Newsletter 20th July 2025

21 July 2025

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Parish News – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: Sunday, 20th July 2025
Theme: “Mary has chosen the better part…” (Luke 10:42)

This Sunday’s Gospel calls us to be still and attentive to the Lord — to choose the better part as Mary did. In our often hurried lives, Jesus invites us to sit at His feet, listen, and draw closer to Him.

In Loving Memory

We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family of Andre Brenninkmeyer, a devoted man whose presence and generosity have left a lasting impact on our parish. Please continue to keep his family in your prayers.

Thank You to Cappagh Group of Companies

Our deepest gratitude to Cappagh for the remarkable work resurfacing the church road. Your kindness has blessed our parish with a smoother, safer, and more beautiful environment. As a token of appreciation and in loving memory of Tom Ferncombe RIP, a Foundation Mass will be celebrated annually on 3rd April at St Ann’s for the next 25 years.

Upcoming Parish Feast – Sunday 27th July

Join us for the Feast of St Ann, our beloved patron saint:

Mass at 10:30 a.m.
Celebration in the garden with barbecue, music, raffle, and dancing
Organised by our Social Committee and Church Maintenance Team

We also invite you to our Novena Prayers:

Friday at 6:30 p.m. – For Expectant Mothers
Saturday at 5:30 p.m. – For Grandchildren
Sunday Feast Mass at 10:30 a.m. – For All Families

All are welcome!

Parish Announcements

Double Glazing Project – Appeal for Support

The presbytery at St Ann’s urgently needs to replace its single-glazed iron windows and doors with energy-efficient double glazing. The approved quote is £28,500. We kindly invite your support:

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

QR Code donations are also available at the back of the church.
Thank you for your generosity and support.

Baptism at St Ann’s

We warmly welcome families wishing to baptise their children. Baptisms are usually held on Saturdays after 12 noon Mass. Please use the QR code on the noticeboard or visit our website to begin the application process.

Parish Registration

We are updating our Parish Registration both online and on paper. Online registration is preferred. Kindly update your details to help us stay in touch and build our parish together.

Tea & Coffee After Mass

All are welcome to join us in the Parish Garden after Sunday Mass for refreshments and fellowship. Children can enjoy the Kids’ Corner while adults connect over a cup of tea.

Fr James’ Summer Holiday

Fr James will be away from 4th to 22nd August. Please arrange any sacramental needs or blessings before the end of July. A visiting priest will be celebrating Mass during this time.

Hall Hire at St Ann’s

Looking for a venue? Our Parish Hall is available for hire — ideal for birthdays, anniversaries, and family gatherings. With 60+ parking spaces, tables, chairs, kitchen access, and a garden view, it’s perfect for your celebrations. Contact us at kingstonhill@rcaos.org.uk to enquire.

NL July 20 25 St Ann Download

Homily – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Theme: “The One Thing Necessary – From Doing to Dwelling”
Readings: Genesis 18:1–10a | Colossians 1:24–28 | Luke 10:38–42

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This Sunday’s Gospel gives us a scene we know well: Jesus visits the house of Martha and Mary. One is busy serving, the other is sitting at His feet. One is anxious and restless, the other is calm and attentive.

Now, over the years, many have seen this passage as a contrast — Martha the worker, Mary the contemplative. Some even make it sound like a competition: Who’s better? Who’s right?

But if we go deeper, the story is not about one being better than the other. It is about recognising what matters most when Jesus is present.

Let us walk slowly through this scene.

Martha does a noble thing: she welcomes Jesus into her home. Hospitality is sacred in Jewish culture — and in today’s First Reading from Genesis, Abraham’s hospitality to the three mysterious visitors brings a divine promise: “This time next year, Sarah will have a son.” Blessings follow hospitality.

So yes, Martha welcomes. She prepares. She serves. She does good — but she becomes anxious and distracted. Why? Because even in the presence of the Lord, her heart is not resting.

It is easy to fall into that. Many of us are Marthas — not because we choose to ignore Jesus, but because we’re too busy trying to please Him, forgetting that He just wants to be with us.

We serve in church. We work hard for our families. We cook, clean, coordinate, and sometimes we find ourselves saying what Martha said:
“Lord, don’t you care that I’m doing all the work?”
That moment of resentment — that inner cry for recognition — that’s when service without stillness becomes strain.

Mary does something simple, yet profound. She sits at the feet of Jesus and listens.

In Jesus’ time, only men would sit at a rabbi’s feet. So Mary’s act is bold. She breaks cultural norms. She claims her space as a disciple. And Jesus honours her choice.

He says: “Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”

It’s not that Martha’s work is wrong — it’s that Mary’s posture is eternal. Dishes will pass. Meals will fade. But the Word of God remains.

St Paul, in the second reading, reminds us of the mystery hidden for ages — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Mary lives that mystery — not in doing, but in dwelling.

Let’s be honest: the world today is more Martha than Mary.

We live in an age of performance and distraction. We measure life by output: How many emails did I send? How much money did I earn? How busy am I? We wear busyness like a badge of honour.

But Jesus says today: “One thing is necessary.” Not a thousand. Not even ten. One.

The one thing necessary is not your to-do list — it’s your relationship with God. That’s the core. From that relationship, everything else finds its order.

St Francis de Sales wrote, “Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.”

In other words, the busier you are, the more you need to sit at Jesus’ feet.

Let’s bring this home.

In our families — are we just doing for each other, or are we also being with each other?
At home — do we sit together for prayer, or are we constantly running around?
In church — do we serve so much that we forget to pray?

Martha and Mary are not rivals. They are sisters — and we need both. We must serve like Martha, but only after we listen like Mary. First be filled, then go and fill.

In fact, we could say, hospitality is Martha’s gift, and attention is Mary’s grace. One makes space for Jesus in the house. The other makes space for Jesus in the heart.

As Pope Francis once said:
“In a world that constantly asks us to do, we forget how to be. We must relearn the art of listening — to God, to each other, and to ourselves.”

Dear friends, Jesus is still entering our homes today — our lives, our minds, our moments. And the question is: Will we sit at His feet? Or will we stay busy with distractions?

Let us be like Mary — not passive, but present. Let us be like Martha — not distracted, but directed.

And may our homes, our hearts, our parish be a place where Jesus is not just served — but heard, welcomed, and loved.

“Mary has chosen the better part. It will not be taken away from her.”
Let us choose the better part.