Newsletter 23rd April 2017
Today is the second Sunday of the Easter season. On this day we read the gospel account for the appearance of the Risen Lord to Thomas.
Normally 23rd April is the feast of St. George but this year the feast is celebrated on Monday.
Tuesday is the feast of the evangelist, St. Mary and Saturday is the feast of St. Catherine of Sienna.
There is a second collection next Sunday for the maintenance of the Cathedral.
A word of thanks to everybody who helped to make the Easter celebrations in our parish so special. I think all the hidden eggs in the garden were discovered – at least I haven’t found any – and the chocolate lambs went very quickly.
Wednesday to a meeting at Canary Wharf – I have to be there by 11. If the Bishop is not available, I will need to change the time of the Mass.
Also another investment meeting on Thursday, so it is a busy week.
The Eucharistic Ministers meet on Thursday evening at 8pm.
A reminder of the lunch for CAFOD next Sunday. Tickets should be available today.
The Confirmation class on Wednesday evening at 6.30pm. You will recall that we moved it back a week as some of the group might be away in the days after Easter.
The works on the railway are nearing completion. The new platforms at London Bridge for the Cannon Street services are almost finished. It will be necessary to join up the new tracks through the centre of London Bridge to the ramp which leads up to Blackfriars for the Thameslink services. Once track will remain in place so that trains can run from Cannon Street to Blackfriars or to Charing Cross when required.
You might like this prayer to honour St. Thomas:
Lord, who for the greater confirmation of the faith did allow they holy apostle Thomas to doubt the resurrection of your Son till word and sight convinced him; grant to us, who have not seen, that we also may believe and so confess Christ as Our Lord and God. Amen.
A slight poem from William Allingham:
Ring – ting! I wish I were a primrose,
A bright yellow primrose, blowing in the spring!
The stooping boughs above me,
The wandering bee to love me,
The fern and moss to creep across,
And the elm tree for our king.
Here is a summer salad from Elizabeth David. Cook some long grain rice and add half a lemon and some oil. Drain the rice and mix with some salt, some more oil, some tarragon vinegar, some slices of shallot and plenty of grated nutmeg. Add some cubes of cucumber, maybe some black olives, some cubes of raw celery and some shreds of raw green pepper. Serve with chives and parsley. As an alternative to the cucumber, you might try some melon. This goes well with cold chicken.
The boy has been holiday for the past couple of weeks and spent a great deal of time with his grandfather, polishing cars and working with Lego. His mother has just qualified as a doctor – one of her house jobs will be working at A and E at St. George’s Tooting. This means that she might appear on Television and she says that she is going to hide her face all the time.
I hope you have noted the new ladder in the garden. I needed some new hooks to fix it to the top branch – how to describe them at the B and Q and discovered that they are simply known as swing hooks. I have been working on the garden benches as they need a clean and some new oil.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon