Thought for the Day

16 September 2011

Father Robert King, the Catholic Chaplain at the University of Bristol, is one of the regular contributors to BBC Radio Bristol’s Thought for the Day. When our contributors are on air we'll bring you the text of their thoughts.

Thought for the Day is part of BBC Radio Bristol’s breakfast programme with Steve Le Fevre.  The reflection is given at around twenty to nine every morning. If you missed it, you can listen again online. 

This is Father Robert's thought:

"Good morning, Steve. It’s a year to the day that Pope Benedict came to visit. It was a big event, not just for Catholics but for all people of good will and faith. The Pope celebrated all that is good within British society, while gently encouraging us to be ever bold in protecting the rights, enshrined in law, which make Britain great. As he met with so many people he showed that dialogue in a spirit of mutual respect reveals a common humanity that is in search of a justice for all. You might well ask what difference such gatherings make one year on? And that would be a very fair and valid question.

"From today Catholics in England and Wales are being encouraged by the bishops to return to the practice of Friday penance. For meat-eating Catholics this means abstaining from meat. I can imagine many listeners are wondering what is the point of this?

"One sadness of our society as highlighted by the recent UNICEF report is how everyday is now much the same another. Progress is good and essential to our society. However, we should be wary of a utilitarian mindset that stops families enjoying the weekend as a time together, especially Sundays, a day that is often reserved for family. For Christians Sunday is special as the day when we recall the resurrection of Christ. Just as Friday is a day when we think about the love shown by Christ, who died for our sins.

"Friday penance is simply a way of uniting ourselves with those less fortunate. The challenge is to give a little extra in charity. And as Pope Benedict reminded us all last year, we exist not for ourselves but in the community of our common humanity."