NEWS & EVENTS
Morning Prayer is at 8.30am Tuesday to Friday, except public holidays. All are welcome, and for coffee afterwards.
Mid-week Eucharist – Not at present due to church works
3 March 2019
From the Locum
Next Sunday is the first Sunday in Lent – a period of forty days which are used as a preparation for Easter. What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Lent”? In the Early Church it was a time of preparing people for baptism at Easter. For many people it is seen as a period in the Church’s year where we have to give up something and to the modern mind has a negative or prohibitive aspect. I prefer to think of Lent in a positive way – perhaps it will be the addition of something to our lives that will enhance our relationship with God, with the Church and with others. St Benedict in his Rule reminded his followers that they were to practise “a continuous Lent” during their life in the monastery.
What makes up a good Lent? In the Gospel for Ash Wednesday (Matthew 6:1-21, part of what is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount) there are three things which are mentioned which help make Lent a positive time of growth in our own spirituality.
The first is almsgiving or giving – in the initial sense it was the name given to special gifts of money given to God. During Lent there are Lenten envelopes in the Church which will help the Australian Board of Mission or you might like to keep an amount of money aside and at the end of the Lenten season donate to an organisation of your choice. It could be the giving of ourselves and our time to a new project which will help others in our community.
The second is prayer. One of the intriguing things about this teaching on prayer is that it is to be done “in secret”. It suggests that a person should not make a big show of it as many of the so-called religious leaders of our Lord’s day did to be seen by others and make a name for themselves as being very religious. Included in this teaching are the words of that prayer which we call the Lord’s Prayer and that could be a Lenten study in itself.
The third is about fasting which is the “giving up” aspect of Lent. It is usually used regarding giving up food such as sugar or desserts or alcohol but can also be such things as not watching TV or listening to the radio which seems to me to be a very negative approach and often doomed to failure. Why not add something instead – such as reading a book about spirituality or the Christian life, or perhaps writing down your thoughts in a journal or diary or coming to the Lenten Study on Wednesday nights – you can be practical in your period of fasting.
My hope and prayer for all of you is that you will have a good Lent and through your observance be brought closer to God.
Fr Barry
Notices
Next Sunday
Sunday 10 March – 1st Sunday in Lent
8.00am Eucharist
10.00am Litany
Readings
Deut 26:1-11;Ps 91:1-2,9-16; Rom 10:8b-13; Lk 4:1-13
- Morning Prayer is at 8.30am Tuesday to Friday
- Mid-week Eucharist 12.30pm Wednesday recommences 24 April.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Sunday 3 March Monthly Lunch – Parish Picnic
Wednesday 6 March Ash Wednesday
Wednesday 13 March Lenten Study Group 6.30pm St Mary’s
Sunday 14 April Palm Sunday
Thursday 18 April Maundy Liturgy 7pm
Friday 19 April Liturgy of the Passion 10am
Saturday 20 April Great Paschal Vigil 9pm
FROM THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE
There are four of us – Rhondda, Marion, Denise and Susan.
All of us have been on the committee for fifteen years plus and
are at 75 years old or more. We have decided to soldier on for another year, while we await a new priest and then settle them in, because we believe hospitality is such an important part of the parish’s ministry.
With a new Vicar the parish will have to review what hospitality we want to continue to offer and how we will manage to do so. Your ideas at any time would be most welcome.
Currently, we oversee the parish’s fundraising activities including the Fair, midwinter festivities like the Cocktail Party or Christmas in July, and we organise meals or refreshments following special services and events like the Patronal Festival, Evensong, and welcomes or farewells. We are very grateful for the way everyone always responds to our calls for food or help with setting and clearing up.
Nevertheless, we could do with more people to provide morning tea and help with monthly lunches, all of which play an important role in our welcoming and including newcomers and supporting each other. You will be rostered with one or more old hands. Please come and talk to one of us if you think you could help in any way.
