newsletter 8th March 2020

ST. MARY’S NEWSLETTERS

5, Cresswell Park, SE3 9RD

Tel. 020 8852 5420 

E-mail: stm.Blackheath@tiscali.co.uk

Website: www.stmarysblackheaeth.org.uk

Mass times: Saturday: 6.30 pm (first Mass of Sunday) Sunday: 9.30 am, 11.00 am, 7.30 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 10.00 am Tuesday and Thursday 7.30 am. Eucharistic Service: Tuesday 10.00 am Confessions: Saturday 12 to 1.00 pm

Newsletter 8th March 2020.

Today is the second Sunday of Lent.

The gospel today gives the account of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

There are Stations of the Cross at 6.30pm.

There are no saints this week and all the Masses are for the Lenten season.

First Communion classes coming again: there is a meeting for the parents to plan the Class at 8pm on Monday and the class is in the hall at 10am on Saturday.

Newsletter are prepared well in advance, but by the time that you read this, I hope that I will have returned from my visit to the College in Spain. A busy week as my task is to prepare all the papers for the meeting of the Trustees in May. 

I will ask the Rector if we can come to the College again in October. Usually it is possible to take about 8-10 people.

A full week ahead with local Authority meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, as well as an appointment with the dentist on Friday. I hope that I can survive until next weekend.

A morning prayer for you:

Glory be to God who has shown us the light.

Lead us from darkness to light,

Lead me from sadness to joy,

Lead me from death to immortality.

Glory be to God who has shown us the light.

Even in Lent you might be allowed some eggs. Beat the white of three eggs until stiff, add the yolks and beat again. Stir in a little flour, a pinch of mint, a pinch of oregano and some baking powder with a pinch of salt.  Drop by teaspoonfuls into deep oil and fry. Drain and serve with chilli sauce.

I wonder if you might like something from Yeats:

O but there is wisdom

In what the sages said;

But stretch that body for a while

And lay down that head

Till I have told the sages

Where man is comforted.

The boy and his sister are looking forward to the summer days: a bit early to think about the cricket nets but already he is oiling his bat for the new season. I am not sure if his sister plays lacrosse – their mother was captain of the team and was fearless.

The garden is doing well: I have been inspecting the buds on the apple trees in the hope that there will be a good crop. Not long now and I will be thinking about putting up the pool for another season. I must remember to order some more chemicals and I need a new net to fish out the leaves this year.

Best wishes to you all,

Monsign

ST. MARY’S NEWSLETTERS

5, Cresswell Park, SE3 9RD

Tel. 020 8852 5420 

E-mail: stm.Blackheath@tiscali.co.uk

Website: www.stmarysblackheaeth.org.uk

Mass times: Saturday: 6.30 pm (first Mass of Sunday) Sunday: 9.30 am, 11.00 am, 7.30 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 10.00 am Tuesday and Thursday 7.30 am. Eucharistic Service: Tuesday 10.00 am Confessions: Saturday 12 to 1.00 pm

Newsletter 8th March 2020.

Today is the second Sunday of Lent.

The gospel today gives the account of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

There are Stations of the Cross at 6.30pm.

There are no saints this week and all the Masses are for the Lenten season.

First Communion classes coming again: there is a meeting for the parents to plan the Class at 8pm on Monday and the class is in the hall at 10am on Saturday.

Newsletter are prepared well in advance, but by the time that you read this, I hope that I will have returned from my visit to the College in Spain. A busy week as my task is to prepare all the papers for the meeting of the Trustees in May. 

I will ask the Rector if we can come to the College again in October. Usually it is possible to take about 8-10 people.

A full week ahead with local Authority meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, as well as an appointment with the dentist on Friday. I hope that I can survive until next weekend.

A morning prayer for you:

Glory be to God who has shown us the light.

Lead us from darkness to light,

Lead me from sadness to joy,

Lead me from death to immortality.

Glory be to God who has shown us the light.

Even in Lent you might be allowed some eggs. Beat the white of three eggs until stiff, add the yolks and beat again. Stir in a little flour, a pinch of mint, a pinch of oregano and some baking powder with a pinch of salt.  Drop by teaspoonfuls into deep oil and fry. Drain and serve with chilli sauce.

I wonder if you might like something from Yeats:

O but there is wisdom

In what the sages said;

But stretch that body for a while

And lay down that head

Till I have told the sages

Where man is comforted.

The boy and his sister are looking forward to the summer days: a bit early to think about the cricket nets but already he is oiling his bat for the new season. I am not sure if his sister plays lacrosse – their mother was captain of the team and was fearless.

The garden is doing well: I have been inspecting the buds on the apple trees in the hope that there will be a good crop. Not long now and I will be thinking about putting up the pool for another season. I must remember to order some more chemicals and I need a new net to fish out the leaves this year.

Best wishes to you all,

Monsignor Nicholas Rothon

Second Sunday of Lent 2020

Last week on the First Sunday of Lent – the temptations in the wilderness – and today on great contrast, the story of the event that we refer to as the Transfiguration – we have read the account from Matthew’s gospel but it is found in almost identical terms in Luke and Mark – and it is also mentioned by Peter in his second epistle – he speaks of “That day when we were with him on the Holy Mountain” – it is as if his is an important part of the Christian tradition from the earliest times.

It is sometime suggested that the temptations are a way of showing the fullness of the human nature of Christ – like us, he could be tempted, though he did not sin – and the transfiguration is to show the divinity of Christ – the Lord showed to his apostles, in a way that they would be able to understand that he was the Son of God –

There are different signs in the gospels which point to the divinity of the Lord – the angels bring news of the birth of the Christ child to the shepherds – the star leading the three wise men on their journey – and the voice from heaven at the moment of the Baptism of the Lord by John – this is my beloved Son, listen to him. Yet for the greater part of the time, the apostles are conscious of the human nature of Christ – he refers to himself sometimes as the Son of Man – a phrase which is lost in translation but really means a very ordinary human being – they share much with him – the travels around the villages of Galilee – the human events – the marriage feast at Cana – the hostile reception at Nazareth – asking for a drink of water at the well in Samaria – the special friendship with Martha and Mary – and yet there are moments when the apostles are amazed – the calming of the storm on the lake – who can this be that even the winds and the storm obey him – perhaps Peter takes it further – when the Lord asks the apostles  directly – who do you say I am – and Peter replies on behalf of them all – you are the Christ of God – we need to interpret these words of Peter in their exact context – and he seems to be suggesting that the Lord is the promised Messiah -this is in chapter 16 of Matthew’s gospel – and now today we have a reading from the next chapter 17 – with the transfiguration – it is almost as if the Lord is confirming this initial faith of the apostles – and yet the story continues with the journey to Jerusalem, with the hostility of the Pharisees and the High Priest – and eventually the events of the Passion – 

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