Speaking on Monday evening Fr Francis Maple, a Capuchin Franciscan Friar currently leading a parish Lenten mission at St Patrick’s Church in Thornaby, described the extraordinary command to love from God.

“Does anyone else command you to love them?”, he asked.

Speaking twice during the course of the evening Fr Francis first outlined the nature of the Ten Commandments and in particular how, though the first three refer to God and the remaining seven to ourselves, so many of us get the importance reversed, putting ourselves first and God second.

Fr Francis went on to talk about the sacrament of Reconciliation and gave ten reasons why we opt out of this God-given opportunity to be reconciled with our Lord. These ranged from not thinking ourselves worthy of God’s love and forgiveness to not growing in our spirituality and so listing sins as many of us did when we made our First Confession. He also urged all of us to go to confession as Pope John Paul II suggested once each month, and even went so far as to write this into our diaries as appointments. “We would all know it was wrong to miss a doctor’s appointment or a holiday flight, yet how much greater is it to receive the forgiveness of God?” he asked.

One issue Fr Francis touched upon in a very direct way was that of those who have married outside of the Church and who now find themselves unable to receive Holy Communion, pointing out that the sacrament of Reconciliation was a way in which we can all receive God’s forgiveness and peace.

The mission continues until 15th March. Don’t miss it!