Dear friends,
We are pleased to welcome Fr Joseph Barnes to St Mary’s on a short placement with us: Fr Joseph will preach at this weekend’s Masses, and also write to introduce himself more fully next week. Please do come along, to say a proper hello to him. This weekend will also be the final opportunity to donate to February’s appeal in aid of London’s Community Kitchen.
We are accustomed to the pattern of action and reaction, in the world around us and in our own behaviour. The Old Testament Law mirrored this, in its prescription of an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth – what is called retributive justice. But, in this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus says that, in our dealings with others, we should not exchange tit for tat: instead, the two ways in which we should gauge our response to any situation are, first, to mirror the goodness of God (to ‘be merciful, even as your Father is merciful‘); and, second, the so-called “golden rule” of doing to others as we would have them do to us: ‘as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.’
As hopefully by now you are aware, this year we will be sharing a Lent Course with our friends from All Saints, Kenton – on Friday evenings during Lent, beginning at 7pm with Stations of the Cross. Included with this mailing is a poster for the course, confirming which sessions will take place in which church. We will be using a resource called “Believe: Reflections on the Creed” – a six-part series exploring the treasures of our Faith as expressed in the Nicence Creed, in this 1,700th anniversary year since its composition. Each session will include a video, and time for discussion; you can view a taster video here. The sessions will be led by Ryan, Fr Joseph and Fr Mike – as well as by Fr Hector, and representatives from All Saints.
In addition to the new lectionaries and Book of the Gospels purchased recently, we have also pre-ordered one copy of the new weekday Missal, for use at Masses in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. This will be despatched in Eastertide. Sponsorship is now invited towards the cost of this purchase (£55): please see me to donate, and to confirm the inscription you would like included in this volume – perhaps in memory of a departed loved one, or detailing a particular thanksgiving.
Please note that, on Thursday next week, 27 February, there will be no public Evening Prayer: Fr Jason Rendell, from St Andrew, Kingsbury, has kindly agreed to say the 6pm Mass, and I hope that this will be well-attended, to acknowledge his unstinting generosity towards us. Fr Joseph and Ryan and I will be in Canterbury for the Consecration of the next Bishop of Richborough: please pray for Bishop-Elect Luke Irvine-Capel, as he prepares for this ministry.
Unfortunately, Fr Darren Smith (from the Additional Curates Society) can no longer be with us to preach on the First Sunday of Lent, 9 March – on account of ill health. We assure him of our prayers for his recovery, and hope to reschedule his visit to Kenton later this year. Likewise, Fr Alex Honey has had to reschedule his own trip to St Mary’s: no longer able to join us on Passion Sunday, 6 April, he will instead be our guest preacher on 21 September, when we will celebrate our Patronal Festival in honour of Our Lady of Walsingham – with Mass followed by a parish lunch.
Please find attached an invitation to St Cuthbert, Philbeach Gardens for their Patronal Festival on Thursday, 20 March at 7pm (followed by a reception).
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all His benefits,
Fr Richard