Honour Your Father and Mother

On the second Sunday in Lent, Father Stephen preached again on the commandments. Today was, yes you guessed, 'Honour thy Father and Mother'. It was as though he was speaking directly to choirboy's children. He had words for the 'adult children' once again in the sphere of our wider responsibilities to family and society and touched on the subject of subsidiarity. I have culled the following from wikipedia: -

The principle of subsidiarity holds that government should undertake only those initiatives which exceed the capacity of individuals or private groups acting independently. The principle is based upon the autonomy and dignity of the human individual, and holds that all other forms of society, from the family to the state and the international order, should be in the service of the human person. Subsidiarity assumes that these human persons are by their nature social beings, and emphasizes the importance of small and intermediate-sized communities or institutions, like the family, the church, and voluntary associations, as mediating structures which empower individual action and link the individual to society as a whole. "Positive subsidiarity", which is the ethical imperative for communal, institutional or governmental action to create the social conditions necessary to the full development of the individual, such as the right to work, decent housing, health care, etc., is another important aspect of the subsidiarity principle.
The principle of subsidiarity was developed in the encyclical Rerum Novarum of 1891 by Pope Leo XIII, as an attempt to articulate a middle course between the excesses of laissez-faire capitalism on the one hand and the various forms of totalitarianism, which subordinate the individual to the state, on the other. The principle was further developed in Pope Pius XI's encyclical Quadragesimo Anno of 1931, and Economic Justice for All by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Today's music liturgy presented by a much diminished choir (was it the rain?) reflected the gospel (transfiguration) and continued with the same mass settings as last week - we intend to use them until Holy Week.

Entry: - Love is His word, love is His way

Kyrie: - Newquay mass (ii)

Gospel Acclamation : - Praise to You, O Christ, our saviour

Offertory: - Blessed be God

Sanctus:- Newquay mass (ii)

Amen: - Amen - We will sing

Agnus Dei: - Burntwood Mass

Communion: - Living Lord

Recessional:- Shine Jesus shine