Trinity Sunday - Year A

SOME THOUGHTS FOR TRINITY SUNDAY

“No matter what you have heard, it is not so hard to understand the Trinity. Simply think back to the great story we have been celebrating for many weeks.

God the Father invited people on earth to a lasting and loving relationship with him and with each other. “I want to be your God and I want you to be my people. My love for you is tender and precious. Won’t you love me in return?”

Some understood and entered into the agreement. Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, just to begin the list. But they and the rest of us humans kept choosing things easier to grab, like money and honours—barns full of them.

Our refusal of God’s love became widespread. How did God react to such rejection?

“My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me. For your sake I scourged your captors and their first-born sons, but you brought your scourges down on me! My people, answer me.”

God tried a new and quite brilliant way. “Since I am all love and nothing but love, I will go out to them totally. As love does, I will become one of them. I will live humanity to its depths, and they will see love spelled out.”

So, God was born as a human called Jesus. He was the heart of God, now made flesh. One with the Father but different as well. And so, the world knew about two persons in one God.

Jesus told people to love God above all things and their neighbours as themselves. But many human beings had been hurt and betrayed, living with their own selfishness and greed, as well as their mixed-up motives, co-existing motives with those of others too. Love can get lost in such a world.

It was into this ocean of cruelty and loss that God the Son plunged. He plunged all the way down to death. It was a display of the most profound nature of God’s love.

To that point the disciples knew only two parts of God, Jesus and his Father. So, before he left, Christ said this to them (paraphrase):

“Philip, and the rest of you, if you know me you know the Father. He is in me fully, and after I go back I will make a home in you by sending the Holy Spirit. This Comforter will be the very love that I and the Father have for each other and for you. That way I will be with you until the end of time!”

He was talking about the third person of the Trinity, which nestles close to our souls if we let it. Only if we let it. The Holy Spirit is graceful and deep and comforting, like a blanket in cold winter. It is the love between the Father and Son.

So how can God interact with us in these three very different ways?

By being “plural,” that is, by being three “persons.” How can three be one? By not letting the number three be a divider but a plus sign. All three, in a great dynamic of love, are so close to one another that they are One God.”

John Foley, SJ

Preparing for Reopening our Churches – Volunteers Needed

As you know, the First Minister has announced that in Phase II of the relaxation of lockdown churches will reopen for private prayer, as well as for baptisms, weddings and funerals. Although we are not yet certain when Phase II of the relaxation of restrictions will begin – the First Minister has indicated that (all things going well) it will be around 18th June.

In order to prepare for the re-opening of the Churches we have purchased supplies of hand sanitiser, disinfectant wipes and face masks. We will also mark up the churches and organise a deep clean. All this we can organise from Cathedral House.

The one thing that we really do need is volunteers to act as Church Attendants when the churches are open. This is mandated by the guidelines. The role of these attendants will just be to ensure that people are wearing a face mask before entering the churches, that they maintain physical distancing while in the Cathedral and that they observe the “one way system” in and out of the Cathedral.

We are planning, at least initially, to open the Cathedral from 12-6pm daily and Ravelston from 10-12noon Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. But obviously we can only do this if we get enough volunteers – who need to be between 18 and 70 years old and in good health.

Would you be able to help?

If so – please contact Sr. Mary Simone at the parish office either by phone (Mon-Fri 11am-4pm) or by email cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk

We will then put you in touch with the volunteer co-ordinator who will draw up the rotas and guidelines. You need to let us know which days and at what times you would be available to volunteer.

Thank you so much – Fr. Patrick

Lockdown Reading List – works for Phase 1 as well!

At Sunday Mass recently I promised to make recommendations for lockdown reading. The Pastoral Team have now put together a list of the books that we have been reading recently and those that have made an impact on us to help you through these strange days. We have made some difficult choices to narrow the number down to five each and they are in no particular order – but we hope you will enjoy them! The reading list can be found at: www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/reading

Scotland’s Catholic Bishops finalise plans to reopen churches

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has finalised its proposed infection control standards which will govern the reopening of parishes and confirmed that they have sent their guidelines to the Scottish Government. Commenting on the progress being made towards parish reopening, the President of the Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Hugh Gilbert, said:

“A great deal of work has been done to provide guidance and support to clergy as they prepare for the phased reopening of our parishes. The guidelines have been prepared to reflect advice given in the Scottish Government’s Route Map on the gradual removal of restrictions. The Bishops’ Conference continue to engage with the Scottish Government and have today (Wednesday 3 June) sent a copy of the guidance document to them.”

“We would hope to be able to issue our infection control and liturgical guidelines within the coming week. They will highlight the fact that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains dispensed until further notice and everyone is asked to consider carefully whether or not they should return in the early phases. We are mindful of our duty of care to elderly clergy and lay people, which together with social distancing reductions in capacity will mean that the availability of Mass may reduce in some areas.”

“We are asked, in the words of Pope Francis to show “wisdom, foresight, and common commitment, so that all the efforts and sacrifices made so far will not be in vain”. In the hope that this pandemic will “stimulate our creativity, our ingenuity, and our ability to respond”, in a way that helps us “on the path of praise of the Lord and service to our brothers and sisters”. The guidance is here: https://www.bcos.org.uk/COVID19/tabid/127/Default.aspx

Daily Mass livestreamed from Cathedral House

Each day, we publish one of the private Masses in Cathedral House, where we pray for our parishioners, mass intentions and an end to the spread of coronavirus. To please visit our Facebook page, or watch a recording of the Mass at www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/filming.

Be a voice for the unborn by supporting the Archdiocese’s Pro-Life team

This weekend, we are being asked to choose life and help the unborn by supporting the work of the Archdiocesan Pro-Life Office, which continues during the coronavirus crisis. The Office is still receiving calls from expectant mothers and your donations will enable our team of volunteers to support these women during and after their pregnancy. The Day for Life collection is the main source of funds for the office, and the funds are very much needed, so thank you for your support during this time!

You can donate online or send a cheque to: “Pro-Life Office, Archdiocesan Offices, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1BB” (please make cheques payable to 'Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh').

Fabric Works in the Cathedral

Thanks to the donations from very generous parishioners, we have been able to utilise this time when the churches are closed to complete the essential work of installing a fire detection system in the Cathedral. This work included installing high level smoke detection in the Cathedral upper roof spaces, for which we had to rent a mobile elevated working platform. This meant that we were also able to clean the upper nave circular window surrounds, which were very dirty from years of dust and candle smoke. The difference is quite remarkable – we look forward to showing it to you once the Cathedral opens again! Once again, thank you so much to some of our parishioners whose generous donations enabled us to continue to care for our beloved Cathedral!

Read the newsletter for 7th June (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 7th June (doc)

Pentecost Sunday - Year A

Preparing for Reopening our Churches – Volunteers Needed

We have now entered into Phase I of the relaxation of the lockdown. The First Minister has announced that Churches will reopen for private prayer in Phase II, and this will probably be around 18th June. We are doing well with preparations for seating plans, disinfection routines, etc.. However, we really do need volunteers who can help us keep both the Cathedral and Ravelston open. We will need at least one person per hour, which means that how much our churches will be open depends on the number of volunteers. If you would like to volunteer as a Church Guardian, please contact the Parish Office. Thank you!

Day for Life - 31 May

The theme for this year’s Day for Life is “Choose Life”. During the coronavirus crisis calls from pregnant women are still being received so your donations will be well used by the Archdiocesan Pro-Life Office to help them. You can donate online here.

The Monthly Vocation Mass Livestreamed – Monday 1st June at 6.30pm

The monthly Mass for Vocations will be streamed on the Facebook page of St David’s Parish, Dalkeith (@stdavidsdalkeith) on Monday 1st June at 6.30pm. You can also watch it live on the Archdiocesan Facebook page (@EdinburghRCdiocese). Please pray for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Daily Mass livestreamed from Cathedral House

Each day, we publish one of the private Masses in Cathedral House, where we pray for our parishioners, mass intentions and an end to the spread of coronavirus. To please visit our Facebook page, or watch a recording of the Mass on the website.

Visit the Outdoor Shrine to Our Lady in Ravelston

We are delighted that so many of you have already visited the outdoor shrine to Our Lady by St Andrew’s Church in Ravelston. Our Blessed Mother is now surrounded by beautiful flowers, and you are very welcome to bring more prayer intentions and flowers. Why not make a little pilgrimage together with your family this weekend?

Why Faith and Science Belong Together - Faraday Institute Summer Course June 2020

Faith and science are often seen as uncomfortable bed-fellows. However, this has not always been so. In this series of webinars we examine the ways in which Faith and Science speak to each other in contemporary society and explore the theological and ethical issues which this dialogue raises. We aim to show that there is a better story to be told about faith and science than the prevalent one of conflict and mutual distrust.

Each day, from Monday 29th June to Friday to 3rd July we shall be hosting two or three webinars each day given by an array of international speakers highly qualified in their individual fields. There will also be some opportunity for on-line discussion. It is completely free to attend and open to anyone, anywhere, who is interested. You are free to join us for as much or as little of our programme as you wish. Click here for more information.

Read the newsletter for 31st May (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 31st May (doc)

The Seventh Sunday Of Easter – Year A

Some Thoughts For The 7th Sunday Of Easter

Having ascended into heaven, Jesus can now say that “I am in the world no more, but these are in the world.” He is not physically present in the world the way he was in the first third of the first century. It is now up to us to deal with the world.

In the past the Church was defensive in its approach to the world, which was regarded as an occasion of sin. Vatican II heralded a new approach to the world.

The world is viewed not as the enemy but rather as the object of service. This positive approach is much closer to our biblical roots: “I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.” “Time is the unfolding of truth that already is.”

The world and its history are where we encounter the eternal God, “reaching from end to end of the universe.” We are not called to abandon the world but to remain in it and to take responsibility for its well ordering. The paschal mystery is a challenge to us to lift the world to the heavens.

Holding faithfully to the gospel and exercising her mission in the world, the Church consolidates peace among men, to God’s glory. For it is her task to uncover, cherish, and ennoble all that is true, good, and beautiful in the human community.

Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, 76

Preparing for Re-Opening our Churches

As you will have seen, the First Minister has announced that Churches will reopen for private prayer in Phase II of the relaxation of the lockdown. Phase II will probably be around 18th June. This gives us plenty of time to organise ourselves with seating plans, disinfection routines and volunteers. We are working on this at present and I will give you an update next in next week’s newsletter.

Daily Mass livestreamed from Cathedral House

Each day, we publish one of the private Masses in Cathedral House, where we pray for our parishioners, mass intentions and an end to the spread of coronavirus. To please visit our Facebook page, or watch a recording of the Mass at www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/filming.

Visit the Outdoor Shrine to Our Lady in Ravelston

We are delighted that so many of you have already visited the outdoor shrine to Our Lady by St Andrew’s Church in Ravelston. Our Blessed Mother is now surrounded by beautiful flowers, and you are very welcome to bring more prayer intentions and flowers. Why not make a little pilgrimage together with your family this weekend?

Why Faith and Science Belong Together - Faraday Institute Summer Course June 2020

Faith and science are often seen as uncomfortable bed-fellows. However, this has not always been so. In this series of webinars we examine the ways in which Faith and Science speak to each other in contemporary society and explore the theological and ethical issues which this dialogue raises. We aim to show that there is a better story to be told about faith and science than the prevalent one of conflict and mutual distrust.

Each day, from Monday 29th June to Friday to 3rd July we shall be hosting two or three webinars each day given by an array of international speakers highly qualified in their individual fields. There will also be some opportunity for on-line discussion.

It is completely free to attend and open to anyone, anywhere, who is interested. You are free to join us for as much or as little of our programme as you wish. Find more information here.

Alcoholics Anonymous Goes Online During Covid-19 Pandemic

Alcoholics Anonymous members are coping with the Covid-19 pandemic by taking their meetings online. The majority of groups have turned to Zoom, Skype and other online platforms to hold their weekly meetings. In Edinburgh and Midlothian there are currently 45 online AA meetings. These can be accessed here.

Where any meeting is shown as CLOSED only AA members and newcomers with a desire to stop drinking can join. Where a meeting is shown as OPEN anyone with a genuine interest in AA and how it works can join. These would typically be health professionals, those supporting problem drinkers in the community and family members affected by someone's drinking.

Alcoholics Anonymous runs a national telephone helpline as well as an online 'chat now' service for the suffering alcoholic to receive help and an email response service. For help contact www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk or call our 24 hour helpline on 0800 9177 650.

Read the newsletter for 24th May here (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 24th May here (doc)

The Sixth Sunday of Easter - Year A

Joseph Gilhooley, RIP

It was with great sadness that we received the news of the death of Joseph Gilhooley on Monday the 11th May, aged 72. He served the Cathedral for some 49 years and was latterly MC and sacristan before ill-health prevented him from continuing a few years back. In addition to his public roles, Joseph also served in very many other hidden, unseen ways. He'll be sadly missed by so many at the Cathedral who knew and loved him. May he rest in peace and be richly rewarded. Joseph will be laid to rest privately, but Mass will be offered for him in the Cathedral this Sunday, with a public Requiem Mass to follow as soon as the church opens again.

SCIAF Appeal – Last Chance to Have the Donation Matched by the UK Government

Thank you to everyone who has been saving money in your SCIAF WEE BOX to help women in the DR Congo. You have been most generous. If you still have your WEE BOX at home please donate before 20th May to ensure it is matched by the UK government. You can donate over the phone on 0141 354 5555, via our website (www.sciaf.org.uk), or you can post your donation to FREEPOST SCIAF. If posting your donation, please include a small note with WEE BOX 2020 written on it so we know it's for this year's WEE BOX appeal.

Telephone Apostolate Update from Deacon Peter

Things are generally ticking along nicely thank you very much! Our volunteers report that they’re all having nice long chats and that things are going well despite the lock down. But for some, particularly those with Alzheimer's /Dementia or indeed other mental health issues, this lock-down can appear like a never-ending road. It is a road which has led them away from normality. One person who I spoke with is desperate to get back to the Cathedral, desperate to get back to Mass, desperate to get back to receiving the Blessed Sacrament and above all, desperate to get back to normal. Some who are struggling to cope with the mental pressures brought about by the lock down have descended into a deep sense of isolation, even of imprisonment. I was sent a leaflet this week on the impact of COVID-19 upon those who suffer from dementia which really highlighted the importance of fostering a common sense approach to Good Mental Health. It is an approach based on good communication, based in friendship and above all in patience, understanding and in caring for those who find it difficult to cope with the mental pressures and changes wrought by the pandemic. Our volunteers in our telephone apostolate are doing just that, reaching out to others as Christ taught us to do. We all hope that as we come out of the pandemic, the Cathedral and St Andrews in Ravelston will reopen, at least for private prayer. Until then please keep all of our volunteers and befriendees in your prayers.

Read the newsletter for 17th May (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 17th May (doc)

The Fifth Sunday of Easter - Year A

SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE 5th SUNDAY OF EASTER

In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see how the Apostles decide to sort out a row that was brewing between two different groups within the early Church in Jerusalem. The number of those who were becoming disciples was growing and this obviously made increasing demands on the Apostles. The work of feeding the poor, especially widows, was burgeoning and obviously distracting the Apostles from their other work. So, they decide to choose seven men “of good repute, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom.” These become the first deacons of the Church.

It's worth noting the reason the Apostles give for the decision to ordain the first deacons: “It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food.” Giving out food, social help, was good and very much part of what Christians were meant to be doing. But if it was all the Apostles were doing, there would be a danger for them to be reduced just to an ancient form of social workers or charity workers: the Church is more than a charitable NGO. If we neglect the word of God – the teaching of Jesus – and focus just on social work, we will lose what makes us distinctive. The Apostles knew that. They made it clear that entrusting this charitable work to the seven deacons would allow them time to focus on the word of God: “We will hand over this duty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and the service of the word.”

During this lockdown, there is much of the normal sacramental life of the Church which is not directly available to us. We are not neglecting it – but maybe we are feeling neglected! Yet we can use this time to devote ourselves more wholeheartedly to prayer. To give some time each day to meditating on the Bible will help us – it will help us to get to know a bit better the fascinating Person of Jesus. He will enlighten us further about ourselves and about our lives – and He will draw us more deeply into the mystery of God, helping us to begin to taste and savour the delights of who God is in Himself. There is nothing more fulfilling than being with God – and also being in God, which is where prayer always leads us. This kind of prayer will then lead us to a further beautiful revelation – that, by grace, God is in us. He hasn’t neglected us and He never desserts us because in Jesus we are God’s Beloved.

The lockdown has also shown something else – the social outreach of the Church has not ceased. The care that so many of you have shown each other – with support, phone calls, help with shopping – has demonstrated this. We may not be meeting in our lovely Cathedral or at St. Andrews at the moment, but I feel that our parishioners are very much being the Church, doing what the Church is able to do in such restricted and difficult circumstances.

Maybe the blessing of this lockdown will be that we will be aware of the real blessings we have in our lives. I think that it will also help all of us, clergy and people, to work out more clearly what our roles as Catholics should be. It might help us to see how important a routine of daily prayer is for us. It should help us be aware of how much our society and our world needs Jesus Christ. I think it will also awaken in us a deep love for the Mass, for the Eucharist – as the wellspring for all we do in our lives and as the summit of our worship.

I am so looking forward to the day we can be at Mass together again. The words of Psalm 62 probably encapsulate everyone’s desire to receive the Lord again in Holy Communion:

O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory.

In the meantime, let the words at the end of the psalm comfort us about our closeness, even now, to God and His closeness to us: My soul clings to you; your right hand holds me fast.

Fr. Patrick

Give to the Parish Collection Online

I know that there are worrying and uncertain times, but I can’t hide from you that the Cathedral is being hit very hard financially at this time. Even discounting the reduced running costs and reduced wage bill, we estimate that we are currently down at least £6,300 per month on our usual income. This is due almost exclusively to the fact that we have no weekly collections at Mass at this time.

Some parishioners have indicated that they want to donate but cannot give in the absence of the weekly collection. In response to these requests, the Archdiocese has set up a new system for each parish that provides a quick and easy online giving method for parishioners to contribute to the running of their church. You can make a weekly donation or set up a standing order for the Cathedral here: https://www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/donate

The Finance Committee identified a need to enable online giving before the current restrictions. Please accept our heartfelt thanks for your generous donations to the Virgin Money Giving page the Cathedral set up last year. Your donations have been gratefully received by the Finance Office and we hope our parishioners find this new system even more convenient.

☎️ The Telephone Apostolate ☎️ Latest News

As the better weather arrives, we hear that there is the prospect of a plan to begin to see us emerge from lockdown. Everything seems a little bit brighter. However we still have to remember that for many of our parishioners who are shielding and isolated there is still a long way to go before their lives return to what any of us might call normal.

This is why the kindness and help of our volunteers is such an innovative and rewarding dimension, which we have now added to the life of our parish community. There is also no doubt at all that what we are doing in this apostolate has been very well received by our befriendees who now look forward to a wee chat, sometime two or three times a week with one of our volunteers.

We still have the capacity to do more and reach out to more people. If you or indeed someone you know might benefit from a call from one of our wonderful volunteers then please let us have the name and phone number of the person you know and wish to refer and we will do the rest. You can do this through the Cathedral website or on Facebook or by contacting Cathedral house by email or telephone.

WATCH DAILY MASS FROM CATHEDRAL HOUSE ONLINE

Each day, we publish one of the private Masses in Cathedral House, where we pray for our parishioners, mass intentions and an end to the spread of coronavirus. To participate spiritually in the Mass, please visit our Facebook page or the website.

Sunday Mass

Holy Mass will be available on the website, Facebook and sent to you by email at 9am on Sunday.

Mass Intentions

Although all public Masses are currently suspended, Fr. Patrick, Fr. Jamie and Fr. Tadeusz continue to offer Mass for the parishioners’ intentions. If you would like to schedule a Mass for someone who has recently died, for the anniversary of a loved one or for a special intention, please contact the Parish Office and we will help you to arrange a Mass. The Parish Office can be con-on 0131 556 1798 or email here. In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, please do not visit the office in person at the moment.

🎬 Ravelston Youth Group Online 🎬

During this period of lockdown, the Sisters are making short videos for the children in the Youth Group. This week, they made a stained glass window. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/Bmn6uwawioA - a must see!

Bring Flowers to Our Lady

As you know, both the Cathedral and St. Andrew’s in Ravelston are still closed. However, outside the church in Ravelston, we have a lovely shrine dedicated to Our Lady. During this month of May, we would therefore like to invite you to bring flowers and prayer intentions to Mary, the Mother of Christ and our Mother. Perhaps your daily exercise can become a little pilgrimage? If you would like to bring flowers to Our Lady, but live too far away or are self-isolating, please contact cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk, and we will figure out a solution!

And Speaking of the Parish Grounds in Ravelston…

The Alma Mercy Sisters have also made a wee Rosary Walk. Well worth a visit!

The Role of Women in the Church – New Group Starting Soon

What is the Christian concept of woman and her indispensable role in the Church, the family, society, and the world? ENDOW is an international organisation which gathers women into small group, to build friendship and learn more about our faith together. And now, we are for the first time starting up a group in the Parish! We will meet on a Saturday afternoon at 3pm-5pm once a month, initially over Zoom and then, after the social distancing restrictions have been lifted, in the convent in Ravelston, to study St. John Paul II's Letter to Women together. No reading is required outside the meetings, it’s all very simple! The cost for the material is £30, everything else is free. To register or for more information, please contact cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk. Please note that the number of places are limited, so registration is required. We look forward to hearing from you!

Marriage Week 2020

11th – 17th May is the week that is nationally set aside to celebrate commitment to the Sacrament of Marriage. The theme this year is "The Forever Conversation," recognising the need for continual open communication to enable a marriage to be long lasting. Marriage Encounter is working in partnership with Marriage Week UK to promote events and celebrate marriage. For more information see marriage-week.org.uk / or www.me.org.uk, and YouTube. 

Read the newsletter for 10th May (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 10th May (doc)

The Fourth Sunday of Easter - Year A

Some thoughts for the Fourth Sunday of Easter 

Today we pray for more vocations to the priesthood. We do so because Jesus told us to – “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to His harvest” (Matthew 9:38). Why? Because “the harvest is great, but the labourers are few” (Matthew 9:37). Yes, the harvest is great. It is great because so many people do not know Jesus Christ. They haven’t had the opportunity of meeting the real Lord Jesus. Some are afraid that faith in Jesus will somehow diminish their lives. But the truth is exactly the opposite.

In the Gospel today Jesus tells us clearly His purpose in becoming man: “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.” There is nothing diminishing about a relationship with Jesus. He wishes to embrace and fulfil every aspect of our lives. Indeed, He wants to remove from our lives anything that really does diminish us. Our society has so much good in it. However, it does suffer from a tendency to reduce human beings to being one thing. Some see us as just physical beings, with no spiritual aspect. Others see us as consumers or just as units which make up the economy. Others see society as fundamentally political, about a play for power, and see human relationships within that framework. Others believe that we are just individuals who owe nothing to the past and who can make up our own truth about who we are and who we want to be. 

However, this lockdown poses important questions to everyone and makes us face ourselves without any of the normal props or distractions which are part of daily life. It shows us that we are relational – we need others, we need each other. We are not just individuals – we are persons in relationships always. We are persons who have received existence from others and who help to form a whole network of society, passing on to others what we have received. We cannot just make up our own truth. We are more than consumers – we are only allowed to shop once a week and we discover that there is more to life than buying and selling. We are more than just units of the economy since we are being asked to put care for others ahead of the immediate demands of the economy – and this means that we know that life is about more than politics and having power. We are more than just physical beings because we find that there is a yearning within us for relationship and we find that material things are not the absolute necessity we thought they were – they are important but our lives are not fulfilled just by just having things.

Any tendency to reduce us to any of these things ends up limiting us. The beautiful thing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that He does not scorn any of these things: rather, He embraces them, and He puts them into their true perspective. He shows us how we can live a life which is free from being reduced to any of these views, of being limited by them. He reveals that the horizon of human life is the beautiful life of God Himself who called us into existence so that we could make our way to the rich pastures of eternity. Reducing life to any of these other perspectives ends up devaluing the grandeur of the human person. It sends us down a cul-de-sac instead of discovering the upland horizons of living by God’s grace.

Yes, Jesus has come to give us life to the full. In the Gospel today, He reveals Himself as the Gate and also the Shepherd who will lead us, the sheep, out of the limits of our enclosure to find good pasture. He promises us real freedom. He wants us to bring all the elements of our lives to Him – our social life, our family life, our relationships, our work, our leisure, our economy, our society – everything. Like a giant jigsaw, He will make sure that everything is in its right place: no piece will be lost; no piece will dominate the others. After all, as St Paul says, “all things were made through Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17)

For this reason, today we pray for more vocations to the priesthood. The priest is called to bring Christ who is our Life to people, to make Him available through the Faith we proclaim, through the sacraments we offer, and through the life of faith, hope and love which characterises the Church. As in every life, being a priest has its challenges and its sacrifices. Yet it is also a deeply fulfilling life – a thrilling one where we are Christ’s living instruments in bringing people to the fullness of life. It involves a life of prayer and of action. It is a life of loving people with Christ’s own personal love. It is also a life where we are very aware of our limitations but where we know that Jesus always makes up our deficit with merciful generosity. It is about being an icon of Jesus Christ in a world that needs the full colour of His grace. It is a life where we remember that we too are sheep called upon to lead other sheep to the richest pastures of all – and we do so by hearing the Shepherd call out to each of us, saying, “Follow me!” 

Today we pray that many others will hear that call and so offer themselves in the great work of leading people to the Harvest of eternal joy.

Fr. Patrick

Update from Deacon Peter on the ☎️ Telephone Apostolate☎️

As we tip over from April into May, it’s hard to believe that our telephone apostolate has now been up and running for over a month. First of all, I would like to offer my thanks to all of the volunteers and members of the parish council who have worked so hard to make this possible. The volume of our calls remains constant, but the duration of the calls continues to amaze me. While a few befriendees are happy with a wee check on how they are doing, most of our call durations are extending dramatically as relationships develop.  We are now supporting befriendees from the Cathedral and St Andrews across Edinburgh and St Andrews. That was not a mistake in my typing, we really are supporting people as far away as St Andrews in Fife.

