Offertory £859.57
Cafod £10
Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. This feast completes Easter season, which began on Ash Wednesday as we commemorated the passion, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost.
There is a second collection today for the National Catholic Fund, now known as the Catholic Trust for England and Wales. This helps to meet the costs of the central administration of the Church n this country. I am a Trustee of this Fund and can assure you that it is used wisely. Many of my days each year are spent at the office at Eccleston Square.
Several feasts this week; Monday is the feast of St. Alban, the first martyr of our land who is the patron of our College in Spain. His statue presides over the High Altar in the chapel. Wednesday is the Feast of St John Fisher and St. Thomas More who were put to death by Henry VIII. Fisher encouraged Lady Margaret to found Christ’s College in the University of Cambridge.
Friday is the feast of the Birthday of St. John the Baptist.
On the other days this week, we continue with the 12th week in Ordinary time.
Next Sunday we keep the feast of Corpus Christi. In the past it used to be celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday but the feast is now kept on the following Sunday.
A note to formally record our appreciation for the Opera for Africa: especially to the performers but also to those who helped to arrange it all. We were able to send £1200 to Cafod for a project in Africa. Already requests, can we have another concert next year.
The film club for the youth group started very well and was most enjoyable. We have discovered that the Angelus room makes a very comfortable small cinema, particularly as snacks can be passed round during the film. Further details to follow on the next film. There are suggestions that we might think of an alternative film group of older people: would anybody be interested in organizing this? I can dust off my copies of Brief Encounter and The Lady Vanishes.
The nomination forms for membership of the Parish Council are out today and I look forward to receiving them.
Some of the children from St.Matthew Academy will be about on Thursday, using the Angelus room and the Garden for a half day retreat.
You may have seen pictures of the prototype of the proposed new Routemaster. Certainly a stylish design, but it does seem overlarge with two staircases and three entrances. It may find it difficult to thread its way through busy traffic. The compact RT type of the 1950s, with a good driver, could weave its way through the congested streets with ease.
Here is some Chesterton:
His sins they were forgiven him: or why do flowers run
Behind him; and the hedges all strengthening in the sun?
The wild thing went from left to right and knew not which was which
But the wild rose was above him when they found him in the ditch,
God pardon us, nor harden use; we did not see so clear
The night we went to Bannockburn by way of Brighton Pier.
A way to cook chicken: bury the portions of chicken totally on coarse salt in an oval ovenproof casserole in which the chicken will just fit. Bake at 200 C for about one and a half hours. The salt will have formed a crust, so break it away and serve.
A prayer for today:
O Lord Jesus Christ, who after your resurrection from the dead gloriously ascended into heaven: grant us the help of your loving kindness, that according to your promise you may ever dwell with us on earth, and we with you in heaven, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign one God, for ever and ever. Amen.