Some Thoughts For Sunday
“In today’s Gospel Christ says that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. But how can this be true? Doesn’t each Christian among us have a heavy burden to carry?
Nobody needs me to list what things make a person’s burden heavy. Everyone can look at his own life and make that list. And even if there is some person who has no worries or sadness for himself, he must be a very lonely person if he is not carrying a burden for someone else whom he loves.
So, in what sense is Christ’s yoke easy and his burden light?
To see why Christ’s saying really is true after all, consider the condition Christ sets for getting the gift he offers to us, the easy yoke and the light burden: “Come to me,” he says.
To come to someone is to be willing to be united with that person. It is to be open to him, to let his will make a difference to what you yourself will and do. This isn’t safe, generally speaking.
But when the person to whom you come is Christ himself, the vulnerability which openness brings with it is more than matched by the love Christ gives. In the gift of that love, everything that might be loss is turned into gift given and gift received, to be returned again in love.
Even death is like this. You do not have to face death as if it were a depredation. Within the love of Christ, what might be only irrevocable loss of your life can become a sharing with Christ too. You can offer your life as gift to Christ, with Christ, for Christ, as you go through death to arrive at life in love in Christ.
And if even the heavy load of death can be lightened in this way, then what Christ says is true about every other heavy burden, too: in coming to him, in shared love with him, we will find that his yoke is easy and his burden is light.”
-Eleonore Stump
The Church is Open!!
The Cathedral will continue to be open every day this week from 12noon-6pm, and St Andrew’s Church in Ravelston will open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 10am-12noon. Welcome back!
Daily Confessions in the Cathedral
Confessions in English are Monday-Friday at 1pm-2pm, and on Saturdays from 12noon-2pm. There are also confessions in Polish from 5pm-6pm. To provide better ventilation, the Sacristy has been set up as a confessional with a screen to ensure anonymity
Petition to the Government to Allow Public Worship Sooner
The current plan for lifting of lockdown measures places the return to public worship well after the reopening of cinemas, pubs, and other clearly non-essential leisure activities. People of Faith are able to gather to worship responsibly and safely, following physical distancing measures. And our Faith is much more important to us than entertainment. If you would like to try to get public worship allowed sooner – please sign this petition. All you need to do is click on the link below. There is no just reason to delay this return for so long, especially not when entertainment venues will be allowed to open sooner. Sign the petition here
Cathedral Fabric – Part of the Ceiling Fell In!
The heavy rains this week caused issues in the Cathedral – on Monday part of the ceiling collapsed in Sacristy One! Andy, our Complex Manager, is already working together with our roofer and our joiner to repair the damage. Work has also started on the floor in the Hall and on the stained-glass windows in the Cathedral. Thank you to all who have contributed financially to enable these repairs.
“Rediscovering Catholicism” – A Short Course in Theology on Zoom - Wednesdays at 7pm
Over 80 people join us for these sessions on Wednesdays. They’re a great success. If you would like to join in next Wednesday contact Fr. Jamie as soon as possible on frjamie@stmaryscathedral.co.uk
Cathedral Podcasts
You can now listen to sermons, talks and messages from the Cathedral as you jog, drive or do the dishes with our new podcast. You can download mp3 files here: https://stmaryscathedral.podbean.com/. You can also subscribe to receive updates automatically on Apple podcasts. Do you get your podcasts from another source? Let us know and we'll try to make ours available there too.
Online Safeguarding Training Sessions
On Monday, 6th July, we will offer safeguarding training via Zoom for current volunteers who need to have a training update. There will be a maximum of 10 volunteers at each session - all you need to take part is access to the internet. To register, please email Chris McCabe at Chris.mccabe@staned.org.uk
Lockdown Research Project
A research team at Edinburgh University is investigating the impact the COVID-19 lockdown has had on people in the city and across the Lothians. Participants are asked to express their views in the form of audio/video diaries, using their smartphone, and also to complete a short survey. Each participant is given £15 which they can request to be paid to a charity (you may wish to donate it to the upkeep of our Cathedral!). To find out more about the project, visit: www.lothianlockdown.org
4 O’clock Prayer for Vocations
Priests for Scotland is promoting a new initiative to pray for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, called the 4 O’clock Prayer, with inspiration from the hour when Jesus called St Andrew in the Gospel:
“Lord Jesus, at this hour, you called Andrew, our patron, and his companion to be your disciples. We pray that the men and women of our country may hear your call to discipleship at this same hour. May they respond to your call with generosity, confidence and enthusiasm. Inspired by the example of Mary Immaculate may they say ‘yes’ to service in the priesthood, the consecrated life and the diaconate.”
Free Online Dental Health Workshop for Children
LINKnet Mentoring will be offering a Zoom workshop with bilingual support to help promote dental care for children during the summer vacation by giving tips and advice to parents. The workshop will be held on Friday the 10th July from 3pm-5pm. To register, please visit: www.edinburghsmile.org/event.
Read the newsletter for Sunday, 5th July (pdf)
Read the newsletter for Sunday, 5th July (doc)