St. Mary’s,
Blackheath
Newsletter: 24th November 2019
Mass times: Saturday: 6.30pm (first Mass of Sunday)
Sunday: 9.30 and 11am and 7.30pm
Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 10am
Tuesday, and Thursday, 7.30am
Eucharistic Service: Tuesday 10am
Confessions: Saturday 12 to 1pm
Today is the Feast of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday in the Church’s year.
There is a second collection today for the Catholic Youth Service.
Next Sunday we begin the season of Advent: not so severe as Lent but a time of prayer and maybe a little penance as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas.
Next week, we will start a new cycle of readings at Sunday Mass – cycle A. During ordinary time the gospel will be taken from Matthew.
Saturday is the feast of the Apostle St. Andrew, the patron of Scotland.
You might possibly find it helpful to have some advance notice about the Christmas Masses. As in previous years, there will be a Mass on Christmas Eve at 6.30pm. Many of you have found that this is helpful: it fulfils your Christmas obligation. There is the usual Mass at 12 midnight, preceded by a service of readings and carols which starts at 11.30pm. On Christmas morning there will be a Mass at 9.30 at which the children will perform the second part of our cycle of mystery plays and there will be a solemn Mass at 11am.
Next Sunday the Justice and Peace group will arrange for cards to be signed to be sent to prisoners of conscience. This takes place after Mass in the Angelus Room. All the materials will be available and you will be asked to add a short message to a card and to address an envelope.
A correction to previous information! The new bus route is 335 and is operated by Abellio, of which German Railways (DB) is the parent company. It started to operate on 26th October and already seems to carry a moderate number of passengers.
Following our recent visit to the College in Spain, I will be putting up some images in the Angelus Room which give the story of the Vulnerata, the damaged statue of Our Lady which has a place of honour above the High Altar in the College chapel. I hope to be able to give the full story in the next issue of the magazine.
Familiar recipes, but this is a good winter stew. Brown some pieces of chicken in a little butter. Add them to a dish with a can or two of ratatouille, maybe some white wine and some small potatoes. Cook slowly in the oven and serve very hot. It is a good warming dish on a cold winter day.
This is the usual Advent prayer which is always popular:
Stir up our hearts, we beseech you, O Lord, that we may prepare the way for your only begotten Son; so that by his advent we may be enabled to serve you with pure hearts and minds; through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
And to finish, some Chesterton:
My friends we will not go again or ape an ancient rage,
Or stretch the folly of our youth to be the shame of age,
But walk with clearer eyes and ears the path that wandereth,
And see undrugged in evening light the decent inn of death;
For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen,
Before we go to Paradise by way of Kensal Green.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon
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