7th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today Father Mervyn presided at the Solemn Parish Mass and Father Martin concelebrated, read the Gospel, preached and led our Intercessions. In his sermon Father Martin wanted to stress our need to have “faith, hope and charity (love)” in all our dealings. He mentioned that on a practical note there would be two opportunities to help charities during Lent: USPG and our local Hospice. He mentioned Cardinal Vincent Nichol’s condemnation, as well as the church leaders letter to the Daily Mirror, highlighting the problems with poverty and the need, in this day and age, for food banks. The letter had the signatures of 27 Bishops and 16 other Christian leaders. There was a great need for “faith, hope and charity (love)” in all we do.

After the Half Term Break, the Sunday School recommences next Sunday. Last years Palm Crosses are needed to produce the ash used on ASH WEDNESDAY on the 5th March. Solemn Mass at 7.30 p.m.

Father Martin drew our attention to the Lent Course being organised by the YMCA and Stations of the Cross at St. Augustine’s.

Easter Eggs

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ORDER ONE HAVE A WORD WITH FATHER MARTIN OR PAMELA. THE SUPPLIES HAVE ARRIVED AND ARE NOW AVAILABLE BUT SUPPLY IS LIMITED

YESTERDAY’S SATURDAY SHOP TOOK £251

6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today Father Martin presided and, as our organist is away, Father Mervyn played the organ, preached and led our Intercessions. In his sermon Father Mervyn pointed out that Jesus spoke with authority. H e quoted part of Pope Benedict’s book where he comments on the phrase, "But I say to you..." When Jesus says, "But I say to you..." He is making an amazing claim of authority and power. To show how radical the claim is, the pope cites a Jewish Scripture scholar, Rabbi Jacob Neusner. Regarding Jesus' approach to the Law, Rabbi Neusner asks, "What did Jesus leave out?" He answers, "Nothing." Then he asks, "What did Jesus add?" To that the Rabbi answers, "Himself."  What makes Jesus significant when considered amongst other religious teachers such as Socrates, or the Buddha is that whilst others show a way – a path of life, it is only Jesus who makes the claim to be “the way, the truth and the life” and that “no one can come to Father except through me” He claims an uniqueness which others don’t; he is part of the Holy Trinity God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God.

If we truly want to follow His way we need him in our lives. Without Jesus we can easily take the wrong path. Father Mervyn then mentioned the appalling decision of the Belgium Government to allow euthanasia for children which in his opinion is the wrong way. He urged people to sign the petition on the Internet to ask King Phillipe of Belgium to refuse to sign this Act.

REMINDER:

Tonight 6.00 p.m. Evensong and Benediction

TOMORROW

17th February 7.30 p.m. The Rosary

YESTERDAY’S SATURDAY SHOP TOOK £165

Easter Eggs

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ORDER
ONE HAVE A WORD WITH FATHER MARTIN OR PAMELA. THE SUPPLIES HAVE ARRIVED  AND ARE NOW AVAILABLE BUT SUPPLY IS LIMITED

For your Diary

Saturday 22nd February

QUIZ NIGHT

Teams of up to 8 are invited to test their wits against our Quiz. Entry is £3 per person. Names to Father Martin

Bring your own refreshments & snacks

5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

As Father Martin was away today, Father Mervyn presided at the Parish Mass and preached. Our Intercessions were led by Pamela. In his sermon Father Mervyn quoted two texts from the Gospel: “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.”  He remarked that salt was an essential part of life in the ancient world and described how battles had been fought over it and how it had been used to raise taxes. He wouldn’t fancy fish and chips without salt; just a small amount could make a significant difference to the taste of a meal.  He then posed the question on how we could be the “light of the world” when this was a title used to describe Jesus in St. John’s Gospel. In fact Christians get their light from Jesus. We are described by S. Paul as the Body of Christ – we are his representatives on earth. Last week, at the Candlemass celebrations we had heard how Simeon had described Jesus “as the light to lighten the Gentiles” Now, we as Christians were called to be “lights” in the world reflecting the light of Jesus in our lives.

LAST WEEKS SATURDAY SHOP TOOK £243 AND YESTERDAY’S £193.

The Charity Stand at the Saturday Shop had taken over £150 yesterday.

Easter Eggs

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ORDER
ONE HAVE A WORD WITH FATHER MARTIN OR PAMELA

For your Diary

Saturday 22nd February

QUIZ NIGHT

Teams of up to 8 are invited to test their wits against our Quiz. Entry is £3 per person. Names to Father Martin

Bring your own refreshments & snacks

CANDLEMASS

Today Father Martin presided at the Parish Mass at which the Candlemass Ceremonies took place, reminding us of the occasion when Mary and Joseph took Jesus, still a baby, to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfil their duties as parents.  Father Martin preached; Father Mervyn was at S. Paul’s, Goodmayes, which has just begun an Interregnum.

SATURDAY SHOP

Every Saturday, except at Christmas and Easter we hold our Saturday Shop from 10.00 a.m. until 12 noon. There  you can buy items of nearly new clothing for men, women and children, toys, books, small items of furniture, fully tested electrical equipment and bric-a-brac. Home made refreshments are on sale. Most of the items sold are delivered to us but we are willing to help clear property. n addition we also sell items on E-Bay.

 

3rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today Father Mervyn was principal celebrant at the Parish Mass and Father Martin concelebrated, read the Gospel and preached. Ann led us in our intercessions.

In his sermon Father Martin pointed out that Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee had said to two fishermen, Simon Peter and Andrew: “follow me”. How many of us would be prepared to accept that challenge to “immediately” leave everything to follow Jesus as Peter and Andrew had done. Later Jesus saw two other fishermen James and John, the sons of Zebedee, they too left  everything “immediately” to follow Jesus.

YESTERDAY’S SATURDAY SHOP TOOK £226

Easter Eggs

We will shortly be ordering Fair Trade Easter Eggs

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ORDER ANY HAVE A WORD WITH FATHER MARTIN OR PAMELA

2nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today Father Martin presided at the Parish Mass and led our Intercessions; Father Mervyn concelebrated, read the Gospel and preached on the text from today’s Gospel “Behold, the Lamb of God”. He reminded us that the words spoken by St. John the Baptist are the words spoken at every Mass and we would be hearing them later in today’s service. He posed the question: did we take them seriously, did we really appreciate that in the wafer placed into our hands we would receive the same Jesus that John the Baptist he been speaking about. Were the words we spoke in response just something  perfunctory,or did we really mean them: “Lord I am not worthy……………..only say the word and I shall be healed” Do we realise or understand, as was said previously, that when the wafer was placed in our hands we received the real Jesus, just as real as when John the Baptist uttered those profound words Behold the Lamb of God.

Yesterday’s Saturday shop took £206

Monday 20th January Deanery Synod: Bishop David’s farewell address.

Wednesday 22nd January &  17th February 7.30 p.m. The Rosary

THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

At today’s Solemn Parish Mass, Father Mervyn was the principal celebrant and led our Intercessions and Father Martin concelebrated, read the Gospel and preached. As part of the penitential rite, we had Aspeges to remind us of our own Baptism, which Father Martin took up in his sermon. He reminded us that we had visited the River Jordan in our pilgrimage in October: the Israelis had diverted part of the river into something the size of a large ditch filled with very muddy water taken from the Jordan River. Presumably this was to allow pilgrims to say they had visited the River Jordan even though in actual fact they hadn’t because most of it lies in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. (It doesn’t help that the place is very run down, the toilets unusable and it is surrounded by mine fields) Father Martin pointed out that ritual bathing had been part of the Jewish tradition for many years before John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus reminded us that this was the bridge between the Old and the New Testament. At the end of the Flood in the OT a dove was a sign and in this event a dove is a sign from God.

YESTERDAY’S SATURDAY SHOP TOOK £247

For your Diary

Saturday 22nd February

QUIZ NIGHT

Teams of up to 8 are invited to test their wits against our Quiz. Entry is £3 per person

Bring your own refreshments & snacks