|
Thank you for your offering last week of £1609.96. Mass attendances were 860. |
|
|
Sunday 7/2/16 |
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
6.00pm Reg Griffin RIP (K Griffin)
9.15am Family Intention (Hairs Family)
11.00am People of the Parish
|
|
Monday 8/2/16
|
Feria/St. Jerome Emiliani 9.30am Sheila Mulham & Family
|
|
Tuesday 9/2/16 |
Feria 9.30am Betty & Tom Cotter
|
|
Wednesday 10/2/16 |
Ash Wednesday 9.30am Anthony Olivelle RIP (M Olivelle) (with St James’ School)
8.00pm James & Roseanna O’Keefe RIP (L Morgan)
|
|
Thursday 11/2/16 |
Feria 9.30am Dolores & John Ash
|
|
Friday 12/2/16 |
Feria 9.30am Mary Kelly
|
|
Saturday 13/2/16 |
Vigil Mass 6.00pm Jean Rawling RIP (Foundation)
|
|
Sunday 14/2/16 |
1st Sunday of Lent 9.15am People of the Parish 11.00am Louise Furnell
|
Confessions heard Saturday 5.00pm-5.45pm or by appointment.
|
|
|
Morning Prayers - Takes place Monday – Friday at 9.10am. All are welcome to attend. |
|
|
Pondering the Word (Lectio Divina) A quiet reflective look at the following Sunday’s Gospel. Mondays 11-12 noon here in the Church. All welcome. |
|
Fr David Writes…..
There are times in our lives when we come face to face with the stark reality of our own shortcomings and failure. We live in a society which values achievements and success over all. Somehow we have been brainwashed in aspiring to achieve the best possible results. Be it in academia, our professional and personal lives. We push ourselves and our children to the limits sometimes in order to achieve. We tend to gauge the value of our identity through whether we have been successful or not. Failure is our biggest fear. We find ourselves also competing with others. We feel envious of others who achieve better than us. We tend to become competitive. We don’t like this shallow side of ours but if we are honest with ourselves, we know that for most of us, this is the truth. The pursuit for success can become addictive and we don’t realise that the same pursuit is harming our mental health and the health of our loved ones sometimes. We lose sight of what matters most. Unfortunately sometimes what makes us stop and reflect is a Failure. Something which had gone wrong – not as planned. When we feel that we have failed. Failing an exam for example, might be experienced by some as the end of the world. This paradoxically can be transformed into a moment of reflection of what matters most in life – Health and Relationships. To see things in perspective. A failure in our relationship can be a time of re-evaluating our priorities as well. Physical illness can be seen as a failure on our part. Experiencing our children not achieving in what we had planned for them or choosing a different life style that we do not approve of and feeling a failure as parents. These are very disturbing moments in our lives and these are moments to realise that it is not about us, but it is what our children and what makes them happy. These are times also that we might feel ashamed and unworthy. But these might also be times of transformation for us. To go deeper within ourselves and get in touch with what really matters and letting go of our ego-centric ideals and go deeper in our relationship with ourselves and with those we love.
Peter and his companions are professional fishermen and do their work at night when the fish come to the surface. They have worked hard at the right time but have caught nothing. Now the expert fishermen are being told by a carpenter and preacher to put out during the day! Jesus tells them “Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch”. In a way Jesus is telling them go deeper within yourselves – your psyche – there you will find life. Stop being too shallow in your thinking and values. Stop being hooked up with what society in general decides is worth living for and most valuable. Go deeper and realise that what matters is the human person and your relationships, not material success only. Peter obeys the word of Jesus and the word of Jesus comes home to him when they do indeed catch a giant shoal of fish. Peter recognizes the hand of God in what has happened and at the same time realises his own sinfulness. His pastoral advice to Jesus is to go away and not be bothered with the likes of him. Jesus does not take Peter’s advice to put distance between himself and sinners. He has not come to be a hermit apart from us all. Jesus travels into people’s lives. He entertains sinners, he enters their homes, meets their families, eats at their table, listens to their stories and calls them to a new way of life. Throughout his life, Jesus is never far from sinners. Jesus wants Peter to share that mission with him so he called Peter away from fixation with his own sinfulness and preoccupation with himself. Jesus then invites Peter to see himself as a leader who because he is in touch with his own sinfulness and reality as a human being, can identify with the rest of us and so aids us to come closer to God. So Peter follows Jesus.
In his exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis – the current Peter, says this to us ”I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security….”. Pope Francis does not want us to feel self-righteous and thinks that we are perfect and spiritually successful – whatever that means. He wants us to be real human-beings in touch with the reality of our nature as humans and reliant though on God’s grace to always go deeper and be transformed and converted. May this time of Lent for us be a time of transformation and conversion – where we give ourselves more time to reflect and meditate on God’s word to go deeper. Let us partake as much as possible with all that the parish is offering us to get closer to God and one another at this time of Lent. Have a Graced filled Lent!
Second Collections
This weekend there will be a second collection for Poor Parishes. Next weekend the second collection will be for the Maintenance Fund.
Introducing and Commissioning our Parish Pastoral Council (PPC)
This weekend I will be introducing our Parish Pastoral Council at the 6.00pm and 9.15am Masses and then formally commissioning them at the 11.00am Mass. The PPC will then be hosting a simple social event after the 11.00am Mass in the St. James’ Community Centre so that you can meet and get to know them personally. I hope you will welcome our new PPC and please be assured that we will let you know about progress as things develop further in the months ahead. Fr David
Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Peter – Jubilee Year of Mercy
Copies of this are available on the table at the back of the church.
Petts Wood CWL are supporting our local Bromley Women’s Refuge
This weekend the CWL will be collecting new goods to give to the Women’s Refuge. Items requested include new toiletries, bedding, towels and underclothes. There is a list of items needed on the CWL notice board at the back of the church. Thank you for your support.
Children’s Liturgy Helpers - Meet and Greet session after 9.15 Mass on Sunday 7th February
Thank you to all the helpers who have come forward to volunteer for Children's Liturgy. We invite you all (new and old!) to the back of the Community Centre after the 9.15 Mass on 7th February where we will show you what we do during Liturgy sessions. We feel this will be a good opportunity to get to know each other and answer any questions you may have to guide you in this important ministry. We aim to start Liturgy sessions on 21st February. Thank you!
2016 Confirmation Programme
The next session will take place on Monday 8th February, 7.00–8.30pm in the Community Centre.
“Drop-In” – Evening Surgery
The next Surgery will take place this Tuesday 9th February, 5.00–7.30pm. Please call at 281a Crescent Drive – no appointments necessary.
Ash Wednesday
This Wednesday, the children from St James’ Primary School will be joining us here at the 9.30am Mass.
2016 First Holy Communion Programme
The next session will take place on Saturday 27th February, 4.30-5.45pm in the Community Centre.
Week of Accompanied Prayer (WAP) – Saturday 28th February to Saturday 5th March
If you are still considering joining the Week of Accompanied Prayer, please note that applications have to be in this week. Invitations (which include the application form) can be found in the lobby, and completed forms can be placed either in the box in the porch, or you can register online.
Foodbank request
Many thanks to those who continue to leave items at the back of church. These are taken to the Foodbank every month. If you are a regular donor of food, you may like to know that they have no Milk, Fruit Juice, Squash or Sugar and hardly any tinned Potatoes, Rice Pudding or Custard. They do however still have vast quantities of Baked Beans, Pasta, Soup and Cereal!
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
RCIA is the process given to us by the Church to initiate adults and older children into Christianity as it is lived in the Roman Catholic tradition. If you are interested in exploring more about the Catholic faith, please complete the form (in carousel at the back of the church) and return it to either Fr David or the Parish Office – 281a Crescent Drive.
Eucharistic Ministers
We need more Eucharistic Ministers to go onto the rota for the 9.15am Sunday Mass. If you are able to help, please contact the Parish Office. Also, if you are interested in becoming a Eucharistic Minister, please speak to Fr David – full training will be given.
St James’ Guide Pack
Our Guides are looking for two new leaders to take over the running of the pack. If you feel you would like to help please contact the Parish office for more information.
Traidcraft stall
Sales last weekend were £278.05. Thank you for your generous support. J&P
Friends of St James’
An exciting and innovative group is taking root in our parish: The Friends of St James’.
This group is to offer parishioners an opportunity to participate in the parish's community. We recognise the many existing and well supported parish groups but we would like to focus on easy socialising as well as offering a range of spiritual and educational events each year.
Members can be as involved as much as they want, dipping in and out, depending on their particular needs or interests, as well as how much time they may be able to offer.
If you feel that you don't really know many people when you come to Mass; if you've had ideas about building our community and strengthening our trust and faith in each other but also in God; if you'd like to socialise more in our beautiful newly refurbished Centre, but also enjoy outings, then this group is for you!
Committee meetings will be held once a term and be open to everyone who may be interested to join and to discuss ideas for an event.
Everyone on the parish register over the age of 18 is eligible to be a Friend. If you are interested in becoming a member, you are invited to contribute an annual subscription fee of £10 per year per adult and contact the parish office at parish.office@stjamespettswood.org
For general enquiries regarding our group and to submit ideas for discussion, please contact us at friends@stjamespettswood.org. You are also invited to talk to us at our formal launch on March 6 after 9.15am Mass.
Date for your diary: St James’ Egg Hunt Extravaganza on March 27 after 11am Mass.
Stations of the Cross
We are all invited to come to pray this beautiful prayer together as a community in church during Lent. This year we will meet on Sunday evenings at 4.30pm. Please try to join us at least once as we prayerfully follow the journey of Jesus to his death on Calvary using different meditations and reflections.
Lent & Easter 2016 at St James’
These two great seasons of the Liturgical year are an opportunity for every person to experience a closer journey alongside Jesus. There are many activities and services available to nourish and enrich your journey.
Ash Wednesday (Wednesday 10 February)
9.30am School Mass
8pm Community Mass
Stations of the Cross (4.30pm, every Sunday)
This is a procession telling the story of Jesus' Passion. We will have different readings and reflections each week to remember the story through different perspectives.
Petts Wood Churches Together Talks (Tuesdays 16 & 23 February, 1, 8 & 15 March)
1.30pm – 3.00pm at Christ Church URC
8.00pm-9.30pm at Methodist Church, Queensway.
Please see poster at back of church.
Week of Accompanied Prayer (28 Feb - 5 March)
(Information available in the Porch)
Discussion Group (Tuesday 8 March)
8.00-9.30pm, a group of catechists will lead a discussion to reflect on Pope Francis' sermons around the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Everyone is most welcome to come along. Tea and Coffee will also be provided!
Lenten Reconciliation for children and young people (Wednesday 16 March from 3.30pm)
Fr David will be available to hear Confessions from 3.30pm, particularly for any children or young people who would like Reconciliation before Easter.
Lenten Service (Wednesday 16 March, 8pm)
This service is an opportunity to reflect on the mercy and love of God. Individual Confessions will be available after the service for anyone who wishes.
Palm Sunday (Sunday 20 March, 4.30pm)
Experience the Stations of the Cross in a different way, as the stations are re-enacted with readings, reflections and music
Maundy Thursday (Thursday 24 March, 8.00pm)
Mass of the Last Supper.
After Mass, we are invited to spend some time 'watching and praying' with Jesus. Music will be available throughout this time, and the watching will end with Night Prayer at 11.50pm. To make sure that there is always someone in the Church with Jesus, please sign your name against the time slots in the porch if you know what time you are planning to be present.
Good Friday (Friday 25 March)
9.30am Morning Prayer
10.30am Childrens' Stations of the Cross
10.30am Petts Wood Churches Together Service
3pm Good Friday Service
8pm Taizé Prayer around the Cross
Easter Vigil (Saturday 26 March)
9.30am – Morning Prayer
Vigil Mass will begin at 8.00pm.
Readers, Welcomers and Eucharistic Ministers
These vital ministries are especially important during these seasons. If you are able to minister during the Holy Week Masses and special services, please sign your names on the sheets in the porch.
Easter Music
Every parishioner is invited to join our music ministry for the Holy Week and Easter masses. We welcome all people of all whatever you play or sing! You don't need to commit to every Mass - just whatever you are able to make. If you would like to join us, you are welcome to come to our rehearsals:
Saturday 27 February 9.30 - 11.30
Saturday 5 March 9.30 - 11.30
Saturday 12 March 9.30 - 11.30
Saturday 19 March 9.30 - 11.30
Dear Readers
It feels like Christmas has only just ended, but believe it or not Lent begins next week! We need your help to minister for this special season.
Stations of the Cross
We will be alternating between different readings and reflections to keep the Stations fresh and relevant. These will take place at 4.30pm every Sunday, and we need two people to commit to leading the Stations for one Sunday during Lent.
Palm Sunday
Stations on Palm Sunday will be a special liturgy for the beginning of Holy Week, so we will need more readers for this (also 4.30pm). If you are available, please email music@stjamespettswood.org and let Susan know – we will co-ordinate the different readings and reflections and get the words to you in advance of the day.
Holy Week Readings
We need lots of readers for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. We ask that you put your name down on the sheets that will be available in the church porch, to be sure that we have all readings covered. Again, the readings will be made available to you in advance.
Thank you for your ministry, and thank you for your help to make Lent and Easter a prayerful and nourishing season for St James’.