LENTEN MASSES

The Lenten Mass timetable will be the usual Mass timetable, which means that we will not be having a 7.00am each Wednesday this year. I have decided this mainly because Fr Andrew is due to have a delicate operation in the near future, from which it will take him a few weeks to recover. We must therefore cut our cloth accordingly and plan for what is reasonably manageable. Please keep Andrew and all of us in your prayers, as I know you do.

 LENT

In recent years I have tried to treat Lent as a gift rather than a burden and it has helped. As I look back on my life I realise that my faith was presented to me largely as a series of obligations to be fulfilled. Now I appreciate that much depends on our different temperaments as to how we receive information and how it then shapes our thinking and understanding. However, if your early instruction in the faith led you to concentrate on all the obligations that needed fulfilling, then there is every chance that, like me, you found periods like Lent as rather burdensome. And yet, we have the paradox that Jesus invites us to come to him if we are feeling burdened: “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest; shoulder my yoke and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Furthermore, St John, in his Gospel reminds us that Jesus teaches that if we follow him we will learn the truth and “the truth will set us free” (John 8:31-32). Jesus came to liberate us and allow us to live life to the full. I hope and pray that this Lent will be a time of liberation for you and me; a time when we take Jesus at his word and allow the gifts of his Spirit to flood our lives.

  ASH WEDNESDAY AND LENT:

With Easter early this year we are already entering the season of Lent in the coming week. My prayer is that we will continue to pursue the synodal vision of walking together with the Lord and find these six weeks a time of joy as well as renewal. The children will be on half-term, so there will not be the usual sharing of ashes in school, but I had the chance at an assembly on Monday to remind them of the importance of Easter and the time we spend preparing for it.

We will offer you every opportunity to receive the ashes on Wednesday by having MASSES at 7.00am, 12 noon and 7.00pm.

 FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE:

I mentioned above the possibility of a few days away and on the recorded message this week I was moved to talk about the value of having the right balance in our lives with work, prayer, rest and recreation. We all have different temperaments and often we need the wise counsel of others to help us recognise if things are becoming seriously out of kilter. That said, it remains a challenge for most of us as we try to prioritise what is essential and what is not: let’s just keep trying to look after one another the best we can. Andrew has returned from his meeting in Vienna and it seems to have gone well: apparently none of the other Provinces has much money either, but I promise we will not badger you over finances. It has never been my way and somehow we seem to manage.

 ST GERARD CELEBRATIONS (SAT APRIL 25):

There was a wonderful response to my appeal for support to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of St Gerard Majella in April. There was an excellent turnout for the meeting on Wednesday evening and the room was buzzing with ideas. We will meet again on Wednesday 25 February to try and determine the programme for the day. If you were not able to make the evening, but have ideas, please don’t hesitate to share them by contacting the office and, of course, the meeting later in the month will again be an open evening for all those interested or willing to help.

COMINGS AND GOINGS:

Fr Andrew is travelling to Vienna this Sunday for a three-day meeting about finances with the bursars of the other Redemptorist North European Provinces as we continue to see ways of supporting one another in our new federation and ultimately in the single Province which is to be formed in the coming years. We hope they all have plenty of money because we don’t!

SAINT GERARD 300:

On 6 April, we keep the 300th anniversary of the birth of Saint Gerard Majella, someone else who pointed many people in the direction of Jesus. Redemptorists all over the world are giving thanks for this remarkable man, who died when he was only 29, but who had such an impact and is venerated as the Patron of Mothers and their Children, and especially of mothers should they be struggling in pregnancy.

Father Royston Price, the youngest Redemptorist in the Province, has taken the initiative and is arranging for events all over the country, including the Isle of Man.

We have arranged with Archbishop John Sherrington to celebrate Mass with us on Saturday 25 April at noon, and it may be feasible to plan a series of celebratory events throughout that day. It will be helpful if we can form a team to prepare for the day and ensure that everything runs smoothly and that we advertise it as widely as possible.

Therefore, I invite anyone interested in helping, including with hospitality, to come to a short preparatory meeting this Wednesday evening (4 February) in the Hughes Room at 8.00pm (i.e. after the Novena Devotions). Thank you.

Follow  https://www.instagram.com/stgerard300/   for updates on events around the country.

THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION:

Tomorrow we celebrate this beautiful Feast, forty days after his birth, when Jesus is presented to his Father in the Temple and he is recognised by the Prophet, Simeon, and the Prophetess, Anna. We thank God that we too recognise him today in our lives and pray that, like Simeon and Anna, we may take every opportunity to point him out to others, especially those struggling to make sense of our troubled world.

 COMINGS AND GOINGS:

Fr Andrew is away with Marriage Encounter this weekend and has a number of commitments coming up, including a Redemptorist finance meeting in Vienna, which he leaves for next weekend, so please pray for the Lord’s blessing on him, the work and his travels.

 PRAYERS PLEASE:

The news that Joan Bamber’s son, Ian, died suddenly on Thursday afternoon at the age of 52, has shocked us and we beg your prayers for the repose of his soul and for Joan and the family. With Kate Maunder, Joan has been a wonderful support to many bereaved families as they prepare for their funerals in our parish and indeed on Friday morning she was due to work with a family whose father has just died at the age of 50. Obviously this is among the ministries which require people with the ability to accompany others sensitively in the midst of their pain and suffering, but if anyone discerns a call to support Joan and Kate in this ministry, please do contact Hayley in the office and we can arrange the necessary training.