Today’s gospel reminds us that we are never to condemn others for their sins because we are sinners too. All of us need the healing word and touch of Christ – and indeed this is how we grow into holiness. We become whole people and we can experience the abundant life that Christ promises. 

This poem is by Ann Lewin – I hope you will find it thought provoking as we approach Holy Week and Easter.

Caught in The Act

I waited for the stones to cut my flesh, sharp pointed

Thrusts of angry scorn

Purging my accusers of their

Guilt. But one by one they

Left, themselves accused by

His sharp questioning.

“Who among you is sinless?”

I stood alone,

Waiting to be condemned, but

As he looked, knowing me as I am,

Love set me free

To go and sin no more.

Welcome to Mass today.

We draw near to the most solemn part of the church’s year and this is symbolised by the purple veils which cover parts of the church.  The Easter services will be Holy Thursday (8pm); Good Friday (Stations for children 10am, Liturgy 3pm and Taize around the cross 8pm); and Easter Vigil and Mass (9pm).

I do hope we have a full church for all these services (and for the 10am and 11.30am on Easter Day).

Notices
Today 21/2/10	Holy Week choir practice - 3.15pm Stations of the Cross -5pm
Monday 22/2/10	Passover Supper Celebration - 7.30 pm -9pm in the social centre for those who have booked.  NB not a main meal but symbolic! (No confirmation or Evangelium today)
Tuesday 23/3/2010	Mass at 7.15pm.  This is celebrated in the St James Chapel front right and is informal and is attracting more and more people.  Why not come along after a hard day’s work? 8pm- Petts Wood Festival Chorus
Wednesday 24/3/2010	Fr Bryan at Aylesford – training day on the new Missal Spec Team (hall development) – 8pm in the meeting room
Thursday 25/3/10	Baptismal preparation evening  for parents who have been invited) – meeting room 8.15pm
Saturday 27/3/10	Memorial Mass – 2pm today for Mr SL Itsagwede RIP Church clean up for Easter (9am -12noon). Can you please spare an hour or two to prepare the church for Holy Week and Easter – please sign list in porch. We need about 30 people please.
Sunday 28/3/10 Sunday 28/3/10 con’t	Next Sunday is Palm Sunday. Please assemble in the social centre (before 10am and 11.30am Masses) for the blessing of the palms and the start of the procession.  5pm Stations of the Cross 7pm Taizé service for Palm Sunday (singers and instrumentalists at 6pm please.)  A great opportunity to experience this moving meditative style of worship.  Do come – refreshments after the service.

Mass in celebration of the sacrament of marriage (Cathedral, June 12^th).

If you are celebrating your 10^th, 25^th, 40^th, 50^th, or 60^th+ wedding anniversary. Please sign up if you would like to go.

Support the Pope’s visit – see website homepage and please register your support!

Gift Aid

Thanks to all who have gift-aided their 1^st and 2^nd collection offerings during the 2009/10 tax year.   Boxes of Gift Aid envelopes for the new tax year are ready for collection next to the pulpit/ Please note that the name on the box must be a UK tax payer. If you cannot find your box please speak to Geoff Ford (the Gift Aid Administrator) or email him on gift.aid@stjamespettswood.org.  If there are any gift-aiders who are concerned that the tax they have paid is not at last equal to the refund we will seek, please contact Geoff as soon as possible.  You must have paid at least £25 in tax for every £100 put in the Gift Aid envelopes.  Please speak to Geoff if:

a) You wish to know the total recorded amount of your offerings (e.g.  for a Tax Return)

b) You move or marry and change your names.  It is important that our record of your name and address is recognisable to the tax man

c) You wish to transfer your gift aid into your spouse’s name (perhaps because you have stopped working and no longer pay tax)

d) You would like to Gift Aid your contributions to St James but have not yet completed a declaration form.

As every charity will tell you, by gift-aiding your donations your contributions are substantially increased at no cost whatsoever to you.  Last year St James obtained a tax clawback of £13,726 for the 2008/9 tax year.

Isaiah’s word today to our parish (first reading).  “No need to recall the past, no need to think about what was done before, see, I (God) am doing a new deed.... can you not see it?”

Every blessing.  Fr. Bryan

Mass attendances last week were 751.
Mass Intentions for Sunday  21^st March 2010: Fifth Sunday of Lent
Sunday	6pm	Agnes Ryan & Mary Thomas RIP (E Thomas)
	10am	Joseph Tevllin RIP
	11.30am	Deceased Relatives  and Friends of the Warrier family (Denis Nelligan)
Monday    Feria	9.30am	Carmen Novaes Suzzara RIP (Denise Delf)
Tuesday Feria	9.30am	Marion & Thomas Spiller RIP (the Pini family)
	7.15pm	Kitty O’Riordan RIP (Ned)
Wednesday Feria	9.30am	Kenneth Jackson RIP ( M Jackson)
Thursday The Annunciation of Our Lord	9.30am	Foley Family’ Intentions ( A Wheeler)
Friday  Feria	9.30am	Kitty O’Riordan RIP (Ned)
Saturday Feria	2pm	Mr S L Itsagwede RIP (the Itsagwede family)
Mass Intentions for Sunday  28th March 2010;  Palm Sunday
Sunday	6pm	Amedeo Pini RIP (The Pini family)
	10am	The O’Flaherty family RIP (Ned)
	11.30am	People of the Parish

Morning Prayer:- Monday - Friday at 9.10am

Weekday Masses:- Monday- Friday at 9.30am and Tuesday 7.15pm  

Confessions are heard:- Saturday at 5.30-6pm and Monday at 10-10.30am

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament:- Mondays at 10-10.30am

Don’t forget to visit our parish website:  www. stjamespettswood.org

Please make sure you are registered with the parish! (forms on porch) and that our current info is up to date.