Loneliness and isolation can affect people anywhere and we were asked to support a couple of ex-parishioners who had moved away some time ago but given the present circumstances of the lock down, they had become vulnerable and isolated. We were happy to do so, and they were delighted to hear from us! We have had many messages of thanks from some of the people who have referred friends or family to us. Many of them speak of the relief to know that our volunteers are reaching out to those they love but can’t be with and whom they feel would draw comfort and support by a call from one our apostolate volunteers.  We, in turn, are extremely happy to do this and because of the linguistic diversity of our parishioner volunteers, we are currently offering support to our befriendees in English Italian and Polish and we still have language capacity and flexibility to spare!

As these restrictions continue and personal circumstances change, perhaps you or someone you know of, might benefit from a friendly chat from one of our volunteers. You will find a contact form here and on our Facebook page or you can drop an email to me or to the cathedral house mailbox. Hope to see you all at Mass very soon!

Watch Daily Mass from Cathedral House Online

Each day, we publish one of the private Masses in Cathedral House, where we pray for our parishioners, mass intentions and an end to the spread of coronavirus. To participate spiritually in the Mass, please visit our Facebook page or the website

Mass Intentions

Although all public Masses are currently suspended, Fr. Patrick, Fr. Jamie and Fr. Tadeusz continue to offer Mass for the parishioners’ intentions. If you would like to schedule a Mass for someone who has recently died, for the anniversary of a loved one or for a special intention, please contact the Parish Office and we will help you to arrange a Mass.  The Parish Office can be con-on 0131 556 1798 or email here. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please do not visit the office in person at the moment.

Bring Flowers to Our Lady

As you know, both the Cathedral and St. Andrew’s in Ravelston are still closed. However, outside the church in Ravelston, we have a lovely shrine dedicated to Our Lady. During this month of May, we would therefore like to invite you to bring flowers and prayer intentions to Mary, the Mother of Christ and our Mother. Perhaps your daily exercise can become a little pilgrimage? If you would like to bring flowers to Our Lady, but live too far away or are self-isolating, please contact the Cathedral Office, and we will figure out a solution!

And Speaking of the Parish Grounds in Ravelston…

The Alma Mercy Sisters have also made a wee Rosary Walk. Well worth a visit! Ravelston Youth Group Online Since the Youth Group obviously cannot meet during the lockdown, we have tried to make a little video with a simple craft your family can make together. This week, we are making a May Altar, to help us fulfil our two very special prayer requests. Watch the video here 

The Role of Women in the Church – New Group Starting Soon

What is the Christian concept of woman and her indispensable role in the Church, the family, society, and the world? ENDOW is an international organisation which gathers women into small group, to build friendship and learn more about our faith together. And now, we are for the first time starting up a group in the Parish! We will meet on a Saturday afternoon at 3pm-5pm once a month, initially over Zoom and then, after the social distancing restrictions have been lifted, in the convent in Ravelston, to study St. John Paul II's Letter to Women together. No reading is required outside the meetings, it’s all very simple! The cost for the material is £30, everything else is free. To register or for more information, please contact cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk. Please note that the number of places are limited, so registration is required. We look forward to hearing from you!

Marriage Week 2020

11th – 17th May is the week that is nationally set aside to celebrate commitment to the Sacrament of Marriage. The theme this year is "The Forever Conversation," recognising the need for continual open communication to enable a marriage to be long lasting. Marriage Encounter is working in partnership with Marriage Week UK to promote events and celebrate marriage. For more information see marriage-week.org.uk / or www.me.org.uk, and YouTube. 

Young Adults – Ratzinger Reading Group

To continue to “grow on the inside”, some people from the Young Adults Group have started an online theology book club together with Fr. Jamie. Each week, we read twenty pages or so of Cardinal Ratzinger’s ‘Introduction to Christianity’ and then we meet talk together about what we have read. If you are between 18-35 years and would like to join, please email cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk. 

Emergency Appeal from Bethany Christian Trust

It’s hard to #StayHome when you don’t have a home. When you’re homeless, you are more likely to suffer from underlying health conditions and don’t have the facilities to wash your hands. Self-isolating can seem like a luxury. That’s why Bethany Christian Trust is determined to keep our doors open during this crisis, to do more to assist people and to make sure all of our services stay operational. Homeless people are being hit really hard by the coronavirus outbreak. Due to the temporary closure of our charity shops, we urgently need your help to ensure we can still give vital care and support to those who have nowhere else to go.  

Please donate today so that we can protect the people who need us now more than ever. You can give by phoning 0131 561 8927 or by visiting www.bethanychristiantrust.com. We know that this is a difficult time for many people financially. You can help us by sharing this information, praying for our staff and people who use our services or making a donation. Together we can make sure no one is left alone or in danger. Thank you for your valued support at this time of crisis. 

Download the newsletter for 3rd May here (pdf)

Download the newsletter for 3rd May here (doc)

The Third Sunday of Easter - Year A

Some thoughts for the Third Sunday of Easter

In the Gospel today, two disciples walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the first Easter Sunday. So much has happened – the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus, the flight of the apostles, and now stories that the tomb where he was buried is empty and some of the women are saying they have seen angels declaring Jesus to be alive. They are talking about these things. It sounds like they are puzzled trying to understand it all – the account hints that they cannot understand how the “the one to set Israel free” could have been crucified – how God could let Him fail so visibly.

We may be feeling something similar about the pandemic. We may be wondering, what is its purpose, how it could have happened or even why has God allowed it? Is God punishing us or humanity? Or has it nothing to do with Him? Is this the result of human greed or human malice? Or is it just random with no meaning at all?

In the Gospel story, Jesus comes up and starts walking beside the two disciples as they are caught up in their discussion. He asks them what they are talking about. They tell Him, amazed He is unaware of the events of the last few days. However, what is significant is that they are so caught up with trying to figure everything out but fail to recognise that the one they are talking about is travelling right there beside them. In fact, even when they explain what has happened, they show that they are so focused on the external events they’re describing that they fail to see the meaning which underlies them and holds them together. That meaning is walking beside them – it is Jesus Himself.

Our time of lockdown gives us the opportunity to stand back from everything – from our normal routines, from the busy and fractious world of politics and from the aggressive competition for power that we see displayed between world powers, politicians or by the media. It is a time to pray and to reflect. It is a time to contemplate the meaning that underlies our lives and our world. That meaning is God, made visible in Jesus Christ. He is present to us at all times but it is easy to miss Him. It’s easy to fail to recognise His presence. Yet, He really is present and He wants us to talk to Him and for us to listen to Him.

A key way to begin to be aware of God is to pray in gratitude. Thanking God for everything we have in our lives, for everything we have experienced today or throughout life – this will give us a deeper sense that everything we have is a complete gift. And it begins to open up our awareness of the reality of the Lord’s presence: everything we have, everything we do, everything we are – it all comes from Him. Gratitude will make us aware not of the gifts but of the Giver of all the gifts of existence.

At the moment, politics, international relations and the media all feel somewhat frenzied. They are caught up in a world of fear, accusation, blame and anger – sadly, it’s easy for us to get caught up in all this just by tuning into television or radio. It’s good to be aware of what is going on – but only if we remember that it’s not all that’s going on. What’s going on out there has the power to tip us into confusion and the splintering of relationships. There is no space to recognise the Lord walking beside us if our attention is fixed solely on the world out there.

The two disciples saw only disaster in the Crucifixion. When the Lord explained the Scriptures to them while walking alongside, they began to see it was really God’s plan, redemption, liberation: not the end of a life but the renewal of all human life. They did not recognise Him at first. But they gave time to listen to Him. And at the Breaking of the Bread that evening, the first Mass after the Resurrection, they finally recognised Him. One thing I am sure of is that God is using this time to encourage us to meet Him, to recognise Him, to evaluate the real meaning and priorities of our lives, to listen to Him and to draw closer to Him.

Being too busy in life means that we often don’t give ourselves the chance to work out if we’re busy with the right things: what is truly necessary in our lives? Only stopping to reflect will help us work that out. Someone said to me that they have felt like a monk or a nun during this time. Maybe we need to be more monastic in our lives. We Catholics, we Christians should pray more than we do. This will give us the space to live life more fruitfully instead of living it frenetically. If we want to find out the meaning of all that’s happening, don’t just look out there. The Lord is walking beside us – “I am with you always,” He says. It’s time to tune in to Him.

Fr. Patrick

Update on ☎️the Telephone Apostolate☎️ from Deacon Peter

During this pandemic, the Telephone Apostolate arranged by our two Parish Councils continues to be an important way to support our most vulnerable parishioners. An average of 100 calls are being made each week, with one call for 50+ minutes (hats off to the volunteer whao made that one!).

We have also had some very nice feedback from volunteers who have offered their own online shopping slots to some of the befriendees to make sure that they have enough supplies in these difficult times, which I think is really rather nice! Once again, thank you to all of our volunteers who make this possible!

Watch Daily Mass from Cathedral House Online

Each day, we publish one of the private Masses in Cathedral House, where we pray for our parishioners, mass intentions and an end to the spread of coronavirus. To participate spiritually in the Mass, please visit our Facebook page or www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/filming.

Mass Intentions

Although all public Masses are currently suspended, Fr. Patrick, Fr. Jamie and Fr. Tadeusz continue to offer Mass for the parishioners’ intentions. If you would like to schedule a Mass for someone who has recently died, for the anniversary of a loved one or for a special intention, please contact the Parish Office and we will help you to arrange a Mass. The Parish Office can be contacted on 0131 556 1798 or email here. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please do not visit the office in person at the moment.

YOUNG ADULTS – RATZINGER READING GROUP

To continue to “grow on the inside”, some people from the Young Adults Group have started an online theology book club together with Fr. Jamie. Each week, we read twenty pages or so of Cardinal Ratzinger’s ‘Introduction to Christianity’ and then we meet talk together about what we have read. If you are between 18-35 years and would like to join, please email here.

SCIAF - Wee Boxes 2020

The UK government is matching all donations (£1 for £1) made to the SCIAF Wee Box appeal this year provided these are received by the 20th of May. As both the Cathedral and St Andrews church are currently closed due to government restrictions regarding the coronavirus, we will not be able to collect and submit your Wee Box monies on your behalf this year. Instead, please send all monies you have collected directly to SCIAF, together with the completed base of the Wee Box. You can either post cheques to SCIAF or donate online or over the telephone. Please refer to their website for details: www.sciaf.org.uk.

Emergency Appeal from Bethany Christian Trust

It’s hard to #StayHome when you don’t have a home. When you’re homeless, you are more likely to suffer from underlying health conditions and don’t have the facilities to wash your hands. Self-isolating can seem like a luxury. That’s why Bethany Christian Trust is determined to keep our doors open during this crisis, to do more to assist people and to make sure all of our services stay operational. Homeless people are being hit really hard by the coronavirus outbreak. Due to the temporary closure of our charity shops, we urgently need your help to ensure we can still give vital care and support to those who have nowhere else to go. Please donate today so that we can protect the people who need us now more than ever. You can give by phoning 0131 561 8927 or by visiting www.bethanychristiantrust.com.

We know that this is a difficult time for many people financially. You can help us by sharing this information, praying for our staff and people who use our services or making a donation. Together we can make sure no one is left alone or in danger. Thank you for your valued support at this time of crisis.

The Catholic Universe and Catholic Times

Readers of these newspapers are unable to collect their paper at Mass, but you can get it delivered direct to your home every week, post free. Please go to www.thecatholicuniverse.com or phone them on 0161 820 5722 and they will arrange for you.

Download the newsletter for 26th April (doc)

Download the newsletter for 26th April (pdf)

Divine Mercy Sunday - Year A

Overcoming Fear

Jesus had been abandoned by his disciples at the time of his death. One of them had turned him over to the authorities. Another had denied he even knew Jesus. The others ran away, apparently in fear and horror.

That same fear still gripped the disciples as they stayed behind locked doors. The risen Jesus suddenly appears among them, and there is not a word about their betrayal, denial, and abandonment.

“Peace be with you,” he says, as though nothing had ever happened. They look at his wounds, and he repeats his remarkable greeting: “Peace be with you.”

If only we could follow in the footsteps of Christ and wish peace to everyone! If only we could forgive as he forgave! Where would be the wars? the discrimination? the hatred? the death penalty? They would go the way of death itself, conquered by the resurrection.

Jesus assures us that we have received the Holy Spirit. We have the power to release others of their wrongs against us, just as we have the power to keep them and ourselves bound. Our Easter faith that we have “become a new creation” should strengthen our resolve to forgive as Christ forgave.

Fr. Patrick

☎️ The Telephone Apostolate ☎️ Latest News

Since the Telephone Apostolate began at the beginning of April, our volunteers are now making over 100 phone calls each week. It has already proved to be a very good way to support our elderly or anxious parishioners during this difficult time, but also for all of us to stay in touch with the parish community until we can meet again for Mass. If you know anyone who would appreciate a friendly chat, please fill in the form on our website or email Deacon Peter.

Watch Daily Mass from Cathedral House Online

Each day, we publish one of the private Masses in Cathedral House, where we pray for our parishioners, mass intentions and an end to the spread of coronavirus. To participate spiritually in the Mass, please visit our Facebook page or on this website.

Mass Intentions

Although all public Masses are currently suspended, Fr. Patrick, Fr. Jamie and Fr. Tadeusz continue to offer Mass for the parishioners’ intentions. If you would like to schedule a Mass for someone who has recently died, for the anniversary of a loved one or for a special intention, please contact the Parish Office and we will help you to arrange a Mass.

The Parish Office can be contacted on 0131 556 1798 or email here. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please do not visit the office in person at the moment.

Young Adults – Ratzinger Reading Group

To continue to “grow on the inside”, some people from the Young Adults Group have started an online theology book club together with Fr. Jamie. Each week, we read twenty pages or so of Cardinal Ratzinger’s ‘Introduction to Christianity’ and then we meet talk together about what we have read. If you are between 18-35 years and would like to join, please email here.

Cathedral E-Newsletter

Join hundreds of Cathedral parishioners and friends of the Cathedral across the world in receiving the latest Cathedral news and spiritual reflections straight to your inbox. Since the Cathedral closed, we are contacting our parishioners more frequently by email as a vital means of staying in touch with our community. You can join the mailing list at the bottom of any page of this website.

Thank you for the Easter Gifts!

Many thanks to those of you who kindly donated to our parish account using the 'Easter Gift' reference. Your donation is very much appreciated, especially in these extraordinary times with no public Masses. If you missed the opportunity and would like to donate, please email the finance office or phone the Parish Office (0131 556 1798) for details of how to contribute remotely.

Download the newsletter for 19th April (pdf)

Download the newsletter for 19th April (doc)

Easter Sunday - Year A

SOME THOUGHTS FOR THIS EASTER

“Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is” says St Paul in today’s Second Reading.

Many of us in these days are hoping that our lives will soon “return to normal.” But is normal life the same as true life?

We have the opportunity during this period of lockdown to stop and survey our normal life. What is it like when society is running as it usually does? What are we like as people when things are normal? Are we at peace with ourselves or with others or with God? Or are we just swept along by the normal turbulent flow of daily living, rarely stopping to wonder if we are going in the right direction? Are we just flowing with everything else in one direction, not really aware of where we are going?

At the Easter Vigil, we heard the great reading from the Book of Exodus of how God rescued the People of Israel from the pursuing Egyptian army led by Pharaoh. This was the first Passover. He led them out of slavery, where they could not be at all free but had to live at the whims of their masters. It is significant that God leads the people through the Red Sea. The whole event is given as a pattern for how God will deal with His people: being overpowered by some form of slavery, the sudden realisation that we are powerless, realising that God is the one who is truly in charge, and being led through turbulent waters to freedom. They pass over from slavery to the freedom of the Spirit.

This pattern appears again and again in the Bible. Take Psalm 17 for example, written many years after the events of the Exodus, probably by King David. He uses the template of the Exodus to describe how God has saved him:

The waves of death rose about me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
the snares of the grave entangled me;
the traps of death confronted me. (vv.5-6)

The psalmist then goes on to describe how God saves him from his dire situation:

From on high He reached down and seized me;
He drew me forth from the mighty waters.
He snatched me from my powerful foe,
from my enemies whose strength I could not match. (vv.17-18)

He brought me forth into freedom,
He saved me because He loved me. (v20)

This same template was employed when we were baptised: through the waters poured upon us we moved from being merely children of nature to being children of God. At Easter, Christ passed through the deep and turbulent waters of suffering and death and sin to the new and utterly free life of Resurrection. He is now the new and eternal Passover. This same pattern has been engraved upon our souls: if we wish to call upon its saving power to move us out of our slavery to sin or fear then we can – and the Lord will bring us forth into freedom. The only reason He does this is because He loves us – He loves you, He loves me, utterly and absolutely, and nothing we may do can limit His power to love.

This Easter, locked down as we are, is an opportunity to reflect: in my normal life, what are the good things? What enslaves me? What do I do automatically and even selfishly? What are the blessings that I have? Do I realise and use the infinite spiritual potential that is within my heart since I was joined to Christ the new Passover at my baptism? When things get back to normal, do I want to live the “normal” life - or the true life?

Yes, Christ is risen. He goes before us. To follow Him where He leads us as our Good Shepherd, we have to hold on to Him. If we don’t, we will just drift aimlessly in the normal flow. Life is about more than drifting. It has an aim. Following Christ each day means that our life has a real goal. He gives us the grace to live and experience life with freedom and not just let it happen to us. We can count on Christ to help us find the way: He is risen with an eternal, indestructible and unfailing life. And He is with us always, yes, to the end of time.

On behalf of all of us here at Cathedral House, I wish you and your loved ones a Truly Blessed Easter, Fr. Patrick

Update from Deacon Peter on the Telephone Apostolate

Having launched our telephone apostolate on the 1st of April, I would just like to update you all with how we are getting on.

The biggest issue we have faced as a team has been that due to the current "lockdown" we are all working from home! This means that all of the lovely information which can usually be found at my fingertips in the Cathedral office, now has to be accessed on-line and communication conducted by either telephone or email or indeed by video conferencing. Let me tell you that this has proven to be something of a challenge for the less technically minded amongst us, including me, but everyone is trying their best and achieving great results. Thankfully we have some very gifted people on our Parish Councils, and we have all pulled together with our volunteers to make the outreach programme work.

We now have over 40 active volunteers who have been in contact with over 50 parishioners from both St Andrews and the Cathedral and our volunteers will continue to keep in touch with them over the coming weeks and months. Some people would like a call once a month, others weekly, and yet some others twice a week. Social distancing, self-isolation and anxiety about the epidemic can take their toll in different ways, in different people and at different times as this phase of the Government's response has lengthened from days into weeks and its impact may well affect us for much longer that we think . If you know someone who would benefit from a friendly chat from our volunteers then please let us know using the website, Facebook or by email. We are here for you!

Watch Daily Mass from Cathedral House Online

Each day, we publish one of the private Masses in Cathedral House, where we pray for our parishioners, mass intentions and an end to the spread of coronavirus. To participate spiritually in the Mass, please visit our Facebook page or www.stmaryscathedral.co.uk/filming.

Mass Intentions

Although all public Masses are currently suspended, Fr. Patrick, Fr. Jamie and Fr. Tadeusz continue to offer Mass for the parishioners’ intentions. If you would like to schedule a Mass for someone who has recently died, for the anniversary of a loved one or for a special intention, please contact the Parish Office and we will help you to arrange a Mass.

