Newsletter 5th January 2014
The first newsletter for the New Year so to wish you every blessing and happiness during 2014.
Today – a day ahead, we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany with the visit of the three wise men to the Holy Family. At the 9.30 Mass today the children will present the final part of the cycle of mystery plays. Thank you for your effort and your work in presenting the plays. After today, the costumes will be put aware for another year –
As always they will be careful examined, repaired and ironed by Maria – and I will repair the well used helmets. A splendid sword fight round the hall one day with Connor – one of my nieces trained at LAMDA and showed me how to do it.
The Liturgy Committee meets 8pm on Monday.
There are two funerals this week:
Monday 12 noon: Suzanne Iggleden
Wednesday 12 noon: Christian Bristow
We are very pleased two welcome the Sisters of St. Andrew who are moving into the Convent at the present time. As yet I have not agreed times for Masses with them, but I will let you know as soon as possible as this may affect the times of Masses in the Church.
We are pleased to welcome a student from the College in Spain who will be staying here during January – Alex Taylor. You will able to meet him at Mass on Sunday. During the week he will be working either at the Deptford Centre or at one of the schools. Mansel was back to celebrate Mass for us recently but one of our other students – David Doran was also ordained last year. He undertook to full course in Rome so his studies took rather longer. You might just remember that I lost my voice one January and David served as
“His Master’s Voice” for the Sunday homilies.
Thank you for all your generous gifts for the Manna Centre and for the Children. The remaining items should be delivered during the current week.
Next week is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. We also commemorate our own baptisms. Last year there were 92 baptisms in our Church – Already several arranged for the current year so please remember to give me plenty of notice if you wish to fix a date.
During the week, the Masses use the prayers and readings for Christmas time.
I remember learning this poem from Thomas Campbell years ago.
On Linden, when the sun was low,
All bloodless lay the untrodden snow,
And dark as winter was the flow
Of Iser, rolling rapidly.
But Linden saw another sight,
When drum beat, at dead of night,
Commanding fire of death to light
The darkness of her scenery.
A prayer for the weekend:
Bless us, Father of all creation, as we rest from our work: help us to share your delight in the world you have made and in the life you have given us. May your Spirit refresh us, renew our health and strength, and make us more eager to serve you in body and soul. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Here is a familiar dish you might like to try: rinse some bulgur wheat and squeeze dry. Add some chopped spring onions, tomatoes and cucumber and flavour with some chopped mint and some flat parsley. Mix well and stir in some lemon juice and some olive oil. This can be serve as a salad to accompany fish or chicken.
It seems that some of the operating companies are reluctant to invest in the “Boris-buses”. Nowadays buses have a life of about 7 to 10 years in London and are then sold on for less arduous duties. There is a concern that buses with open platforms – and conductors – will not find a ready market when they come to be sold. The operators are asking for longer franchises for their routes to compensate for this problem.
The great nephew is doing very well and had a wonderful Christmas. Lots of talking and walking about so not lot before the buggy comes to an end. He still has an enormous appetite and will eat anything available as well anybody else’s food if he can manage to reach it. Not long now before he can come and work with me on the steam railway.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon