AUGUST IS THE MONTH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
Dear parishioners,
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary because of our great summer festival on the 15th of this month, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In some traditions, this is preceded by days of fasting and in the Latin Church is traditionally followed by an octave concluding with the celebration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As a feast day, The Immaculate Heart has moved around a bit. Pope Paul VI moved it to the Saturday following the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and so closely associated the two hearts of Jesus and Mary from which seems to have grown the devotion to ‘the Two Hearts’.
Our devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, commemorates Our Blessed Lady’s interior life which through her purity had no obstacle of sin to the love of God and is at one with him through her prayer and obedience. She heard God’s call and despite being troubled by such a great vocation, she put ‘self’ behind her and said her yes to God. Her interior life was so in tune with the will of God, that in her words and deeds she perfectly followed the Way of Jesus, and is therefore the first disciple, the Queen of Apostles, the Help of all us Christians. Blessed Mary’s life was one of sacrifice, which mirrored her son’s and through it she remained true to her calling. Our Lady demonstrates to us that through the reward of her Assumption and Coronation as Queen of Heaven the words of Jesus in St. Matthew’s Gospel are actualised in her: ‘Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God’.
Daily Rosary for Divine Intervention
Whenever possible, we have public recitation of the Most Holy Rosary before weekday masses at 9.30 a.m. This means that the Rosary has a scheduled time and brings us together for mass. It is the perfect gathering prayer, both gathering us together as the people of God at the altar, but also individually helping each one of us to gather our own thoughts and emotions in readiness and recollection for the mass. Furthermore, in praying for divine intervention, the Rosary is the perfect prayer as fifty- three times we repeat the message of the angel to Mary which brought about the greatest divine intervention in human history, the incarnation of Jesus Christ our Lord. We call upon God to come to the aid of his church in the manner which is answered at every mass, when God always intervenes again, and Jesus is made present for us, Body and B lood in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
The Venerable Fr Agnelo de Souza S.F.X.
It was good joining with Goan parishioners last Thursday to pray for the beatification of the Venerable Fr Agnelo ‘Padre Agnel’. Thanks to the parishioner who sang so beautifully the song dedicated to him. The wait for his beatification may seem long, but two weeks ago we celebrated St Bonaventure, one of the great doctors of the church. His canonization took two hundred years. St John Henry Newman’s took over a hundred and our very own St Thomas More took the best part of four hundred, so let’s be patient for Fr Agnelo and God’s will be done. Here’s the prayer for Fr Agnelo’s beatification.
‘O God of infinite mercy, we humbly prostrate ourselves at your feet. We beg of you with whole hearted trust, that if it be your Holy Will and if it serves our salvation, grant Venerable Agnelo the honours of the Altar, through the solemn declaration of Our Provident Mother, the Church. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.’
Choir.
Our little choir sings the Gregorian chant and hymns for the Solemn Latin mass on Sundays and practises on Friday evenings at 6.00 p.m. New members would be greatly appreciated and welcome to join us and to come along whenever you can. Singing the praises of God in the company of others is good for your mood and your soul and good for your church.
Lunch Club
Good news! After over a year of absence, Thursday Lunch Club is making a welcome return with AFTERNOON TEA (with Sandwiches and Cakes) on Thursday 12th August from 2.00 to 4.00 p.m. in the Hall. As ever, this will take place in the hall with various compliances to keep everyone feeling safe. We begin this month with Afternoon Tea, but when the way ahead is clearer, it is hoped hot lunches will resume. If you would like to assist with Afternoon Tea ( or future lunches) for our senior parishioners please contact Marian on 0208 3037584 or Joyce on 0208 3032424.
Deaths For all our brothers and sisters who ate the Body of Christ, the bread of Life, that they may be raised up on the Last Day. (Drawn from the intercession of the Funeral Mass)
Please pray for the souls of:
James Nesbitt, aged 90, who died on Tuesday 13th July 2021. Funeral mass on Tuesday 3rd August at 11.00 a.m. with burial at Sidcup Cemetery.