The Parish Office can be contacted on 0131 556 1798 or cathedralhouse@stmaryscathedral.co.uk. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please do not visit the office in person at the moment.

Young Adults – Ratzinger Reading Group

To continue to “grow on the inside”, some people from the Young Adults Group have started an online theology book club together with Fr. Jamie. Each week, we read twenty pages or so of Cardinal Ratzinger’s ‘Introduction to Christianity’ and then we meet talk together about what we have read. If you are between 18-35 years and would like to join, please email here.

Vincent Wallace, RIP

We were informed over the weekend of the recent death of Vincent Wallace, Director of Music at the Cathedral from 1992 - 1997. The choir he founded, the St Andrew Camerata, recently celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary here at the Cathedral late last year. Vincent passed away on Friday the 3rd of April, aged only 59. The former Cathedral parishioner who informed us remembered him as "a dear friend who loved the Church." One of the Masses on Easter Sunday will be offered for the repose of his soul. May he rest in peace.

Cathedral E-Newsletter

Join hundreds of Cathedral parishioners and friends of the Cathedral across the world in receiving the latest Cathedral news and spiritual reflections straight to your inbox. Since the Cathedral closed, we are contacting our parishioners more frequently by email as a vital means of staying in touch with our community. You can join the mailing list at the bottom of any page of the Cathedral website.

Read the newsletter for 12th April (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 12th April (doc)

Palm Sunday - Year A

Some thoughts for this Sunday

This Sunday we read the Passion of the Lord from Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew depicts the loneliness of Christ on the cross. The crowd gathered there jeer at Him, mock Him and taunt Him. For them, the fact He is on the cross is a sign of failure. Even Christ’s words on the cross seem to confirm their view: ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’

Yet Matthew indicates that something very different is going on. At the moment of Christ’s death, he writes, “Jesus yielded up his spirit.”

Jesus doesn’t just pass away on the cross; death doesn’t just happen to Him. He gives Himself up completely. He willingly breathes forth His spirit – and He has done this not to stop the suffering He is going through, but rather to bring it to completion.

St. Paul writes: “For the sake of the joy which was still in the future, Jesus endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it.” In other words, he actively engaged in the whole of His suffering and death on the cross for the sake of the joy which lay ahead. What was that joy? Well, here it would be worth looking at those words that Jesus cries out on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” Jesus was, as you know, quoting Psalm 21.

Why not have a look at it in your bible today? You will find that it is a complete prophecy of the death of Christ.

When Jesus said those words on the cross He wasn’t crying out in some kind of despair. He was living out the words in the Psalm that prophesied this death. The Psalm passes from words of pain and desolation to words of triumph, of exaltation and resurrection:

I will tell of your name to my brethren
and praise you where they are assembled. (v.23)

All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord. (v.28)

Here is the joy that lies in the future: Jesus will assemble all His brothers and sisters around Him and the whole world will return to the Lord.

The word for “the assembly” of His brothers and sisters is the word we use for the Church. We - the Church – we are the joy which lay in the future; we are the joy for whose sake Christ yielded up His life on the cross. We are His brothers and sisters not because we belong to the same nation but because we are assembled by Christ and joined to Him through our faith and baptism. The Mass is the great moment when the Church, the being assembled by Christ, happens most of all.

At the moment we are unable to be physically at Mass. But each time it is celebrated, we are there spiritually, and we are assembled together by Christ. Presently we are participating spiritually. Maybe we are learning a little more how to participate not just externally at Mass but internally as well – offering our lives and selves together with Christ, worshiping in spirit and in truth.

We all look forward to the joy of being assembled again at Mass physically. Hopefully this lockdown is helping us to renew our appreciation of the importance of the Mass for our lives. The Mass is the joy which lay in the future for Jesus. Every time we are there, we take part in the offering of Himself that He made on Calvary – and we receive Him in Holy Communion: the whole Christ, the real Christ.

Maybe we do not find much joy in this lockdown. But we can look forward to the joy of being freed from it and of being able to come to the Mass again to participate fully. Like Jesus, we can endure this time of isolation and make it our offering in love to the Lord: our worship, our sacrifice. All for the joy that lies in the future. That joy will come. That joy is Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus.

Fr. Patrick

Holy Week Liturgies Available Online

The Cathedral Clergy will celebrate Mass in the Cathedral on Palm Sunday and next week on Easter Sunday. You can attend Mass with us virtually either on the Cathedral website or on Facebook page (@edinburghcathedral). Father Jamie will celebrate Mass online on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week and you can participate spiritually in these Masses again on either our website or our Facebook page.

The Archbishop will celebrate the Easter Triduum from his Chapel at St Bennett’s. The liturgies for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil will be available on the Archdiocesan Website.

During Holy Week, the Cathedral Clergy will also be offering short daily reflections on the readings of the day in order to help you to stay in touch with the liturgy and to remain spiritually united with the Parish. Please visit the Cathedral Website or Facebook page to listen to them.

☎️ Telephone Apostolate ☎️

The programme, sponsored by the Parish Councils of the Cathedral and St Andrew’s, Ravelston, is up and running since the 1st of April. We already have a team of 47 volunteers from both churches. Chris McCabe, our Safeguarding co-ordinator, has been working hard to get all of the volunteers not already registered and approved onto our system, since the Catholic Church’s strong commitment to safeguarding continues also during this time. If you also would like to volunteer, please contact the Parish Office.

We have already contacted many of our parishioners at home and many more will be added in the coming weeks as they programme develops. If you are at home, self-isolating or feeling lonely and would like to receive a friendly call from one of our volunteers, then please let us know.

Or perhaps you have a relative or friend whom you think would benefit from such a call? Please pass on that information through the parish website or via the Parish Office.

Although we cannot meet face to face during this time, we hope that this apostolate will become an important way for us to stay in touch with each other. We believe that God can make all things new and create good even out of evil. Hopefully this time offers all of us an opportunity to grow closer together as a parish community.

Preparing Your Children Spiritually for Easter

The Catechetics Commission at the Archdiocese has put together an excellent daily guide to help families prepare their children spiritually for Easter, find it here.

Cathedral E-Newsletter

Join hundreds of Cathedral parishioners and friends of the Cathedral across the world in receiving the latest Cathedral news and spiritual reflections straight to your inbox. Since the Cathedral closed, we are contacting our parishioners more frequently by email as a vital means of staying in touch with our community. You can join the mailing list at the bottom of any page of the Cathedral website.

Read the newsletter for 5th April (pdf)

Read the newsletter for 5th April (doc)