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The Brighton Oratory is an Orthodox Catholic faith community of ordinary people diverse in age, background, experience and talents who are committed to deepening their spirituality in, through and with the love of God expressed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ modelled on the experience of the Apostles and the Early Church described in Acts 2:42-47. As a community we seek to welcome everyone, especially the poor and disenfranchised, whether in spirit or in love. We are simply a faith community seeking to encourage, support and develop individually and together our spirituality and understanding of the Divine, that we may experience both in this life and the next, the Kingdom of God in us.
The first Sunday after Easter is known as “Low Sunday”. The origin of the name is uncertain, but it is apparently intended to indicate the contrast between it and the great Easter festival immediately preceding, and also, perhaps, to signify that, being the Octave Day of Easter, it was considered part of that feast, though in a lower degree. Its liturgical name is Dominica in albis depositis, derived from the fact that on it the neophytes, who had been baptized on Easter Eve, then for the first time laid aside their white baptismal robes. St. Augustine mentions this custom in a sermon for the day, and it is also alluded to in the Eastertide Vesper hymn, “Ad regias Agni dapes” (or, in its older form, “Ad cœnam Agni providi”), written by an ancient imitator of St. Ambrose. Low Sunday is also called by some liturgical writers Pascha clausum, signifying the close of the Easter Octave, and “Quasimodo Sunday”, from the Introit at Mass — “Quasi modo geniti infantes, rationabile, sine dolo lac concupiscite”, — which words are used by the Church with special reference to the newly baptized neophytes, as well as in general allusion to man’s renovation through the Resurrection. The latter name is still common in parts of France and Germany.
As in his gospel, so in his epistles, and especially in today’s epistle, St. John proves the divinity of Christ which had been denied by some heretics. He says that Christ had come to purify all men from sin by water and blood, that is, by His blood shed on the cross for our reconciliation, and by the water of baptism to which he has given the power, the divine effect of His blood, and has thus proved Himself the divine Redeemer. This His divine dignity is attested by the Holy Ghost who lived in Christ and worked through Him with His fullness, and when sent by Him after our Lord’s Ascension, produced most wonderful effect in the apostles and the faithful. The Apostle St John here tells us the merit and power of faith: it is, says he, a victory, which conquers the world, both the world outside, and the world within us. It is not difficult to understand why this passage from St John’s Epistles should have been selected for to-day’s Liturgy: it is on account of its being so much in keeping with the Gospel appointed for this Sunday, in which our Lord passes such eulogy upon faith.
Our Lord, who had chosen Thomas as one of the pillars of his Church, has been obliged to treat him with an exceptional familiarity: Thomas avails himself of Jesus’ permission, puts his finger into the sacred wound, and immediately he sees the sinfulness of his past incredulity. He would make atonement, by a solemn act of faith, for the sin he has committed in priding himself on being wise and discreet: he cries out, and with all the fervour of faith: My Lord and my God! Observe, he not only says that Jesus is his Lord, his Master, the same who chose him as one of his disciples: this would not have been faith, for there is no faith where we can see and touch. Had Thomas believed what his brother-Apostles had told him, he would have had faith in the Resurrection; but now he sees, he has experimental knowledge of the great fact; and yet, as our Lord says of him, he has faith. In what? In this, that his Master is God. He sees but the humanity of Jesus, and he at once confesses him to be God. From what is visible, his soul, now generous and repentant, rises to the invisible: `Thou art my God!’
MASS TIMES THIS WEEK
| DATE | DAY | TIME | OFFICE | INTENTION | NOTES |
| 23 APR | SUN | 0830 | Mass: DOMINICA in Albis in Octava Paschae | Pro Populo | Of obligation |
| 24 APR | MON | 1000 | Mass & Homily: St George, Patron of England | Pro Populo | Major Rogation Of pious devotion |
| 25 APR | TUES | 1000 | Mass & Homily: St Mark, Evangelist | Simon & Sarah Nikki Andrews RIP |
Of pious devotion |
| 26 APR | WED | 0830 | Mass & Homily: SS Cletus & Marcellinus, Popes & Martyrs | Tina Hughes Matt Timmins |
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| 27 APR | THUR | 1000 | Mass & Homily: Requiem | The Departed of April | |
| 28 APR | FRI | 1000 | Mass & Homily: St Vitalis, Martyr | Chase McCue Michael Strahan RIP |
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| 29 APR | SAT | 1200 | Mass & Homily: Feria in the Octave of St George, Patron of England | Patrick Edith Houston RIP |
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| 30 APR | SUN | 0830 | Mass: DOMINICA II post Pascha | Pro Populo | Of obligation |
Missed or can’t make Mass? Watch the LIVE or RECORDED episodes on this page!
