Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe. The great joy that began last Sunday continues. Every day since, including today, is encapsulated within the Octave. The Church from ancient times has extended the celebration of Easter Day over eight days. One day is not enough to contain the joy, hope and expectation that this Feast of Feasts brings. It is the pledge of future glory, of unending life to those who have faith and who, through baptism, have entered the family of God. And yes, even if we cannot see God, we are nonetheless, encouraged by the triumph of Our Lord’s resurrection and we profess our faith that God will raise us too.
It is in that faith and hope that we travel through this life and commend those we have loved and lost in death. It is in that hope of sharing in Christ’s resurrection that we say our goodbyes to those who have been such a significant part of our lives.
So it is in this present time of national mourning as we remember with gratitude the unstinting service and dedication of His Royal Highness, the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh to our nation and its people and of course to its Queen, over the course of so many years.
And in the midst of remembering this remarkable man and giving thanks for his achievements and his life amongst us, at the heart of all that we will do will be to commend a child of God, Philip, to the love and mercy of that same God, trusting in the promise and pledge of eternal life that was won for us in this very Feast we celebrate. For we may be kings or commoners, powerful movers of international affairs or of more humbler station, yet in death we all come before the judgment seat of God trusting that in the end, with penitent hearts and with the prayers of the Church behind us, He may welcome us to our eternal home.
This is our faith and our hope which this Octave celebrates. And so we give thanks in joy and in that hope commend The Prince Philip and all the faithful departed to the love and mercy of God. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him.
THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARTIN’S
SUNDAY - 11th April
8.00 am Low Mass
10.00 am PARISH MASS
TUESDAY
7.00 pm Low Mass
WEDNESDAY
NO Mass today
THURSDAY
NO Mass today
FRIDAY
10.00 am Low Mass (B.C.P.)
SATURDAY
10.00 am Low Mass
SUNDAY- 18th April
8.00 am Low Mass
10.00 am PARISH MASS
PLEASE NOTE, THAT SERVICES WILL BE BROADCAST AGAIN FROM SUNDAY THE 18th APRIL.
TO TUNE IN VIA FACEBOOK TO JOIN IN OUR WORSHIP PLEASE OPEN THE FACEBOOK APP ON YOUR PHONE OR DEVICE AND SEARCH FOR:
“St Martin’s Parish Church, Fenny Stratford “
WE HAD A WONDERFUL TURNOUT ON EASTER SUNDAY AND SO NOW THAT THE INFECTION RATE HAS FALLEN SIGNIFICANTLY, SOCIETY IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF EXITING LOCKDOWN AND THAT NEARLY ALL THOSE CLASSED AS VULNERABLE HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST, AND IN MANY CASES, SECOND VACCINATION, IT IS TO BE HOPED THAT WE MAY COME TOGETHER IN PERSON ONCE AGAIN AS A PARISH FAMILY.
OTHER NOTICES
A big thank you to those who helped to get everything ready for our celebration of Holy Week and Easter Sunday. It turned out to be a wonderful and worthy offering of praise to the Almighty.
Thank you too, to those who have already responded with generosity to the appeal for funds that was made recently. We will be embarking shortly on work on the fabric of the Church and Vestry Hall as stage one of a three stage program of repairs identified in our last quinquennial report. Things have been difficult over this last year because of the Pandemic and the repeated lockdowns while we still had to continue to meet all the usual expenses of running our Church and buildings.
IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO MAKE A DONATION TOWARDS THE COST OF THE FORTHCOMING REPAIRS.
CHEQUES CAN BE MADE PAYABLE TO:
Saint Martin’s P. C. C. No. 1 A/c
MANY THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONTINUED GENEROSITY.
PLEASE don’t forget to contact me if you have any prayer requests or Mass intentions you would like me to offer at Mass or if would like someone added to our parish prayer list of the Sick or Departed.
My contact details are as follows:
Telephone: 01908 372825
Email: victorbullock@talktalk.net
I am also available in person during Surgery Hour on Saturday’s in Church between 10.30am - 12 noon.
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION AND RECONCILIATION is also available at this time.
Please continue to remember the following in your prayers:
Firstly:
For a joy filled keeping of Eastertide.
For a continued drop in the rate of Covid infections and in the number of hospitalised victims.
For our society and people that we may continue to work together, that we may see the gradual and permanent ending of Lockdown.
For the continued rapid dissemination of the Vaccines for Covid 19 and for all working for this end.
Those who have found themselves out of work, particularly those who have families or other dependents to support.
Those who are despairing at the future of their businesses and those that work for them.
Those who continue to live in fear of Covid and are living with anxiety and depression.
For the Government in their seeking solutions for the common good at this time.
For peace to reign within our homes and amongst one another.
For the elderly, housebound and those living in residential and nursing homes.
For our Ambulance Service and for our other Emergency Service Staff and for Milton Keynes Hospital and all who work there.
For Bishop Jonathan and all our parish clergy as they seek to continue to make present in our midst the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, the Sacraments of Christ and offer continuing Pastoral care.
For Genesis Abbey, the Mother House of the Monastic Community of the House of Initia Nova of the Order of Saint Benedict. For it’s Abbot Michael-John Austin, the community and for those new to its life.
For the Sick:
For Amie Reed, Rhodie Howard, Paul Ward, Jean Holden, Peter White, Roger D’Elia, Norman Kent, Denis & Yvonne Simpson, David Lingham, Sandra Walduck, and Doris Weatherley.
For the Departed:
For the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and all who have died recently, and for all those who have died of Covid 19.
We pray too for all whose years mind falls at this time, among them Margaret Power, Dorothy Russell, Denzil Pateman and Arthur Eames. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let Light Perpetual shine upon them.
May God bless you and keep you as you walk with Christ through this Great Week.
Father Victor