“O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones. Let me find you again. Amen.”
Lent is a favourable time for personal and community renewal, as it leads us to the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Lent brings the death and resurrection of the Lord more insistently into the horizon of our lives. Before the Lord, we are all weak and needy, poor in who we are, rich in him. Grateful for our various callings and rejoicing in that poverty that opens us to God’s grace, let us observe Lent together in prayer, penance and almsgiving.
Have you ever thought about the joy in sacrifice that Lent provides? Most of us don’t delight in sacrifice; in fact, in our lives, we often do our best to avoid challenges and practices that push us outside of our comfort zones.
Lent is a time for every one of us to do more than simply deny our-selves; we need to welcome God into our lives in greater ways so that when we get to Holy Week and Easter, we have an even greater appreciation for the sacrifice the Lord made for us. Talk about pure joy!
May you and your loved ones enjoy a holy and joyous Lenten journey.
Father Peter
Pope’s intention for the month of February. For the terminally ill. We pray that those with a terminal illness, and their families, receive the necessary physical and spiritual care and accompaniment.
This Sunday is World Day of Prayer for the Sick, Diocesan Day of Prayer for Engaged Couples, also Day for the Unemployed.
Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday; it is a day of Fasting and Abstinence. Please see the back page for Mass times.
Stations of the Cross will take place in each of our churches during Lent. Times will be on the back page.
Scam Emails. We have had further warnings and information on recent attempted scams which are becoming more widespread. Any-one receiving emails asking for money or gift cards, particularly using Fr Peter’s name, please do not reply or make any contact.
Please remember: the parish hall is still officially out of bounds.
There will be no Coffee Morning at Hoveton in February. The next one will be on Wednesday 6th March at 10.30am to which you are all most welcome.
The Walk with Me booklet entitled “A Journey of Prayer for Lent 2024” – with daily reflections throughout Lent, this year has a forward by our own Bishop Peter. It is available from the back of the church at just £1.
We pray for our sick parishioners: Matt Butler, Frances Palman, Mary Bell, Mary Carr, Paul Watson, Cyril Shenton, Patricia Newton, Celia Cooper, Marie Barton, Robert Buhagiar, Margaret Larkins, Daphne Necchi, Bert Pooler, Maria Halsey, Joan Macnamara, Richard Skelton, Teresa Fitzmaurice, Joan Gale and Debbie Caruana.
The Funeral Service for Shirley Teague, who died on Saturday 20th January, will be held at St John of the Cross on Tuesday 20th February at 2.30pm.
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur this week: Margaret Francis, James Bradley, Agnes Clark, June Trafford, Audrey Greensword, Louisa Woodroff, Roy Wassell, Marion Yapp, Beatrice Devitt, Edward Brown and Kathleen McBride.
May they rest in peace.
