8th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today Father Martin Celebrated and preached whilst Father Mervyn was at St. Barnabas, Woodford Bridge. During the sermon Father Martin pointed out that our priority was God and that we need to ensure we make time for Him in our lives If we do this we have no need to worry about anything else.

Yesterday’s Saturday Shop took £153.

Notices

Tuesday 8^th March

      The Short Mat Bowls Group meet in the hall at 2.00 p.m.               All Welcome.

LENT 2011

ASH WEDNESDAY 9^th March

Mass at 7.30 p.m. with Blessing & Imposition of Ashes.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS 7.30 p.m.

Monday 14^th March

Tuesday 22^nd March

Wednesday 30^th March

Thursday 7^th April

Friday 15^th March

 

HOLY WEEK

PALM SUNDAY

Assemble in the Vicarage Garden at 9.50 a.m.

(or in the Hall if wet)

18^th, 19^th 20^th April Mass with Devotion each evening

MAUNDY THURSDAY

8.00 p.m. Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper and Watch at the altar of repose until Midnight.

GOOD FRIDAY

10.00 a.m. Stations of the Cross

12 noon Procession of the Cross from the Y.M.C.A.

1.00 p.m. Hour of Devotion at the foot of the Cross

2.00 p.m. SOLEMN LITURGY OF THE DAY

7th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today Father Martin celebrated whilst Father Mervyn preached and played the organ as our Organist was away. In his sermon based on today’s Gospel, Father Mervyn pointed out that we are required to love our neighbours and to love our enemies. He quoted how he had prayed at a Remembrance Sunday Service for those who died in the 2^nd World War both allied and axis and got into some problems with the people present. Amongst them was a man, a Romanian by birth, who, at the age of around 18, had served with the German Army having been recruited like many of his friends at the point of a bayonet and gun. His choice was to fight for Germany or be shot on the spot. Reluctantly he had joined the German Army with many of his friends many of whom had died during the conflict. It was important to him to remember his friends and to pray for them. After that occasion and an explanation, it was never a problem. The ideal in the Gospel was a hard and difficult one but we must try to follow it. He quoted a story of a reporter who visited some nuns who ran a leper colony in a developing country. There he saw a young nun bathing the badly infected wounds of leprous patient. He couldn’t bear to look at the terrible wounds and said to the nun, ‘I wouldn’t do that for a million pounds!” She simply replied, “Neither would I.”

Yesterday’s Saturday Shop took £173.

QUIZ NIGHT

Saturday 26^th February Doors open at 7.00 p.m. for 7.30 p.m. start. 8 persons maximum per team and £3 per team member. Bring your own refreshments. Please let Father Martin know if you have a Team

Wednesday 23^rd February. 

Mass (according to the BCP) 7.30 p.m. followed by a meeting of  The Redbridge & Havering Ordinariate Exploratory Group.

6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today Father Martin was Celebrant and Preacher at the Parish Mass. Father Mervyn was at St. Barnabas, Woodford Green. Preaching on today’s Gospel Father Martin said it was a difficult to live up to the Gospel we had just heard, and to live in accordance with its precepts. We should be aware of them and try and amend our lives accordingly. Yesterday’s Saturday Shop took a very creditable amount of £207.
Father Martin announced that Christian Aid are organising a Walk Round the City of London Churches, a distance of about 6km. This will take place on Sunday 22nd May in the afternoon. Participants are asked to get as many sponsors as they can.
ELECTORAL ROLL REVISION
From Sunday 27^th February the Parish Electoral Roll will be open for revision and the application of new members. The Revision ends on Sunday 27^th March.
EVENTS
Monday 14^th February The Rosary in the Lady Chapel at 7.30 p.m.
Tuesday 22^nd February The Short Mat Bowls Group at 2.00 p.m. in the Hall. All welcome

5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today Father Martin, who is Chaplain to the local branch of the Air Training Corps, was taking part in the service for 70^th Anniversary for the Corps at St. Clement Danes, the Central Church of the RAF so Father Mervyn was Celebrant and Preacher. He preached on the theme of “you are the light of the World”. Just as it was useless to put a light under a buckets so we had to let our light shine by the way we treated people less fortunate than ourselves: the homeless, the sick, clothing those without clothes, feeding the hungry. We learnt from the reading from Isaiah that fasting is related not only to God but to our neighbour as well. This is reinforced by the reading from the Gospel. As disciples we have to let our shine in our lives as our witness. As Pope Paul VI said “Through this wordless witness ....Christians can stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live. Why are they like this? Why do they live in this way? What or who is it that inspires them? Why are they in our midst? Such a witness is already the silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one. Here we have the initial act of evangelization.”

DIARY DATES

Friday 29^th April Royal Wedding Bar-B-Q (more details later)

Saturday 7^th May May/Spring Fair

Sunday 19th June Strawberry Teas

Saturday 2^nd July Choir Concert by the New Dimension Choir

Saturday 17^th September St. Augustine’s Last Night of the Proms

Saturday 1^st October Harvest Supper

Saturday 19^th November Winter Bazaar

Saturday 3^rd December Choir Concert by the New Dimensions Choir

Saturday 31^st December New Years Eve Party