My Dear Friends, So we have reached that midpoint on this Third Sunday of Lent and we are faced with a stark warning. This Sunday’s Gospel reading presents us with one of the most frightening dialogues that Our Lord gives us in the Holy Scriptures. He warns us against putting off repentance until tomorrow - for who knows if we will see another day.
Consequently we should not let the sun go down without reconciling ourselves with our neighbours. And we should regularly pray for forgiveness from the Lord and make use of the Sacrament that He has given us in Confession and absolution. Christ gave this to the Church for our use. If we do not avail ourselves of it we are much the poorer and May even be guilty of the great sin of pride - thinking that we are the exception- that we don’t need to use it.
The Lord calls us to wake up, deepen our commitment to Him and seek genuine forgiveness because we do not know the day or the hour when we may be called out of this world. Remember, remember, remember; going to Church on Sunday’s by itself is no guarantee of Heaven.
THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARTIN’S
SUNDAY - 20th March 2022
10.00 am Parish Mass for the Third Sunday in Lent
TUESDAY
7.00 pm Low Mass
WEDNESDAY 11.45 am Eucharistic Adoration
12.15 pm Low Mass
12.45 pm Stations of the Cross
THURSDAY
10.00 am Low Mass
FRIDAY
10.00 am Low Mass (English Missal / B.C.P.)
SATURDAY
10.00 am Low Mass
SUNDAY 27th March 2022 8.00 am Low Mass (According to the B.C.P./English Missal)
10.00 am Parish Mass for the Fourth Sunday in Lent
THIS WEEK’S SUNDAY MASS WILL BE BROADCAST. Tune in via our Parish Facebook page.
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."
TEA AND COFFEE IS SERVED AFTER MASS ON SUNDAYS - DO JOIN US FOR FELLOWSHIP.
THE KEEPING OF LENT
SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICES STILL TO COME 5th Sunday of Lent - 3rd April
5.00pm – Evensong and Benediction
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Wednesdays after 12.15pm Mass
LENT GROUP “Another Story Must Begin A Lent Course based on Les Miserables”
What does this have to tell us about Forgiveness, Mercy, Compassion and, ultimately, Redemption
Join us each Tuesday during Lent at 7.15pm. For this Tuesday’s venue, please speak to Father Ian.
LENTEN SPIRITUAL READING
A selection of good & very modestly priced spiritual reading can be found on the table by the font. Please Browse.
LENTEN GIVING This year is for the Additional Curates Society and in support of future Ordinands. Please take a collecting box home.
Please Join In With What You Can And Get The Most Out Of This Lent
PARISH NOTICES
Our Annual General Meeting takes place this year after the Parish Mass on the 24th April 2022. This is to receive the reports of our officers, elect our Churchwardens for the year ahead and elect 2 new members of the PCC that serve for three years.
Reports - Those that are required to produce one of these; they must be in by Sunday, the 3rd of April to Fr. Victor.
A.G.M. Reports will then be available to the Parish family on Easter Sunday 17th, April.
Renewal of Electoral Roll - Every year, in preparation for the Annual General Meeting of Parishioners, there is the requirement to bring the Electoral Roll of Parish Members up to date. To this end, if you worship habitually with us at Saint Martin’s, you are entitled to be on our membership roll and take part in the Parish A.G.M. Forms for this purpose can be found at the back of church and we ask that you fill one in and give it to Leonie Seymour, David Cooper-Smith or to Father Victor.
Other Notices
It is with sadness that we received the news of the passing of Father John Aubrey Wren. Fr. John will be remembered as having served as Curate here at Saint Martin’s during the Incumbency of Canon Kenneth Wright. He was regarded with much affection in his time here. Some years later he was received into the Roman Catholic Church where I believe he continued to serve as a priest. His Funeral Mass will take place on Tuesday 5th April at 12.15 pm at Our Lady, Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church. Gordon Road, Lowestoft, NR32 1NL.
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: 01908 372825
Email: victorbullock@talktalk.net
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:
That we may strive for a good keeping of Lent, that it may be a time of true growth in Grace.
The strength to witness more diligently to our Christian faith.
For an end of war in the Ukraine and the Reestablishment of Peace.
That we may always remember, the needs of those so less fortunate than ourselves.
For a Holy and Pastoral man to be appointed soon as our new Bishop in succession to Bishop Jonathan Goodall.
For those at school, college or University, that they may be kept safe and well.
That society may now heal from the Covid pandemic and return to normal.
For those who work, particularly those who have families or other dependents.
For the Government, that integrity may return to politics, that Covid mandates may come to an end and that they may continue to rebuild after these very difficult two years.
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 Father Victor, Father Ian and Father John and for all parish clergy as they seek to continue to make present in our midst the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, the other Sacraments of Christ and offer continuing Pastoral care.
For the Monastic Community of the House of Initia Nova of the Order of Saint Benedict as it seeks a new home. For it’s Abbot, Michael-John Austin, for the community and for those new to its life.
For the Sick:
For Auriol McDonald-Moore, Steven Pretorius, Frances Guess, Nicola Monaghan, Father Gary Ecclestone, Rosalio Eluna, Susan Carter, Pam Wilderspin, Paul Ward, Jean Holden, Peter White, Roger D’Elia, Norman Kent, Denis & Yvonne Simpson, David Lingham, Sandra Walduck, Eugenius Yung and Doris Weatherley.
For the Departed: For all the recently departed among them Father John Wren, Margaret
and for Ellen Plumb, Rita Zazzi, Beatrice Keep and all whose whose Year’s Mind occurs at this time.
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let Light Perpetual shine upon them.
With every blessing,
Father Victor (Dom Cuthbert OSB)