St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 16th July 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 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary time.
Saturday is the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene.
I hope that you are enjoying the summer days and the holidays.
To Sussex last week: the boy was staying with his grandparents and enjoying it greatly. His sister is still and home until her term finishes. Plenty of food, time to polish and adjust the various cars and maybe a trip to Goodwood for a trial run.
A pause for a few things for next few weeks: the Sunday Coffee, the choirs and the organists. Thanks to all who help regularly.
A reminder please to return the First Holy Communion forms as soon as possible.
A prayer:
Let your blessing , Lord, rest upon all that we do. Teach us to seek after truth and enable us to attain it; grant that, as we increase in the knowledge of earthly thing, we may grow in the knowledge of you, for to know you is eternal life and happiness. Amen.
And do you remember this from a long time back?
There’s a breathless hush in the Close tonight –
Ten to make and the match to win-
A bumping pitch and a blinding light,
And hour to play and the last man in.
… Play up, play up, and play the game!
Something quite difficult this week: cream together 3oz of butter and 3oz of sugar. Add 3oz of flour and beat well until there is a creamed mixture. Add the yolks of 4 eggs: then fold in the stiffly whipped white of 2 eggs. Put half the mixture in putting moulds, add some raspberry jam,
and cover with the remaining mixture. Steam for about 30 minutes.
As predicted some weeks ago, the BYD electric buses which were retired from the Red Arrow Routes will be taking over the operation of route 108 in the next few weeks. We will miss the Mercedes Citaros.
Generally, the pots of herbs are doing well, though there seems to be some difficulty with the big parsley pot. Maybe the best thing will be to clean it out and start again. Early one morning, some snails were discovered starting an attack, but they were quickly dispatched. The fig tree continues to flourish. It seems that it will grow to about 4 metres.
Graham Greene tells the story of Antonia White speaking to an old priest: he was trying to persuade her to return to the Church and to humour him she said – Father, remind me of the proofs for the existence of God. After a long hesitation, he admitted to her – I knew them once, but I have forgotten them.
And here is Geoffrey Hill translating Peguy:
Landscape is like revelation: it is both
Singular crystal and the remotest things,
Cloud shadows of seasons revisit the earth,
Odourless myrrh borne by the wandering kings.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon