Taunton Vale Catholics

08/09/2026

Today the Church celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary — the birth of the woman through whom Christ, the Light of the World, would come to us.

Our Lady, pray for us 💙🙏

08/09/2026

Gospel of the Day ( Matthew 1,1-16.18-23)

The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us."

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day/2026/09/08.html

07/09/2026

07/09/2026

Gospel of the Day (Luke 6,6-11)

On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.

But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up and stand before us." And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?"

Looking around at them all, he then said to him, "Stretch out your hand." He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day/2026/09/07.html

06/09/2026

Pastoral Letter for the Season of Creation: Sunday 6th September 2026

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

During my recent recovery after a heart procedure, I found myself walking much more slowly than usual. At first, I found that rather frustrating. But then something unexpected happened. I began noticing things I had hurried past for years: birds singing early in the morning, sunlight through the trees, leaves moving in the breeze, the extraordinary colours of an ordinary garden. It struck me that perhaps nothing had changed except me. The world had always been proclaiming the glory of God. I had simply been too busy to notice.

At the beginning of this month the Church entered the Season of Creation, from I September until the Feast of St Francis of Assisi on 4 October. This year we also have the new Massfor the Care ofCreation, approved by Pope Leo XIV and added to the Roman Missal.

Care for creation is sometimes presented as though it were a recent concern of the Church. In fact, it reaches back to the first words of Scripture: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. " The Psalms summon sun and moon, mountains and rivers, animals and peoples to praise their Creator. St Augustine wrote that God's creation is like a great book in which we can recognise the hand of its author. St Francis sang of Brother Sun and Sister Moon.

This year that tradition has a particular resonance. We are celebrating a special Year of St Francis, proclaimed by Pope Leo to mark the 800th anniversary of the saint's death. The Church's decree describes 2026 as the culmination of recent Franciscan centenaries, including those of the crib at Greccio, the Stigmata and the Canticle of the Creatures. St Francis loved creation because he loved Christ. He saw the created world as God's handiwork and therefore as something to receive with gratitude rather than simply possess.

Pope Leo has spoken of the need for a "contemplative gaze" which changes our relationship with creation. Today's Psalm puts it more simply: "O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts. " Perhaps that is where the real challenge lies. A heart which loses its capacity for gratitude soon loses its desire to care. The prophet Ezekiel reminds us today ofthe responsibility of the watchman. Christians cannot simply look away when creation is damaged, particularly when the consequences fall most heavily upon the poor.

The theme for this year's Season of Creation comes from Isaiah: "They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. " Those words have a particular urgency when war continues to destroy lives, communities and the land itself. St Francis understood that peace with God, peace with our neighbour and reverence for God's creation belong together. His example invites us to become witnesses of that peace ourselves.

St Paul gives us the foundation for all of this in today's second reading: "Love is the fulfilling of the law. " Christian care for creation springs from love for God and love for our neighbour, including those who will inherit the world after us.

And this brings us to the Eucharist. Pope Francis wrote in Laudato Si': "The Eucharistjoins heaven and earth; it embraces andpenetrates all creation. " This is deeply rooted in our Catholic tradition. At every Mass we bring to the altar bread and wine, fruit of the earth and work of human hands. These gifts of creation are offered to God and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, become for us the Body and Blood of Christ. As Pope Benedict taught, in the Eucharist creation is drawn towards its fulfilment in the Creator.

So perhaps our response during this Season of Creation can begin quite simply. Give thanks for food rather than taking it for granted. Waste a little less. Teach children to marvel at the natural world. Walk a little more slowly and notice what is around us. And when we come before the Blessed Sacrament, remember that the Lord whom we adore is the One through whom all things were made.

My brothers and sisters, the world does not belong to us. It belongs to God. We receive it as a gift, hold it in trust for a little while, and hand it on to those who come after us. During this Season of Creation, and in this Year of St Francis, may the Holy Spirit renew in us a sense of wonder. May we learn again to see creation with the eyes of faith, to give thanks to the Creator, and to care more faithfully for the beautiful world he has entrusted to us.

With my prayers and every blessing.


* Bosco

Rt Revd Bosco MacDonald
Bishop of Clifton

05/09/2026

05/09/2026

After nearly 30 years of ministry in Turkmenistan as a missionary, Fr. Andrzej Madej, OMI, tells Vatican News that his goal was to build relationships ...

05/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19RopAKFV1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Think before sharing back-to-school photos online ❌⚠️

Thousands of parents will proudly share pictures of their children heading back to school this week - but please take a few moments to check exactly what the photos are revealing about you and your family.

A seemingly innocent first-day picture can contain far more information than you realise. School uniforms and logos, street names, house numbers, car registration plates, children's names and even boards showing their age, school year or date can all reveal information about a child and where they live or go to school.

There are also wider risks. Publicly available photographs can be copied, downloaded and redistributed without your knowledge, used to create fake profiles or impersonate someone, and potentially manipulated using AI, including to produce abusive or sexualised imagery.

Before posting:

• Check the background and crop or blur identifying details, including school badges, road signs, house numbers and vehicle registration plates;

• Avoid giving your child's full name, exact age, school, class or regular routine;

• Review who can actually see and share your posts. Consider making accounts and stories private;

• Remember that deleting a photograph later doesn't guarantee that copies haven't already been saved or shared;

• As children get older, involve them in deciding which photographs of them are posted online.

❤️ You can still share those proud first-day moments. Just make sure you're sharing the memory, not a collection of personal information about your child.