The Parents’ Paper issue 18 Autumn 2016 Little Peace – Children’s section Activities! Grow your own cress! Starting a New School Page 8 As Autumn comes around again, when a new academic year begins and our children return to school, what ideas, gifts, plans and creativity do you hope to achieve for your own benefit and that of others? Continued on page 3 What will you harvest? READ IT! LOVE IT! LIVE IT! An Autumn Horizon by Fr. Brendan Grady Page 9

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2 CathCom Reach Autumn 2016 Firstly, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Julia Beacroft and I’m the new editor of ‘Reach’. I am very much looking forward to working on the paper over the coming months. And speaking of months… September is a time of new beginnings… This edition looks at the beginning of a new season – Autumn – which is a time for harvest and Harvest Festival celebrations. It is also the beginning of a new academic year in our schools. It is when we can look forward to many different things and experiences and also when we can ‘take stock’ and re-evaluate what we already have. I believe that each and every one of us has different gifts and talents. At this turn of the season and time for new beginnings, perhaps we can consider not only how we can best utilise these personal gifts, but also help our developing children to do likewise. It’s never too late to try something new, which you feel you have an aptitude for! And remember – God gives us ample opportunities to do so. It is up to us whether we take advantage of them, or not. Hoping that you have a fruitful, blessed and creative Autumn. Julia Editor LEGAL DISCLAIMER ----------------------- The information and/or links in this publication are provided for catholic education and information purposes only. The Editor and Publisher (hereinafter referred to as CathCom) will endeavour to ensure that all the content of CathCom Reach is in keeping with the teachings of the Catholic Church. However CathCom is not responsible for the contents of any of the linked sites. Neither does CathCom necessarily endorse and/or support the views expressed by the information contained within those linked sites. A Dear Reader CathCom Reach is published in September, December, March, and June. By Phone: UK: 020 7112 6710 Ireland: 01 443 3141 Editorial Team Nick Layton Julia Beacroft Helen Layton editor@ CathComReach.com Advertising Alice Jenkins, ads@ CathComReach.com Head of Finance Claire Richardson Subscriptions Janet Took, janett@cathcom.org Website Editor Daniel Griffiths Contact us Manager Nick Layton Religious Advisor Fr Brendan Grady Health Educ. Advisor Helen Layton Franking Machine Manager Tommie Steel Published By CathCom Ltd., N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7BN United Kingdom www.cathcom.org mention and/or listing of linked sites does not indicate CathCom’s endorsement of any organization`s and/or entity`s activities, reports, publications and/or programs. CathCom cannot be held responsible and/or liable for any damages, real, imagined, past, present or future from the information contained on any linked site and/or other sites that it links to hereafter. While we take reasonable steps to check our advertisers and linked sites are bona fide, readers should carry out their own checks before entering into any contract or arrangement. You may not modify, reuse, reproduce, or publish any content within this publication without the written permission of the Editor. ------------------------------------------ A rainbow arcs across the sky, A promise is displayed. The graceful flight of a butterfly, It takes my breath away. The autumn leaves in their splendor Fall gracefully to the earth, And stars proclaim their song at night, What is their beauty worth? And you listen to the sound, The Lord`s presence all around. He summons us to go Where peaceful waters flow. Adapted from the poem ‘Where Peaceful Waters Flow’ by Keith Burroughs (2011) Please send articles for publication by email supplying photos separate to the text (i.e. in jpeg format).

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Autumn 2016 CathCom Reach 3 Harvesting our Gifts… EACH NEW YEAR finds most of us making resolutions for our life – usually to give things up! However, we can constructively use the commencement of the new academic year – which also happens to be Autumn and harvest time, to consider our own way forward. The harvest is a time for reaping and gathering the fruits of the earth but it could also be a time when we gather our own resources and consider reaping the rewards of some of our own gifts. Each of us has been gifted in some way. In fact, many of us have multiple gifts and talents, although we are not always aware of these. It can be highly rewarding to use our God-given abilities in an initiative which can help to improve not only our own lives, but the lives of others. And there are so many opportunities to do this. We often hear about newsworthy philanthropists who devote their time and energy to charitable good causes. Yet for most of us, such actions are not always possible due to the constraints of lifestyle, money and resources. Yet in our own simple way, we can make a huge difference to our world. Here are one or two examples: If we have the gift of being a good listener, it’s easy to spend time with another person who is in need of this. If we have a naturally sunny disposition, maybe we can help someone who is feeling down. If we have a good singing voice, perhaps we can delight others with it in a choir, singing group, theatrical production or even more importantly, in our family and for our children’s benefit. Most children like their mother to sing to them at bedtime! And if we are lucky enough to be given a particular gift, perhaps we can expand upon it. In an age where practically every hobby and course is available, there are golden opportunities to do exactly this. The truth of the matter is that once we ‘dip our toes’ into the gifted and talented water, there is simply no telling where this will end. And the beauty of this is that all these natural gifts, talents and abilities come from the Lord. So we can be assured that as long as we put these to good use, preferably in a selfless way, we will have won God’s approval. So in conclusion, seriously reflect upon what you are naturally good at. Possibly write a list! Then make your plans for this Autumn. And remember – this can be the opposite of giving something up. This is expanding upon and using something which you already have. Use it – don’t lose it. Continued from page 1

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4 CathCom Reach Autumn 2016 I’ve got a Brand New Combine Harvester… By Julia Beacroft “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy on a combine harvester!” she cried. Her Mum turned to look and then smiled at her. “Yes, that’s right,” she said. “There’s Daddy driving the combine.” Meanwhile those passengers who had heard the little girl’s excited exclamation, were looking confused and asking themselves who had said it. “It can’t be that little tot,” one of them said, “She’s only a baby!” while others nodded their heads in agreement. The child’s mother looked proud. “Yes, that was you, wasn’t it darling?” she said and, as if to corroborate this, the child waved through the window and shouted, “Bye-bye Daddy!” When the proud Mum was asked how old her little girl was, the passengers were amazed to hear that she was only just eighteen months old. “When her Dad’s working all hours of the day and night on the farm, it’s just the two of us. So we talk to each other all the time.” the Mum explained. AN EASY WORD Of course this is how children do learn to talk. They essentially hear the spoken word all around them and eventually they begin to mimic what they have heard. And then they begin to build up their vocabulary and string words together into simple sentences. And then into complex sentences. Generally small children begin this talking initiative by saying the word ‘Dad’. This is because it is an easy word to verbalise and many Mums talk to their offspring about their father: “Your Dad will be home from work soon!” is a customary comment, or “Wait till we tell your Dad what we’ve done today!” is another example of the expressions Mums use to their little ones. Speaking personally, my own mother was determined that I should be able to say ‘Mum’ before ‘Dad’ – or so the story goes. “Mum, Mum, Mum, Mum” she apparently crooned, sounding a little like an engine revving up. “Mum, Mum, Mummy!” Say Mum, Julia!” However, despite my own mothers’ best efforts, I stuck to my guns and triumphantly produced my first word: ‘DAD’. “No, Mum, Mum, Mum” my mother persisted. “Dad, Dad, Dad!” I stubbornly replied. FIRST AND BEST TEACHERS In fact many toddlers do the same as I did, and say the word ‘Dad’ before any other. Yet Dad is such an evocative title. Obviously it refers to our own biological or family fathers, but there is, additionally, a whole wealth of other meaning and significance attached to this small and simple word. God is our heavenly father – he is Abba, Father. (Aramaic) In fact Jesus reminded us of how much more our Father in heaven gives good things to those who ask him. (Matthew 7:11). Parents are the first and best teachers of our Catholic faith. Children learn about life and love from them. In so doing, they learn about God, because God is love. So it seems to make sense to teach our children that yes, their Dad is a very special person in their lives, whether he is politician, brain surgeon, bus driver or farm hand. But God, their heavenly Father, loves them and cares for them unconditionally and forever. So unlike the passengers on the country bus, who only heard and related to a little girl speaking about her Daddy, the next time you have a similar experience may you reflect upon your Father in heaven instead. Oh, I almost forgot to say… the little girl on the bus was me… Copyright © 2016 Julia Beacroft. All rights reserved AS THE BUS rumbled along the country lanes, the little girl, who was standing on her mother’s lap, gazing out of the window, suddenly shrieked with excitement. This effectively jolted the other passengers out of their own private thoughts.

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Autumn 2016 CathCom Reach 5 Investigating Modern Day Saints IF WE WERE to collate a questionnaire, or even simply ask people if they know of anyone who has been truly inspirational, I feel sure that the answers would be really positive. In fact, I feel quite certain that most of us know at least one person who has impressed with their kindness, generosity and care of others. Alternatively, we have perhaps, come across someone who has performed a courageous or life-saving act. Actually, it is not in the least unusual to hear of these kind of narratives in the media, where praise is duly awarded to that brave or caring soul – and rightly so. My own daughter formed a huge attachment to a little boy in her class when she was at primary school. You may feel that there is nothing extraordinary about such an event. However, the little lad in question had a serious disability and was confined to a wheelchair. My daughter became a sort of carer for him while he was on the school premises – not only fetching and carrying where appropriate – but also developing a real friendship with the child and having lots of fun as well. Needless to say I was really proud of her and overjoyed when the boy’s parents told me how much her friendship meant to their son and impacted on his time in school. Yet this type of story is fairly commonplace and I’m sure that many of you have experienced similar situations. So, we would really love to hear your stories of kindness, loving, caring, generosity or bravery in adults or children. We’d like you to tell us all about anyone you feel has ‘gone the extra mile’. Please send your stories of these wonderful modern day saints to: editor@cathcomreach.com - with a subject header of ‘Modern day saints’. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – A Saint and an Example in our Time Mother Teresa (born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, Albanian: 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997) also known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun and missionary who was born in Skopje (modern Republic of Macedonia). After having lived in Macedonia for eighteen years, she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived for most of her life. Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, which in 2012 consisted of over 4,500 sisters and was active in 133 countries. They run hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens; dispensaries and mobile clinics; children`s and family counselling programmes; orphanages; and schools. Members must adhere to the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience as well as a fourth vow, to give "wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor". Mother Teresa was the recipient of numerous honours, including the 1979 Nobel peace prize. On 19 October 2003, she was beatified as "Blessed Teresa of Calcutta". A second miracle was credited to her intercession by Pope Francis in December 2015, paving the way for her to be recognised as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Her canonisation is scheduled for 4th September 2016, a day before the 19th anniversary of her death. A controversial figure both during her life and after her death, Mother Teresa was widely admired by many for her charitable works. Her authorised biography was written by Indian civil servant Navin Chawla and published in 1992.

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6 CathCom Reach Autumn 2016 Harvest by Owen Griffiths There are so many different types of vegetables tha t can be grown in the UK. This year I grew courgettes, tomatoes, beetroot and peas and it was so nice to be outside gardening. It was great fun to watch my vegetables grow but now as summer draws to a close my favourite part begins – the harvest! In this article I’m going to show you some of the easiest vegetables to grow in the UK and I’m going to give you tips on the best way to harvest them. Beetroot If you planted your beetroot last spring try and harvest them before the hottest weather of the year arrives (usually late July). Beetroot planted at the end of summer should be harvested before the first frost. Begin harvesting beetroot when they’re about 2 inches wide. They’ll grow huge if you leave them in the ground too long and they lose some of their flavour. You can cook beetroot in a similar way to how you’d cook potatoes. I recommend either boiling them for about 40 minutes, or roasting them for about an hour in the oven. They’re one of the easiest vegetables to grow in the garden and they taste so much better home-grown and home-cooked to your liking! Tomatoes It’s best to plant tomatoes after the last spring frost so they’ll be ready to harvest late summer. The tomatoes we buy at the supermarket have usually been picked early so they can ripen during transport. They’ll never taste as yummy as home-grown tomatoes harvested at the right time. Start harvesting your tomatoes when you see their first blushes of colour, usually turning from green to red. TIP – You can place tomatoes in water to test whether they’re ready. A ripe tomato will sink and an unripe tomato floats! Kids Activity Seed Shaker Matching This is a sound matching game with seeds. Materials 4 different types of seed, 8 seed containers Collect four bunches of different types of seeds. You can find these in your garden, or your kitchen, or you can take them from old seed packets. Split each collection of seeds into two similar sized amounts. Carefully pour your eight bunches of seeds into eight containers, ensuring you have four pairs of seed. (It is best to use the same types of containers) Make sure no one can see the seeds inside. You can cover up your containers using foil, or paper. Mix up the containers so that you don’t know which seeds are hidden in each container. Use your ears to try and match up the seeds by listening to the different sounds each container makes when you shake it. Peas Peas are ready to pick about 3 weeks after flowers appear. It’s crucial to harvest the pea pods as soon as they are going a bit bumpy. If you leave it too late the pods discolour, or shrivel, and taste really dry. Eat your peas fresh, or store them in the fridge for up to a week. They’re my favourite vegetable to grow because they’re really quick, easy and taste delicious! Courgettes The best way to harvest courgettes is when they’re little - only about 6 inches long and 2 inches thick. This seems counter intuitive - surely the bigger the better - but actually the larger they grow, the less flavour they have. Picking them when they’re small also means that the plant has more energy to make more courgettes, ensuring a long cropping period. You can get several courgettes off one plant by picking them in this way. The flowers are also edible and taste great deep fried and stuffed with cheese!

