Monday 6 August 2007

Reception into the Church of St Joseph, Harrow Weald.

Father Richard was welcomed home by 10 of his fellow Salvatorian priests this evening, as family and friends gathered to pray for him. We thought you may like to reflect on some of the scripture texts that were used during the vigil service.

1 John 1 - 2.
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God's children; and that is what we are. Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us. My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed: all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.

Psalm 102.
The Lord is compassion and love.

The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults.

As a father has compassion on his sons, the Lord has pity on those who fear him;
for he knows of what we are made, he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass; he flowers like the flower of the field;
the wind blows and he is gone and his place never sees him again.

But the love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear:
his justice reaches out to children's children when they keep his covenant in truth.

The Lord is compassion and love.


Gospel of John 14: 1 -4, 6 - 7.
'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house; if it were not, I should have told you.
I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too. You know the way to the place where I am going.'

Jesus said:
'I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.'



Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine on him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.



[Scripture texts taken from the Jerusalem Bible popular edition published by Darton, Longman and Todd].

Louise Madden

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You write very well.