newsletter 1st March 2015

Newsletter 1st March 2015
Today is the Second Sunday of Lent. The gospel reading gives an account of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This contrasts with the account of the Temptations that we read last Sunday.
There are Stations of the Cross at 6.30 this evening as a Lenten Devotion.
As this is the first Sunday of the month, there will be a Latin Mass at 11am.
There will be boxes at the back of the Church today for your envelopes from the CAFOD Fast Day Friday. I am still using the ancient boxes as a link with the past.
There are no flowers on the altar during Lent.
The Film Club meets in the Angelus Room at 5pm. This month the film is “The Princess Bride”.
This coming week, from Monday to Friday I will be travelling to the College in Spain to attend to financial matters. This means that there will not be a 7.30 Mass on Tuesday and Thursday of this week. There will be a Eucharistic Service at 10am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday if the Bishop is not available for Mass. Also there will not be a Mass at 6.30pm at the Convent this week. If all goes well, I should be back by Friday evening.
During Lent, there are no flowers on the altars in the Church. Also as a small penance the box of sweets will not appear for a few weeks – I can tell you that a good supply if eggs will be available on Easter Sunday.
A disastrous mistake in the recipe a couple of weeks ago – it should have been 4oz rather than 4lbs of butter – I hope you did not follow it closely has you would have been very ill. An old favourite from Spain to try during Lent is “torrijas”. Butter some rounds of French bread- preferably a day old – and spread with some liquid honey. Fry in a pan with some oil and a little butter. Serve hot but remember to have a napkin for your fingers.
A Lenten prayer:
Direct our hearts to you, O Lord, so that we may follow you more closely this Lent and all the days of our life; in all our needs we turn to you for the help of your grace, and ask you to give us strength to work for the things we ask for in faith, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
The new trains are being delivered for the Circle and District lines. The current “D” stock dates from the mid-1970s. There are some interesting proposals to add some underfloor diesel engines and to adapt the interior of the old stock: the trains might be used in the North of England or possibly sold abroad. However experience has shown that adaptations of this nature can be very expensive.
Some local history: the Church was probably built on part of the site of Wricklemarsh Manor which was constructed by Sir Gregory Page in 1727. It did not last long and was demolished in 1787. The house was constructed using part of the stone from the old building. Old maps show an avenue of trees leading towards Lee Green from the front of the old Manor.
And some John Donne:
Deigne at my hands this crown of prayer and praise
Weav’d in my low devout melancholie,
Thou which of good, hast, yea art treasury,
All changing unchang’d Antient of dayes
Thank you to everyone who attended the Ash Wednesday bread and cheese lunch organised by the Justice and Peace Group.£58.20 was donated to CAFOD’s Lent Appeal which due to matched funding by the Government is worth £116.40. Thank you for your generosity. Please do donate to CAFOD during Lent. The Family Fast day is on Friday 27th February. Envelopes were available last week and can be returned today.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon

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