Monday 10 May 2010

Easter VI

Great attendance for both masses today during which members of the leadership team gave an update on the Fan the Flame Week. The leadership team has to be commended for their dedication and hard work to prepare for Fan the Flame. If you are local to us please do consider committing for this week if you live afar please do keep us in your prayers.
Today we commemorated Our Lady of Greatness whose feast day falls on the 8th day of May. This Marian title comes from an ancient shrine and holy well that was situated within the existing boundaries of this Parish before that most cheerful of monarchs, Henry VIII, came around. We celebrated the Mass of the Sunday but made a commemoration of this title during the homily.
During the Sung Mass we celebrated the Baptism of James whose family has strong ties with St John’s. James did us proud by his attentiveness during the liturgy of his baptism. We wish him and his family many blessings. After communion James’s grandfather was called to the Sanctuary step where he was heartily thanked as he ends his term of office as our churchwarden. Richard carried his office with dedication and insight and wisdom, and we shall be always grateful. The consolation is that Richard will still be a member of our congregation and he already has a timetable for work that needs to be done. A small gift was offered to him as a token of our esteem. At that time too we had a long list of banns of marriage to read with some of the couples present. We prayed for them and wished them well.
After Mass, together with my family, I made my way to London to celebrate the Golden Wedding Anniversary of Philip and Yvonne. This delightful and happy couple are members of All Saints’ Margaret Street. Their faith and dedication to it is second to none, I know that they will not be reading this blog and so I can say that they are a holy couple indeed. What a privilege to know them and how good it was to meet such a good number of friends from my time at Margaret Street.
Meanwhile back at base a faithful group of people recited the Rosary and our youth group met for their monthly session.
While the CofE is working hard to make congregations like ours homeless, this one grows and flourishes. I wonder why? Do I?

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