Dies Domini

Making time for God

Catholic Bishops' Conference — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 01:56:00 +0000

In this fast-paced, always-on, 24/7 society in which we live, a commonly heard expression is “I’m too busy”. Are we too busy to develop our relationship with God? Too busy to go to Mass? Too busy to rest?

The final discussion in our Dies Domini series in which we examine why we keep Sunday holy, the Lord’s Day, we talk about how we need to make time for God.

Elliot Vanstone, Mission Adviser at the Bishops’ Conference, concludes our series alongside Natalie Orefice, Advisor for Parish Evangelisation for the Archdiocese of Birmingham based at the Maryvale Institute.

“On Sunday I’m thinking about what everybody else needs for school and work for the rest of the week,” says Natalie. “There are lots of jobs that need to happen for the week to run smoothly. But more important than all the practicalities of the week is my time given to Christ – my time going to Mass.

“We go together as a family and know that all those jobs are still waiting, they will all happen, but you don’t lose time by going to Church, by going to Mass. Take your time throughout that day to pray. God sees what you give, and he gives you the extra time. That’s a great mystery. He gives you the time and the energy to be able to approach the rest of the week in a way that He would desire.”

Our Weekly Easter and Pentecost

Catholic Bishops' Conference — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 07:33:00 +0000

For this third discussion in our series Dies Domini – Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy, our Mission Adviser, Elliot Vanstone and Natalie Orefice from the Archdiocese of Birmingham have an interesting discussion with Michele Thompson about how the Eucharist is foundational and transformational. It’s the cornerstone of our journey of mission – taking the message of Christ beyond the church walls.

Michele has spent seven years working in evangelisation for the Diocese of Plymouth and is co-founder of the Genesis Mission – an initiative that prepares disciples for mission in the Catholic Church.

From Mass to Mission

Catholic Bishops' Conference — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 08:37:00 +0000

The pandemic has changed the way we live our lives. For community and togetherness this has been a real challenge – particularly for the sick and those with under-lying health conditions. We’ve experienced social distancing, mask-wearing, lockdowns, and, for a brief period, closed church doors. The sense of loss is palpable and a similar emotion is felt at being distant from the Eucharist and the sacraments.

As the bishops are encouraging all Catholics to reflect on the centrality of the Eucharist to their lives of faith and take into consideration their personal circumstances and the reasons as to whether they can now attend the Sunday Eucharistic Celebration.

For this second discussion in our series ‘Dies Domini – Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy‘, our Mission Adviser, Elliot Vanstone and Natalie Orefice from the Archdiocese of Birmingham join Joe Hopkins to talk about the parish community and the celebration of the Eucharist.

Joe is the Director of Adult Formation for Mission for the Diocese of Nottingham.

Sunday at the heart of our Christian Life

Catholic Bishops' Conference — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 12:26:25 +0000

Elliot Vanstone, Mission Adviser at the Bishops’ Conference, hosts our series ‘Dies Domini – Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy’ alongside Natalie Orefice, Advisor for Parish Evangelisation for the Archdiocese of Birmingham based at the Maryvale Institute.

Our first topic looks at how Sunday – the Lord’s Day – is at the heart of our Christian life. This goes beyond the Blessing and post-Mass commissioning. A holy Sunday doesn’t end when we leave the Church.

The pandemic is taking many twists and turns so it’s not as simple as heading back to Church en masse this advent. That said we asked our guest, Sarah Adams, Director of Adult Education and Evangelisation for the Clifton Diocese, a question central to the theme:

What’s the importance of being physically present at Mass on a Sunday?