TAKEHOMENEWS SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER 2026
Love is all that matters. But Love is very demanding.
To live in love and for Love, we are to go beyond mere affection. Yes, affection is a beautiful part of love. But it can be very fleeting. We often feel affection when a relationship brings us joy and meets our expectations. But what happens when someone disappoints us and becomes difficult to love? If my love depends entirely on how I feel, it may disappear when those feelings change. Thus, the Lord invites us to move beyond mere affection and, through the power of the Spirit, freely choose love regardless of how we may feel.
God invites us to love him with everything in us and to love our neighbour with concrete actions. The first reading from Exodus 22:21-27 reminds us that our love for God must be concretely expressed in caring for and loving others, especially the most vulnerable. Jesus re-echoes this truth in the Gospel (Matthew 22:34-40), and reminds us that obedience, which is our response to God’s love, must hold in balance its two wings, namely: the love of God and of our neighbour.
To love this way, though, we need the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), by whom we can experience the love that loved us first and then are urged on to love others with the same warmth of love. O Lord, may the experience and knowledge of your love strengthen us to love others. Through Christ Our Lord.
Happy Sunday Fr Chinedu
SPONSERED SANCTUARY LAMP INTENTIONS
"Keep a flame burning." (Exodus 27:20)
marianita smith Thanksgiving for blessings & paul mc hugh R.I.P.
NEW PAYAZ GIVING STATION
Your details will have to be re-registered on your first log in. If you are a tax payer here in the UK please Gift Aid your donation. Thank you.
BAPTISM PREPARATION
The next preparation session for parents who wish to have their baby baptised is Sunday, 1st November at 4pm in the church.
BLESSING OF THE GRAVES
Carpenders Park on Sunday, 08thNovember 2026 at 1:30pm.
Clamp Hill Harrow Weald on Sunday, 08th November 2026 at 2.30pm.
Hendon & Mill Hill on Sunday, 08th November 2026 at 2pm.
FIRST COMMUNION PROGRAMME 2027
Application forms for parents who wish their child to receive First Holy Communion next year are available at the back of the church. Children should be in Year 3 or above. Please return the form to the presbytery by 6th December 2026. Payment and baptism certificate must be enclosed with the form. Sessions for parents and the children will start in January.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION 2027
We warmly invite young people in Year 10 who wish to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation to collect an application form from the table at the back of the church, week beginning 25th October 2026. Completed application forms should be returned by Sunday, 20th December 2026 to one of the priests. The Confirmation Programme will begin with a meeting for parents on Wednesday, 20th January 2027 at 7.30 pm in the Canon Smyth Parish Centre
Please keep all our Confirmation candidates and their families in your prayers as they prepare to take this important step in their journey of faith.
MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS
November, the month of the Holy Souls is approaching. The Memorial Book for you to enter names of those you wish to be remembered is on a table near the statues on the left side of the church. There is no need to enter names you have already entered in previous years. Alternatively, you can put the names on a piece of paper and put it in one of the envelopes at the back of the church. They will be placed in a box in front of the altar during November Masses together with the Memorial Book. Several Masses will be offered during the month of November for the Holy Souls. All Souls Day is on Monday 2nd November. There will be a Bereavement Mass on Saturday 21stNovember at 3pm to which everybody is invited. The date for the blessing of graves at Hendon Cemetery will be announced in due course.
SENIOR CITIZENS’ CHRISTMAS PARTY
St James’ Catholic High School invites local senior citizens to our annual Christmas Party on Wednesday, 2nd December at 4pm. Admission is by ticket only. If you would like to attend, please inform Susan in the office, who will arrange for your name to be added to the guest list at St James’ and for a ticket to be prepared for collection from the office. As tickets are limited, please put your name forward as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
NOTICE FROM THE PARISH FINANCE COMMITTEE RE: REPOSITORY PRICES
Due to rising supplier costs, we have taken the decision to increase the prices of items sold in our parish Repository (shop). We have done our best to minimise the impact of this change and to keep our prices as fair as possible.
The new prices will take effect from the weekend of the 31st October/1st November. We thank you for your continued support.
IRISH RAMBLING HOUSE CONCERT
Irish Rambling House Show on tour from Ireland at the Salvatorian College, Harrow. HA3 5RL on Saturday 31st October at 8pm and Sunday matinee 1st November at 3pm. To reserve tickets costing £20, please call: 07312 032905
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY
Thank you for celebrating World Mission Sunday. Thank you for your donations to the World Mission Sunday appeal. Your prayers and support will help missionaries work alongside communities worldwide, regardless of background or belief. Please continue to pray for all who share the love and hope of Christ with our sisters and brothers in need throughout the world. To support mission year-round, visit missio.org.uk or call 020 7821 9755 (office hours).
LEGACY GIVING
Thank you for considering making a legacy gift in your Will in favour of our Parish, Church of the Annunciation Burnt Oak. To find out more about the difference a legacy gift can make, please take a leaflet from the church porch or visit rcdow.org.uk/gifts-in-will
AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED
Thank you for your incredible donations and trade sales of £1274.70 to Aid to the Church in Need. Your actions and prayers have already made a real difference in the lives of persecuted and suffering Christians around the world.
FOODBANK FOR THE COMMUNITY
Non – perishable food is required for the foodbank, please leave your donations in one of the marked boxes in the church porch. Many thanks for your contributions to help families in need.
Diocese of Westminster Registered Charity No: 233699
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