PSt Ann’s Catholic Church, Kingston Hill – Parish News

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 3 August 2025
“Rich in What Matters to God”

This Sunday’s Gospel reminds us that life is not measured by what we possess, but by how we live for God and others. Let us build not bigger barns, but fuller hearts, living simply and generously.

Thank You – Feast of St Ann’s

Our heartfelt thanks to the Social Committee, Maintenance Committee, Tea & Coffee team, volunteers, donors, and sponsors for making our feast and garden celebration a joyful success. Special thanks to those supporting the double glazing project for the presbytery. Work will begin mid-September and finish before winter – 16.2% of funds raised so far. Contributions welcome.

Double Glazing Appeal – Bank Transfer (Preferred)

• Account Name: RCAS Kingston Hill
• Bank: NatWest
• Account Number: 79124429
• Sort Code: 60-50-01
• Reference: Double Glazing

Fr James Away

Fr James will be on holiday from 4–21 August. Sister Ursula will oversee parish logistics. Weekend Masses will be celebrated by a Jesuit student priest; weekday liturgies include Eucharistic Services and Mass by Fr Anthony.

Parish Updates

Parish Hall Hire: Ideal for celebrations; email kingstonhill@rcaos.org.uk.

Parish Registration: Please update your details online or on paper.

Baptism: Saturdays after 12 noon Mass. Complete the online application via the QR code.

Regular Giving & Gift Aid: Standing Orders and Gift Aid forms available in church or via QR code.

HOMILY: “Teach Us to Pray – Journeying from Words to Silence”
Homily – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – Theme: “Vanity of Vanities – Christ is All in All”
Readings: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21–23 | Colossians 3:1–5,9–11 | Luke 12:13–21

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

Today’s readings speak with rare honesty about something we often hesitate to face: the futility of a life spent chasing things that do not last.

We begin with the haunting words from Ecclesiastes: “Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” At first glance, it sounds like frustration or even despair. But listen closely – it is not hopelessness, it is wisdom. The passage continues: “For all their days are full of pain, their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest.” Yes, even in sleep there is no peace. When the soul is restless, even the finest bed or the highest salary cannot give rest. That, my dear friends, is vanity – not the joy of having, but the anxiety of keeping.

Then comes the second reading. And what a contrast:
“Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:11)
This is the destination of our spiritual journey. From the painful recognition of emptiness in Ecclesiastes, to the fullness of Christ in Colossians. Christ is the meaning. Christ is the peace. Christ is the only possession that cannot be taken away.

And in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus gives us a parable that drives the message home:
A rich man builds bigger barns, stores up all his grain, and tells himself, “Relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God says: “You fool! This very night your soul is being demanded of you.”
It’s striking. Jesus rarely uses such harsh words. Not even to his enemies. But here – to a man lost in his greed, blind to the needs of others – Jesus calls him fool. Not because he was rich, but because he thought his wealth was life.
He had full barns but an empty soul.

Let me share something personal, something close to my heart. I grew up in a very simple village. My mother would make sweet candies in the morning. Before school, my brother and I would sell them outside the school gates. We had to finish selling by 8:30 a.m., just before the school bell rang. If we didn’t sell, it was a loss. We made maybe two or three pence profit — that was the margin. And we ran home, changed to school uniform, and went to school with simple, grateful hearts.

That little boy – that eight-year-old James – who ran to school after selling sweets, he is still my reference point. When I feel tempted by greed or too much comfort, I look back at him.
That child knew the value of contentment, of earning with honesty and living with joy.

Now I have degrees, I am a priest, a Yoga Acharya — I’ve been entrusted with much. But I still say: what I have now is only an extension of that early simplicity. And I say with joy: Christ has brought me here. That is my true wealth.

I have seen, sadly, priests and people who become entangled in a life of accumulation. Some go so far as to lend money at interest, even using church collections. They multiply possessions, but their life becomes small. No time to serve. No peace. Just building castles in the air, like a mirage in the desert.

Jesus is clear – what matters is not the quantity of what you have, but the quality of your soul. Not having, but being.
As St Paul says: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2)

Let me gently speak to parents. Sometimes we say: I struggled, so my children should not struggle. But if you give them everything, you may take away their chance to grow. Children need roots, but they also need the space to rise. Don’t fill their lives with possessions. Teach them values, teach them Christ. Let them hunger a little — so they may learn to find the Bread that satisfies forever.

So I ask you, when you go to bed tonight, ask yourself: Do I sleep in peace? Or does my heart keep working in the night?

Are you rich in the sight of God? Are you storing up treasure in heaven or only on earth?

My dear friends, the world will always tempt us to chase after more. But in the end, we must stand before Christ empty of possessions but full of love.

Let Christ be your all in all. Let your wealth be your peace. Let your barns be your prayers.

And like that little boy selling sweets, may you find joy in the small, and God in the simple.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Important Dates for the Diary