Dear Brothers and Sisters,
FIRST A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE
SAINT MARTINS CHURCH WILL REMAIN OPEN TO CELEBRATE THE SACRAMENTS AND SHARE THE WORD OF GOD. NONETHELESS, THE PRESENT NEW STRAIN OF COVID 19 IS PROVING TO BE HIGHLY INFECTIOUS. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT SOME SEATING HAS NOW BEEN REMOVED TO INCREASE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS/ FAMILIES/ BUBBLES.
I WOULD ALSO URGE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO USE HAND SANITISER REGULARLY WHILE IN CHURCH-PARTICULARLY AFTER HAVING OPENED DOORS AND BEFORE COMING FORWARD TO RECEIVE OUR LORD IN HOLY COMMUNION.
I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE AS COVID SECURE AS IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE.
HOWEVER - AS YOUR PARISH PRIEST I WOULD STRONGLY URGE YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANY UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS, NOT TO COME TO CHURCH FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS UNTIL THE RATE OF INFECTION COMES DOWN AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE VACCINE STARTS TO MAKE A MARKED IMPACT.
WHILE BAPTISM AND THE HOLY EUCHARIST ARE NECESSARY FOR OUR SALVATION, OUR LORD WILL PERFECTLY UNDERSTAND A SHORT PERIOD OF FASTING FROM THE EUCHARIST AT THIS TIME.
I PRAY THAT YOU ALL KEEP SAFE AND WELL.
Father Victor
Services this Sunday:
8 am Mass
10 am PARISH MASS for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Part of keeping this Epiphany-tide is to reflect on the various early manifestations of God’s glory. Last week we celebrated God’s glory manifested to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, in the guiding of the pagan Magi to the presence of the Christ child where his true nature and significance was made known to them.
This week we commemorate the Baptism of the Lord. In this moment in time, Our Lord is baptised in the Jordan at the hands of his cousin John and receives the power of the Holy Spirit to begin his ministry. And the voice of the Father is heard declaring that, “this is my beloved Son.” Again in this action Christ’s true nature is made known.
Though our own baptism we have received that same Holy Spirit to be the driving force of our Christian life and witness. Let us therefore be about our Lord’s business.
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.
YET AGAIN I WILL SAY THIS - Mass can STILL be attended in person as God intended. For those particularly vulnerable, 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)
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 Ordinary Time)
As I commented last week, The situation is not looking particularly rosey at the moment with infection rates remaining extremely high and hospitals full. We must all be extra careful. That is why those with underlying medical conditions should really not come to Church for a few weeks. However for the rest of us, 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 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.
We need to continue to be careful and look out for each other. We need to continue with all our hygiene requirements and the new distancing measures in church, 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 Happier New year.
For a drop in the rate of Covid infections and in the number of hospitalised victims.
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, for Brother Samuel-Bruno and his household, for 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 Irene Albert, Fred Harold, Emmeline Parkins, Gladys Smith, Margaret Joyce, Dorothy Masters, Howard Jarvis and Albert Elliott. 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 continue to pray for better times.
Father Victor
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