With A Father's Heart

 

With everything else that has been going on, it may come as news that the Church is keeping 2021 as a Year of St Joseph! And yet there may be a kind of providence (a holy 'coincidence') in putting this year under the protection of Our Lord's earthly father, who is celebrated in the church as a man of strength, silence and courage; as protector and guardian of his son, and of all who turn to him in prayer.

Beginning today, many parishes and religious communities are keeping a Novena of S. Joseph, a nine-day period of prayer which will end on 18 March, the day before St Joseph's feast day on 19 March. Before beginning the novena you might like to 'dedicate' it to one or more special intentions (needs, concerns, hopes, petitions) of your own. Zarina and I will be keeping the novena at home, using the novena prayer each day before our evening meal. Some of you may like to do the same at some point each day, so here is the text:

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,
and defend us from every evil.

Please call to mind your special intentions…

St. Joseph, Pray for us.
Add: Our Father…, Hail Mary…,
Glory be to the Father…, Amen.

There is a fuller form of the novena (with readings, etc) available for download: https://millhillmissionaries.com/novena/

St Joseph's Day falls on a Friday next week, so there is no public Mass. We will anticipate the feast with a Votive Mass of S. Joseph on Thursday, 18 March, at the usual time of 09h30. The Mass will be offered for all our novena intentions.

Joseph, just man of God,
Clear mirror of the beatitudes –
Poor in spirit, meek, gentle and merciful,
Man of peace, no stranger to sorrow,
Persecuted for Jesus’ name –
Aid me by your example and your prayers
To shape my life after so perfect a pattern.
Amen.

January Lockdown

 Fr Robert writes: Another period of national lockdown is upon us - news that none of us wanted to hear. However, unlike previous lockdowns, places of worship may REMAIN OPEN for communal worship. This means that, for the moment, the Sunday and Thursday Masses will continue to be offered at their usual times. However, we must all be even more scrupulous about the disciplines that have become second nature in recent months: the use of sanitising gel when entering and leaving church, and at the time of Holy Communion; the use of masks (unless exempt); strict observance of social distancing and no 'mingling' with those outside our household or support bubble. With the exception of Mass on Sunday and Thursday, all other services, sacraments, and devotions remain suspended.

As I have emphasised from the beginning, it is very much your decision as to whether you attend Mass or not. If you are older, or clinically vulnerable, or especially anxious about the situation, it might be sensible to lie low for the next few weeks. The good news is that the number of congregation members to have received a vaccine injection is already in double figures and others now have a vaccination date. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

With the promise of prayers and all good wishes at the start of this New Year,

Happy Christmas

 

O Come, Emmanuel

 

Advent begins and with it comes the encouraging news that public worship will be permitted again from this week. There will be Mass on Thursday morning at 9.30am. Next Sunday, 6 December, the Parish Mass will be celebrated at 10.30am and we look forward to welcoming the Bishop of Richborough who will celebrate and preach.

Christmas arrangements will be somewhat curtailed this year. The Mass of Christmas Night will be celebrated at 8.00pm (NB) and the only Mass on Christmas Day will be at 10.30am.

Ready to Open for Private Prayer

 

Public Services Suspended

 Once again, we have been asked to suspend all public worship and, with heavy hearts, the priests and people of St Mary's will follow the new government guidance which comes into force from Thursday. The church will be open for individual private prayer for an hour on Sunday mornings at 10.30am and on Thursday mornings at 9.30am. 

Please note that the church is also generally 'out of bounds' for visits and other activities, except at the discretion of the parish priest and churchwardens.

A Distinguished Visitor

We were honoured to welcome Andrew Lloyd Webber to St Mary's today.