The Magazine Each month we hope to include some of the main articles from the present magazine. Click on the article you wish to read Message from Fr. Graham Saint of the month A Message from Father Graham September 2009 Dear Friends, Among the decorations in Church for Harvest Thanksgiving there is usually a prominently displayed loaf of bread, often specially designed and made for the occasion. Bread is a symbol of harvest, representing the fruits of the earth for which we are thanking God. Jesus, himself, had a great deal to say about bread. The great prayer he taught us to say when we pray to the father includes the words, 'give us this day our daily bread'. This, of course, includes much more than bread in the literal sense. The word is symbolic and inclusive (so much that we say and do in our church worship is symbolic and has a deeper meaning than its face and unless we are taught or seek to find out the deeper and wider symbolic significance, it remains just shallow and of no meaning.)

Martin Luther in his catechism explained 'our daily bread' in this way: "I mean by it everything belonging to the want and supply of our life; that is, meat, drink, clothes, dwelling, gardens, land, flocks, money wealth, happy marriage, virtuous children, faithful servants, just magistrates, peaceful government, wholesome air, quietness, health, true friends, faithful neighbours and other things of like kind".

Perhaps Luther went a bit far and wanted butter and jam on it but he is right in giving the word 'bread' a bigger and wider sense. So should the same be applied to Harvest Thanksgiving. It is surely God's intention that we should live full lives in his world in which he has placed us - he has certainly given us the means to do so if we use them aright. I am sure that he is concerned about our bodily needs - though they are only one side of the coin. "Man cannot live by bread alone but everything that comes from the mouth of God".

For us to be 'whole people' our spiritual as our physical bodies must be fed. Today many of the physically well fed are spiritually starving and many of the physically starving are spiritually healthier.

In our churches at harvest time we see the fruits of the earth. The New Testament makes quite clear the importance to our Christian lives of the Fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These flow naturally in all truly Christian relationships and it is by these fruits that, as Jesus promised, Christians shall be recognised.

We cannot put these spiritual fruits on display with the fruit and vegetables at our Harvest Thanksgiving, yet it is not complete without them, that is, without the fruits of the Spirit in us and active in the community through us. As the bread and the wine of the Eucharist bring to us the great love which God has for us, in that Jesus Christ gave his whole life and died for us, and as the bread and wine show forth that love in his desire to give us our spiritual needs. Is it not true that we are always willing to give and to sacrifice for those whom we really love?

Harvest Thanksgiving is one of our opportunities for showing our thanksgiving and our love to God for all his gifts, for, 'All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above. Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord, for all HIS love'.

If our Harvest Thanksgiving is to be really meaningful we mustn't just leave the bringing of gifts to others or just to children. It must be a thanksgiving from all of us. What better than to add to our thanksgiving by our gifts being in the form of something that will go to help other people, either immediately or over the coming months.

Let our Harvest Thanksgiving and its gifts this year truly be the thanksgiving of each and everyone of us in our love for God.

With every blessing,
Fr. Graham

Saint of the month

This is a series that I hope will enlighten, and inform. We celebrate many Saints Days in the year not always knowing much about them. I hope you enjoy these Saints.

St. Theuderius or Chef. Abbot. AD575.
Feast Day 29^th October
St. Theuderius was born at Arcisia (Saint Chef d'Arcisse) in Dauphine. Having exercised himself in monastic life at Lerins and been ordained priest by St. Caesarius at Aries, he returned to his own country; and, being joined by several disciples, built for them first cells and afterwards a monastery near the city of Vienne. It was anciently a custom here that some monk of whose sanctity the people entertained a high opinion was chosen voluntarily to lead the life of a recluse; St. Theuderius was asked to undertake this penitential state, which obligation he willingly took upon himself, and discharged with much fervour at the church of St. Laurence during the last twelve years of his life. An extraordinary gift of miracles made his name famous. He died about the year 575.

Fr. Graham.