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1 Little Autumn 2016 Peace What will you pray for this Autumn as you return to school? Page 2 Activities! Copy the picture of the Farmer and grow your very own salad cress from seed! Find out how! Page 3 Vegetables Find and circle all of the vegetables that are hidden in the grid. The words may be hidden in any direction. BEET BROCCOLI CABBAGE CARROT CAULIFLOWER CELERY CORN CUCUMBER EGGPLANT KOHLRABI LETTUCE ONION PARSNIP PEAS POTATO RADISH RUTABAGA SPINACH SQUASH Harvest colouring Page 4 G L R R W H C A N I P S C Z L K E T P P O T A T O T N B B B W Y I O N O I N O H R R M F O N N H O A P C A M O U K E L S S L T I E S N C C E O I F P R B L L A M C U G D H G I L A C E E S O C A A G L E L A P R P Q L R B E I T R R U T Y P U I I B B T P R A E A D L A L F A U B O B E B U C N S Q S C B T U B R S I K J H J E R R U T A B A G A

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2 This Autumn I pray that… Complete the Autumn leaves with your prayers… Dear God... Dear God... Dear God... Dear God... Dear God... Dear God... Dear God... Dear God...

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3 Copy the Farmer Copy the picture using the grid lines as a guide. You might find it easier to copy one square at a time. Count the squares carefully! Farmers usually plant CROPS in their fields and the crops grow into the nice things that we have to eat, for example, cereals, potatoes and vegetables. But we can also plant things and make them grow… Remember to ask an adult for help! Take a yogurt pot and peel off the label Put some wet kitchen roll in the bottom and put some damp cotton wool on top of that Evenly spread some cress seeds on top of the cotton wool and press them down gently. Put the pot in a warm place that gets some sunlight, like a windowsill Watch the cress grow! This should happen after about 7 days. GROWING CRESS You will need: A yogurt pot Kitchen roll Cotton wool Cress seeds Water

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4 Harvest time colouring … Use some wonderful reds, golds and greens in this Harvest Festival scene and for the basket of fruit and vegetables below. The food that we eat is produced by our work – with God’s help. What would you like to grow?

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Autumn 2016 CathCom Reach 7 Book Review The Jesus Storybook Bible The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories in the Bible. A Bible like no other, The Jesus Storybook Bible invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures, to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the centre of God`s great story of salvation — and at the centre of their Story too Fortunately, the milk... Illustrated by Chris Riddell Award-winning Neil Gaiman. Brilliantly weaves a spell-binding story taking readers up and away on a wild fantasy in which dinosaurs and space travel happily coexist. And all because…Dad has to go out and buy the milk! Chris Riddell’s line illustrations capture the invention perfectly. Children of all ages (and lots of childish grown-ups!) will be swept along laughing with glee as Dad tries to get the milk home...and possibly save the universe along the way! Ages 9+ CathCom Reach Nominated for National Print and Publishing Award 20th July 2016 Within minutes of the Summer 2016 edition of CathCom Reach coming off the press it was nominated for a national print and publishing award. CathCom Reach is your quarterly newspaper which goes to Catholic Schools and parishes for Primary School parents. It contains articles about parenting, health and social justice alongside Catholic teaching. It has been described by priests as a “newspaper that covers heavy issues with a light touch”, in order to make it accessible to people whether Church-goers or not. The first issue of CathCom Reach was published in 2012 and immediately became the largest Catholic newspaper in the UK with a circulation of 40,000. All those involved with Reach are delighted and surprised as it was totally unexpected. They are particularly pleased that a Catholic newspaper would be put forward for this award. Did you know that… We are looking for new contributors for ‘Reach’ and we would love to hear from YOU! Are you a budding author? Could you write an article? Can you draw a cartoon? Can you recount an amusing incident that has taken place in your church community or primary school? Have you any interesting and child-friendly recipes to offer? Could you share an inventive activity which keeps your child interested and amused? If so, please send articles of about 500 words, recipes, activities and anecdotes to: editor@cathcomreach.com Good quality photographs welcome. www.facebook.com/CathComReach Have your say…

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8 CathCom Reach Autumn 2016 STARTING SCHOOL OR moving to a new one can be an exciting time for children, but ironically it’s often the parents who worry about this far more than their offspring. In fact, these sort of changes often boost a child’s resilience and usually they only need to be reassured by Mum and Dad on such delicate matters as ‘fitting in’ or having a preview of their new environment, to feel reassured. It makes sense for parents to talk positively to their child about the proposed change and to be well informed about the schools organisation, ethos and activities. Like most adults, kids tend to feel happier and encouraged if they’re given the relevant information prior to the event! It can also help both parents and children if the parents become involved in the schools activities. This promotes great relationships between teachers, parents and kids. Furthermore, parents can relate much more easily to what their child has been doing if they are involved in this way and in their turn, kids often find it easier to explain some of those day-to-day experiences to Mum and Dad. In fact this sort of co-operative activity can really help to both form new and boost existing friendships all round. When your kids are starting school for the first time, it really doesn’t hurt to Starting a New School remind them that all the other children are ‘in the same boat’ as they are. Even better if you can point out that their existing friends from nursery are going to be in the same school. If this isn’t the case, make a point of mentioning how quickly they will make new school friends and suggest that you’ll be open to the idea of a playtime session after school with any new playmates they’ve made. In other words, try to focus on all the positives and even if you’re feeling anxious on your child’s account, don’t let it show. The more relaxed you appear to be, the more relaxed your child will be also. THOUGHT FOR THIS AUTUMN Pope Francis tweeted: ‘Each one of us can be a bridge of encounter between diverse cultures and religions, a way to rediscover our common humanity.’ Bridging the Gap…

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Autumn 2016 CathCom Reach 9 SOME YEARS AGO, a young person engaging with her imagination embarked on a journey towards her deepest self. She experienced what might be described as sheer silence and a profound sense of connectedness – to nature, the rhythm and balance of life, her own humanity and personal story – to a world which was beautiful and inviting, and one which was also at times disfigured, challenging and groaning for tender compassion. In her later reflection, she believed that she had sensed the divine and heard a soundless summons to commit to life in all its goodness and to encourage others to have a deepening respect for the created world. Also for the gifts that each person has, not only for their own enjoyment and enrichment, but also for enhancing the quality of life for all people. NECTAR She discovered a talent for writing and in one of her stories reflects on the life of a seed buried deep in the earth. Dissatisfied and feeling restricted, the seed searches for a way out of the surrounding darkness and tightness, not knowing what kind of seed it is or what future the sequence of changes it undergoes will bring. In the struggle from obscurity to the light and the broader vista beyond the earth’s surface, the seed doesn’t notice the transformation that is already taking place within. Unconsciously it absorbs moisture and growth-enhancing nutrients. A shoot stretches out from the seed’s heart and upward. Once exposed to nourishing sunlight, it continues growing and eventually flowers with deep purple petals cradling a bright yellow core. The seed becomes a flowering plant that attracts butterflies and bees that harvest its nectar, and produces a scent which passers-by inhale with delight. Through a dynamic process of yearning, aching, reaching, stretching, soaking in and liberation, it discovers its beauty, goodness and authentic identity which are unveiled within a broader reality where everything is linked and inter- dependent. What was a seed and is now a blooming plant, discovers that it is not isolated, and undergoes a transformation from a solitary ‘Me’ to a shared ‘We’. With the Autumn Equinox many communities will celebrate Harvest Festivals. They will grow in sensitivity to the importance of the land, fertility and the delicate balance of creation. Maybe parents, carers, youth workers and teachers might be exploring the origins of the food and drink we consume and the clothes we wear. In former times and in some areas still, harvesting was always an activity of whole communities, whose lives centred around a sense of the inter- connectedness of things. These are wonderful opportunities to rejoice in and give thanks for the fruitfulness of the land and the incredible work that so many people will have put into enabling good, healthy and abundant crops. BLESSED Jesus often used pastoral images from agriculture, seed-sowing and harvesting in his stories. Healthy growth and development doesn’t just happen. The soil is prepared, seeds are carefully nurtured in a conducive environment, watered and nourished regularly, and with experience, a respect for nature’s rhythm and great patience, the growers admire with gratitude the emerging crop. There is a spirit of great anticipation and faith that, everything being done to cultivate growth, the harvest will be blessed. Encouraging the talents of young people seems to follow a similar pattern. Perhaps one difference might be that when we sow seeds for a specific crop we know what eventual fruits will be produced. With the emerging gifts of young An Autumn Horizon by Fr. Brendan Grady, O.Carm. people there will always be an element of surprise because of the unique potential of each child. While lots of encouragement and affirmation are paramount, rather than forcing a certain aptitude or flair, we need an even deeper respect for what will eventually flower and blossom. Human beings are capable of being stimulated in unexpected ways. Creating inspirational environments which respect freedom is critically important, if hidden, unknown potential is to be given the opportunity to flourish. One parable of Jesus is about a landowner who has such a bumper crop that he decides to build larger barns so that he can enjoy the fruits all by himself for years to come. Unfortunately, he dies soon afterwards. It’s interesting that he gave no thought to those who had worked on his land or to others who had very little to survive on. Surely he had plenty to share. While his economic prowess might be praised by some with a self-absorbed mentality, he had no social conscience – no compassion for his fellow human beings. His vision was inward – not outward-looking. He clearly had a talent, but he lacked the wider vision of a ‘Me’ as part of a ‘We’. Inspirational communities encourage, engage with and celebrate the gifts of all. MY ROLLS, MY ROLEX! There is a story of a young man who was driving his Rolls Royce on a mountain road when he lost control and his car went over a cliff. He was thrown clear but his left arm was severed. He stood at the top of the cliff looking down at the burning wreck of his car and cried out, “My Rolls! My Rolls!” The driver of another car stopped to help and heard him crying out like this. He gently grabbed the man and said, “Young man, you’re in shock. Your arm has been severed! Let me help.” The young man looked down and seeing his arm was gone cried out, “My Rolex! My Rolex!” We might laugh, but how sad is it that his view, like the landowner, of what was really important, was obscured? As we celebrate the blessings and talents in our own lives, can we be open to broader horizons? As we rejoice at harvest-time and commit to nurturing the potential around us, can we allow ourselves to be continually transformed from any inward-looking attitude of self- preservation, to a global view of gifts and needs as we build inter- connected communities which transcend nationality, culture and religion? Can we harvest our gifts and enhance the quality of people’s lives everywhere?

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10 CathCom Reach Autumn 2016 Ingredients For the Cornbread: (Makes one 9 x 13-inch pan, or two 9-inch round pans) 3 1 ∕ 2 cups fine-ground cornmeal 1 3 ∕ 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 3 ∕ 4 tablespoons baking powder 2 1 ∕ 2 teaspoons salt 1 3 ∕ 8 cups granulated sugar 2 1 ∕ 4 cups whole milk 5 eggs, at room temperature 1 1 ∕ 4 cups (2 1 ∕ 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 425F/ 210C/Gas Mark 7 and prepare your pan by liberally spraying with cooking spray and lining with a piece of parchment paper; spray the parchment paper with cooking spray as well. 2. In a large bowl, combine 3 1/2 cups cornmeal, 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 3/4 tablespoons baking powder, and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Whisk until combined. Use a pint glass (or a bottle) to create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and set aside. 3. In a large bowl, combine 1 3/8 cups granulated sugar, 2 1/4 cups whole milk, 5 eggs, and 1 1/4 cups melted butter. Whisk until thoroughly combined and the mixture is smooth — this could take a while. 4. Once the mixture is smooth, pour the mixture into the well made by the dry ingredients (from the 2nd step). Use a rubber spatula to mix together, making sure to only mix until the ingredients are just combined. Again, this can take a long time because the batter is pretty thick and hearty, but you can do it! Traditional Cornbread Recipe 5. Once the ingredients are well combined and the batter is an even, thick yellow, transfer to your baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the bread comes out clean. If the top of the cornbread browns too quickly, cover with foil. Let rest on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes, before serving immediately.

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Autumn 2016 CathCom Reach 11 The Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated every year on September 14, recalls three historical events: The finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena the mother of the Emperor Constantine; The dedication of churches built by Constantine on the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary; And the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem by the emperor Heraclius II. But in a deeper sense, the feast also celebrates the Holy Cross as the instrument of our salvation. This instrument of torture, designed to degrade the worst of criminals, became the life-giving tree that reversed Adam`s Original Sin when he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. ‘I will…attempt to get to the roots of the present situation, so as to consider not only it’s symptoms but also its deepest causes. This will help to provide an approach to ecology which respects our unique place as human beings in this world and our relationship to our surroundings… I will advance some broader proposals for dialogue and action which would involve each of us as individuals… Convinced as I am that change is impossible without motivation and a process of education, I will offer some inspired guidelines for human development to be found in the treasure of Christian spiritual experience.’ ‘All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents’. (Laudate Si, Paragraphs 14 and 15) Pope Francis gives us some vital guidelines. So, how can we personally help to preserve our beautiful world? Taking Care of our World Autumn is considered to be one of the most beautiful seasons with all the glorious colours of the changing foliage. Yet amid all the exquisite wonder of nature, we are reminded by Pope Francis that we too, have a responsibility to care for our environment. In his encyclical letter Laudate Si, published in May 2015, he states that:

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12 CathCom Reach Autumn 2016 Late one night, a burglar broke into a house that he thought was empty. He tip-toed through the living room but suddenly he froze in his tracks when he heard a loud voice say: "Jesus is watching you!" Silence returned to the house, so the burglar crept forward again. "Jesus is watching you," the voice boomed again. The burglar stopped dead again. He was frightened. Frantically, he looked all around. In a dark corner, he spotted a bird cage and in the cage was a parrot. He asked the parrot: "Was that you who said Jesus is watching me?" "Yes", said the parrot. The burglar breathed a sigh of relief, then he asked the parrot: "What`s your name?" "Clarence," said the bird. "That`s a dumb name for a parrot," sneered the burglar. "What idiot named you Clarence?" The parrot says, "The same idiot who named the Rottweiller Jesus." Watch Out! Reach Crossword CLUES Across 7 Body of cardinals that elects new Popes (6,7) 8 Acute fever; shivering fit (4) 9 European fruit similar to blueberry (8) 10 Outrageous; impious (7) 12 Door sign (5) 14 Maliciousness (5) 15 Teller (7) 17 Those that make up the field in a race (4-4) 18 Baptismal receptacle (4) 20 Quick to the chase (3,2,3,5) Down 1 Explosion (4) 2 Church with ancient patriarchates at Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem (5,8) 3 Fish out of water (7) 4 Ilex aquifolium, commonly used in Christmas wreaths (5) 5 Very angry, frustrated, after great effort or excitement (4,2,3,4) 6 Press heavily upon; distress (8) 11 Brandy of supposed great quality and/or age (8) 13 Short-tailed Old World burrowing rodent with large cheek pouches (7) 16 Home of the Knights Hospitaller between 1530 and 1798 (5) 19 One of three vessels Columbus took on his American voyage of discovery in 1492 (4)

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