Category: Pew Sheet

Feast or Lament?

Celebrating with joy.  

This Sunday we will be celebrating Mothering Sunday. It is a very old feast and comes on Laetare Sunday – a time in Lent when we take a moment to remember that we are already an Easter People, that we have already been saved, that we have already seen the resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ. 

We take a breath and view the hard work we have undertaken so far, before girding ourselves for the coming weeks of sacrifice and pain. 

Even our liturgical colour shifts from deep, dark purple to the lighter and more joyful rose vestments. 

It is important to enjoy the feasts when they come. It is tempting to see in a feast the pain that being joyful can cause. 

There are many moments of lament and hardship in our liturgical calendar – when we remember the pain and hurt that we as a community and as individuals have suffered. 

But, on days such as this Sunday we should lift our hearts heavenward and whatever our personal circumstances, whatever our particular pains and hurt we should ask God to help us find joy and hope in our lives.

That joy and hope can be hard to find for some on Mothering Sunday, especially when one doesn’t easily have a model of motherly love, or where that earthly model is no longer with us. 

That gives us even more reason to cry out in joy for those gifts we have received. 

For the women in our lives who have lifted us up, for the women in our lives who have cared for us, loved us, held our hands, smiled at us, taken us to church, held us before God in prayer. 

Mothering Sunday is a day of celebration and of joy. Lift people up in that joy and love.

Fr. Matthew

Downloads

Other news

We have been asked to close the church for three days next week to enable the builders to replace a section of the power unit and for them to demolish the concrete stairs into the boiler room, which will create a great deal of noise. Church will be closed Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday and Fr. Matthew is taking the opportunity to have a few quiet days of rest. 

With children back at the altar from this Sunday (14th), do come along and encourage them. There will be a special present and blessing for all mothers – offered by the children. 

Don’t forget to consider setting up regular giving with the Parish Giving Scheme. Call 0333 002 1271 with your bank details to hand and quote our Parish Code – 230 623 503

Do the small things.

What’s your example? 

We’re told that St. David’s final words were ‘Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do’.

These words are actually taken from his final sermon on the Sunday before he died – he was a prodigious preacher and founded monastic settlements over Wales, the South West of England and even Brittany. 

In Wales we still say, ‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd’ – which means ‘Do the little things’. 

This is good way to approach lent. If you try to do too much too quickly you will struggle. Sometimes the struggle is the point – that arduous and difficult path that Jesus trod before us and in which we attempt to join. 

But sometimes, it’s the journey that’s important and perhaps this lent that’s more important than it has been for a long time. 

If you’ve not yet found a rhythm for lent try to do the small things. Start simply with Prayer. Are you thanking God as you get up? As you go to bed?

Have you looked at those small bad habits and tried to knock them on the head? Perhaps it’s as simple as turning off your phone after 7pm.  

Be joyful, keep the faith. 

Fr. Matthew

Downloads

Other news

Mass for St. David will be at 5pm after Evening Prayer.

There will be cleaning in church again this Saturday at 11am – thank you to everyone who helped last week. 

There will be a PCC meeting on March 7th immediately after mass – it will be a long one, please bring your own lunch. 

Children will be back serving at the altar on Mothering Sunday – March 14th!

Mass for St. David will be at 5pm after Evening Prayer.

There will be cleaning in church again this Saturday at 11am – thank you to everyone who helped last week. 

There will be a PCC meeting on March 7th immediately after mass – it will be a long one, please bring your own lunch. 

Children will be back serving at the altar on Mothering Sunday – March 14th!

Don’t forget to consider setting up regular giving with the Parish Giving Scheme. Call 0333 002 1271 with your bank details to hand and quote our Parish Code – 230 623 503

Our Lady of Lourdes.

Healing, comfort and love.

On Thursday we offer a special memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. 

In 1858 the immaculate Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France. 

Mary appeared to this poor, 14 year-old girl to call us to change our lives for the better. To pray the rosary and to offer ourselves in service of the poor and the sick.

A couple of years ago I had the chance to go to Lourdes on pilgrimage. I must admit I wasn’t expecting very much. Lourdes has a reputation as the ‘Disney Land’ of the Roman Catholic church. 

Lots of tawdry statues, lots of shops, lots of people pushing and shoving to be first in the line for this attraction or that display. Not really my thing.

But I was surprised. Lourdes turned out to be a very special place indeed.

Much like Walsingham, the appearance of the Blessed Virgin has left the place rather ‘thin’. You often find this in places where prayer is constantly offered. It somehow becomes easier to talk to God in these thin places, aided by the prayers and the appearance of our Blessed Mother. 

It turned out to be a very special pilgrimage indeed. I discovered a peace and comfort that I had been missing. Perhaps in better days, we shall all go together as a parish.

Fr. Matthew

Downloads

Other news

Work will start in earnest on the church hall on Wednesday 10th. A temporary wooden wall is to be built to screen the vestry and the hall whilst work is underway. The works will take approximately 3 months to complete. 

The Archdeacons Visitation and our planned Vision Day on the 23rd February has been postponed until after Easter. 

Don’t forget to consider setting up regular giving with the Parish Giving Scheme. Call 0333 002 1271 with your bank details to hand and quote our Parish Code – 230 623 503

Candlemass.

The Presentation of the Lord.

Traditionally Candlemass is the point at which Christmas decorations are taken down in the home. Certainly the crib is not put away until February 2nd – the date of The Presentation of the Lord. 

It is the 40th and final day of the Christmas & Epiphany season (even though we have already entered Ordinary Time). It’s a moment to look back at the joy of Christmas, the arrival of the Wise Men and the time of celebration that the new year brings. 

But now, we face the year ahead. We – like Mary and Joseph – take our hopes and dreams for the coming year to God in prayer. 

We gather in church and meet with our friends. We meet wise members of the congregation who guide us, who offer us their hard learnt lessons and if we’re lucky, bless us on our journey.

It’s traditionally also a time when people bring their candles into church to be blessed. 

We will be doing that this year on Tuesday evening at a special Candlemass Holy Communion and blessing service. 

We will gather at 5pm for Evening Prayer and then a special Mass for the Presentation of the Lord followed by blessing of the candles. 

All of this will be in candle light – it will be very special indeed. 

Fr. Matthew

Downloads

Other News

On Monday Fr. Matthew will be at St. Mary’s in Kenton to assist with the reception of the late Lady Margaret (as we called her!) The reception is at 4:30pm and Evening Prayer will be streamed from St. Mary’s immediately afterwards. Timing will need to be flexible. 
http://tinyurl.com/SMVKCAM

On Tuesday for the Presentation of the Lord there will be a traditional Candlemass at 5pm after Evening Prayer. The services will be held in candlelight and you can bring your own candles in to be blessed. Morning Prayer will be said privately. 

An enormous thank-you to all who helped clear the Walsingham Chapel ahead of our building work starting.

Don’t forget to consider setting up regular giving with the Parish Giving Scheme. Call 0333 002 1271 with your bank details to hand and quote our Parish Code – 230 623 503

The Word of God.

In my head, on my lips & in my heart.

This Sunday is set apart as the ‘Sunday of the Word of God’. We are encouraged to consider how scripture has impacted our lives and faith. How has the Word of God altered our day-to-day life? 

Each Sunday, as we get to the Gospel Reading we set it apart as important. 

We sing (in normal circumstances), we process the Gospel Book from the Altar into the throng of the congregation, we surround it with incense. Our senses are assaulted by sound, movement, smell. 

This all happens to bring our attention to a vital part of our time together – hearing the Good News. 

Jesus tells us to ‘repent and hear the Good News’. We often spend time on the former, but how much time do we spend on the Word of God?

Do we read it each day at home? Do we pay much attention as it is read at mass or do we allow our minds to wander? 

There is a trick in opening yourself to the Good News – especially at mass. 

It’s built into our liturgy and I suspect we all do it without thinking. 

It’s as we cross ourselves when the Priest says ‘hear the Gospel of Our Lord according to…’ 

There is a prayer to say as you do it…

‘Lord, please let your Word be in my head, on my lips and in my heart’. 

Try it at mass, and each time you read your bible.

Fr. Matthew

Downloads

Other news

We welcome Fr. Angus who will be offering Morning Prayer, Mass and Evening Prayer for us on Monday and Tuesday. Please do come and support him. 

A skip will be arriving on Monday ready to start the clear out of the OLW chapel and sacristy ahead of building works starting in the next two weeks. The church will be re-arranged on Tuesday to enable the works to take place. On Friday 29th there will be a cleaning party after mass to dust and sweep the church.

Don’t forget to consider setting up regular giving with the Parish Giving Scheme. Call 0333 002 1271 with your bank details to hand and quote our Parish Code – 230 623 503

Here I am.

Speak Lord your servant is listening.

Our first reading this Sunday tells us of Samuel. A Prophet of God who was a little reluctant to hear the voice of God.

When God called him, ‘Samuel!’ he thought his master was calling him – Eli.

Three times God calls him – ‘Samuel, Samuel!’ and three times he goes to Eli and says ‘Here I am!’

The third time Eli sees what is going on and tells him to lie down and if he is called again to say ‘speak, for your servant is listening’. So Samual does as he is told and listens. 

