Dear friends,Spring may not yet quite have sprung, but there is a sense of renewal in the air – not least because, hot on the heels of the blessing last Sunday after Mass of our beautiful new signboards outside the church, I am delighted to announce that our newly rebuilt and refreshed website (stmaryskenton.org) will go live at some point on Thursday, 16 February: take a look thereafter to see what’s new, and do – of course – signpost our website to neighbours, family and friends!The theme of spiritual spring-cleaning will also be our sermon subject this coming Sunday, as we consider the third of the three pillars of the fast-approaching Lenten season, namely prayer (along with almsgiving and fasting). In particular, we’ll be considering the mechanics of making our Confession – a “how-to” guide to this beautiful sacrament. As this Sunday’s responsorial psalm reminds us, ‘It is [God] who forgives all your guilt, / who heals every one of your ills… As far as the east is from the west / so far does he remove our sins.’Indeed, if there are other aspects of the practice of the Faith by which you’re confused or uncertain, do speak to the clergy, so that we can address these in future homilies. We’ll be trialling an “I wonder why…” postbox in church, for all the queries you’ve always wanted to ask, but never knew how to broach! If you would like to make your Confession, please speak to me or to Fr Mike – or simply turn up at 5.15pm on Saturdays.As trailed last weekend, our Lent Appeal this year will be in aid of the Additional Curates Society: there remain several (free) copies of their Spring magazine at the back of church, and this weekend we will be distributing Lent prayer cards and collection boxes: please give generously to this valuable work, remembering to donate sacrificially rather than simply with spare change!Lent begins, of course, next week on Ash Wednesday, 22 February: there will be Masses with the Imposition of Ashes at 9.30am and 6.00pm. Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence, which means that we should refrain from eating meat, and restrict ourselves to no more than one light meal and one snack.Last Sunday was the first in a three-part Sunday series of stewardship homilies – which hopefully set you thinking! Please use daily the stewardship prayer composed for our parish, additional copies of which are available in church (as well as printed beneath this Sunday’s readings). For those who were not at Mass last weekend, a digital version of the first of three leaflets accompanying the stewardship programme is attached to this mailing. You may recall the repeated figure of 20%! – happily, in comparison with some of our financial challenges, 20% is also the amount by which our Sunday Mass attendance has so far this month increased in comparison with October last year (when the Church of England asks parishes to compile and submit attendance data): do come along again to Mass this weekend, to keep up the good work! Both playing our part in the worshipping life of the Church, and contributing financially to the Church’s ministry and mission, are ways in which we can give practical expression to the opening verses of Sunday’s psalm: ‘My soul, give thanks to the Lord, / all my being, bless his holy name. / My soul, give thanks to the Lord / and never forget all his blessings.’Likewise included with this mailing are an update from Action by Christians against Torture with regard to recent prayer cases, and an advertisement for a Church Administrator vacancy at Kenton Methodist Church.With my best wishes and every blessing for a holy Lent,Fr Richard
