Dearest friends,
At the end of mass you will hear either myself or Deacon David say ‘Go now, and announce the gospel of the Lord’.
I know that many of you will not have heard this before and even Deacon David has to work to remember it!
But when we get to the end of Mass it’s always struck me as rather odd that our dismissal lacks a certain energy and hwyl.
The word ‘Mass’ comes from the final blessing said by the priest in Latin rite services ‘Ite missa es’ meaning “to send out” as Jesus Christ sent his disciples out to the world to take His teaching to them.
So when we gather on a Sunday together and hear the word of God, to pray together, and to receive Jesus Christ in the Sacrament, how can we do anything else than be ‘sent out’ in His name and to announce the ‘Good News’ to others?
Remember that command as you leave church this Sunday, take it as an imperative to leave and to immediately call someone and invite them to come to church next Sunday.
Fr. Matthew
Notices
Palm Crosses
Please bring them back! Ash Wednesday is on the 5th March, can you please bring your Palm Crosses from last year back to church this and next Sunday so that we can burn them to use for the Ashing services at both churches. Thank you!
The Bible Course
Thursday evenings, 7pm, WH
We’re back to the Bible Course on Thursday and delving deep into Judges & Kings. God raised up judges and kings to lead Israel. They were anointed with the Holy Spirit and foreshadowed the coming Messiah.
Explorers
Thank you very much to all of you who have emailed and messaged to say they are going to help with Explorers. I’d like to have an initial planning meeting on Thursday 27th at 6pm in Wickham Hall ahead of the Bible Course.
Explorers is a small seed that is going to grow into a new church to be planted into St. Catherine’s School in September. I’m looking for volunteers to help with children’s crafts, serving coffee & tea (and almost certainly donuts!) and welcoming people into church.
Torfaen Male Voice Choir
The internationally acclaimed Male Voice Choir will be giving a concert at St. Luke’s on the 8th March at 7pm. Tickets are just £5 each and will be on sale later this week or available on the door. They’re astonishingly good and there’ll be a good opportunity for a chat after the concert as the boys celebrate a Welsh Rugby Win (prayers are very much in action for Wales at the moment!)
Pancake Race
We’re hoping to hold a pancake race for children on Shrove Tuesday at St. Luke’s – but need volunteers to make it happen. Can you fry a pancake or mix some batter? Can you time a race or hold some rope at the finish line? The race will be after school at about 4pm. Be in touch with Fr. Matthew if you can help.
Prayer Focus
- For the new women’s group which is starting to form at St. Luke’s.
- For the Saturday morning coffee group at St John’s.
- For volunteers for the Pancake Race at St. Luke’s.
Sunday 23rd February
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:15am – Sung Mass, St. John’s
11am – Sung Mass, St. Luke’s
4pm – Team Evening Prayer, St. Mary’s (TQ12 1EH)
Divine Office Psalter Week 3, C(I), 2nd Sunday before Lent
February
27th – Explorers Planning Meeting, 6pm,
Bible Course, 7pm [WH]
March
- 4th – Pancake Race, 4pm [SL]
- 5th – Ash Wednesday, 10am [SJ], 7pm [SL]
- 6th – The Bible Course, 7pm, WH
- 8th – Torfaen Male Voice Choir Concert 7pm [SL]
- 9th – St. Luke’s Parish Lunch
- 12th – St. Luke’s PCC, 7pm
- 13th – The Bible Course with +Mike, 7m WH
- 15th, 22nd, 29th – Stations of the Cross [4pm SL, 6pm SJ]
- 16th – St. John’s APCM 3pm
- Music & Meditation 4pm [SJ]
- 23rd – St. Luke’s APCM after Mass
- Messy Easter at St. Catherine’s, 3-5pm
- 30th – Mothering Sunday
April
- 2nd – St. Luke’s PCC, 7pm
- 10th – Oswestry Chrism Festival (Exeter Cathedral, 11am)
Palm Sunday (13th April)
St. John’s – Process from Wickham Hall at 9am into Palm Sunday Mass at Church
St. Luke’s – Process from the Calvary at 11am into Palm Sunday Mass at Church followed by Parish Lunch
St. John’s Table Top Sale – Every 3rd Saturday at Wickham Hall
[SJ] St. John’s | [SL] St. Luke’s | [WH] Wickham Hall