WHAT IS A VOCATION/CALLING FROM THE LORD JESUS, TO YOU?

Webmaster • September 1, 2024

Every one of us is given a Calling, a Vocation from the Lord to build up his Church. It takes many forms. The Lord calls us not because of what we are, but rather because of what we can become. When people begin to generously open themselves to a Calling from the Lord, then the Lord begins to draw those good people into a closer and closer loving relationship with himself. He begins to invite them into an intimacy which will always mean personal change - a change of personal plans, letting go of even good things, in order to prioritise what the Lord asks of us. This change is sometimes dramatic in its appearance, in the lives of very holy women and men. Usually, for most of us, it is a gradual process as we slowly begin to hear his Call, give up our protests and follow his way.


This applies to a Calling to be a Eucharistic Minister, to be a Lector, and even to be a Host and a Baker for our Evangelisation Cafe. In fact, it applies to any form of active participation in the work of the parish and the Church. The Lord has a plan for us each day, we have our own plans - we can do both, it is not ‘either-or’! If you are answering the Lord’s Call to be his Eucharistic Minister, his Lector, his Host or Baker as well as answering other calls, please give six months notice and we will try to accommodate your plans. If you can’t give six months notice or if there is a regular clash between your plans and the Lord’s plans for you, then you have a decision to make about your priorities. All I can do is remind myself and you of his words: “Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and everything will be given to you.” Let’s pray for each other and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we are able to hear the Lord’s Call and follow it, however difficult it might be. “What does he want me to do?” is the only question to ask ourselves. Bringing Holy Communion to our house-bound parishioners, Opening our Evangelisation Cafe, depend on how we answer that question, the Calling I have.

DEALING WITH LONELINESS - 11TH JULY AT THE LONDON JESUIT CENTRE

By Webmaster • March 16, 2026
Deep in the human heart is a longing to be connected to others, to love and to be loved. I am leading this Workshop from 10.00am until 2.00pm on Saturday 11th July . The Workshop will help us to understand the reasons why we sometimes feel lonely and what a devastating effect Loneliness can have on us. I’ll suggest effective ways to ensure that your experience of Loneliness can actually become the means of finding deep, satisfying ways of being close to the Lord and to other people. The workshop will take place at the London Jesuit Centre. If you would like to attend this Workshop, please book now on the London Jesuit Centre website.

DEALING WITH ANXIETY - 22/23 MAY AT THE LONDON JESUIT CENTRE

By Webmaster • March 16, 2026
Anxiety and Worry often make life difficult for many people. I am leading this Workshop, from the evening of Friday 22nd May ( 6.30pm to 8.30pm) then continuing on Saturday 23rd May (11.00am TO 1.00pm). This Workshop will explain how Anxiety begins, how it can take hold of us and then spoil so much of our lives. I’ll also offer some very good, tried and tested ways in which people can escape from Worry or at the very least reduce it and begin to live much happier lives, feeling and monk . The Workshop will take place at the London Jesuit Centre. If you would like to attend this Workshop, please book now on the London Jesuit Centre website.

LENTEN PENANCE SERVICE/OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUAL RECONCILIATION -31st MARCH

By Webmaster • March 16, 2026
We will have a short Penance Service, followed by an opportunity for individual reconciliation with the Lord, on Tuesday 31st March at 6.00pm

SHORT MORNING OF RECOLLECTION FOR ALL EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS - 28th MARCH

By Webmaster • March 16, 2026
May I invite all our present Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist who feel the Lord is calling them to this sacred ministry, to please join me for a time of prayer and reflection on Saturday 28th March from 10.30am until 12.00midday. We will begin in the church for 30 minutes of quiet personal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament; then we will move into our Cafe for reflection on the privileged gift of this most sacred of ministries, including conversations about logistics. This short time is an opportunity to prepare hearts and minds to renew a commitment to Eucharistic Ministry during holy Mass on Maundy Thursday.

THANK YOU

By Webmaster • March 16, 2026
To everyone who bakes or provides cakes for our Olde Forge Cafe. Please let me know if you could join our rota of very kind people who occasionally bake or provide cakes for the Cafe. Thank you to Margaret Fuller who provides the cakes this week.  Also, thank you to Bridget Saunders who will let us have some delicious Irish Soda Bread on Tuesday, to celebrate the Feast of St.Patrick.

EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION ROTA

By Webmaster • March 15, 2026
7/8: 5pm Mary; 9am Lisa; 11am Carolyn 14/15: 5pm Jim; 9am Gabrielle; 11am Giannina 21/22: 5pm Lesley; 9am Linda; 11am Regina 28/29: 5pm Patrick; 9am Paul; 11am Lizzie Thank you to our wonderful Ministers of the Eucharist who have accepted the Lord’s invitation to this awesome, sacred ministry, by their willingness to give up their own plans and convenience in order to do God’s will rather than their own. Let us pray for them because they too fight the same personal weaknesses we all have to fight against and they too have to fight the same temptations we all have to fight. God be with them.

WEEK DAY LECTORS

By WEBMASTER • March 15, 2026
Mon: David  Fri: Lorenza

ROTA FOR LECTORS – MARCH 2026

By Webmaster • March 15, 2026
7/8: 5pm Jim; 9am Lorenza; 11am Patricia 14/15: 5pm Mutsa; 9am Phil; 11am Marian 21/22: 5pm Mike; 9am Chris; 11am Collette  28/29: 5pm Paul; 9am Gerry; 11am Claire

PARISH FOOD BANK

By Webmaster • March 15, 2026
Our rota for the delivery of food to the Good Shepherd school in New Addington begins this week. Please find the rota below. The dates indicated are Thursdays during the school term. Please collect the two hessian bags of fruit on Thursdays from the porch of the presbytery between the hours of 8.30am and 2.30pm. Please then bring the fruit to the school in New Addington. The fruit could even be collected and delivered on Friday mornings too, if necessary. The address of the school is: 23, Dunley Drive New Addington CR0 0RG. The school is close to the Good Shepherd Catholic Church. 26th Feb : Margaret Laycock 5th March : Maggie Bailey 12th March : Lauren Andrews Knight 19th March : Mark Stanley 26th March : Frederick Clarke

OLD FORGE CAFE BAKER’S AND HOST'S ROTA

By Webmaster • March 15, 2026
OLDE FORGE CAFE BAKERS/PROVIDERS ROTA MARCH 2026 7: Lauren 14: Margaret Fuller 21: Anderson 28: Mary Please, if possible, could you provide enough cakes for the whole of each week. Thank you to everybody who is helping to provide cakes. To avoid having too many cakes, Coral mentioned to me that non-perishable cakes can be safely stored in the Cafe for a short while. When it is your turn to provide a non-perishable cake, please bring your cake to the Cafe a few days before the date of your turn. OLDE FORGE CAFE - HOSTS ROTA MARCH 2026 3: Maggie, Regina 7: Phil, Mary 8: Patricia, Jim 10: Colette, David 14: Marian, Lesley 15: Lesley, Emmanuela 17: Patrick, Paul 21: Simone, Gaberielle 22: Bridget, Jannine 24: Ros, Lizzie 28: Kelly-Ann, Carolyn 29: Giannina, Lorenza  31: Linda, Maggie Please note that for each of the above dates when the Cafe is open, one of the two Hosts has been trained in the use of the new coffee machine. Please would that trained person be the only person operating the machine and also please train the other person in its use. Many thanks. Thank you to everybody who acts as a Host. If an unexpected emergency occurs on the date you are scheduled to be a Host, please don’t worry about the Cafe. No need to try to find someone to ‘stand in’ for you. There is no need whatsoever to ‘swop’ with someone! We are not a Business, having to stay open to make money! - we open when and if we can. We take this role of ‘Host’ as a Vocation from the Lord to be his Missionary and his Prophet. Actually, the Cafe has, at times, functioned well with just one Host. The success of our Evangelisation Cafe depends on us. The more we speak to others of our Cafe, inviting them to visit us, the more successful it will be. Please invite members of your families, your friends, your neighbours and colleagues. Please check when it is your turn to be a Host (or a Baker!). Please see this role as a Calling, a Vocation from the Lord which you are generously telling the Lord you will do”. Thank you so much for your trust in the good Lord