Newsletter 26th July 2020

PARISH NEWSLETTER Sunday 26th July 2020 The newsletter has to be prepared well in advance. By the time that you read this, it is probable that we will have returned to the Church for the regular celebration of Mass. The next few weeks will be busy with outstanding baptisms. This is a special edition of the magazine – normally we have a pause in the summer months but there were a number of items to be published. I hope that you will enjoy them. Today is the Seventeenth Sunday in ordinary time. Friday is the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. I hope that you are all keeping well. Gradually some things are returning to normal, but it is not at all easy. It has been suggested that 2020 has been cancelled: we can either ask for a refund or receive a credit for next year. Quite a lot of work on-line in recent weeks. Previously papers were posted out to us for meetings, and there were even sandwiches but now a large quantity of items to unload on the computer for web meetings and regular visits to the store to buy packs of paper and printer ink. We were able to open the Church for private prayer from mid-June. It was good to see many of you and thanks to those who have helped as stewards. There were strict regulations and we needed to have two on duty at all times. A chance to catch up on Scripture reading and I have been through many pages. Our normal contact with the Scriptures is through the extracts that we read at Mass. It is a curious experience to read several of Paul’s epistles, one after another. A tremendously active mind but also caught up with many worries and preoccupations. It is clear that he fascinated many people and had a wide circle of friends in many places. But it might have been difficult to live with Paul. Timothy is his trusted servant and agent in many of the apostles, but Paul does not hesitate to reprimand him in strong terms in the second epistle. Luke was also a friend and companion. He appears without introduction in the second journey in the book of the Acts. The calm, ponderous author of the gospel was possibly a good foil to Paul, helping him in times on tension.the gospel was possibly a good foil to Paul, helping him in times of tension. 36 My pots of herbs have been growing well in recent weeks. There seems to be the right combination of sun and rain. The baby lettuce has been a great success and I am now trying again with some new basil plants. The spinach continues to grow, and I was able to harvest some leaves regularly. The apples are starting to form on the trees and there is a hope that they will develop before the birds and pests attack them. The magnolia tree produced some wonderful flowers, but they only last for a couple of days. For those with special interests, a Wright Streetlite bus has appeared on route 108 in recent weeks. This is a unique vehicle, 1.4m long. It was originally a demonstrator and was purchased by the Go-Ahead group and is kept at Morden Wharf. The others in service are of a different length. The Irizar electric buses have not appeared for some time. Another recipe for cauliflower. Cook the pieces of cauliflower in salted boiling until just tender and drain. Cook some breadcrumbs in butter until they are golden and season with pepper and salt. Mix some of the fried crumbs with the cauliflower and cover with a Bechamel sauce. Dust the sauce with the remaining breadcrumbs and bake in a moderate oven until the top is browned. A prayer after Holy Communion: Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King, God and man, crucified for mankind, look upon me with mercy and hear my prayer, for I trust in you. Have mercy on me, full of sorrow and sin, for the depth of your compassion never ends. Amen. It is worth quoting something from the Rubaiyat from time to time: I sometimes think that never blows so red / The rose as where some Caesar bled; That every Hyacinth the Garden wears / Dropt in its Lap from some once lovely Head. (This is taken from an ancient copy of Palgrave which belonged to my father, which is a great treasure. It is marked that it was given to him on 16th June 1944 by the crew of his ship when he moved on to another task). A great debate on haircuts continues. For some, it has grown enormously. There have been attempts with scissors, some better than others. And for the brave, a purchase of some clipper leading to a very close cut. Opinions vary, but for the future, visits to the hairdressers may be less frequent. What to do now as the holiday month of August approaches? I anticipate that we will begin the autumn with a renewed energy. Best wishes to you all, Monsignor Nicholas Rothon

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