Theotokos Prayer Group - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 19 July 2026

 

WHEAT AND WEEDS!

Alleluia, alleluia.
I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
you have revealed the secrets of the kingdom to little children.
Alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 13:24-43
‘Let both grow together until the harvest.’
At that time: Jesus put another parable before the crowd, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” So the servants said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he said, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ” ’
  He put another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’
  He told them another parable. ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.’
  All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: ‘I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.’
  Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.’

Be gracious, Lord, to us who serve you, and in your kindness increase your gifts of grace within us:
so that, fervent in faith, hope and love, we may be ever on the watch and persevere in doing what you command.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Events

Our next meeting is on 21 July 2026 at 7.30pm in The Creche in St Patricks Church, Glenfield Road, Fairfield, Stockton TS19 7PL. All welcome!

It is just a short bulletin this week as I have been away - catch up in next weeks bulletin. Stephen x

Theotokos Prayer Group - 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, 12 July 2026

 

Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
all who find him will live for ever.
Alleluia.

Gospel:    Matthew 13:1-23

‘A sower went out to sow.’
At that time: Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.’
  Then the disciples came and said to him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ And he answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
  ‘Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’

God and Father, to those who go astray you reveal the light of your truth and enable them to return to the right path.
Grant that all who have received the grace of baptism may strive to be worthy of their Christian calling and reject everything opposed to it.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Notes from meeting on 7 July 2026

Picture of a small band of praying people, they are dishevelled, hungry and thirsty. 

Blessed Mother appears and leads them to a small pool of cool water. At the edge of the pool are trees and Jesus is cooking bread on an open fire!
The Son of God Most High opens His arms wide and calls out:
Come My People wash your feet in the cool water.
Come My Flock and eat of the satisfying bread.
Come My Lambs and drink the wine of My Love.
You are weary and laconic, but the fire of My Love surrounds you and fills you, you will become like gambolling lambs in the field, full of life, My Life, so come to Me you who are overburdened and take rest in My Arms and lay your weary heads upon My Heart so full of Love for you.
You are MY People and My Heart burns with Holy Love for you!
Turn always to My Heart and call on My Name, nothing can keep you from Me, for YOU are MINE.
Follow My Mother because Her Heart and Mine are joined as one!
She is your pattern!
Do not be afraid but come to Me.
You’re Loving Jesus."

Intercessions

I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord. Should they cry to me in any distress, I will hear them, and I will be their Lord for ever...

We pray in reparation for all offences against the life and dignity of the human person from conception until natural death. Lord have mercy on us!

Pray for our new Pope, Leo XIV, that he may shepherd the Church and proclaim Christ to the World.

Pope’s Prayer Intention – July 2026

For respect for human life
Let us pray for the respect and protection of human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God.

Sacred Heart of Jesus have Mercy on us.

Immaculate Heart of Mary pray for us.

We pray for all who are ill in mind body or spirit and all those in any need or difficulty.

Pray for Christine diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. and undergoing chemotherapy.

Continue to pray for healing for Marcin.

Pray for Dan that he finds employment.

Pray for Rosie

Pray for Pat

Pray for Jacob who is 6 years old he has been diagnosed with Perthes disease which affects his ability to walk.

Pray for upbuilding of Marriage and Family.

Pray for peace in our Country and our communities.

Pray for our young people that they may be protected from the evil one, that they may find a home in the loving Heart of Jesus.

Pray for all in our Parishes who are ill in body, mind or spirit.

Pray for all those we have been asked and have promised to pray for.

Pray for all who are grieving give them strength, consolation and healing.

Pray for our Priests and for vocations to the Priesthood.

Pray for lost souls.

Pray for the conversion of the World.

Lord we continue to pray for Peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and in Israel and Gaza, in Sudan and throughout the World.

Lord we pray for persecuted Christians throughout the World.

Lord we pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all peoples and nations.

Pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory may they be granted eternal rest.

Mary, Mother of God, Theotokos, pray for us.

Mary Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Mary, Bride of the Spirit, pray for us.

If anyone has any prophecy, prayers, readings or intercessions I encourage you to please send them to

me. Let us share with one another the gifts and inspirations of the Spirit!

Also if there any changes necessary to the intercessions - please let me know

Resources

1.Theotokos Prayer Group:

https://www.facebook.com/Theotokos-Prayer-Group-142398089120415

/http://theotokosprayergroup.blogspot.co.uk/

2. Daily Mass readings can be found at:

https://universalis.com/mass.htm

3. Bishops Conference of England and Wales Website -

https://www.cbcew.org.uk

4. Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle Website:

Home - Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle (diocesehn.org.uk)

5. Catholic Charismatic Renewal International

https://www.charis.international/en/home/

6. Celebrate Conference website

https://www.celebratetrust.org/

7. CHARIS in England and Wales

https://www.charisuk.com/

8.CaFE - Catholic Faith Exploration (faithcafe.org)

9. The Holy See

https://www.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html

10. Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026) 

The equal dignity of all human beings

51.Saint John Paul II stated that, “this heightened sense of the dignity of the human person and of his or her uniqueness, and of the respect due to the journey of conscience, certainly represents one of the positive achievements of modern culture.”[57]This statement follows the line already laid out by theSecond Vatican Council, which had noted a growing recognition of the sublime dignity of all persons, their superiority over material things and their universal and inviolable rights and duties.[58]It is important to ensure that this growth in appreciation of human dignity is not obscured by the pressure of new ideologies or very powerful interests in today’s world. Among these ideologies, I consider particularly insidious the one that suggests that every person must earn or justify his or her own worth, to the point of attributing greater value to those who are more efficient or effective. From this perspective, persons end up being reduced to a means of achieving results, a resource to be used and exploited, and are no longer recognized as a proper end in themselves who should never be instrumentalized. The value of persons, however, does not depend on what they achieve or produce. There are rights that apply to everyone simply by virtue of being human, and no human power can legitimately deny or arbitrarily limit them.[59]

52. When we speak of dignity, we do not always use the word in the same way. Sometimes we refer to moral dignity, namely the way in which a person directs his or her choices and actions. At other times, we think of social dignity, which refers to a person’s living conditions and the concrete respect received from society. In other cases, we refer to existential dignity, meaning the way in which a person perceives his or her own worth and the value of life. These aspects of dignity can be enhanced or diminished. In addition to these notions, there is also the more profound and important level of ontological dignity. This is the dignity that belongs to every human being simply by virtue of existing, of having been willed, created and loved by God.[60]No sin, failure, humiliation or exclusion can diminish the profound value of a human life that God has willed and called into being.[61]

53. The fundamental dignity of each person, therefore, is neither acquired nor earned, nor does it need to be justified. The recent DeclarationDignitas Infinitaoffers a summary of the Church’s thinking on this subject: “Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter”[62]— in other words, always and without exception. The dignity of every human being can be described as infinite, asSaint John Paul II stated,[63]for two reasons: first, because the love of God, who calls us to friendship with him, is infinite; and second, his love is absolutely unconditional, in the sense that, even if we search endlessly, we will never find anything that can erase or deny it.

Events

Our next meeting is on 14 July 2026 at 7.30pm in The Creche in St Patricks Church, Glenfield Road, Fairfield, Stockton TS19 7PL. All welcome.