newsletter 12th January 2014

Newsletter 12th January 2014

Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

On Monday we begin the First week in Ordinary time. The green vestments return once again for a few weeks until we begin Lent. On Sundays the Scripture readings are taken from cycle A and on weekdays they are taken from the second cycle.

Time again for First Communion classes. The parents meet at 8am on Monday to plan the class and the class will be on Saturday morning at 10am in the big hall. This is an important class as children will be receiving the Sacrament of Penance for the first time on Saturday.

Alex is enjoying his stay here. Last week he was at the day centre in Deptford and this week he will be working with the Chaplaincy at the School.

School meetings this week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and to Greenwich Town Hall on Thursday evening so that the week is quite full.

A word of thanks for a very generous anonymous donation that was received shortly before Christmas. We are using this to start a Trust fund with regular income for the benefit of children – either in the parish or at the school. More details of this to follow.

A bit late but a report on the day on the railway in late December. Quite a lot of passengers earlier on but not so many later as people returned home to avoid the bad weather. We operated trains on time from the beginning of the day which is more than can be said for South Eastern trains.

Here is the recipe for this week:
Cook some large waxy potatoes until they are still firm and cut into thick slices. Marinate in some olive oil with some chopped onion for about half and hour. Drain the oil, leaving most of the onion and dot the slices with a piece of butter and some pepper and salt and grill on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes. (This comes from Arabella Boxer’s cook book. I know that a number of people have used it and have found it very good).

Last summer, when my cousin was here from Spain, we went to Bayham Abbey one afternoon. I was delighted to find that it is mentioned in Killing’s “Puck’s Song”.

And mark you where the ivy clings
To Bayham’s mouldering walls,
O there we cast the stout railings
That stand around St. Paul’s.
See the dimpled track that runs
All hollow through the wheat?
O that was where they hauled the guns
That smote King Philip’s fleet.

The quiz in the December issue of the magazine caused a great deal of interest. The usual winner did not recognise the Belloc – something that comes from a particular type of Catholic school maybe. Already time to start collecting fragments for next Christmas. This year the nieces decided to take revenge with their own quiz for me: here are a couple of questions: what is the number of the night bus service between South Kensington and Peck ham – and what are the names of the stations on the London Overground between West Hampstead and Willesden Junction. A great humiliation! I will make sure that the great nephew is in my team in future.

And now a prayer:
O God, the strength of those who walk with thee, without whom nothing is safe, nothing is tranquil, confirm in us the knowledge of thy presence, that, thou being our companion in the way, we may so deal with our anxieties that at length our hearts may find rest in thee, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

There is always time for some Pepys:
Home to dinner, where finding the cloth laid and much crumpled, but clean, I grew angry and flung the trenchers about the room, and in a mighty hat I was. So a clean cloth was laid, and my poor wife very patient, and so to dinner, and in comes Mrs. Barbara Sheldon, now Mrs Wood, and dined with us; she mighty fine and lives, I perceive, mighty happily, which I am glad of for her sake, but hate her husband for a block-head in his choice.

DRTL as a reply to a text message
– which means ; didn’t read: too long

Best wishes to you all

Monsignor Nicholas Rothon

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