NEWSLETTER

Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Sunday 25 May 2025

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Message from Canon Kristian

Dear brothers and sisters
The Christian belief in the Incarnation of God in the person of Jesus is sometimes called by theologians “the scandal of particularity” – a phrase which emphasises the astounding action of the God who chooses to take on our humanity in a specific time and place in human history and as a particular human being born of a particular human mother.  By so doing, God entered fully into the human experience which, for all of us, is limited by our physicality, our formation and our environment.  Thus, God in Jesus was like us in every way except for sin.  With a particular focus on Jesus’ psychological and emotional life, St John Paul II gave a beautiful catechesis on this theme during a General Audience in 1988:
“1. Jesus Christ is true man. We continue the previous catechesis dedicated to this theme. It is a truth fundamental to our faith. This faith is based on the word of Christ himself, confirmed by the witness of the apostles and disciples. It was transmitted from generation to generation in the Church’s teaching: “We believe…true God and true man…not a phantasm, but the one and only Son of God” (Council of Lyons II, DS 852).
More recently the same doctrine was recalled by the Second Vatican Council, which emphasized the new relationship which the Word, on taking flesh and becoming man like us, has initiated with every human being. “By his Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every man. He worked with human hands, he thought with a human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like us in all things except sin” (GS 22).
2. In the previous reflection we sought to show Christ’s likeness to us, which derives from the fact that he is true man. “The Word made flesh”; flesh (sarx) indicates the human being precisely as a corporeal being (sarkikos), who comes into being through being born of a woman (cf. Gal 4:4). In his corporeal nature Jesus of Nazareth, like every human being, experienced fatigue, hunger and thirst. His body was vulnerable, subject to suffering, and sensitive to physical pain. It was precisely in this flesh (sarx) that he was subjected to dreadful tortures and was eventually crucified. “He was crucified, died and was buried.”
The conciliar text quoted above completes this picture still more when it says: “He worked with human hands, he thought with a human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart” (GS 22).
3. Today we shall pay particular attention to this last statement which brings us to the heart of Jesus’ psychological life. He truly experienced human feelings of joy, sadness, anger, wonder and love. For example, we read that “Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Lk 10:21). He wept over Jerusalem. “He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If this day you only knew what makes for peace'” (Lk 19:41-42). He also wept after the death of his friend Lazarus. “When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Sir, come and see.’ And Jesus wept” (Jn 11:33-35).
4. His feelings of sorrow were especially intense in the Garden of Gethsemane. We read: “He took with him Peter, James and John and began to be troubled and distressed. Then Jesus said to them, ‘My soul is sorrowful even to death'” (Mk 14:33-34; cf. also Mt 26:37). In Luke we read: “He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground” (Lk 22:44). This was a fact of the psycho-physical order which once again attests to Jesus’ true humanity.
5. We read also of Jesus’ anger. When on the sabbath he cured the man with the withered hand, Jesus first of all asked those present, “‘Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil?’ But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out and his hand was restored” (Mk 3:4-5).
Similarly in the case of the buyers and sellers who were driven out of the Temple, Matthew writes: “He drove out all those engaged in selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And he said to them, ‘It is written: “My house shall be a house of prayer,” but you have made it a den of thieves'” (Mt 21:12-13; cf. Mk 11:15).
6. Elsewhere we read that Jesus “was amazed.” “He was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mk 6:6). Or he was moved to admiration, as when he said, “Notice how the flowers grow…not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them” (Lk 12:27). He also admired the faith of the Canaanite woman: “O woman, great is your faith!” (Mt 15:28).
7. Above all, the Gospels show that Jesus was a person who loved. We read that during his conversation with the young man who had come to ask him what he ought to do in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (Mk 10:21). The evangelist John writes that “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (Jn 11:5), and John called himself “the disciple…whom Jesus loved” (Jn 13:23).
Jesus loved children: “And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them…. He embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them” (Mk 10:13-16). When he proclaimed the commandment of love, he referred to the love with which he himself loved. “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you” (Jn 15:12).
8. The hour of the passion, especially the agony on the cross, constitutes so to speak, a zenith of the love with which Jesus “after having loved his own who were in the world, loved them unto the end” (Jn 13:1). “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). At the same time this is also the nadir of the sorrow and abandonment which he experienced during his earthly life. The words “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabacthani…My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'” (Mk 15:34) will forever remain a piercing expression of this abandonment. They are words which Jesus took from Psalm 22 (verse 2), and they express the excruciating agony of his soul and body, including the mysterious sensation of being momentarily abandoned by God. It was the most dramatically agonizing moment of the whole Passion!
9. Hence thus Jesus became truly similar to human beings, by assuming the condition of a servant, as the letter to the Philippians expresses it (cf. 2:7). However, the Letter to the Hebrews, speaking of him as “high priest of the good things that have come to be” (Heb 9:11), confirms and clarifies that this is not a “priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been similarly tested in every way, yet without sin” (cf. Heb 4:15). Truly he “knew not sin,” even though St. Paul will say that “for our sake God made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).
The same Jesus could issue the challenge, “Can any of you charge me with sin?” (Jn 8:46). The faith of the Church is expressed as follows: “He was conceived, born and died without sin.” This was proclaimed, in harmony with the whole of Tradition, by the Council of Florence (Decree for the Jacobites, DS 1347). Jesus “was conceived, was born and died without sin.” He is the truly just and holy man.
As a result of this “enfleshment” of God in Jesus, God chose to live in a particular era of human history, to be formed within the Jewish faith and culture of that time, to move around a particular region and to minister to a particular group of people.  This is, of course, all clearly reflected the writings of the four Evangelists in the New Testament.
Why do I mention this?  Well, this week was celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord on Thursday.  Although the Ascension of the Lord is often presented primarily as the return of the Lord to God the Father, ie as a departure from the Apostles and therefore as an absence, a consequence of the “scandal of particularity”, it is equally an affirmation of the subsequent UNIVERSAL presence of Christ in all times and in all places, no longer limited to a particular time and place.  As the Lord himself says in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the Great Commission to his disciples before his Ascension: “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Mt 28:20).  Similarly, in his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar as to whether God should be worshipped in Jerusalem, as the Judean Jews claimed, or on Mount Gerizim, as the Samaritans claimed, Jesus states:  “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:21).  The worship of the Divine Presence (the “Shekinah”) will no longer be limited to a specific sacred place, but rather linked to a relationship of the heart, soul and mind, which is possible in any place and in any time.  Hence, the Solemnity of the Ascension is an important celebration for Christians, not only because it commemorates a particular event in the life of the Lord Jesus, but it also proclaims the universality of the Risen Christ in every place and time, something which underlines the kerygma, the simple yet profound message of the Gospel, recently expressed by the late Pope Francis in these words: “Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen, and free you” (Evangelii Gaudium, art. 164)
With a link to the giving of the gift of peace which we find in this Sunday’s Gospel, Pope Leo, in his first message from the Balcony of Blessing immediately after his election as Pope, chose to express something of this universality of the presence of God too:
 
“Peace be with you all! Dear brothers and sisters, these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for God’s flock.  I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world. Peace be with you! It is the peace of the risen Christ.  A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering.  A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally. 
 
We can still hear the faint yet ever courageous voice of Pope Francis as he blessed Rome, the Pope who blessed Rome, who gave his blessing to the world, the whole world, on the morning of Easter.  Allow me to extend that same blessing: God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail! All of us are in God’s hands. So, let us move forward, without fear, together, hand in hand with God and with one another other!   We are followers of Christ.  Christ goes before us.  The world needs his light.  Humanity needs him as the bridge that can lead us to God and his love.  Help us, one and all, to build bridges through dialogue and encounter, joining together as one people, always at peace.  Thank you, Pope Francis!”
From this you can see the importance of the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord for us.  Hence, it is ranked as a “obligatory solemnity“, ie a day on which all Catholics are obliged to be at Mass.  As usual, to facilitate this, there will be a Vigil Mass for the Solemnity at St Boniface on Wednesday, 28 May, at 6.00pm and two Masses at St Andrew’s on the day of the Solemnity itself on Thursday, 29 May, at 10.00am and 6.00pm.
Along with the Newsletter this weekend, I attach the weekly guide to praying with the Sunday Gospel, offered to us by Monika Manser, and the latest Newsletter from the Lighthouse Cafe and Bookshop in Tiverton.
As always, please remember in your prayers all those in the parish who are sick, particularly Joe Xavier and Norah Wissink who are both very unwell, and all those who have died recently. In this month of May, we commend them, ourselves and our own private petitions to the motherly care and intercession of Mary, the Queen of the May.
God bless
Canon Kristian
Canon Kristian Paver
Parish Priest
Parish of St Boniface and St James Mid Devon
40 Old Road Tiverton EX16 4HJ

Laudato Si’ Week Tenth Anniversary 24-31 May

Successive popes and bishops from around the world have developed the Church’s Social Teaching. The late Pope Francis brought much of this together in his encyclical Laudato Si’. At their recent Conference, the Bishops in England and Wales agreed a plenary resolution on this Tenth Anniversary of Laudato Si’: “The Bishops of England and Wales note with great pleasure the substantial impact of the encyclical. Laudato si’ has nourished the spiritual life of the faithful as well as encouraged political and practical action. Individuals, businesses, parishes, schools and voluntary groups throughout the country are responding to the encyclical in practical ways and working to help avert the ecological crises. We particularly commend the Guardians of Creation project and CAFOD’s Live Simply programme.”

Canon John Deeny, Chair of the Advisory Group for Caritas Diocese of Plymouth writes: “Our ambition is to put Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti into practice here in the diocese – bringing people together to carry out new actions and initiatives to combat poverty locally and globally, restore dignity and protect nature. At diocesan level we have plans in place to improve our care for creation including taking action to reduce our carbon footprint, but we recognise that we can only make a difference if people at parish level hear about our duty to care for our sisters and brothers and our common home and are motivated to take action.”

Caritas Diocese of Plymouth will be hosting a photography exhibition at Plymouth Cathedral from 20-26 May, sharing images sent by parishioners celebrating the beauty of our diocese. All are warmly welcome. On Monday 19 May there will be an opportunity to enjoy some light refreshments and visit the exhibition between 4.00-6.00pm. All are welcome to come along. Please register https://forms.office.com/e/s6GN0t7hSZ for catering purposes.

Our own Parish Laudato Si’ Group meets on the first Saturday of each month at 4.00pm in St Andrew’s Hall. All are welcome.

CAFOD Jubilee Reflection Day

Next Saturday 31 May, CAFOD will be holding a Jubilee Reflection Day, which will include the diocesan launch of the Worldwide Church Debt Campaign, 10.30am-3.00pm, in the Schiller Hall, Buckfast Abbey Conference Centre. There will be a live link to Kenya to hear the keynote speaker, Fr Charlie Chilufya SJ, an expert on the debt crisis and the human suffering this is causing in Kenya. All welcome and, though not necessary, booking would be appreciated. Email plymouth@cafod.org.uk or ring 01752 268768.

Trekking for Life Charity

Deacon Nick Johnson, a deacon in St Mary’s Parish, Poole, is committed to walking the 100km Via Francigena into Rome in September this year in favour of Life Charity.  He would be grateful for any support that you could give. His JustGiving page can be found here.

Diocesan Newsletter

The Newsletter for May with articles from around the Diocese can be found at

https://email.workwithgusto.co.uk/t/t-4A106CCA7386F8E42540EF23F30FEDED.

St John’s School Jubilee Pilgrimage

St John’s School Jubilee Pilgrimage will take place on Friday 6 June, leaving school at around 11.30am for the short walk to The Rec, where there will be a short time of prayer together and lunch eaten before returning to school for the next stage. Whilst the younger children will remain in school, the KS2 children will walk to St Andrew’s Church, stopping at points along the way for prayers, aiming to reach St Andrew’s for a Service of the Word at 2.30pm. Parishioners are very welcome to join the children for any part of the day.

Coffee Morning and Tabletop Sale

On Saturday 7 June, 10am-12noon, in St Andrew’s Hall, the Friends of St James and St Boniface will be hosting a Coffee Morning and Tabletop Sale. Tea, coffee and delicious cakes will be served, and there will be
a parish table with goods for sale. Any good quality or new donations would be very welcome by Sunday 1 June. If you would like to book your own table to sell anything you choose, these are available for £10; small £5 tables are available for Under 16s. These must be pre-booked by Sunday 1 June with payment on the day. Ring 07522 338897. Please come and support us as we raise funds for the interior church refurbishment of the rebuilt St James.

Feast of St Boniface, Patron of our Diocese

To celebrate the Feast of St Boniface, the Patron of our Diocese, there will be Mass on Thursday 5 June at 4.00 pm in St Boniface’s Church and National Shrine in Crediton. All are welcome.

Family Picnic Day

In celebration of the Jubilee of Families, Children and Grandparents, there will be a Family Picnic Day at Grangehurst House, Buckfast Abbey, on Sunday 1 June, 12noon-3.00pm, organized by the diocesan Catholic Children’s Society. Bring a picnic and a blanket, and keep the children entertained with games, face painting and refreshments.

CHAT Quiz Night

You are invited to join CHAT for a fun evening of quizzing at St Paul’s Church, Tiverton, on Saturday 7 June. The doors will open at 6.30pm. Tickets cost £12.00, and this includes a Ploughman’s. A bar will also be available on the evening. Quiz Teams can consist of up to 8 people (but these can be allocated on the night if necessary). Tickets for the evening can be purchased at www.tickettailor.com/events/churcheshousingactionteamchat/1649562.

April Parish Giving

Loose: £1266.13 Contactless £:400.00 Standing Order: £3387.00

World Day for Social Communications

Next Sunday is the World Day for Social Communications. There will be a retiring collection to support the communications work of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

Masses and Events this week

Sunday 25 May – Seventh Sunday of Easter

  • Saturday 24 May – St Aldhelm of Sherborne, Bishop

    • Youth Club, 11.00am-12.30pm, in St Boniface’s Hall
    • Vigil Mass at 6.00pm

    Sunday 25 May – Sixth Sunday of Easter

    • Holy Mass at 9.30am (St Boniface)
    • Holy Mass at 11.30am Pro Populo

    Monday 26 May – St Philip Neri, Priest

    • Singing to Remember at 2.00pm in St Andrew’s Hall

    Tuesday 27 May – St Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop

    • Holy Mass at 9.00am
    • Monthly Lunch, 12noon-2.00pm, in St Andrew’s Hall

    Wednesday 28 May – Easter Weekday

    • Vigil Mass of the Ascension at 6.00pm (St Boniface)

    Thursday 29 May – The Ascension of the Lord – Obligatory Solemnity

    • Holy Mass at 9.00am
    • Holy Mass at 6.00pm

    Friday 30 May – Easter Weekday after Ascension

    • Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 11.30am
    • Holy Mass with Prayers for Healing at 12noon
    • Prayer of the Holy Rosary at 12.30pm

    Saturday 31 May – The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

    • Holy Baptism of Louise Boddy at 12.30pm
    • Vigil Mass at 6.00pm

    Sunday 1 June – Seventh Sunday of Easter

    • Holy Mass at 9.30am (St Boniface)
    • Holy Mass at 11.30am Pro Populo

Lectio Divina – John14:23-29 – Let not your hearts be troubledLectio Divina – John 17:20-26 – Jesus raised his eyes to heaven