quote our Parish Code – 230 623 503 or visit our website www.stanselm.co.uk/giving