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Attendance last week was 786. Traidcraft stall: £184.20. Cabrini Children’s Society collection at the crib: £337.30.
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Sunday 19/1/14 |
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) 6pm (Sat) – Joan Hansford, RIP (Hansford family) 9.15am – Welfare of Sr. Avril Foster (Mary Hutchinson) 11am – Margaret Walsh (Benson family)
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Monday 20/1/14 |
St Fabian, pope, martyr 9.30am – Fr. Anthony Gauci, RIP (Maureen Jackson)
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Tuesday 21/1/14 |
St Agnes, virgin, martyr 9.30am – Rachel Loader, RIP (M. Howell)
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Wednesday 22/1/14 |
Feria 9.30am – Con McLoune, RIP (Maureen Jackson)
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Thursday 23/1/14 |
Feria 9.30am – Welfare of Margaret Daly (Roger & Ellen Wright)
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Friday 24/1/14 |
St Francis de Sales, bishop 9.30am – Noah Mark Rothon, RIP (Rothon family)
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Saturday 25/1/14 |
Conversion of St Paul, apostle 9.30am – Mary Lawrence (restoration of health).
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Sunday 26/1/14 |
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) 6pm (Sat) – Josephine Kiely, RIP (Christine) 9.15am – Seamus McGoldrick, RIP (Geraldine Bishop & Laura Cunningham) 11am – Noah Mark Rothon, RIP (Rothon family) and Edmund Bryant RIP. (E.Bryant) |
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We are now in the church season of ‘Ordinary Time.’ This continues until Lent (Ash Wednesday this year is March 5th) – and then continues after Easter season, during June, and continues until the end of the church year in November. During Ordinary time (green) the mystery of Christ is gradually unfolded, as we listen again to his story and try to apply his teaching, this year from St Matthew’s gospel. Today, here at St. James’, on the Lord’s Day, everyone is invited to respond to a questionnaire on the Sacrament of Reconciliation (popularly known as ‘confession.’) All the sacraments are meant to draw us deeper and deeper into the paschal mystery – the dying and rising of Jesus. Baptism and the Eucharist are at the heart of this, but the Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us a personal and intimate opportunity to open our hearts to the Lord in penitence, and (more importantly) to receive his great gift of the forgiveness of our sins. We do well to remind ourselves that our Catholic Faith concerns our eternal salvation and that Jesus is the way to that. At the annunciation Gabriel tells Mary: ‘He will be called Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ And in the creed each Sunday we say we believe that Jesus came to this world ‘ for us......and for our salvation.’ Are we on the way to salvation? If so, we shall joyfully celebrate the sacraments of the church, given to us by Jesus to help us on our way. Hopefully, when Lent arrives, we will embrace the opportunity to start afresh with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. More about this in due course. Your response to the questionnaire will help us plan this aspect of our parish life together. So, thanks for your response, ands thanks, too, to those who have taken so much trouble over this. May the Lord bless our efforts.
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Today: Second collection for our Maintenance Fund (Please Gift Aid!). In due course we shall be explaining exactly what we: a) must do and b) would like to do with our parish buildings. There’s quite a list, but with a determined effort all should be achieved over the next few years. (The hall toilets show that we can produce the goods!). Thank you for your generosity so far - please keep it up! Our new sound system was installed last week. I hope you will enjoy the new sound quality in church. Thanks again to the four parishioners who met the cost of this (c. £5,000). Parish diaries for 2014 now available (50p) – in porch. This afternoon at 3pm we are invited to the Quaker Meeting House (Ladywood Avenue) to mark the week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18th-25th). Hopefully there will be a really good turnout from St. James’- especially as the property is to be sold very soon and this will be our last such visit! We keep the Petts Wood Quakers in our prayers as they face the future. At 5pm today – 7’s and 8’s (for all our young people in school years 7 and 8) and at 6.30pm confirmation group.
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Monday: Pondering the Word – a meditative look at next Sunday’s gospel reading. All are warmly welcome (11 am-12 noon in the back corridor of church). This is not a discussion group and the basis is silence. Craft and Games group (1.30-3.00pm- hall) again all most welcome- table tennis- cards- etc...! not just craft!
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Tuesday: Fundraising team at 8pm (meeting room).
Servers meeting (all servers and parents please)- 7pm in church (about 40 mins.)
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Wednesday: St James’ School join us for the 9.30am Mass. Petts Wood Festival Chorus at 7.45pm. We need more men!! (tenors and basses). Please come and sing if possible. (Full details on our website.)
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Thursday: ‘Dad and Me’ – initial meeting of Dads who would like to start a monthly session for Dads and their children –possibly on a Saturday morning. Meeting room 8pm (maximum of an hour). Please support!
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Friday: Mums and toddlers - 1.30pm-3pm in hall, all most welcome.
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Saturday: Mass at 9.30am. It would be great to see more people at this Mass, when most are not working – also young families (ends 10 am). A great way to start your Saturday! Confessions heard 10am-10.30am. Church cleaning from 10-11am - school year 4 parents please. Please do not ‘duck’ your turn, which is only about three times a year! We are a voluntary co-operative and we must all pull our weight. Confirmation Group – trip to Westminster Cathedral- attending the 6pm Mass (vigil) followed by short talk, and tour of the cathedral. Meet on bridge at PW station at 4.30pm. Back about 9pm. Please bring money for fare, offering (at Mass) and McDonald’s. Parents most welcome to come on this trip.
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There is so much on offer in our parish. It would be good to see many more people engaging with worship and with activities. ‘Wherefore with my utmost art I will sing thee And the cream of all my heart I will bring thee. Though my sins against me cried, thou didst clear me; And alone, when they replied, thou didst hear me. ‘Seven whole days, not one in seven, I will praise thee. In my heart, though not in heaven, I can raise thee; Small it is, in this poor sort, to enrol thee: E’ en eternity’s too short to extol thee.’ |