Dear Brothers and Sisters,
IT IS GOOD TO HEAR FROM A NUMBER OF YOU THAT YOU ARE MAKING PLANS TO ONCE AGAIN JOIN US FOR WORSHIP IN PERSON. THE INFECTION RATE CONTINUES TO GRADUALLY FALL, AND AS EACH NEW DAY GOES BYE, MORE AND MORE RECEIVE THEIR VACCINATIONS. THIS, COUPLED WITH THE PRIME MINISTER’S STATEMENT ON MONDAY GIVES US REAL HOPE THAT AN END TO ALL OF THIS IS IN SIGHT. FROM THIS POINT ON, WE CONTINUE OUR WORSHIP OF ALMIGHTY GOD IN THIS HOPE, COMING TOGETHER, ONCE AGAIN AS A PARISH FAMILY, TO HEAR AND RECEIVE HIS HOLY WORD AND TO RECEIVE THE BOUNTIFUL GIFT OF GRACE THROUGH THE CELEBRATION OF MASS AND HIS HOLY SACRAMENTS.
AS I COMMENTED LAST WEEK, 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.
IT WILL BE A JOYFUL AND EMOTIONAL MOMENT TO SEE OUR PARISH FAMILY PHYSICALLY GATHERED TOGETHER ONCE MORE IN OUR CHURCH.
WITH THIS IN MIND, THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BROADCAST THE SUNDAY AND WEDNESDAY MASSES AS USUAL. AFTER THAT THERE WILL BE A SHORT 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 Second Sunday in Lent.
This Sunday we are presented with the manifestation of Our Lord Jesus’ divine nature. In that moment of revelation, Peter, James and John, and in our own day, you and I, are given the encouragement that we need, to be confident that we shall be with God eternally if we are faithful to the one who has deigned to dwell among us and through the Cross, to loose us from our sins. He whose glory we witness, is the one who offers us the hope of redemption and the ultimate revelation of the meaning behind our existence. May we turn to Him, therefore, in love and trust and in His name and with His grace, witness before others to His love for them.
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. For those who wish to respond in love to Christ’s call to discipleship, His Body and Blood, the medicine for our souls and the gift that strengthens our incorporation into His Divine life, 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. After Mass this Sunday 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
EXTRA SERVICES DURING LENT
There will be a special offering of Vespers (the Evening Prayer of the Church) with Benediction on the Third Sunday of Lent (7th, March) at 6 pm. 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 Third Sunday in Lent)
Vespers and Benediction at 6 pm
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 good keeping of this Lent as a Season of Grace.
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 continue to 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 Austin, the community and for those new to its life.
For the Sick:
For Amie Reed, Abbot Michael John Austin, John McDonald-Moore, Rhodie Howard, Rachel Thurston, Kirill Ermolaev, Irene Foster, Jean Holden, Mary Cowan, Peter White, Roger D’Elia, Paul Ward, Norman Kent, Gay Lavery, David Gregg, Denis & Yvonne Simpson, Mary Collier, Benjamin Duarri, David Lingham, Sandra Walduck, Eugenius Yung, and Doris Weatherley.
For the Departed:
For Shirley Milburn, Grace Moore, Sr. Monica Ruth Mullen O.S.B. 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 William Vickers, Thomas Rowland, Michael Pizzaro, Sarah Pacey, Ernest Quincy, Dorothy Hickley and Leonard Gammage. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let Light Perpetual shine upon them.
We begin to live in hope once more.
May God bless you and keep you.
Father Victor