NOTICES
MASS please note the times of Masses. During Passiontide, Holy Week and the Paschal Octave, it is not permitted to offer Requiem Masses. A collective Requiem Mass will be offered for the souls of April whose anniversaries occurred or who passed away this month. If you’d like someone particularly remembered, please notify the Provost.
BULLETIN please check back on this online version for each day any additions/amendments will be made here. If you have any notices or would like the names of loved ones for prayer included, please email
PHOTO (left) Fr Jerome welcomes new apprentice Omar Iddi to “Cherubs Kitchen“. Omar will be embarking on his NVQ apprenticeship from May, he has been volunteering recently on Wednesday’s at The Hub homeless drop-in where he was a guest.
ASDA GREEN TOKENS please remember that apostolate “Cherubs Kitchen” has been nominated for the ASDA Hollingbury Green Tokens scheme for April/May/June! Shoppers receive a green token to place in a collection box for a local community/charity project, at the end of the collection period, the project receiving the most green tokens is awarded a donation! If we’re successful in receiving a donation, the money will go towards supporting our apprentices and their statutory training costs not included in their NVQ e.g. Food Safety Certificates, First Aid and Health & Safety training.
FATHER GEORGE von Abel is still looking to move to Brighton & Hove to begin assisting in our Mission’s ministry. To do this, Father needs a new job and a new home! Please keep your eyes peeled for management or supervisor roles in hotels or restaurants locally. Please forward details of any potentially suitable positions via email here. Remember that our priests are bi-vocational and generally need financially to support themselves.
TENTMAKING SERIES in preparation for our missionary endeavour later this year, the Provost is publishing a series of articles about mission. Please do read them and continue to pray and think about how we can spread the Good News to our friends and family in Brighton & Hove! These reflections are also the basis for our Lenten discussions on Thursdays (see below).
CARITAS STUDY GROUP after the recent series this past Lent, the group has decided to continue to meet once a month! The next meeting is likely to be at the beginning of May. Look out for details!
CATHOLIC CULTURE The Major Rogation, which has no connexion with the feast of St. Mark (fixed for this date much later) seems to be of very early date and to have been introduced to counteract the ancient Robigalia, on which the heathens held processions and supplications to their gods. St. Gregory the Great (d. 604) regulated the already existing custom. The Minor Rogations were introduced by St. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne, and were afterwards ordered by the Fifth Council of Orléans, which was held in 511, and then approved by Leo III (795-816). This is asserted by St. Gregory of Tours in “Hist. Franc.”, II, 34, by St. Avitus of Vienne in his “Hom. de Rogat.” (P.L., LVIII, 563), by Ado of Vienne (P.L., CXXIII, 102), and by the Roman Martyrology. Sassi, in “Archiepiscopi Mediolanenses”, ascribes their introduction at an earlier date to St. Lazarus. This is also held by the Bollandist Henschen in “Acta SS.”, II, Feb., 522. The liturgical celebration now consists in the procession and the Rogation Mass. For 25 April the Roman Missal gives the rubric: “If the feast of St. Mark is transferred, the procession is not transferred. In the rare case of 25 April being Easter Sunday [1886, 1943], the procession is held not on Sunday but on the Tuesday following”.
The Rogation Days are the 25th of April, called Major, and the three days before the feast of the Ascension, called Minor are days of prayer, and formerly also of fasting, instituted by the Church to appease God’s anger at man’s transgressions, to ask protection in calamities, and to obtain a good and bountiful harvest, known in England as “Gang Days” and “Cross Week”, and in Germany as Bittage, Bittwoche, Kreuzwoche. The Rogation Days were highly esteemed in England and King Alfred’s laws considered a theft committed on these days equal to one committed on Sunday or a higher Church Holy Day. Their celebration continued even to the thirteenth year of Elizabeth, 1571, when one of the ministers of the Established Church inveighed against the Rogation processions, or Gang Days, of Cross Week.
LITURGICAL NOTES
St George, Patron of England This great miracle worker and martyr lived in the latter part of the third century A.D., during Diocletian’s rule of the Roman Empire. He originally came from the area of Cappadocia and was raised by very pious parents. When Diocletian started his persecutions against the Christians, Saint George declared himself to be a Christian and thus denied the false idols. He suffered many tortures because of his belief, but never considered renouncing it.The life of Saint George is a prime example of the life that each Christian should follow to obtain salvation.
In the history of our Church, we find a myth related to a dragon and Saint George. This dragon threatened the idolaters in the area of Atalia. The people were forced to live inside the walls of their city. This prevented them from tending their fields and grazing their sheep. Every year, they would sacrifice a young girl to the dragon. When Saint George arrived in this area, the King’s daughter was about to be sacrificed. After subduing the dragon, Saint George placed a rope around its neck. He then gave the rope to the princess so that she could lead the beast back to the city. Thence, he slaughtered the terror and subsequently baptized thousands of the city’s inhabitants.
It is from the icon of Saint George that this myth came about. The icon depicts the Saint as an equestrian slaying the dragon with the princess in the background. The first iconographers of Saint George were probably trying to depict Satan as the dragon and Saint George conquering evil. Another explanation of this icon is that the artists were trying to depict Diocletian as the dragon and Saint George conquering him. The princess in the background could have been the Empress Alexandra who watched Saint George as he triumphed. She could also symbolize Christianity, or the Church itself. When the Crusaders journeyed through the Byzantine Empire, they saw this icon and from its depiction they interpreted the legend which they spread throughout western Europe.
EVENTS THIS WEEK…
Community Cafe and Charity Shop Please consider supporting this new venture in the Annexe building once generously loaned to us for worship by our friends in the Salvation Army. Open for business 9-4pm Monday to Friday. Why not visit the Cafe for breakfast after daily Mass…?
THREE SCORE DANCE South East Dance is supporting weekly contemporary dance classes for older people (60+) across Brighton & Hove who are interested in having fun and improving their health along the way. It meets on a Monday afternoon, 2 pm to 3.30 pm at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church. Led by Three Score Dance Company’s Rehearsal Director, Jason Keenan Smith, the class will include contemporary dance technique and explore creativity. No prior dance experience is needed. Suitable for: all abilities (aged 60+). Places are strictly limited. For enquiries/bookings please contact Jacqueline Hadlow 01273 696844.
LUNCHTIME RECITALS Every Tuesday Lunchtime at the Chapel Royal, North Street 1.10 to 1.55 All seats £3.00 at the door. Click here to see this season’s Programme
LUNCHTIME RECITALS Every Wednesday at St Nicholas’ Church, Dyke Road 12:30pm lasting for half an hour. A minimum donation of £3.00 towards recital expenses is appreciated. The recitals provide a perfect break for you to have your lunch and relax before heading back to work. Please bring your own sandwiches. Tea and Coffee is available for a donation.
SING & SIGN encourages speech and language development in babies through the use of action songs and gestures. They meet at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church on Wednesday mornings. For information about the group please visit their website: www.singandsign.com
CAMEO LUNCH for senior citizens Thursday 27 April at The Mad Hatter Inn, Rock Street (Kemptown) our monthly lunch supporting the work of our apostolate “Cherubs Kitchen“. A very reasonable “prix fixe” set menu of homemade traditional dishes with the opportunity to meet other people of a similar age! Contact Shirley to reserve a place on 07773 991670.
UPCOMING EVENTS…
B19 : 20 – University of Brighton Fashion Show, Thursday, 4 May, 7.20pm Tickets £8 / £5 students and other concessions. Showcasing the work of 1st and 2nd year fashion students at Brighton University, this fab show is also a fundraiser for their respective graduation shows in the next couple of years. They’re an amazingly competent bunch of young creatives – learning not only how to do and think fashion, but also event organization, fundraising, marketing, and promotion all at the same time. To help the students with planning, you can reserve a ticket in advance on their Eventbrite page. And you can catch a glimpse of the outfits in the making on the group’s Event page on Facebook.
Quiz Night: The Musical East of Brighton Musical Theatre Co.10, 17, 24, 31 May 20:30 £8(£6) [1hr] at The Verdict, Edward Street Every Wednesday night is ‘Quiz Night’ at Brighton Fringe this year! An intimate, original musical portrait of two friends as they try to avoid discussing real life, brought to you by almost legendary East of Brighton musical theatre pairing, Jenny Alborough (director) and Adrian Reilly (composer). Join Simon and Claire down the pub as they attempt this crucial heart-to-heart during an actual pub quiz – put your quiz hats on and you too can play for the pot. No Googling allowed!
Bike for Life – Bicycle Maintenance Course Saturdays, 6 and 27 May, 3 June, 12 noon – 6pm Bruce, Brighton’s star bike man, is back in St Mary’s (Upper Rock Gardens) church hall on Saturday, 6 May to run the first of Bike for Life’s next, three-part bicycle maintenance course. Each session runs for six hours on a Saturday, from 12 noon, and provides intensive, hands-on tuition. With the odd tea break thrown in for good measure. If you can’t make this course, Bruce will be running another three-parter beginning in July, with courses also in September and November 2017. Website
Kemptown Community Market Saturdays, 13 and 27 May, 10.30am – 4pm An exciting and tasty initiative St Mary’s (Upper Rock Gardens) church hall. Local food producers and suppliers offer a fabulous range of breads, raw milk, cheese, pies, charcuterie, gluten-free cakes, chocolate, chutneys, jams and pickles, alongside an eclectic mix of art, jewellery, soaps, cards, and collectables and bric-a-brac from local creatives. Plus there are the lovely folk from the Sussex Beacon who take care of the teas and coffees.
COFFEE MORNING Saturday 27 May at 17 Fernhurst Crescent 10am – 1pm in aid of “Sussex Nightstop” (see above) and “The Martlets” Hospice.
VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
THE HUB HOMELESS DROP-IN We’ve created a welcoming environment for our guests and serve them with dignity and respect and so we are seeking volunteers willing to serve at table and help us create a welcoming café like environment every Wednesday. We also need help in the kitchen too for, as the suburban proverb says, “many hands make light work” and we’d like to lighten the load of existing volunteers by having enough people to have a roster! That way everyone can enjoy giving of their time and not feel overly burdened or committed! We need volunteers anytime between 0830 and 1400 for all or a couple of hours, we’d be grateful for any time you can give! If you’d like to join our existing team of faithful volunteers and help us serve the most needy and often deserving of humanity struggling to get by without the security that most of us enjoy with a roof over our heads… please text/phone Fr Jerome on 07423 074517 or just turn up on a Wednesday!
TIME TO TALK BEFRIENDING Volunteering as a befriender provides much needed friendship for older people who might otherwise be alone and feel cut off from society. Befriending is a mutually rewarding experience which is life giving – so if you have a heart for older people, live in Brighton and Hove, Adur or Worthing, and would like to make a difference to help reduce feelings of loneliness among the older population then please don’t hesitate to contact us today! Tel: 01273 737710 or email info@timetotalkbefriending.org.uk
COFFEE SHOP & CHARITY SHOP in The Annexe, Salvation Army desperately needs reliable volunteers to help serve customers, sort and rotate stock, etc. Phone: 01273 607095
COMMUNITY LUNCH on the Fifth Sunday of the month at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, a drop-in and hot meal from 2pm-4pm. The meal is aimed at those who are homeless, vulnerably housed or those who feel excluded or on the periphery of society. We currently have an average of about 60 people coming each quarter. As well as providing a good quality hot meal (cooked by a team of volunteer cooks on site) we give people a chance to relax – we provide hot drinks and people have a chance, to chat to read the papers or just to be quiet. We have a great team of volunteers – Some prefer to stay in the kitchen and others help set out the hall, serve our guests and wash up. This is a joint project in partnership with Sleepsafe. To volunteer telephone 01273 503348
INTERCESSIONS
Of your charity please pray for the following for whom prayers have been asked…
General intentions: Janie Thomas, Karen Knight, Debbie Gaston, Nik Wooller, Connor, Remi, Sarah Daniel, Joshua Solis & Family (bereavement), Colleen Anderson
Thanksgiving: Neveah born 01:03 on 22/02/2017 (parents, Libby & Freedom) John & Jean Marchant (62nd Wedding Anniversary year) Joyce & Jim Babcock (65th Wedding Anniversary year), Fr Jerome (various), Petr Jašek (freed from imprisonment & persecution), Kerry Potter (improving in health), John Andrew Dorsey IV (new born), Kerry Potter
Health & well-being: Stefan Bell, Patrick Hannibal, Jessie Wise, Jesse, Margaret, Frazer & Albert McCue, Sarah Hannington, Maureen, Marge, Joy Gale, John Marchant, Ida Liffey Gordon, Father Philip Johnson, Vkiki Kennedy, Rev Hassan Taour and Abdulmonem Abdumawla (unjustly imprisoned)
Discernment: Matt Timmis, Darren, Paul Schofield, Lou Regan, Kamal Abdallah, Simon Gangloff, Li
Vocational: Tom Gierke, Jamie Alaniz, Fr George, Fr Emilio, Li, Daniel Selzle
CHANTRY THIS WEEK…
Of your charity please pray for the souls of…
RECENTLY DEPARTED
Victims of the London Terrorist attack:
PC Keith Palmer
Aysha Frade
Kurt Cochran
Sam Wheeler d.02/02/2017 funeral 03/03/2017
Kerry
Betty Spicer d.13/02/2017
Marilyn Belvin Brown d.21/02/2017
Stanley Horsey d.27/02/2017
Hosea A. Solis d. 18/03/2017 aged 10
YEAR’S MIND THIS MONTH
02.04.09 Eive TÜNGSTED
02.04.11 Bill CORNABY
08.04.07 Cindy CURRAN
15.04.03 Reginald BUNDY
15.04.09 Peter ROBBINS
17.04.08 Stephen John GILLHAM, Deacon
19.04.05 Michael “Sergeant” STONE
20.04.08 Frances KELLY
2011 Derek CARTER
22.04.10 Doris SMALL
25.04.08 Nikki ANDREWS
27.04.08 David ELLIOTT
2011 James “Jim” Robby MILNE
The Brighton Oratory 
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