Author: Jacky

Since this coming Sunday is Valentine Day I thought I would delve into the Internet to see what I could find about St. Valentine. The following is a summary of what I found.

Valentine of Rome was a widely recognised 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated in Christianity on February 14.  Since around the 10th century his Saint’s Day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love.  Around this time it was believed that birds paired in mid-February and this was then associated with the romance of Valentine. Although these legends differ, Valentine’s Day is widely recognised as a day for romance and devotion. Relics of him were kept in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, which “remained an important pilgrim site throughout the Middle Ages until the relics of St. Valentine were transferred to the church of Santa Prassede during the pontificate of Nicholas IV“. His skull, crowned with flowers, is exhibited in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome; other relics of him were taken to Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland, where they remain; this church continues to be a popular place of pilgrimage, especially on Saint Valentine’s Day, for those seeking love. 

St. Valentine is included in the Roman Martyrology of the Church and February 14th was celebrated as a Feast day in the liturgy on this date until 1955 when Pope Pius XII reduced it to a commemoration within another celebration. 14 years later there was a major revision of the church calendar when it was removed completely except for a small number of places where there was a special reason for inclusion, such as a church dedicated to St. Valentine.  With my love and prayers.

Last week I highlighted the coming of Spring.  New life and a fresh window of opportunity.  To begin with it is a challenge; a challenge of the highest order because of the current climate.  There is no magic process to be called upon.

So it is most appropriate that we are presented in the life of the church with the season of Lent.  The Stations of the Cross have traditionally been an important part of Lenten preparation and devotions.  A memory in my life, is one of my dad doing the Stations of the Cross all the way through Lent.  Because he was very crippled by arthritis, suffering great pain, it was a powerful witness to his faith and the strength that he received from it.

In the wider picture the coronavirus is very crippling, a source of suffering and affliction, many isolated in their sufferings, and people left feeling powerless and not sure what to do for the best.  The constant feedback from the media and also from the immediate environment is anything but helpful.  Normally we could turn to the church for strength and support, but our celebration of funerals highlights the reality of our time.  There have been good moments, and streaming services, meetings and Masses have been a welcome introduction.  But the immediate circumstances of our life means that we cannot satisfactorily feel that what was achieved was good enough, or indeed very helpful.  At the same time they do provide moments of grace and a sense of “the best we can do in the circumstances”.

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and so it leaves us with immediate decision, thanks be to God.  The vaccination programme with its successful roll out is going very well.  I am grateful to have received my first vaccination and I am very at ease and pleased with the protection that it has given me.  My ears are also full of its limitations that I do not deny.  But with options and choices remaining “stay safe and protect each other”, I am ready to move on within its limitations.  So the ashes which were part and parcel of my childhood school.  The headmaster from when we were five or six year olds distributing them to the whole school.  “Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return”, repeated and repeated, “Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return”, until everyone in the school was done, and then it was the question, who got the biggest daub?

So here we are today.  For many of us who could avail of the great gift of streaming Spiritual Communion has become an important focus.  So our Mass for Ash Wednesday sets the stage for our spiritual process and please God, with one step at a time we will return to near normal circumstances.

26th-28th February. Led by Fr Peter Williams OSB

Places can be booked online at https://worth.co.uk/retreats/online-retreats

Saturday 20th February – 9am-4.30pm. Led by Fr Peter Williams OSB (a monk of Worth Abbey)

Places can be booked online at https://worth.co.uk/retreats/online-retreats

Led by Fr Martin McGee OSB (a monk of Worth Abbey)

Places can be booked online at https://worth.co.uk/retreats/online-retreats

Due to the pandemic, and not being able to attend church, many people have found themselves not being able to access streamed masses on the internet.  The Knights of St Columba have arranged for anyone to use a telephone to hear mass, at only the cost of a local call.  The number to call is – 01642 130 120.

On Saturday , February 13th, we are inviting the children to join us for  a Seasonal Workshop. This will be held online from 2.30pm for approximately an hour.

There will be games, prayers, activities and friendship. Come and join us as we celebrate the start of Lent.

Children and their families will need to sign up for the session in order to receive the log in details. We will also need an address so we can deliver a pack of helpful materials for the session.  Please register your interest by contacting Sandra on 07791627368, email [email protected] or Teresa on 07951082592 , email [email protected]  

The readings this weekend challenge us to avoid Job’s pessimistic and desperate view of life. He was really low in spirit when he regarded life as all pain and suffering. We must try to accept life with hope and optimism as a precious gift from God, be cheerful, use our lives to do good for others and spend our time, talents and lives for others as Jesus did and as St. Paul did.  The second reading describes Paul to us as a true follower of Jesus, moved as Jesus was by concern for the lost which led him to preach the Gospel without cost to the people, and to serve them with Jesus’ love and fidelity. 

The Gospel teaches us that true discipleship means giving selfless, loving service to others. Mark shows Jesus teaching with authority, exorcising a demon, healing Simon’s mother-in-law and, after sunset curing “many who were sick with various diseases, and [driving] out many demons” The following day Jesus rises early and goes off “to a deserted place” to pray, in order to think about what he has been doing  and to recharge his spiritual batteries.

The message for us is quite simple:  Bringing healing and wholeness is Jesus’ ministry even today. We all need healing for our minds, our memories, and our broken relationships.  Nowadays Jesus is also using counsellors, doctors, friends, or even strangers to carry out his healing ministry. Let us ask for the ordinary healing we need in our own lives. When we are healed, do not forget to thank Jesus for his goodness, mercy, and compassion by turning to serve others in our turn.  Our own healing is fulfilled only when we are ready to help others in their needs and to focus on things outside ourselves.  Jesus found time for prayer, time for healing, and time for reconciliation so we, too, can take up this challenge by sharing love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness with others. 

Heaven’s Road Catholic Online Radio www.heavensroadfm.com is an online radio broadcasting features like prayers, interviews and music to appeal to a Catholic audience – they also have many podcasts and broadcast over 40 daily live Masses from 15 churches in England and Ireland from their website www.heavensroadfm.com.