Flower arrangers: please sign the new rota for September and October.

Second collection for Sea Sunday when the church prays for all those who live and work at sea. The collection provides practical and spiritual support to seafarers visiting our ports.

Annual pilgrimage to Glastonbury: led by Bishop Declan, begins at 2.15pm with Mass at 3.30pm in the ruined Abbey grounds. Full details and timetable for the day on poster in porch.

Faith in Action: a new award scheme being offered in the diocese for young people aiming at encouraging them to become involved in their parishes. See poster in porch for dates and details.

CTinW Summer meeting, Tuesday 16^th July 7.00pm – 9.30pm in U.R.C. hall.

Church cleaning at St John Fisher: Thursday 18^th from 9.30am.

LGBT Mass: Sunday 21^st July at 3pm at St Nicholas of Tolentino Church, Bristol. See poster in porch.

Summer Camps: residential week of outdoor activities, catechesis, faith development, friendship and much more; £200 per child. Week 1 (ages 7 – 11) 12 – 16 August; Week 2 (ages 12 -16) 19 – 23 August. Further information from http://livingyourfaith.co.uk

Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage: 23 – 30 August. See poster in porch.

Canonisation of John Henry Newman: 13^th October in Rome. This is a four day event, 12 – 15 October, @ £650 per person. Details on poster in porch.

“Who is my neighbour?” asks a doctor of the Law in his attempt to clarify exactly what is being asked of him when the law speaks of loving God and neighbour. Jesus recognises his narrow concern and responds by recounting an incident of rural violence. We know the story well. It teaches clearly that love is the core and meaning of life and there are no limits. The lawyer’s question concerns the genuineness and depth of our love. How far will we go? Are there limits to our love? Do we only love when it is convenient or does our love for our neighbour take us out of our comfort zone? The neighbour in the story is a Samaritan, despised by the Jews for apparently having little concern for morality or for religion. Yet, he is the one who stops when he sees someone in need and responds with compassion and kindness. If there are parallels for us today I might want to ask myself how I would respond if my neighbour happened to be a refugee struggling across dangerous seas to reach safety or a drug addict on the street or someone from a different faith or culture who does things differently from me? Following the Gospel is not an easy option. It can challenge the very heart of who we are. Today, let us pray for an open and generous heart which is ready and willing to respond to anyone who might need our help this week.

Jesus describes how a traveller was set upon by a band of robbers and left for dead. Before long a priest, and then Levite, passed by that way, saw the bundle of humanity huddled at the roadside and hurriedly crossed the road and continued on their way. They may have thought that the victim was already dead. To have touched his corpse would have rendered them ritually impure and so precluded them from taking part in a Temple service. But then along came a Samaritan – for centuries a deep hostility had existed between Jews and Samaritans. The Samaritan, came to the rescue and at great personal risk, because there was always the danger of the robbers returning, used his own beast as a kind of ambulance to ferry the injured man to a nearby inn and promised to return and repay any outstanding debt there might be.

Jesus told this story in response to the question: “And who is my neighbour?” But his reply moves from obligation to invitation: “How can I show myself to be a good neighbour?” And the answer to that question is by assisting anyone who stands in need of help.

The good Samaritan in this situation had responded to Jesus’ invitation – “Go and do the same yourself”, show yourself a neighbour to your brothers and sisters in need. We are so used to the story of the good Samaritan; perhaps we need to revisit it. As we do so, we may find that like other parables, the story stops us in our tracks, sets us wondering, even shocks us – and perhaps leaves us striking our breast.