Please pray for the repose of the soul of Pamela Penrose, whose Funeral Service will be celebrated at St Cuthbert’s on Tuesday 17th November at 12 noon. Please contact Fr Andrew if you wish to attend the funeral.

Ushaw College Gardens and Grounds are open daily, 11am-4pm. See www.ushaw.org/ for details.

Today’s parable reflects the wedding customs of Jesus’ time. The bridegroom would arrive at the bride’s house with his attendants, and the bride, together with her family and friends, would join the party and make a ceremonial entrance to the feast. So the bridesmaids had an important role in the wedding celebration, accompanying the bride to the banquet. They had to be ready, whenever the bridegroom arrived.

In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was often described as God’s bride. Jesus’ parable recalls the way that the love of husband and wife was used as a beautiful symbol of God’s love for his chosen people.

We know that our life on earth will end, but, as Jesus says, we ‘do not know either the day or the hour.’ When the Lord calls us, he wants to find us ready, with our lamps lit. We keep our lamps burning by following Christ’s commandments to love God and love our neighbour; by living a life of prayer and good works. This week, Remembrance Sunday reminds us of the sacrifice of those who died in two World Wars, and in many other conflicts. Their light was snuffed out before their time. As we remember them, we pray for peace in our world today.

Like the wise bridesmaids, the members of the Church should support one another, helping each other to keep our lamps alight. When the time comes, in God’s mercy, we will be invited to share in the wedding feast in the kingdom of  heaven.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the appeal to cover the cost of live streaming equipment for St Cuthbert’s. A technician visited the church last week; we are awaiting an estimate, and we hope to start the work soon.

On Sunday 8th November there will be a shared reflection on the readings and the Gospel reading, on Zoom at 11.00am.

For details of how to take part, join the ‘St Cuthbert’s Parish Community’ Facebook group or email margaretdoyle1066@sky.com

Pilgrimage – a personal faith perspective. Individuals from different faith traditions and belief systems (including Fr Andrew) will share their personal experiences of and responses to pilgrimage. Monday 9th November, 7.00-8.30pm, on Zoom. Please contact gavin.wort@durham.ac.uk to register and to receive the log-in details.

The Government has introduced lockdown restrictions from Thursday 5th November. Public acts of worship are forbidden from that date, and all Masses from this Thursday onwards will be celebrated privately.

Churches can still open for private prayer. This week, St Cuthbert’s will be open at the following times:

Thursday 5-6pm; Friday 12-1pm; Saturday 9.30-10.30am.

Watch the website and the parish and chaplaincy Facebook pages for details of future opening.

The Gospel reading for today’s Feast of All Saints comes from the beginning of Jesus’  Sermon on the Mount. He goes up the hill and sits down, with a crowd of people waiting to hear him, and he sets out his teaching.

Our first reaction to Jesus’ words may be that his teaching is unrealistic. Jesus says, ‘Happy are the poor in spirit… happy the gentle… happy the merciful.’ But surely, that is not the way that the world is. It might seem more true to say ‘Happy are the rich… happy are the powerful… happy are those who fight to get what they want.’ Those are the values of the world.

But does it have to be that way? We have all known people who lived by the values that Jesus teaches us. We know people who are gentle, kind and merciful. There are people who are happy and contented, even though they seem to have very little. Those people are an example and an inspiration to us. They show us a better way to live.

Today, the Church remembers all the saints who are not canonised – those who are not famous, or even known. We celebrate the parents, grandparents and friends who taught us about Jesus, and who gave us an example of the Christian way of life. They lived by the values of the Beatitudes. The First Reading describes the gathering of the saints in heaven: ‘a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language.’ Everyone is invited into God’s kingdom, whoever they are and wherever they come from. There is a place there for each one of us.

St. Cuthbert’s is now open for public Mass throughout the week as well as on Sundays.

Please do not come to church if you are in the ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ group, if you are showing any of the symptoms of Covid-19, or if you have any concerns about your safety. The obligation to attend Sunday Mass has been dispensed by the Bishops until further notice.

You will be asked to give contact details and we have a QR code displayed if you are using the NHS COVID-19 Test & Trace App.

Face coverings became mandatory in Places of Worship from Saturday 8th August 2020. All those who are attending churches must wear a face covering unless they are exempt from doing so.

Sunday Mass: Mass will be celebrated on Sunday 1st November at 10:00am and 6.30pm, and Sunday 8th November, at 10.00am and 6:30pm. The capacity of the church is limited to 36 people under the diocesan Risk Assessment. If you wish to attend Sunday Mass, you must request a place, by emailing office@stcuthberts-durham.org.uk or telephoning 0191 384 3442. If you come to church without having booked a place at Mass, you may be asked to leave. If there is a high demand for places at the 6:30pm Mass, priority will be given to students.

Masses during the week. You can attend without prior booking, but you will be asked for contact details. Church will be open for an hour each time there is Mass and you are very welcome to come into church for private prayer immediately before and after Mass.

Receiving Communion: Please wait in the pews until instructed by the Stewards to come forward to the priest for Holy Communion, always aware of social distancing in the queue. Please unloop your face covering, hold your arms at “full stretch” so that there is a good distance between you and the priest, with hands, palms upwards, one of top of the other, extended as flat as possible, consume the Sacred Host and then replace your face covering before moving back to your pew.

Volunteers are needed to act as stewards, and to clean the church after each opening. You must not volunteer if you are in the clinically extremely vulnerable group, and if you are in the clinically vulnerable group, you should consider carefully your safety before deciding to volunteer. If you do wish to help, please get in touch by telephone or email, as above.