Monthly Archives: February 2017

Not to be forgotten:
The Septuagesima Season – Preparing for Lent

Septuagesima Sunday is the name for the ninth Sunday before Easter. The term Septuagesima is sometimes applied also to the period commonly called Shrovetide (the Pre-Lenten Season) that begins on Septuagesima Sunday and ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins.

With so little time remaining before we begin the season of Lent, let us not ignore the ancient Christian tradition of Septuagesima – this time of “preparing for Lent” – which will undoubtedly contribute to making our Lenten observances more fruitful.

Practical, challenging Lenten resolutions will bear fruit in our personal lives: 

• Prayer: on getting up, on the way to work, in the evening. Grace before your main (family) meal.
• Fasting (& penance): refrain from over-eating, drinking alcohol, eating chocolates. Go to confession.
• Good Works: reach out to those in need with divine love (which you have received through prayer, scripture reading, the Eucharist)

May abundant blessings and spiritual growth be yours as we all endeavour to make Lent a truly meaningful season.

Fr Philip Sainter

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THE CENTENARY OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA

This year is the centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal. Between 13^th May and 13^th October 1917 she appeared six times to three young children, Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia. At the final apparition, a spectacular miracle occurred – witnessed by 70,000 people, believers and unbelievers alike. The sun ‘danced’ in the sky for twelve minutes and then came hurtling towards the earth. It was so terrifying that witnesses thought it was the end of the world! Many cures, both spiritual and physical were recorded. Our Lady’s message to the children and to the world was clear:

• Repent of our sins
• Pray for the conversion of Russia and consecrate it to her Immaculate Heart
• Make reparation for the offences and blasphemies made against her Immaculate Heart.

It has been proposed that we should make the Devotion of the First Five Saturdays which Our Lady requested at Fatima beginning on 4^th March. This includes going to confession, attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion worthily, reciting five decades of the Rosary and meditating for fifteen minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary. This should be done for five consecutive first Saturdays of the month with the purpose of making reparation to her. This would take us through to July.

I’m sure if we were to do this, it would bring down many blessings on our parish, to us as individuals and to the world. To anyone who makes this devotion Our Lady said, “I promise to assist them at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls.” 

Fr Paul Gillham

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SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

A Happy Valentine’s Sunday to all our young couples – to those preparing for marriage and to those who are recently married!

– The Two Ways –  

‘Look, today I am offering you life and prosperity, death and disaster.  If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God … if you love the Lord your God and follow his ways,  if you keep his commandments, his laws and his customs,  you will live …’   (Deut 30:15ff)

‘If you wish, you can keep the commandments, to behave faithfully is within in your power. God has set fire and water before you; put out your hand to whichever you prefer. Man has life and death before him; whichever a man likes better will be given him.’ (Eccles 15:15-17)

Since the will of God is that we follow his commandments and so have life, why do we balk at doing precisely that?  Why pick and choose which of the Ten Commandments or which of Jesus’ teachings we are going to follow?

We know by reasoning and from experience that the Highway Code is there for our good and the good of all who travel by road, and that to ignore those road signs is to put our own life and that of others at risk!  Similarly, to ignore the commandments of God is to put our own life and that of others at risk.

No wonder the Psalmist tells us today: “They are happy whose life is blameless, who follow God’s law!  They are happy those who do his will, seeking him with all their hearts. You have laid down your precepts to be obeyed with care.  May my footsteps be firm to obey your statutes.  Bless your servant and I shall live and obey your word.  Open my eyes that I may consider the wonders of your law. Teach me the demands of your statutes and I will keep them to the end.  Train me to observe your law, to keep it with my heart.”

Fr Philip Sainter

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FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

On the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord last Thursday, forty days after the birth of Christ, we celebrated the moment when the infant Jesus was brought to the Temple and Mary was purified after childbirth. According to Luke 2:22-40, Mary came to fulfil the requirements of the Torah (Ex.13:2.12; Lev.12:6-8). Simeon greeted them and pronounced the prayer that came to be known as the Nunc Dimittis.  Simeon’s words,

“… for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared for all nations, the light to enlighten the Gentiles and give glory to Israel your people”

were symbolically actualised with the Rite of Blessing Candles.

And so the Christmas season concluded and we dismantled our crib.  But that’s not the end …

In today’s Gospel, the theme of light continues as Jesus says to us,

“You are the light of the world”. 

May our encounter with the Lord in prayer, in the Mass and in the scriptures, so enlighten us that we too may bring the light of Christ to those we meet.

Fr Philip Sainter

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