CHORAL EVENSONG 24 MARCH 6PM
You are invited to Choral Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral on Sunday 24th March at 6pm. St Mary’s will be prayed for at this service and all parishioners are invited to attend.
ST MARY’S CHOIR
Choir practice is on Tuesday from 6-8pm in the Hall. St Marys choir is always looking to recruit new members. If you or someone you know is interested in singing in the choir please contact the Director of Music or the Office or a chorister.
LOCUM – FR BARRY FERNLEY
Fr Barry Fernley’s workdays will be Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Mobile 0421 903 390 or Email fernley2@optusnet.com.au.
LENT/HOLY WEEK/EASTER
Please take a copy of the Lent/Holy Week/Easter brochure available in the porch, which gives full details of services and events.
ST MARY’S STITCHERS
St Mary’s Stitchers Group meets every Thursday at 10am in the small hall. Please join us on any Thursday.
LIGHT UP! /MESSY ST MARY’S
“Light Up!“- First Sunday of the Month. –5th May
“Messy St Mary’s” – Third Sunday of the Month. – 19th May
ST MARY’S GARDEN GROUP
The next get together is on Saturday 9th March 10.00am til 12noon.
The garden group normally meets on the 2nd Saturday of each month to help maintain the gardens around the church.
PRAYERS
If you would like a name added to the ongoing prayer list, please notify the Parish Office. Unless specifically requested names will remain on the list for four weeks. Names written on the Sunday list will be prayed for on that week only.
Please pray for those in need, including: Jacqui, Ikenna, Annie, Ben, Charlotte, Cleo, Darrell, Kathy, Calvin, Jean, Ariette and John, David and Family
We remember the departed:
Also those whose anniversaries of death fall this week:
Eunice Jones, Lilly Conlan, Tom Love, Alan Barker, George Higgs.
WHO’S DOING WHAT?
| Today
3 March |
Ash Wednesday
6 March |
Next Sunday
10 March |
|
| 8am Reader | Jenny Langmead | Judie Bainbridge | |
| 10am Readers | John Blanch
Katie Holmes |
Kathryn Bellhouse
Kathleen A-Ross |
John Rickard
Rhondda Fahey |
| Sub Deacon
Servers |
Jack Lindsay
Alice Christofi Anne Sunderland Kathleen A-Ross Adam Wing |
Jack Lindsay
Peter O’Donoghue Anne Sunderland |
Kathleen A-Ross
Graeme Archer Peter O’Donoghue Angelica Del Hierro Jack Lindsay |
| Intercessions | Simon Jackson | NA | Audrey Statham |
| Welcome & Collection | Elaine Nwokolo
Heidi Lee |
Marion Poynter
John Poynter |
Denise Archer
Heidi Lee |
| Communion Assist. | Simon Jackson | Sam Miller | Alice Christofi |
| Children’s Ministry | Sunday School | Sunday School | |
| Refreshments | Katie Holmes
Susan Gribben |
Ron Bell
John Rickard |
|
| Counting | Fiona Blanch
Adam Wing |
Susan Brennan
Rhondda Fahey |
|
| Flowers | Marion Poynter | No flowers in Lent |
Church for People who Think
Sunday Lecture/study groups
11.30am-12.15pm
March to April
10-17-24-31 March
Easter in 4th Century Jerusalem
Dr Geoff Jenkins
14 April
Easter in the 21st Century at St Mary’s
Fr Philip Bewley
HOLY WEEK & EASTER 2019
Sunday 14th April – Palm Sunday
8am Eucharist
10am Sung Eucharist with Procession
Monday 15th April
6.30pm Eucharist
Tuesday 16th April
6.30pm Eucharist
Wednesday 17th April
6.30pm Eucharist
Thursday 18th April
7pm Maundy Thursday Liturgy
Friday 19th April
10am Good Friday Liturgy
Saturday 20th April
9pm Great Paschal Vigil
Sunday 21st April – Easter Day
8am Eucharist
10am Sung Eucharist