Today is mid-Lent and Mothering Sunday.

 

‘Come, Mother God’ - a poem by John Harvey

 

Come, Mother God:

Come as enfolding nurturing presence,

Come as steadfast love

To hold us.

 

Come, Father God:

Come as an enabling, strengthening force,

Come as tough love

To let us go.

 

Come, Parent God:

Come as friend and comforter

Healing our wounds,

Walking our way.

 

Come as wounded healer

To make us whole.

 

 

In today’s gospel St. John speaks of the Son of Man (Jesus) being ‘lifted up’ and in doing so he is using the language of exaltation to describe the crucifixion.  He wants us to understand Jesus’ crucifixion as his exaltation and glorification.  John sees the glory of Jesus’ self-giving on the cross.

 

With our western, pragmatic minds this can be difficult for us.  The cross is all shame and sorrow- an ugly and brutal execution- and this rightly reminds us of our sin. But the deeper reality is God’s love for us- God’s unbelievably costly love- pouring from the side of our crucified Saviour. As an early saint put it:

 

‘Of old we were poisoned by a tree (garden of Eden); now, we have found immortality through a tree (the cross). Of old we were lead astray by a tree; now we have repelled the treacherous snake by means of a tree. Indeed an unheard of exchange! We are given life instead of death, incorruptibility instead of corruption, glory instead of dishonour.’

 

(St.Theodore the Studite- 759-826.)

 

Mass attendances last Sunday were 766.

Sunday

18/3/12

Fourth Sunday of Lent (B)

6pm – Pat & Lily Foly RIP (Melling)

9.15am – People of the Parish

11am – Cathleen Benson RIP (F & S Simon)

 

Monday

19/3/12

St Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

9.30am – Lawrence Itsagwedu RIP (Mrs Itsagwedu) and Naina Ganapathy (Elizabeth Ganapathy)

 

Tuesday

20/3/12

Feria

9.30am – Peter Pickard RIP (Family Friends)

 

Wednesday

21/3/12

Feria

9.30am – Margaret Winn RIP (F & S Simon)

 

Thursday

22/3/12

Feria

9.30am – Derek Fry (Barbara Bridle)

 

Friday

23/3/12

Feria

9.30am – Kathleen O’Neill RIP (Barbara Bridle)

 

Sunday 

25/3/12

Fifth Sunday of Lent (B)

6pm – Lawrence Itsagwedu (Mrs Itsagwedu)

9.15am – Anniversary of Melvyn Haynes RIP (Maureen Haynes)

11am – Christopher Walsh RIP (Lora Benson)

 

 

Today (Sunday):

 

We thank God for our mothers - and also for Mary, Mother of the Lord (try and get to Mass tomorrow week - 26th- solemnity of the Annunciation).

 

Petts Wood Festival Chorus – penultimate rehearsal, this afternoon (3pm)

 

Tuesday:

Exposition and confessions after 9.30am Mass (10-10.30am).

 

Film ‘The Mission’ (Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons).  7.30pm at Christ Church lounge, Willett Way.  18th century Jesuits try to protect a remote South American tribe from the pro-slavery Portuguese (using native cast as extras).  It is great to watch a film with other people.

 

Also last of the Lent talks on the Church and Social Justice - Holy Innocents School, Orpington.  Austin Ivereigh on Justice in the Local Context (chaired by Clifford Longley).  Highly recommended.  It would be good to have some (written) feedback from those of you who have been to this excellent series.

 

Wednesday:

Mass with St. James’ School here in church at 9.30am.

 

Passover Supper at 7.30pm in the hall.  Still a few places left.  Please sign list or email Chris or Doreen Hairs.  Reminder- this is NOT a main meal!

 

Thursday:

Baptism preparation evening - 8.15pm (for parents who have been invited).

 

Holy Week Choir practice - 8pm.

 

Friday:

Stations of the Cross at 7pm (NO confessions at 6.30pm)

 

Institution of Rev. Shaju Varkey as parish priest of Our Lady of the Crays, St. Mary Cray, at 7pm. (Bishop Pat.)

 

Petitioning and Supporting Others:

 

Many of you signed the Marriage Coalition last week.

 

Please also support and pray for:

 

Christopher Tappin - an Orpington man unjustly extradited to the USA by our Government. Go on to epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/30569 (this is about his treatment, NOT his innocence or guilt.)

Linda Carty on death row in prison in Texas. Archbishop Vincent Nichols is supporting her reprieve and (hopefully) eventual release.  Please go to alivepublishing.co.uk/save-linda-carty

 

CAFOD’s Thirst for Change campaign. (Please tear off back page, fill in and post in box by the WC door in the porch).

 

SPUC (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children) in their campaign to prevent inappropriate sex education in schools (cards in porch).

 

All these things should flow from our Sunday Mass, our faith in Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

 

Readers and Eucharistic Ministers.  We need more! If you would like to offer one of these ministries, please sign one of the porch lists – thank you.

 

Ministers - please sign up your availability for the Triduum (5th April at 8pm and 7th April at 10pm).

 

Year 6 children.

If your child is at present in school year 6 please fill in form in porch and post in appropriate box ASAP- thank you.  (NB: This does NOT apply to St. James’ School year 6).

 

Parish Forum:

Wednesday March 28th at 8pm in the social centre- to receive the accounts for 2011, to review the past year and to look forward as a parish community.

 

Please make this a priority.

 

Every blessing, Fr Bryan