God calls him once more ‘Samuel, Samuel!’ and Samuel answered, ‘speak Lord, your servant is listening’. 

Scripture tells us that Samual grew up and the Lord was with him – and he let no word of his ‘fall to the ground’. 

How often does God call out to people we know and they fail to understand what is happening? How often have you seen the work of the Holy Spirit in friends life and they’ve not seen it for what it is? 

Perhaps, quite understandably, they’re so pre-occupied with the world around them that they fail to grasp the enormity of what is happening. 

Sometimes we have to be like Eli and take our friend’s hand and say to them;

“Listen! God is calling to you. Next time it happens whisper back ‘Lord, your servant is listening’ and see what He has to say to you.”

Fr. Matthew

Downloads

Other news

We continue to pay very close attention to the latest guidelines and advice about keeping our church open. There is lots of evidence showing how safe churches are and we look forward to seeing you in person, or if you choose – virtually for the moment. Do consider coming to mass during the week if you are concerned there may be too many people on a Sunday. 

Please keep hold of your stamps for the RNIB Christmas Campaign, a box will soon appear in church.

Don’t forget to consider setting up regular giving with the Parish Giving Scheme. Call 0333 002 1271 with your bank details to hand and quote our Parish Code – 230 623 503

Comfort.

Being afraid.

We’re starting to come to the hard realisation that this pandemic is not going away any time soon. We’re starting to understand that this new variant is incredibly easily transmitted and this new knowledge is scary. 

That fear is understandable. For many, we’re starting to see quite how close this virus is getting. We are – perhaps for the first time – starting to see people sick first hand

The Prime Minister has assured us that the vaccine roll out is going well, indeed I saw this morning that one hospital in London did 6000 vaccinations in one day. We can take comfort in that knowledge and in those figures. But somehow, that cold knowledge doesn’t always lesson the fear and anxiety.  

It is a very great thing to reach beyond the figures and the reality of the world around us – and after contemplating it – reach the unchangeable love of God. 

But it is in that contemplation and in that prayer that we most fully start to find Gods inexhaustible love and comfort for us. 

God speaks to us not with facts and figures, not from a podium, but through the centre of our beings. He reaches out through time and space and embraces us so fully that we can not fail to feel His love and comfort. Be comforted.

Fr. Matthew

Downloads

Other news

With the new variant of the virus rife in Hayes we must take as much care as possible in church. It is being cleaned everyday – but you must do your part as well. Always wear a face covering, make sure you sign in and keep at least 2 metres away from others at all times – especially at communion and after mass.

Please keep hold of your stamps for the RNIB Christmas Campaign, a box will soon appear in church.

You can now donate online via PayPal (click ‘giving’ on our website). This is a great way to give a one-off gift and helps us claim the Gift Aid. 

Don’t forget to consider setting up regular giving with the Parish Giving Scheme. Call 0333 002 1271 with your bank details to hand and quote our Parish Code – 230 623 503

How to be wise.

Epiphany.

On Wednesday we celebrate Epiphany. The moment when the Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem to greet Jesus, Joseph and Mary. 

I will be out and about in the parish blessing houses and marking them with chalk 20+C+M+B+21 as a special sign that this house is blessed. C – M – B are the initials of the Wise Men – Casper, Melchior, and Balthasar – there is much tradition and legend about these men who ‘followed the science’ (the star) and found their way to a stable in Bethlehem to pay honour to the Saviour of the World. 

I love this tradition because it gives us an opportunity to remember that our own homes are a special place of care, love, devotion and faith in which we grow the faith of those around us. 

We don’t have to be wise in the faith to be able to share it. We have to be child-like in our faith – we must have a child-like delight in sharing the joy, the love, and our excitement of being part
of it. 

We can so easily get caught up in worrying about being wise that we forget that sometimes the greatest epiphany moments are given to us by children and their delight in Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ.

If you would like your house blessed this year, drop me an email or call before Wednesday.

Fr. Matthew

Downloads

Other news

Please note the new time of Daily Prayer & Mass – we’re trying this new time until Easter.

If you would like your house blessed on Epiphany (6th Jan) please call Fr. Matthew to arrange a time.  

Please keep hold of your stamps for the RNIB Christmas Campaign, a box will soon appear in church.

A big thank you to our new sound and vision volunteers who had their training last Friday and take the helm on Sunday 3rd Jan! 

You can now donate online via PayPal (click ‘giving’ on our website). This is a great way to give a one-off gift and helps us claim the Gift Aid. 

Don’t forget to consider setting up regular giving with the Parish Giving Scheme. Call 0333 002 1271 with your bank details to hand and quote our Parish Code – 230 623 503