|
SCRIPTURE
READINGS
|
Isaiah |
43:18-19,
21-22, 24-25 |
| Psalm |
40 |
| II
Corinthians |
1:18-22 |
| Mark |
2:1-12 |
The
Spaniards call the forty days from Ash Wednesday
to Palm Sunday Cuaresima, the Germans call it Fastenzeit,
the French call it Carême, but we oddly and
perversely, perhaps, call it Lent.
What
does the word mean and why is there this difference?
The second question is hard to answer. As to the
first, this, at least can be said. The word 'lent'
in old English means spring time, the period in
the year when the trees, at least the deciduous
ones, once again begin to sprout leaves, when gardeners
begin to plant flowers and the days begin to lengthen
(“lencten”). Spring seems to demand as its prelude
some form of deadness and apparent lifelessness.
What seems so full of promise and life and renewal
and is so very positive in the impression it creates
could hardly occur at all were it not for the winter
that precedes it.
And
so it is with the life of the spirit. We know this
from ordinary experience. Any achievement worth
the name demands some form of discipline and self
mastery. To be able to suppress one's natural feelings
on meeting people we dislike or disapprove of, is
not easy and we admire the self control that enables
this. To produce great scholarship, to be successful
in a business
venture, to write a poem or compose a quartet demands
of the author a degree of self discipline that makes
many of us blush.
And
what is true in the spring of production is true
also in the lent of the life of the spirit. Achievement
rests on a willingness to say "no" to
ourselves. At the heart of our positive striving
must lie a degree of what must seem like a negative
spirit. Of course we cannot climb the mountain of
the hill of the Lord unaided, but also, we cannot
give to charitable works without making a hole in
our own purses. We cannot begin living a truly spiritual
life unless we take time off to pray. And all this
requires discipline. We admire the life of Christ
and of his Mother, Mary. But we forget perhaps what
it cost both of them.
Lent
brings home to us some of these truths. It helps
to remind us that prayer demands a willingness to
set time aside for it and master our wandering thoughts.
To give to others means saying "no" to
myself. The season of Lent brings this truth home
to us with clarity as we see altars decked with
the sombre colour of purple preparing for the white
of Easter day. Saying "Yes" to God may
mean, at least at times, saying "No" to
myself.
Fr
Anthony Meredith SJ
The
Church Team
Fr William Pearsall SJ
(Parish Priest)
Fr
Tony Nye SJ
Fr
James Campbell SJ
Fr
Anthony Meredith SJ
Anne
Paolino (Parish Secretary)
Patsy
Cummings (Catechetical Co-ordinator)
Philip
O’ Brien (Parish
Council Chairman)
David
Graham (Director of
Music)
Patrick Mallon (Sacristan)
MUSIC
AT 11.00 MASS
| Mass:
Motets: |
Missa Brevis
Intende
voci orationis
Tantum
ergo |
Grayston
Ives
Elgar
Laloux |
| Organ: |
Sonata
in G (1st movement) |
Elgar |
Ash
Wednesday is February 25th.Masses
will be at 8am ,
1:05pm
and 6pm .
Members of the choir will be singing at the
1:05pm
Mass. Ashes will be distributed at all the
Masses. This is a day of abstinence
and that means seriously reducingfood intake
for the day and avoiding unnecessary pleasures!
Family
Fast Day is March 6th.
Easter
Sunday is April 12th.
RESTORATION
WORK
Scaffolding
is now installed
for the next
phase of work:
the statue of
Our Lady at
the front of
the sanctuary
(together with
the very elaborate
canopy over
her) and work
in the sanctuary
itself. The
church was officially
opened on July
31 st 1849
and we wish
to mark the
160 th anniversary
in a special
way. There will
be celebrations
and commemorative
events to be
announced later.
If you would
like to contribute
to the costs
of the restoration
work, please
feel free!
NOVENA
OF GRACE
The
Novena of Grace
in honour of
St Francis Xavier
takes place
from March 4th
till 12th and
will be led
by Fr John Edwards.
6pm
Mass followed
by devotions.
See leaflets
for details.
OPEN
EVENING
There
will be an Open
Evening for
those interested
in Postgraduate
Studies at Heythrop
College on Monday
23rd February,
at 6:30pm .
This includes
Biblical Studies,
Theology, Philosophy
and Religion
and also Graduate
Diploma in Theology
and MPhil/PhD
degrees. You
can contact
Annabel Clarkson
at 0207 795
4203 or a.clarkson@heythrop.ac.uk.
CARDINAL'S
LECTURE
We
wish to draw
your attention
to a public
lecture coming
up soon at Westminster
Cathedral.
Gaudium
et Spes, Joy
and Hope: The
Shape of the
Church: Past,
Present and
to Come… ,
given by Cardinal
Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
on Thursday
26th February
at 7pm .
Free
entry. See posters
for details.
FARM
STREET FILMS
Thérèse
(dir.
Alain Cavalier,
1986). Thursday
26th February
7pm (introduction
by Peter Bridgman
at 6.45pm ).
Told
with stark visual
simplicity,
this unusual
film biography
of St Thérèse
of Lisieux makes
a bold attempt
to penetrate
to the mystery
of her sainthood.
Catherine Mouchet
is natural and
unaffected in
the role of
the young Carmelite.
Free
to all!
FR
ANTHONY MEREDITH
The
essay opposite
was written
three years
ago and we reprint
it in honour
of Fr Meredith,
who is expecting
to have his
knee operation
on March 2nd.
All being well,
he will be with
us at the end
of the summer.
Please keep
him in your
prayers.
MOUNT
STREET JESUIT
CENTER
114
Mount Street
To
book or make enquiries please e-mail
lynne@mountstreet.info
or ring 0207 495 1673.
THE
SACRAMENTS: MEANS OF GRACE, WAYS OF
LIFE
Eight
Monday evenings, February 16th till
April 16th , 7 to 9pm .
The
Sacraments are a rich source of spiritual
life and Christian growth. They are
God-given channels of grace for ourselves
and for the benefit of the whole world.
We should never take them for granted!
This course, presented by Brian Purfield,
offers a brief history of the sacraments
and explains our present understanding
and celebration of them as well as possible
options for their future shape and use.
Not all sessions need to be attended
but the module is cumulative and each
session builds on the previous one.
Pick up a leaflet for more details and
do consider how taking part might bring
new insights into your life and a new
awareness of your faith.
LENTEN
RETREAT AND TALKS
A
RETREAT IN DAILY LIFE
Participants
will be assigned their own prayer guide,
whom they will meet once a week throughout
Lent. The retreat begins on Saturday
February 28 th at 7pm
in the Hall with
a gathering of all those taking part
and ends on Saturday April 4th at 7pm
. For more information
pick up a registration form. There
are only 4 places left so today
is
the last chance to sign on!
LENTEN
TALKS: GUIDANCE
IN PRAYER
Five
Sundays in Lent from 5-6pm
in the Hall beginning on March 1st .
Fr James Campbell will be speaking on
the many ways of praying that come to
us through Christian tradition. No need
to book just come along to the Hall.
All welcome.
PLEASE
REMEMBER
Mass
Intentions are always welcome!
PARKING
REMINDER
Resident
Parking applies 24/7. Parking is "Pay
by phone" only and is free only on Sundays
and from Monday to Saturday after 6:30pm.
Congestion Charges apply from Monday to Friday,
from 7am to 6pm. Please bear in mind that
the Traffic Wardens are very “pro-active”
in this area.
GIFT
AID
Please
use the Gift Aid envelopes at the church exits if
you are a UK taxpayer for all your donations. If
you are not sure of the code you have been allocated,
please complete name and address or contact the
parish office. Thank you
|
