January 2nd 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

WHILE WE ARE NOW IN TIER 4 - NONETHELESS

COMMUNAL WORSHIP CONTINUES TO TAKE PLACE AT SAINT MARTINS.

Services this Sunday: 8 am Mass 10 am PARISH MASS & THE BLESSING OF CHALK

As our New Year of 2021 begins, the first great Feast we keep on a Sunday is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

The Epiphany, or manifestation of God’s glory, sums up all that we have been celebrating so far during this Christmas season. Like the wise men, the three Magi, we come together to worship our God, to praise him for his wonders and to offer our thanksgiving, which is the Holy Eucharist which is essential to our Christian faith. And no wonder. How very apt that we should once again fall to our knees in adoration. In the Star guiding the Wise Men, in the utterance from Heaven declaring the newly baptised Christ to be the Son of the Divine Father and in the first miracle wrought by that same Jesus Christ at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee, we see as the Church, the manifesting and making clear to us the truly Divine nature of Our Lord. Glimpses of the majesty and glory of God that shines forth from the one true Christ. It is truly a time of great rejoicing for our salvation is truly at hand.

AND SO TO THE NOTICES

Weekday Masses are being celebrated in the Parish at the usual times. There is no better way of worshiping the Lord than by attending Mass. Attending regularly and devoutly and making regular use of the Sacrament of Confession.

Please see below for the Mass schedule and times of Confessions.

SECONDLY please note that as Mass can STILL be attended in person as God intended, only the Parish Mass on Sundays and the Wednesday lunchtime Mass will continue to be broadcast via Facebook.

AND MASSES DURING THE WEEK AT THESE TIMES:

Tuesday at 7 pm

Wednesday at 12.15 pm

(with Adoration from 11.45 am)

NO Thursday Mass this week

Friday at 10 am

Saturday at 10 am

SERVICES NEXT SUNDAY

Low Mass at 8 am

Parish Mass at 10 am (The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord)

Things are not looking good at the moment with infection rates remaining extremely high. We must all be extra careful. However our Church remains open, and we owe it to our loving Lord, and to each other, to strive to keep and support his worship in our Parish Church and keep available to all 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.

We truly are the Body of Christ and therefore a family where we give and receive the support that we need one of another. This is especially true at this time.

Of course we need to continue to be careful and look out for each other. We need to continue with all our hygiene requirements, but we also need to continue to come together as a Parish family to offer worship. To let others in our local community know that God is very much alive and active in and through us.

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 “

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.

We will also continue to maintain a presence on the Saint Martin’s Parish Church Facebook Page and our Church What’s App group so that we can remain in touch with as many members of our Saint Martin’s parish family as we can.

Please continue to remember the following in your prayers:

Firstly: For a holy and Happy New year. For a faithfulness to our new New Year’s resolutions. For our country, that the infection rate may continue to decline. For the 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 those who live in fear 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 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 Rachel Thurston, 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, Doris Weatherley and Joy Hornell.

For the Departed:

For Dave Foster 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 Father Kenneth Wright, Marjorie Hands, Dennis Shouler, Joseph Joyce and Elsie Callow. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let Light Perpetual shine upon them.

With best wishes and continued blessings upon you and your families as we begin in renewed hope together this New Year.

Father Victor