Dearest friends,
In the 1930’s a Polish nun called Sr. Faustina (now St. Faustina) experienced a series of visions of Jesus. Amongst her visions Jesus asked her to paint a very special image – an image of the Divine Mercy of God flowing from His Sacred Heart.
Her visions were centred around Jesus bringing her to a place where she could see the mercy of God at work in the world around her.
She wrote of her pain at her neighbours being badly treated, about their sufferings and how it physically hurt her. She prayed that their sufferings would fall on her, that she may in some way lessen their suffering in order to help them find a path to grace and peace.
It is far from easy to love with a love so deep that it causes you physical pain when you see that person hurting.
Some of us are lucky enough to have experienced a tiny portion of this love – the love we have for our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers – our husbands and wives.
But what St. Faustina showed us is that Jesus wants us to love everyone with that much love.
It is that love which must inspire us to try harder. To try harder to defend the weak, to feed the poor, to cloth the naked, to visit the prisoner, to lift up the wretched and say, ‘I love you!’ and to really mean it.
St. Faustina gave us a gift, a gift to see the power and depth of Jesus love for all of us. What do we do with that gift?
Fr. Matthew
Notices
Summer Lectures
Our Summer Lecture series will cover:
- What is the Christian Perspective on Assisted Dying
- Why was Devon so central of the anglo-Catholic Movement in the Church of England
- Women in Scripture
- The Nicene Creed
They will take place on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer and we’ll agree the dates in the Summer Term Planning Meeting, so make sure you come along!
Evangelism
As the longer evenings start to warm up it’s a good opportunity to get out and invite people to our wonderful churches. In Bovey Tracey we are going to partner with PPT to visit the new estates in the parish and invite people to the loving welcome of St. John’s and PPT. In Newton Abbot we’re partnering with the rest of the Team to be in the town centre on market days to had out flyers and loving invitations. Training is provided and it’s a terrific opportunity to meet people. If you’d like to get involved please see me.
Summer Term Planning
As in previous terms we’ll meet together as two churches and plan the term ahead. The Summer Term will be based out of St. Luke’s and our planning meeting will happen there on the 30th April at 6:30pm. We’ll do a short review of the Easter term and then plan for the term ahead.
Worship Focus
See of Oswestry Regional Festival
“Our Lady Star of the Sea”
St. John the Apostle, Torquay
Saturday 3rd May
11:30am – Sung Mass with the Bishop of Oswestry
Followed by lunch on the harbour side and liturgy of Our Lady Star of the Sea with blessing of the sea.
Prayer Focus
For a strong team to come forward to help us get word out on the streets and in the estates about the wonderful love of Jesus Christ and the welcome that awaits them at our churches.
Sunday 27th April
Divine Mercy Sunday
9:15am – Sung Parish Mass [SJ]
11am – Sung Parish Mass [SL]
5:30pm – Evening Prayer, St. Bart’s (TQ12 6AX)
Divine Office Psalter Week 2, C(I), Easter 2
Upcoming Dates
April
- 30th – Summer Term Planning Meeting, 6:30pm [SL]
May
- 2nd – St. Luke’s Ladies Group, 2pm [SL]
- 3rd – Oswestry Regional Festival, St. John’s, Torquay
- 7th – PCC Meeting [SL]
- 16th – Bingo [SL]
- 24th – Rosary Group, 10:30am [SL]
- 30th – Cheese & Wine Evening [SL]
St. John’s Table Top Sale – Every 3rd Saturday at Wickham Hall
Divine Mercy
The love of God is the flower – Mercy the fruit. Let the doubting soul read these considerations on Divine Mercy and become trusting:
Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father,
I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God,
I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery,
I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, fount gushing forth from the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity
I trust in You.
A short section of Saint Faustina’s Praises of the Mercy of God