Newsletter 15th September 2013.
Newsletters have to be written well in advance: by the time that you read this I hope that I will have returned safely from my visit to Venice. Back on the Friday evening with lots of things to catch up on the Saturday.
The First Holy Communion meeting takes place on Tuesday evening at 8pm in the Big Hall. It is for the parents – not the children – I will explain about the classes – give out the books and arrange the timetable. It should take about an hour. If however there are problems about looking after a little ones, you can bring them along and we will do our best to look after them.
The Parish Council meets on 24th September. The agendas will be available next week.
Saturday of this week is St. Matthew’s day but we are keeping the feast at our school on Friday. There are three Masses – at 9, 11 and 2.30 at the school for the three house groups. I will try to get back after the 9 Mass for 10 in the Church – though I hope that the Bishop will be available which would make things slightly easier.
Altogether a busy week with school meetings on Monday, to Westminster on Tuesday, to the Children’s Society on Wednesday and to Greenwich Town Hall on Thursday evening.
The blue carpet was put down in the aisle of the Church the other week for a wedding – it looked splendid and the bride was most impressed. Care needs to be taken to ensure that the guests do not leave any marks when they arrive. I put some mini bollards across so that they had to use the side aisles.
Now time for a recipe. From time to time you may have too many tomatoes and need to use them up before they go soft. I tried this the other week. Chop them and stew them with a couple of large potatoes and plenty of water together with some parsley and some basil from the garden. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When everything is cooked through, use a liquidiser and then pass through a sieve to remove any bits. I then added some tomato sauce for pasta to correct the colour as otherwise it looks a bit pale. It came out very well – much better than the tinned variety.
A card the other day showing a tram on Westminster Bridge – the painter had produced a good image but obviously he needed some expert advice. He showed a car on route 18 on the northbound track – the 16 used this track, turned along the Embankment and came south along Blackfriars Road. The 18 went in the opposite direction – up to Blackfriars, along the Embankment and southbound over Westminster Bridge. The great nephew is already showing an interest in such matters and in due course will be able to provide advice.
Some Eliot this week:
Remember the faith that took men from home
At the call of a wandering preacher.
Our age is an age of moderate virtue
And of moderate vice
When men will not lay down the Cross
Because they will never assume it.
Yet nothing is impossible, nothing,
To men of faith and conviction.
Let us therefore make perfect our will.
And a prayer:
Go before us, O Lord in all our doings
With thy most gracious favour,
And further use with they continual help,
That in all our works
Begun, continued, and ending in thee,
We may glorify thy holy name,
And finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life,
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Some advice from one of the Desert Fathers:
If you actually see an angel, do not accept it casually. Humbly remind yourself that while you live in sin and are not worthy to see an angel, the gift may still be given to you.
Time now to think of autumn days. I am cutting back the last of the roses and the raspberry canes.
Gradually the leaves are beginning to turn yellow and soon they will begin to fall. This year the horse chestnut has been much better, thought he leaves are slightly marked. The grass begins to recover after the dryness of the summer – and I will have to sow some grass seed on the circlet left by the pool. Maybe I should bring the herb pots indoors soon.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon