Dear Brothers and Sisters,
WE CONTINUE TO MEET TOGETHER TO WORSHIP ALMIGHTY GOD, TO HEAR AND RECEIVE HIS HOLY WORD AND TO RECEIVE THE BOUNTIFUL GIFT OF GRACE THROUGH THE CELEBRATION OF MASS AND HIS HOLY SACRAMENTS.
THE END NOW SEEMS IN SIGHT THANK THE LORD. I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE NOW RECEIVED YOUR FIRST INOCULATION, AND SOME YOUR SECOND, SO NOW IS THE TIME TO START THINKING OF RETURNING TO WORSHIP. IT WAS GOOD TO SEE SOME OLD FACES LAST SUNDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE. YOU HAVE BEEN MISSED. IT IS TIME FOR THE PARISH FAMILY TO COME BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
THERE IS NO TRUE LIVING OF THE CHRISTIAN VOCATION WITHOUT ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN BAPTISM, THE HOLY EUCHARIST AND THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH. IT IS ONLY THERE, IN PERSON, THAT WE COME INTO AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIVING CHRIST. THIS CANNOT BE DONE REMOTELY OR VIRTUALLY.
NOW IS THE TIME TO BEGIN THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU WILL BE RETURNING TO MEET OUR LORD PERSONALLY IN HOLY COMMUNION.
FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS WE WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER ON OUR PARISH FACEBOOK PAGE A BROADCAST MASS ON SUNDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS. AFTER THAT THERE WILL BE A BREAK AS THE EXPECTATION IS THAT YOU WILL BE JOINING US IN CHURCH ONCE AGAIN.
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 “
SERVICES THIS SUNDAY:
8 am Mass
10 am PARISH MASS for the First Sunday in Lent.
5 pm Service of Reconciliation and Benediction.
This Sunday we are reminded that as Our Lord was ever faithful to his Father’s will and to his vocation to bring the Good News, so we too are promised the strength to resist temptation and to be true to our faith. May we continue to witness before others by the quality of own lives lived in Christ.
AND SO TO THE NOTICES
For those who do wish the solace of the Sacraments, Saint Martins remains open. The public worship of Almighty God and the celebration of Holy Mass continue. So for all those who wish to partake, the Body and Blood of our Lord, the medicine for our souls, the divine gift that strengthens our incorporation into the Divine life of Our Lord, and the source of Grace, is still available.
Spring Clean - To make our Church especially beautiful for Easter we need souls to pitch in on Saturday 13th March from 10.30 am onwards to take make the place shine. This will be subject of course to the lockdown restrictions being relaxed by then. But please make a note of the date and time so that if we can we will go ahead with this. Most of the Brass in church has not been polished since before the first lockdown. This is your church. Please let one of the Clergy know you can help.
Revision of the Sick List - Every so often the clergy are asked to pray for someone who is then added to the sick list and there they remain, often long after they have made a recovery. It’s therefore necessary to completely revise the list from time to time. From the beginning of March all the names on our sick list will be removed. If you would like someone to remain on the list or would like to add a name, please pass a written note or send an email to Fr. Victor at: victorbullock@talktalk.net
LENT HAS BEGUN
There will be a special service of Reconciliation with Benediction on this First Sunday of Lent (21st, February) at 5.00pm. This will be broadcast via our Facebook page.
MASSES DURING THE WEEK WILL BE OFFERED AT THESE TIMES:
Tuesday at 7 pm
Wednesday at 12.15 pm (with Adoration from 11.45 am) and at 7.00 pm
Thursday at 10 am
Friday at 10 am
Saturday at 10 am
SERVICES NEXT SUNDAY
Low Mass at 8 am
Parish Mass at 10 am (The Second Sunday in Lent)
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 drop in the rate of Covid infections and in the number of hospitalised victims.
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 still live in fear of this global pandemic 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, the community and for those new to its life.
For the Sick:
For Abbot Michael John, John McDonald-Moore, Grace Moore, Rhodie Howard, Rachel Thurston, Kirill Ermolaev, Irene Foster, Jean Holden, Mary Cowan, Peter White, Roger D’Elia, Shirley Milburn, Paul Ward, Norman Kent, Peter Woodward, Gay Lavery, David Gregg, Denis & Yvonne Simpson, Mary Collier, Benjamin Duarri, David Lingham, Sandra Walduck, Eugenius Yung, and Doris Weatherley.
For the Departed:
For Sister Monica Ruth Mullen O.S.B. Alvon Collison, Sheila Bradley 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 Gordon Dunnett, Joan Wren, Jack Kelly, Mary-Anne Sellars and Bertram Parkings. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
And let Light Perpetual shine upon them.
May God bless you and keep you.
Father Victor