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Deacon John Writes

Last week I came across this  story which illustrates the theme of Sunday’s Gospel – forgiveness. John R. Aurelio, in his book Colours: Stories of the Kingdom, gives us a beautiful portrayal of this side of God. He writes: On the sixth day, God created Father Adam and Mother Eve. On the seventh day, as God was resting, they asked Him if He would give them something special to commemorate their birthday. So, God reached into His treasure chest and took out a sacred coin. Written on it was the word “LOVE.” On the eighth day, Father Adam and Mother Eve sinned. As they left the Garden of Eden, they asked God for an assurance that He would not abandon them. “You have the coin,” He told them. “But, the coin says LOVE,” they answered. “We have lost love. However will we find it again?” “Turn it over,” God said. On the other side of the coin was written the word “FORGIVENESS.” — There is great truth in that. There is no love without forgiveness and there is no forgiveness without love. They are the two sides of the same coin. The Good News is that God loves you no matter what you’ve done or what you’ve thought of doing. God loves you. That’s the bottom line: God loves you. And God wants each of us to turn over the coin.

Fr Rory Writes

“Unless a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies it remains a single grain”. But when the most special grain of all fell  upon the ground, so this Sunday with all our hopes coming alive again we join once more with the crowd, when on that most special of occasions of all when Jesus entered into Jerusalem triumphant, but humble riding on a donkey. The plot was set for the most important occasion of all. It commences the process that will end with his crucifixion and death, giving rise to an early awareness beginning to grow among his closest disciples that this was far from the end of the story.

As we take part this week in these sacred events, it is with a great desire to do our best, but above all that we too will become parts of the fruit that will last, and that we will bring life to our Parish and all our communities.

Missio

Missio

Today, Tomorrow, Together

Mission Today – Spring 2022

For years we have highlighted the importance of the Red Mission Boxes as a great way of supporting the church in the developing world.  It did a lot of very good work all the way back to the “Penny Prod Box” when I was a child.   For years Doris Jung has done a great job for our parish collecting the boxes and counting the money a couple of times a year.  Obviously this has been drastically effected by the virus, but she has kept it going.  Now the change in money habits – people using credit cards, much less coins in their pockets, as they introduce in their Mission Today “Lets think outside the Box!” with suggestions how you can donate.

Send a cheque: Make it payable to Missio-Mill Hill and post it to Red Box, 23 Eccleston Square, London, SW1V 1NU.

Give online:  Go to mission.org.uk/redbox

Give via text:  Text REDBOX 5 (to donate £5) or REDBOX 10 (to donate £10) to 70085.  This costs £5 or £10 plus your standard  rate message.

Give via phone:  Call us on 020 7821 9755 during office hours to donate with your credit or debit card.

Bank Transfer:  Account Name: Missio, Sort Code 16-00-16, Account Number: 10824230, Reference: RB + your postcode.

Doris Jung has suggested that in the light of this we will end up using our boxes this harvest time.  So we can make an extra effort to fill, to count and to return all our boxes at harvest time at the end of the year.  Thank you.

Fr Rory Writes

“Holy Week is on our doorsteps”

Please God, we are now ready and looking forward to celebrating this most important event.  Salvation that has come from on High.  The Son of man, Jesus; who is also God’s only Son; intervened in our lives for the sake of our salvation.  The cost was high, revealed to us by the way to calvary.  The station of the cross helps us to give our careful attention to Jesus, so that we can with the help of the Holy Spirit transform our lives.

For me the pandemic; now this dreadful war among wars reveals an unavoidable fact … the realms of evil.  Unfortunately much of my faith is a response to this hard fact.   We begin each year, highlighted by lighting the first advent candle, the candle of “hope”.  This has opened my eyes greatly to the value of “the celebration” of mass.  During this last couple of years I have found it remarkably helpful. 

