This weekend is a great time of celebration in the USA as they mark the 250th anniversary of their Declaration of Independence. President Trump has promised the biggest fireworks display the world has ever seen! Here at Our Lady of Fatima we are having our own ‘Thanksgiving Weekend’ – albeit on a slightly smaller scale! We are fast approaching the end of the school year, and it just seems like an important moment to stand back, reflect and thank God and each other for the many gifts and graces of the last 12 months. If we are honest, we probably don’t say the word ‘thank you’ enough in our lives. It can be easier to complain or criticise. Yes, of course, there have been challenging times – but these too God can use to help us grow and mature.

In today’s Gospel we are privileged to enter into Jesus’ own heart as he prays to the Father. He begins his prayer with the simple words: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth…” – so words of praise and thanksgiving. This is not because he is experiencing great success in his ministry – indeed, to the contrary, he is facing opposition. Two of the small towns around the Sea of Galilee - Chorazin & Bethsaida - have rejected him and the religious authorities are beginning to coordinate their attacks against him. We might expect Jesus to become discouraged and frustrated but instead he praises God! When we are doing God’s work, we don’t usually receive prizes and public awards – quite the opposite! Jesus knows that the resistance means that change is happening. He has absolute trust in his Father – he knows that whatever we might see on the outside, God is always at work

Finally, Jesus opens his heart wide for all “who labour and are over- burdened, and invites them (that means us too!) to find our rest in him. So let’s give thanks to Jesus this weekend for all his constant care and concern for us. Let’s join him in saying, “I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth!”



With blessings & prayers from Fr Richard, Fr Ephrem & all the parish team
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