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SCRIPTURE
READINGS
|
Isaiah |
42:1-4,
6-7 |
| Psalm |
28 |
| Acts |
10:34
-38 |
| Luke |
3:15
-16, 21-22 |
When
our great ancestor, Moses, tried to see God face
to face he was bitterly and sadly disappointed.
He was introduced into the divine mystery as God
who really is, as one who exceeds our human minds
and as infinite and therefore beyond our comprehension.
He was indeed enlightened, but only up to a point.
What
a difference this makes with the three feasts, all
wrapped up into one, that we keep today: the star
of last week, the voice from heaven and
the dove descending of today, and the water
turned into wine at Cana of Galilee. All three invite
us to see in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the
divine made visible or in the words of Ambrose of
Milan, "a giant of two natures". This
does not make the mystery any easier to grasp, but
it makes it tangible, historical, available to us.
The
three great moments involve all our senses. The
Magi saw the star in the east and made their way
to the place here the child lay. The crowds or at
least John the Baptist saw the dove descending and
heard the voice of the Father, saying "this
is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased.
At Cana [John 2,9] 'the master of the feast tasted
the water made wine' This was the first of his signs
and so Jesus manifested his glory.
All
three moments bring home to us the importance of
our senses. They are a necessary part of our make-up
although it is true that we can abuse them or make
poor use of them. In the Spiritual Exercises Saint
Ignatius frequently makes use of the tactic of composition
of place and although some people, among them the
author of these notes could hardly claim great expertise
in the use of senses and of imagination, where should
we be without them.
Our
church is a beautiful building; we hear beautiful
music there and we are invited to "taste and
see" the bread of life in Holy Communion. It
is only when we allow ourselves to be suffocated
by our senses that we forget their upward direction
and become intoxicated with sight sound and taste
that we diminish ourselves and betray our upward
calling.
Fr
Anthony Meredith, SJ
MOUNT
STREET RENOVATIONS
The
kitchen and dining room located in the basement
at 114 Mount Street
are now undergoing a complete refurbishment which
we hope will be finished before Easter. This is
having an impact on the use of ground floor rooms.
The Tea Room is now our temporary kitchen and the
Meeting Room is being used as the community refectory.
If you are involved with a group that will be affected
by these works please let Father William know. We
hope that our arrangements for alternative storage
space during this period will be satisfactory. Suggestions
gratefully accepted.
WEEK
OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
This
annual ecumenical occasion begins on Sunday January
17 th with a pulpit swap at the 11am Mass.
Canon Mark Oakley from the Grosvenor Chapel will
be preaching. On Sunday 24th January, our
guest preacher will be the Reverend Roddy Leece
from St George's Hanover Square. Other events will
be announced next week.
CHURCHES
TOGETHER IN WESTMINSTER
The
Annual General Meeting takes place on Monday January
25 th at Westminster
(Methodist) Central Hall at 6.30pm
. The guest speaker will be
Ann Widdecombe who is now retiring after many years
in Parliament. She will be speaking on her experiences
as a Christian (Anglican and Catholic) in public
life. There is a buffet afterwards. All are welcome.
Please let Father William know if you wish to come.
JESUS
CHRIST THE FULLNESS OF LIFE (JCFL)
These
are ecumenical gatherings for Christians of all
denominations, offering spiritual exploration, and
shared worship. Prayer vigils with music and song,
readings from the Bible and silence, followed by
an Agape will continue to take place on the first
Thursday of February and March, at 7.30pm
at The Grosvenor Chapel,
South Audley Street ,
London
W1. Visit www.jcfl.org.uk
FARM
STREET FLORIST
Sadly,
we say goodbye to Gladys Hughes who is retiring
after many years as the official florist for Farm
Street
Church
. Her magnificent arrangements
for weddings and other occasions as well as the
regular floral displays for Sundays have been a
delight for worshippers and visitors alike. We thank
her for her professional skills, her artistry and
her tact in dealing with the many clients who have
come her way through Farm
Street
Church
. Her successor is Malcolm
Hazell and we look forward to a happy collaboration
with him and his team. Contact Malcolm 0208 969
3659 or e-mail: mal.hazell@virgin.net
LIVING
STONES PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND
15th
to 26th JUNE 2010
A
pilgrimage for Farm Street Parish and friends led
by Fr Tony Nye SJ and Deacon Duncan Macpherson of
Living Stones. A unique opport-unity to meet and
worship with our Christian brothers and sisters
in the Holy
Land
and to experience spiritual renewal in the land
where Jesus walked. For further information contact
Fr Tony Nye SJ tel 0207 493 7811or by e-mail: tonynyesj@jesuits.net.
MOUNT
STREET FLYERS FOR 2010
Flyers
are ready at the doors with information regarding
events, programmes and talks starting in 2010. We
are very fortunate to have these opportunities for
Faith formation right on our doorstep. Take some
flyers home with you!
THE
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST PAUL
An
Introduction to the Letters of Paul
A
five week course on Mondays: 18 th January – 15
th February 7-8.30pm
Presented
by Brian Purfield, a member of the MSJC team. This
short course focuses on Paul's letters and seeks
to understand the man, his mission and his message.
WOMEN
OF FAITH: THIRSTING FOR GOD
(FOR
WOMEN)
A
one day workshop on Saturday 23 rd January 11am
– 4pm
Lead
by Kate Stogdon, this day draws on the work of Nicola
Slee on women's faith development.
Please
use Gift-Aid envelopes for your donations if you
are a UK
Tax-payer .
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