Dear friends,
In this Sunday’s Gospel reading – the story of a woman accused of adultery – Jesus powerfully reminds us that questions of moral judgement involve not only an appeal to our sense of right and wrong, but also concern whether it is our place and in our power and authority to judge others at all. Only God has the right to pass final judgement: we are instead to forbear, as we best we can, others’ faults and failings – and to concern ourselves primarily with our own righteousness before the Lord. In whom, of course, we find compassion and mercy – for it is in the power of the One who can judge also to redeem and to save.
This Sunday is the final opportunity to contribute to the cost of this year’s Easter flowers: cash donations may be placed into the basket in church; it is also possible to donate using the contactless terminal, or to make a bank transfer online (please use the reference “Easter Flowers”, and pay into account no. 30334960, sort code 20-37-16, held in the name of ST MARY THE VIRGIN PCC KENTON). The suggested donation is £5/lily: if giving in memory of a loved one, please PRINT their name clearly on the list in church.
Please also collect a handful of Easter invitations either to give to neighbours, colleagues, family and friends, or to put through local letterboxes – please mark on the sheet in church the roads to which you are going to deliver (before Palm Sunday). Any of our young people who would, with parental permission, like to earn some Easter pocket money as parish postmen should come to Mass this Sunday prepared to spend 1.5 hours afterwards out on delivery duty!
Various volunteer opportunities are available during Holy Week (with sign-up sheets in church), including having a foot washed on Maundy Thursday, and reading at the Easter Vigil. The morning of Good Friday, 18 April, we require volunteers first to set up the Hall, and then to serve refreshments after the Walk of Witness. On Holy Saturday, our “big spring clean” will take place in church from 9.30am; after the 8pm Vigil and First Mass of Easter, there will be a party in the Hall. We will set up chairs and tables after the Liturgy on Good Friday afternoon; donations of food for the party can be brought to the Hall before the Vigil on Holy Saturday, and Pat will gladly take note of your proposed contribution (and receive any cash donations towards the cost of the party), or make suggestions as to what else you might bring!
Those who wish to travel together to Bishop Jonathan’s Chrism Mass on Tuesday, 15 April are invited to Morning Prayer at 9am in church: soon after 9.15am the group will leave, to travel to St Andrew, Holborn by public transport.
Pat will likewise happily hear from those who can contribute a cake for afternoon tea following our May Devotion on Saturday, 3 May – beginning at All Saints Church at 2.30pm. Please speak to Fr Richard to sponsor (£50) a member of the brass quintet who will accompany the devotional procession between our two churches. Please also spread the word about this special service! In due course, we will require volunteers to set up the Hall and to serve refreshments after the May Devotion, as well as to decorate Our Lady’s bier with flowers.
A reminder that Bereavement Care’s Spring Fair and Coffee Morning takes place next week on Wednesday, 9 April between 10am-4pm, at the Harrow District Masonic Centre, on Northwick Circle.
The Patronal Festival celebrations at St Alphage, Burnt Oak will be on Monday, 28 April at 6pm (guest preacher: the Lord Bishop of Southwark), and will be followed by a party. We are also invited to Holy Trinity, Hoxton on Divine Mercy Sunday, 27 April at 3pm for the licensing of Fr Stephen Gallagher (who will join us for our Parish Conference in September) as Fulham Missioner, and of Fr Aidan Bartlett as Priest-in-Charge of the parish.
The live-streaming camera in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel remains under repair: we hope to be able to broadcast weekday services from this chapel by Easter; the camera in the main church is unaffected.
Your completed Electoral Roll forms should be returned, please, before 25 April. The Annual Parish Meetings will be held after Mass on Sunday, 11 April – and nominations will be sought in due course for our churchwardens, and for PCC membership.
Kenton West Safer Neighbourhood Team community contact sessions (women’s safety) will take place on Thursday, 3 April at 2pm (Kenton Post Office); Saturday, 12 April at 10am (Kenton Post Office); Saturday, 19 April at 2pm (Priestmead Recreation Ground), and Friday, 25 April at 5pm (Priestmead Recreation Ground). There will also be a ward panel meeting on Wednesday, 9 April at the Old Bowls’ Club, Kenton Recreation Ground at 6pm.
Please, finally, keep our friend Fr Jason Rendell (from St Andrew, Kingsbury) in your prayers: Fr Richard visited Fr Jason in hospital yesterday, after he suffered a stroke earlier in the week. Fr Jason is very appreciative of your prayers and best wishes, and the prognosis is hopeful.
This week’s incense is Flowers of Wessex.
May the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth, speak to you words of pardon and peace,
Fr Richard