St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 20th March 2022
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: Saturday12 to 1
Today is the Third Sunday of Lent.
During the week, the Masses are of Lent with the exception of Friday, 25th March, which is the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. This is portrayed in one of the windows in our Church.
As a Lenten devotion, there are Stations of the Cross at 6pm today.
In our prayers, we continue to pray for the people of Ukraine. Marmalade and jam for the benefit of the Ukraine charity will be on sale after the Masses today.
You may like to note that the Rosary is recited after the morning Mass each day.
Thank you for your very generous support to the Cafod fast day, which amounted to £1417.89.
Officially, today is the first day of Spring.
One of the mid-Lent gospels – the theme is of the patience of the Lord as he waits for our repentance.
A lot of work is taking place at present. We needed to attend to the gutters on the South side of the Church. They were beginning to sag and needed new brackets. It is a big job, but it was important that it should be completed.
Another Lenten soup. Stew some chopped onions and a green pepper in some oil. Add in a little flour, a can of brown lentils, a can of tomatoes and some chopped carrot together black pepper and a litre of water. Cover and simmer very gently. You can eat it as it is or put it through a blender.
(Sopa de Lentejas Madrilena)
A familiar prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.
And Keats speaks about Spring:
Four seasons fill the measure of the year;
There are four seasons in the mind of man;
He has his lusty Spring, when fancy clear
Takes in all beauty with an easy span.
The flowers in the garden are giving a lot of pleasure. Gradually the tree work is continuing. We are giving thought to a tree for the First Communion children to plant. The trees from previous years are all doing well. The magnolia at the back of the house is magnificent.
A suggestion the other day that gradually diesel buses are coming to an end in London and will be replaced by electric or hydro-cell vehicles. I can remember the last petrol engine bus – STL 553 – which lasted until 1950. A complex story of how it started as open top AEC Regent which is far too long for the newsletter.
I am looking forward to seeing the boy and his sister again soon. The boy will be twelve this year – moving away from Lego and Harry Potter to more important things – though the great uncle still retains a deep interest in ancient items from when he was a boy.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon