9th Sunday of Ordinary Time

5 March 2011

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

On Wednesday, with the Blessing and Giving of Ashes, we enter the season of Lent.  These forty days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving prepare us for the celebration of Easter – the central Feast of our Christian Faith.

Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence, a day when the whole Church penitentially turns again ‘to the Lord our God, who is all tenderness and compassion’.  It is a day not for gloomy faces but a time when we ask for a renewal of heart; a deepening of faith and hope; an increase in love for God and our neighbour. 

During the past few weeks I have been at a number of area meetings looking at what it means for our diocese to be parishes in communion for mission.  I have also been at gatherings to reflect upon the importance of our Eucharistic Liturgy as we prepare for the new translation of the Roman Missal.  On the whole there has been a positive reaction from these gatherings though concerns have also been expressed.  People are willing to take up the challenge for change and to see the opportunities rather than the difficulties that ensue.

Change is not about a business plan or a new set of structures.  For Christians, change is about conversion.  Change is about a deepening of our understanding of what it means to be a disciple.  As Jesus said: “It is not those who say to me ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven”.

During Lent we take an honest look at what it means to be a disciple of Christ and each one of us asks whether we are being faithful to our calling.  As we journey towards Easter we know that we are being invited by the Lord to enter more fully into the life of God and the life of each other.  At the same time we recognise that on our part, there can be a dullness of heart and a turning away from God and neighbour.

Lent is a time for reconciliation.  As St Paul says: “Be reconciled to God”. But if we are to be reconciled to God, we must also be reconciled to one another.  In our honest look at ourselves, we need to acknowledge with whom we need to be reconciled.  It may be a family member, a past friend, a work colleague or groups of people and even nations who we label in a negative way.

The path of reconciliation is characterised by self denial, prayer and an opening of wider horizons through charitable giving, especially to those in greatest need.  They may be close at hand or in another country, another continent.  Wherever they may be, they are our brothers and sisters.

During the forty days of Lent, I ask you to make it a time of renewal, reconciliation and a deepening of your discipleship.  Then at Easter we will truly celebrate new life – the life of God’s spirit renewing the face of the earth and bringing new depths of life to the community of the Church.

With my best wishes and prayers

Bishop of Clifton

To be read and/or made available in all churches and chapels in the Clifton Diocese on the Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 5 and 6 March 2011.

You can listen to Bishop Declan read you his pastoral letter in the multimedia panel on the right.

You can watch Bishop Declan read you his pastoral letter in the cliftondiocese.com cliplayer below.  The video below is for online viewing and is compressed in Flash format.  You can download the video in MP4 format in the multimedia panel on the right.