We had the severest lockdown and on occasions celebrating mass on my own.  The immense peace when celebrating the sign of peace.  We are very blessed by our two churches because they present a remarkable sense of peace.  We must do our best, our very best that our churches will continue to remain open, and blessed with loving communities of faith.  I am fearful that not all our churches in the diocese will survive.  Bishop Richard brought this to our attention at the very beginning of his ministry, when he introduced an immense consultation “with the focus on our diocese and our churches; what life in the church will be in 2030”.  This was because of the age profile of the clergy, and the first focus was how the ministry of our priesthood would be like in 2024.  Now the implications at this present time are sobering, especially if we place the emphasis upon the number of priests; and what they can do.

What we can do – Our response to the Synod maybe very helpful in this. 

What we must do, helped through the Liturgy to well celebrate the events of our faith.  Let us begin with “Palm Sunday” truly embracing that moment when Jesus entered Jerusalem, triumphant and riding on a donkey.  In our seminary a very inspiring priest who highlighted this event from scripture “if our hearts are that hard and we do not respond, then the rocks and the trees will cry out with gratitude”.  The procession should have great importance.

At Easter we celebrate the waters of baptism, in which we are washed and made clean.   Sacramentals in the life of the church bring to our attention the grace of the sacraments that we receive and re-establish the greatness of God’s grace.  The custom of having Holy Water in the house and in cars, a sign of the importance of God’s grace in all our lives and activities.  It highlighted also the need for God’s protection.

In preparation for Christmas and Easter the priests spent hours in the confessional.  The sacrament is true and can be very fruitful.  Through the ministry of the church God grants to you pardon and peace.  Now that we have ministers of the Eucharist at Holy Communion, I will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation at this time.  Please make your best preparation and come to celebrate this sacrament.  This valuable ministry gives us the opportunity to celebrate the great sacrament of peace and then to receive our Divine Lord in Holy Communion.

Children’s Liturgy Fundraising during Lent 2022

Join us to support  

Our Lent fundraising has been a great success so far.   Thank you to everyone who has supported us. The Stations of the Cross and Lent Lunch raised £80 and last Sunday’s Big Bake and Raffle nearly £250.  This equates to the ability to purchase at least one portable machine for use on a ward or at a home birth.  

Why the need for these vital pieces of equipment?  1 in 125 babies is born with a serious heart condition.  Early detection of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) is key to saving lives. If a CHD is picked up at the birth of a child, using specialist infant Pulse Oximetry machines, it dramatically reduces the risk of complications and infant deaths. Our local NHS Trust has committed to having these monitors and all funds raised by our children will go to help make this happen. Tiny Tickers places the pulse oximetry monitors in maternity wards and for use at home births and also arranges the staff training required. We have one more event to go and hope that you can continue to support us with your prayers and generosity.

Sponsored – Walk, Talk & Picnic – Jevington to Alfriston – Sunday 3rd April 12noon (picnic approx. 1.30pm)

Our parish Children, their families and children’s liturgy leaders are planning a sponsored walk from Jevington to Alfriston, 3+miles (and some will also walk back).  Everyone is welcome to join us on this lovely South Downs walk, however we realise the terrain is not ideal for all. For those who can’t manage the walk you are invited to join us for our picnic at Alfriston, in the Church grounds.  Even if you are not able to join us, you can help us by sponsoring the children, forms are now available at the back of church. If you can gift aid please do.  Reserve date April 10th – contact Sandra on 07791 627368 or email [email protected] for further information.

IMPORTANT – Sponsor forms are available for all those walking to take away today and gain sponsorship from friends and family.                     Please take a form away with you.  Alternatively, if you wish to sponsor our children as a group a form is available to add to at the back of both churches.

For more information on the work Tiny Tickers does visit www.tinytickers.org Registered Charity No: 1078114

Prayer Group – Polegate

We are a small group in Polegate praying for our children and all children. We are opening up the group  to include those who feel they would like to join us. We meet on Wednesday mornings and are part of a much bigger worldwide group, over a hundred countries are all praying for our children and grandchildren. It is truly a wonderful achievement, after all meeting together, to have prayed for them. Ring me on Polegate 487688 for more information Cathy.