St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 12th February 2023
Sunday Masses: Saturday 6.30pm first Mass of Sunday
– Sunday 9.30 and 11am and 5pm.
Monday to Friday: Mass at 8am.
Saturday 10am and 6.30pm
Confessions: Saturday 12 to 1
Today is the Sixth Sunday of the Church’s year. Just over a week to go before Lent – next Sunday is the last Sunday before Lent.
Some thoughts about Stations of the Cross – it is a traditional devotion and we normally share them on Sundays in Lent. Thinking about a time, would 4pm work for you? They take about half an hour and there would then be time to prepare for the 5pm Mass. Please let me know what you think.
There is a funeral Mass at 1pm on Friday for David Stopp.
The exhibition of Spanish Paintings at the Royal Academy was a great treat. A curious feeling – to be in rooms full of Spanish Religious paintings and portraits, items of furniture and Church treasures – I was reminded of being in our College in Spain.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit.
Glory to you, our God, glory to you. Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, present everywhere and filling all things, treasury of goodness and giver of life, come and dwell in us, and, O most gracious one, save our souls. Amen.
And some Kipling:
Each to his choice, and I rejoice
the lot has fallen to me.
In a fair ground – in a fair ground-
Yea, Sussex by the sea!
A familiar recipe for everybody: here is my attempt at shepherd’s pie: I mix the mince with a grated carrot, and onion and a red pepper and cook gently with some stock and herbs until it is soft enough to liquidize. I then top it with creamed potato and brown it in a hot oven.
The new trains have not as yet entered service on the South Western. This means that some of the Thames Beam trains are still operating on the South Western and we await their transfer to the South Eastern. It seems that the delays are due to problems with the software on the new trains and need for changes to the cabs.
And some wisdom from Eliot: Tennyson and Browning are poets, and they think; but they do not feel their thought immediately as the odour of a rose. A thought to Donne was an experience; it modified his sensibility.
Some thoughts from Merton on prayer:
You should strengthen yourself against the thought of giving up mental prayer; you should return to it at your appointed time each day, in spite of the difficulty and dryness you may feel. Eventually the secret work of grace will tach you what to do.
A comment on the emperor Charles V:
Charles was undeniably plain. He confessed that he was by nature ugly, but that as artists usually painted him uglier than he was, strangers on seeing him were agreeably disappointed.
A mnemonic to help remember the great geological periods: Camels Often Sit Down Carefully. Perhaps Their Joints Creak? Early Oiling Might Prevent Permanent Rheumatism.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon.