Newsletter 7th January 2018
Welcome to the first newsletter of the New Year.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany – the visit of the three wise men to the Holy Family. It should be on 6th January – twelfth night – but this year it is transferred to the Sunday. This feast completes the Christmas season.
At the 9.30 Mass the children will perform the final part of the cycle of mystery plays. Kings in splendid robes with golden crowns, bring their gifts. After the Mass the costumes will got back to store for another year. Maria will make sure that they are cleaned and repaired so that they are in a perfect state. We calculated that they have now been used for 17 years.
On Tuesday there is a Requiem Mass in the Church for Margaret Reeves at 10.45. Please pray for the repose of her soul.
Gradually getting back to work and school with many tasks – in recent days, I have been working on the accounts and the various returns that I have to complete at this time of year.
Thank you for all your gifts for the Manna Centre and the Centre for Asylum seekers. Both have no reopened and we have made sure that the gifts were delivered.
A reminder about First Communion classes – the parents who are due to run the class will meet the house at 8pm on Monday and the class will be at 10 on Saturday morning. This is the day of the first confessions, so important that everybody comes along – it will be quite difficult to arrange the logistics – probably three sets of children coming to the Church at different times – but we have a good plan from previous years and it seems to work well.
Monday is kept as the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. At one time this seemed to be on the Sunday after the Epiphany, but I am beginning to lose track of calendar changes.
From Tuesday, we take up the first week in Ordinary time. The green vestments come out again for a few weeks until Lent. During the week the Scripture readings at Mass are taken from the second cycle. Next Sunday will be the second Sunday of the year.
The article by Chris Smith in the recent edition of the magazine provoked quite a lot of interest. As yet I have not had an opportunity to ask the Rector if we can come again – best in the last week of October so that we can share in the feast of the martyrs on the 25th. Already I have six possible names so if you are interested, please let me know.
It was good to see the boy and his sister during the holiday. He is now an expert on Star Wars and quizzes and puzzles are solved in seconds. If you sit still for a moment, the girl arrives at once with a book and insists that you should read to her.
A prayer to the Holy Spirit for the New Year:
O heavenly King, O Comforter, O Spirit of truth, you are present everywhere and fill all things; you are a treasury of blessings, the giver of life; come and abide in us. Amen.
You might still need a recipe for left overs. Mince a little chicken or turkey and blend with some cream. Put into cocottes and break in an egg. Season well and cook until the egg is set. Before serving add a very small amount of glaze around the egg.
Just possibly you might have watched the film of Dunkirk over the holiday period. At the end the soldiers set of in a British Railways coach with 1960s upholstery. It would seem that they had to wait a long time for a train.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon