Bishop John Sherrington instituted two men to the Ministry of Reader at Allen Hall Seminary on Saturday, 11th March. One of the men is Tim Mangatal is a seminarian from our own Diocese of Westminster.
In the homily, Bishop John invited the men to follow the example of the Lord: 'Just as Jesus offered himself continually in prayer and love to his Father, so we are called to imitate him in faith and reveal our love in action,' explaining that the scriptures give us a 'way of seeing' which helps us to 'conform ourselves more closely to Christ'.
He noted that 'when we open and pray the scriptures, our world should be turned upside down as the values of the kingdom of God shatter and clash with many contemporary, cultural values.'
And he invited the men 'to share your love of Christ and the scriptures with others, 'to read the word of God in the liturgical assembly, to help others to read well, and to instruct children and adults in the faith so that they may celebrate the sacraments worthily'.
He reminded them that they 'are called "to meditate assiduously on sacred Scripture" and "to acquire that increasingly warm and living love and knowledge of Scripture" that will make you more perfect disciples of the Lord'.
He enjoined them to 'commit yourself to pray the scriptures daily; it is part of your daily bread' and to 'share it generously with others'.
The men continue their formation for the priesthood.
