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SCRIPTURE
READINGS
|
Exodus |
3:1-8,
13-15 |
| Psalm |
102 |
| I
Corinthians |
10:1-6,
10-12 |
| Luke |
13:1-9 |
An
irritating expression. But John Paul II said one
could become one very easily. (Well, actually he
said "... manifest true human dignity…").
For good measure he said we could become spiritual
giants ("…spiritual greatness..."). How?
By going to Confession.
And
Canon Law, no less, asks parish priests to "strive"
to get their people to come frequently. Many decent
Catholics put it off longer than they should: all
decent Catholics start thinking about it in Lent.
One
understands the "wonderful human being"
bit. With Absolution we are judged by God - and
acquitted: every bad moment of the past is covered
by the Blood of Jesus: therefore every bad moment
of the past becomes a thing of beauty in God's eyes
- and the worse it was, the more beautiful it is
now. Our whole life becomes a complete success story
in God's eyes - because of what we have allowed
His Son to do.
We
have it in our power to do this for God, let alone
for ourselves.
But
why? Can't God do this whenever I turn to him in
sorrow, whether I go to Confession or not?
Depends
on the sorrow. If my sorrow is simply for myself
("sorry, Lord, because I've let myself down;
sorry Lord because I'm feeling dirty; sorry Lord
because I'm feeling frightened") it's hard
to see how God can forgive: it's selfish love, inadequate
sorrow, "imperfect contrition".
But
if my sorrow is also "for" the person
primarily offended in all sin - namely God - if
it is love-sorrow, then separation
ends, His Life returns in its fullness. This sorrow,
"perfect contrition", might be: "Sorry
Lord, because I spat in your face; sorry Lord because
I crucified you; sorry Lord because I deprived you
of what you demanded". Remember the long Act
of Contrition? "...because I deserve (imperfect)...because
I crucified... because I offended ... (perfect)…
"
But
you don't get this sorrow just by saying words;
nor by working up a feeling. It needs a massive
input from God, an enormous grace. A rebirth, in
the case of serious sin: Conversion Grace. And God
has covenanted to give us this grace in the Sacrament
of Penance.
How?
Think about Luke 7:36-50. This girl didn't stay
at home and tell God she was sorry, she got her
arms around Jesus. We can do virtually the same,
for a Sacrament is when Christ works directly through
His BODY, the Church. And Jesus praised her..! It's
worth going even for routine small sins. What a
prayer for freedom, blame oneself before God and
one witness!
Required?
Seriously to want to try to live the way God asks,
the Church asks; to list the sins, with approximate
frequency if it is heavy stuff. Of course if one
wants advice, details, motivation and circumstances
might help. Not really a big deal.
"If
anyone is still hesitating" says J.P.II, "let
him hesitate no 1onger". Couldn't put it better
myself
Fr
John Edwards SJ
LENT
AND HOLY WEEK
Palm
Sunday , March 28
th
There
will be an exchange of palms with Grosvenor Chapel
at 10:45am
in Mount Street
Garden
.
Monday
in Holy Week , March
29 th
6:45pm:
Penance Service with opportunity for individual
confession.
Maundy
Thursday , April
1 st
Mass
of the Lord's Supper at 6pm.
Good
Friday , April 2
nd
This
is a day of fasting and abstinence. 3pm: Liturgy
of the Passion
6pm:
Seven Last Words
Holy
Saturday , April
3 rd
8pm:
Easter Vigil Mass
Easter
Sunday : regular
Mass times
There
will be Stations of the Cross on Fridays during
Lent at 12:30pm, followed by Mass at 1:05pm as usual.
REFLECTION
DAYS FOR VOLUNTEER GROUPS
We
are very grateful to all our many volunteers for
the dedication they bring to serving our church.
To help in their formation and training we are offering
the opportunity for a half-day of prayer, reflection
and practical matters for our major volunteer groups.
If you are in one of these groups please put your
date in your diary. The days begin at 10am
and finish at around 2pm
.
Sat
March 20 th : Senior Altar Servers
Sat
April 17 th : Catechists
Sat
June 12 th : Readers (this includes weekday readers
as well as those on the Sunday rota)
Sat
September 18 th : Welcomers (greeters, coffee and
bookshop helpers and night receptionists)
Sat
September 25 th : Ministers of Holy Communion.
Junior
Altar Servers will have an evening this Friday,
March 12 th .
Please
see any of the clergy for details. We realise that
there are “unattached” volunteers and we will try
and serve them also.
JESUIT
SCHOOLS CONCERT
Friday
12 th March, 7pm
,
St
Ignatius Stamford Hill,
27
High Road , London N15
6ND
Students
from six Jesuit schools will perform in a
programme that includes items from Fauré's
Requiem, Stainer's Crucifixion and Wesley's
Lead me, Lord
Tickets
are £10, at the door.
LENTEN
TALKS
Fr
Anthony Meredith starts his series of three Lenten
Talks on Sundays at 5pm in the Hall, beginning on
March 7 th . The topics will be “The Meaning of
Lent”, “Being a Christian Soldier”, and “Journey's
End”. All are welcome.
LENTEN
APPEAL
We
continue to collect for our Lenten CAFOD (Catholic
Agency for Overseas Development) appeal. The theme
this year is “give it up!”. We are invited to give
up some of our luxuries so that our brothers and
sisters in developing countries can have the basics:
food, water, shelter and medical help. This is a
part of our Lenten Alms-giving, so let's be generous.
FARM
STREET FILMS
On
Thursday 11th March at 6:45pm
“ Films at Farm
Street ”
presents Molokai
by director
Paul Cox ( 1999
). The true story of Fr Damien, the leper priest.
March
25 th : Romero (dir. John Duigan, 1989). The story
of Archbishop Oscar Romero, a modern martyr.
April
15 th : El Norte (dir. Gregory Nava, 1983). A couple's
journey.
All
welcome, admission free.
There
will be no rehearsals of the Children's Choir until
after Easter
FAITH
MATTERS
Tuesdays
in Lent, 7-8:30pm Westminster Cathedral Hall, Ambrosden
Avenue , SWIP 1QJ.
This
series of public lectures at the Cathedral Hall
celebrates the Year of the Priest with a special
Lenten programme on the Priesthood starting in late
February. Speakers include Archbishop Vincent Nichols.
See the below for details.
March
9 th : The Call to Priesthood
in a Global City, by Fr Andrzej
Forys , MS
March
16 th : The Priest as
Witness, by Archbishop Vincent Nichols
MOUNT
STREET JESUIT
CENTRE
ONE-DAY
WORKSHOP
Wednesday
10 th March, 10am – 2pm ,
To
book a place, e-mail lynne@mountstreet.info
with your phone number or call 020 7495 1673
Lead
by Fr Roger Dawson SJ. For
those who are involved in pastoral work in which
issues such as boundaries, roles and relationships,
power and protection of vulnerable people may be
an issue. It will focus not just on ‘good practice'
(do's and don't's) but also the ‘character' of the
person involved in pastoral care.
Please
use Gift-Aid envelopes for your donations if you
are a UK
Tax-payer .
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