St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 30th January 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 Fourth Sunday of the Church’s year.
A reminder that the Scripture readings at Mass are taken from the third cycle. (C.)
From today, you are no longer required to wear a mask when you come to Mass. I leave you to decide on whether you want to continue to use a mask. Please do you best to maintain distancing when coming up to Communion and at other times.
Wednesday is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, commemorating the day when the Child Jesus was presented in the Temple in Jerusalem, forty days after his birth. This is also known as Candlemas day and at the beginning of Mass, we bless some of the candles that will be used in the Church during the course of the year.
Thursday is the feast of St. Blaise. There is a tradition to bless throats after Mass as a prayer for protection against infirmities.
The newsletter is prepared some time in advance but the main task during the coming week will be the Governors’ meeting for Christ the King College on Wednesday evening. For the time being, the meetings are held on line.
Gradually the garden is recovering form the winter and we are doing our best to keep it tidy. The spring flowers are starting to appear together with some of the first buds on the trees.
It reminds me of George Herbert:
Who would have thought my shrivel’ heart
Could have recover’d greennesse? It was gone
Quite underground; as flowers depart
To see their mother-root, when they have blown
Where they together – all the hard weather
Dead to the world, keep house unknown.
And a short prayer:
Lord, enlighten my understanding, strengthen my will, purify my heart and make me holy.
A simple recipe for cooking fennel. Trim the fennel and cook in boiling water until soft. Drain and place in a buttered dish. Cover with grated cheese and some breadcrumbs, add a little butter and bake in a hot over until it is browned.
At Mass today, the Justice and Peace Group will be explaining the new project of sharing in a local food bank. In the past you have been most generous with help for the Manna Centre but this no longer needs help in quite the same way. For the new project, we will be linked with some of other Churches in the area.
The Bakerloo line always seems to inherit the oldest tube cars. The present cars date back to 1970 and there seem to be no plans for replacements. Fortunately, they were well built and will be able to remain in service for a few more years.
I am thinking of the possibility of a trip to the College in Spain in March. I have not been there for two years so that there is a lot to catch up.
I hope that you are all keeping well.
Kindest wishes
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon