Jan 17th 2026

THE SECOND AND THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME - 18th January 2026 & 25th JANUARY 2026

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Church invites us to consider the transformative power of encounters with Our Lord and the call to discipleship that flows from them. In the Gospel, St. John the Baptist bears witness to the Lamb of God, and upon seeing Jesus, declares Him to be the One who takes away the sin of the world; Our Lord begins to gather His first disciples, who respond with a simple, humbly courageous faith: “Rabbi, where are you staying?” This encounter reveals that true vocation begins with recognizing Christ, abiding with Him, and following wherever He leads. As we reflect on this call, we are reminded that each of us is summoned not merely to belief but to a daily, living fidelity—to listen for His voice in prayer, to respond with generous hearts in works of mercy, and to become witnesses who radiate the light of the Gospel in our families, parishes, and communities.

May we, like the first disciples, leave behind what holds us back and choose the path of ongoing conversion: a renewed desire to know Christ more intimately, to serve Him more faithfully, and to invite others to encounter Him who is the source of life and joy. Let our worship this week be marked by attentive listening, sincere repentance, and joyful proclamation, as we celebrate the entering of Christ into our hearts through the sacraments and the witness of a holy life. May our homes be places where faith is nourished, our parish here at Saint Martin’s, a beacon of charity and truth, and our daily labour a response of love to the Lord who calls us by name.

On the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Church invites us to contemplate the light of Christ shining forth in sacred Scripture and in our daily lives. In the Gospel, Our Lord proclaims that the time has been fulfilled and invites all to repent and believe in the Good News. This call echoes through the readings as the Word of God takes on flesh in our ears and in our hearts, awakening a response of faith, hope, and charity. As we gather for the sublime celebration of the Holy Mass, we are reminded that every liturgical moment is an encounter with the living God who speaks, heals, and draws us into a deeper friendship with Him. May we open our hearts to receive His transformative truth, allow it to shape our choices, and go forth with renewed zeal to imitate Christ in our families, workplaces, and communities.

May our lives become a living catechesis of the Gospel, as we embody mercy to the marginalized, justice in our dealings with others, and joy in the Lord that shines as a light to all we meet. Let us strive to listen more attentively to the Word proclaimed at Mass, to cultivate interior prayer, and to offer acts of service that reflect Christ’s love. May our homes be schools of faith where our children learn to love God, and may Saint Martin’s be a hospitable echo of the Kingdom, inviting seekers to encounter the Lord who calls us by name and grants the grace to follow Him more closely.

Through the intercession of Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, of Saint Martin and Saint Benedict and all the saints, may God bless you and your loved ones.

THIS WEEK - THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

18th January 2026

Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.15 am.

PARISH MASS at 10.00 am.

20th January

TUESDAY

Low Mass at 6.30 pm.

21st January

WEDNESDAY

Eucharistic Adoration at 11.45 am.

Low Mass at 12.15pm.

22nd January

THURSDAY

No Mass today.

23rd January

FRIDAY

Low Mass (B.C.P. / English Missal) at 10.00 am.

24th January

SATURDAY

Low Mass at 10.00 am.

25th January

SUNDAY - THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.15 am.

PARISH MASS at 10.00 am.

27th January

TUESDAY

Low Mass at 6.30 pm.

28th January

WEDNESDAY

Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.00 am.

Eucharistic Adoration at 11.45 am.

Low Mass at 12.15pm.

29th January

THURSDAY

Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.00 am.

Low Mass at 10.00 am.

30th January

FRIDAY

Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.00 am. Low Mass (B.C.P. / English Missal) at 10.00 am.

31st January

SATURDAY

Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.00 am.

Low Mass at 10.00 am.

1st February

SUNDAY - THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE or “CANDLEMAS”

Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.15 am.

PROCESSION AND FESTAL MASS at 10.00 am.

TEA AND COFFEE IS AVAILABLE AFTER MASS ON SUNDAYS - DO JOIN US FOR FELLOWSHIP.

PARISH NEWS

OUR P.C.C. next meets on Wednesday, 11th February after Vespers at 6.00 pm in Church.

We have the Area Dean and treasurer of the Deanery Synod with us so please make attendance a priority.

OUR HALF HOUR BIBLE STUDY GROUP ON MOST SUNDAYS. This is a regular meeting that takes place after Sunday Mass and Coffee every week - Father Tunji leads us to reflect more closely on the Holy Scriptures, which are one of God’s most precious gifts to us. Bibles texts will be supplied. THE BIBLE STUDY MEETS EITHER IN THE VESTRY HALL OR THE LIBRARY IN THE CHURCH, BY THE CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM.

CONFESSIONS - As well as Saturday mornings, the Sacrament of Confession can be celebrated 20 minutes before any of the Weekday Masses and immediately afterwards. Please speak to Father Victor, Father Ian or Father Tunji.

REPOSITORY - OUR PIETY STALL

This is open before and after Mass on Sundays and weekdays selling a wide range of items from religious cards, rosaries, books, crucifixes and icons to mugs, fridge magnets, church diaries, pens and note books.

THE PROCEEDS OF EVERYTHING WE SELL ON OUR PIETY STALL GOES TOWARDS WELL NEEDED CHURCH FUNDS.

Items can be seen in the glass case by the font at the back of church and in the glass case in the Vestry Hall. Please take a look.

IF YOU HAVE ANY PRAYERS 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: 07714190663

Email: Vicarstmartin@outlook.com

I am also available in person during Surgery Hour on Saturday’s in Church between 10.30am - 11.30am.

THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION AND RECONCILIATION is also available at this time.

Please continue to remember the following in your prayers:

For this New Year. That we may seek afresh to grow in our discipleship in Christ and to become more fully the person He wishes us to be. May we welcome Christ Jesus fully into our hearts and lives.

For Blessings on our Parish family as we seek to grow our Church.

For peace in our troubled world.

For the successful development of our House Groups as places of prayer and fellowship.

For a greater generosity in giving and stewardship so that we may be able to fund our mission and witness effectively.

For our Church community, that we may continue to grow into the likeness of Our Lord through worship, prayer and service.

For our Parish that we may emulate him in our faithfulness to the Gospel and its proclamation and to the care of our brothers and sisters in their need.

For our young people that the Lord may fill their hearts with living faith that they may serve Him faithfully in worship and in service.

For our Bishop Paul and all the Parishes that look to him in the See of Oswestry.

For the future of our Sunday School, that we may find a capable and loving teacher to carry on this vital ministry.

For a deepening of our own faith and a greater commitment to Christ.

For the strength to remain firm in our Christian faith and to give witness to it through our own example.

For an end of war in the Ukraine and in Gaza and the Holy Land and the re-establishment of Peace.

That we may continue to remember, the needs of those so less fortunate than ourselves.

For those at school, college or University, that as they grow in knowledge and wisdom, they may be safe and well.

For those who work, particularly those who have families or other dependents.

For our Government, that they may seek to serve the common good and that we may see increased integrity within the world of politics.

For peace to reign within our homes and between 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 Father Victor, Father Ian, Father Tunji as they seek to continue to make Christ present in our midst through the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass and the other Sacraments of the New Covenant. May the Lord bless them as they seek to make Christ known and offer continuing Pastoral care.

For our Monastic Community of the House of Initia Nova of the Order of Saint Benedict and for its Motherhouse in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

For our Abbot, Michael-John Austin, for all of the community and for those new to its life.

For the Sick:

For Amanda Lowe, Yvonne and Denis Simpson, Gary and Helen Ashby, Heather Burke,

June Reid, and Nicola Monaghan.

For the Departed:

For Amalia Marino, Marino Eluna Senior, Louis Sore Bahati and all the recently departed, and for all whose whose anniversaries fall at this time, among them, Nellie Osmond, Albert Suddery, Charles Pummery, James Sellars, Alice Massouh, Hilary Benford, Olive Johns, John Robison, Lillian Prior, Charles Funnell, Eileen Drewett, Carmen Paolucci, Wally Varney, George Neal, Mabel Barber, Ruth Woolf, Karen Biddlecombe, Irene Zazzi, Donald Brotherton, Peter Perkins, Myra Madams, Emily Meadows.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

And let Light Perpetual shine upon them.

May God’s light and blessings fall upon you and all those you love.

Father Victor (Brother Cuthbert)