Thomas Furlong, aged 88, who died on Friday 16th July in the evening. Funeral details to follow.
(St Thomas More church will be continuing for the time being with some social distancing, open doors and windows and a limit on numbers. This is estimated on the size of the church building and so for all our masses, including funerals, the maximum number is between about 80 and 100).
May the divine assistance remain with them always, and may their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
PARISH GOLF DAY. MESSAGE FROM TONY BROOKE. Saturday 18th September 2021 to be held at Pedham Place Golf Club, Farningham.
Bacon rolls from 11am. First tee off at 12 noon. 18 holes of golf followed by a one course meal and prize awarding. In an attempt to keep the price down we have dropped to a one course meal and bumped into a very gracious sponsor who will hold down the price to £40per contestant. There will be the usual charity raffle attached to the day that parishioners will have a chance to be involved with by purchasing tickets after Mass.
Any enquiries / interest to Tony Brooke 07833707016. Provisional numbers please ASAP so that we can secure tee times.
MASSES AND INTENTIONS FOR THE COMING WEEK: THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
Psalter week 2. Ferial cycle 1 at mass.
Please come to mass once a week only, on any day of your choosing, to help with numbers and social distancing.
Mass intentions booked for masses cancelled or replaced with a funeral will be moved to another day.
Saturday 31st July THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (B)
+ 6.30 p.m. SAID The people of the parish
Sunday 1st August
8. 30 a.m. Daily Rosary
+ 9.00 a.m. SUNG. Harry & Emily Yeates R.I.P.
+ 10.30 a.m. SOLEMN (Latin with English) Sonja Hodgson R.I.P.
Monday 2nd August St. Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop.
9.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
+ 10.00 a.m. Bruna de Souza R.I.P.
Tuesday 3rd August feria.
9.30 a.m. Daily Rosary (please note mass does not immediately follow)
+ 11.00 a.m. Funeral Requiem for James Nesbitt R.I.P. followed by committal at Sidcup Cemetery.
Wednesday 4th August St. John Vianney, priest, patron of parish priests, memorial.
Daily Rosary at home, in private.
NO PUBLIC MASS TODAY
Thursday 5th August The Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
9.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
+ 10.00 a.m. Joe Bowman R.I.P.
Friday 6th August The Transfiguration of the Lord, feast.
9.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
+ 10.00 a.m. Blanche Rodrigues T.G.
6.00 p.m. choir practice
Saturday 7th August St. Sixtus II, pope and companions, martyrs.
10.00 a.m. Daily Rosary (please note time)
+ 11.00 a.m. Sung Requiem for Mary ‘Maisie’ Kilgannon R.I.P. ( Maisie died early in the first lockdown and like thousands of others, the requiem was said in private by the priest alone and only a small number permitted at the graveside. We honour her today with a sung mass for all her family and friends, give thanks for her life, pray for her soul and ask God the Holy Spirit to give comfort and healing to all who mourn her loss)
+ 12.30 p.m. Sung Mass in Malayalam with First Holy Communion.
[ + 6.30 p.m. NINTEENTH SUNDAY. Braz Martin Walter Goes R.I.P. 1st anniversary)
AUGUST PRAYER TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY: ‘BLESSED BE YOUR PURITY’
(Purity is an eminently positive virtue, which gains the grace of God for the person who lives it. It is the virtue of the beautiful and spotless soul. It elevates us to things divine. These ten verses praise Mary. Conceived without sin, she was always pure and brighter than snow, she is ‘The Immaculate Heart’. (from the ‘Handbook of Prayers’, Midwest Theological Forum)
Blessed be your purity,
May it be blessed for ever,
For no less than God takes delight
In such exalted beauty.
To you, heavenly Princess,
Holy Virgin Mary,
I offer on this day
My whole heart, life and soul.
Look upon me with compassion;
Do not leave me, my mother.
In unity,
Fr Jonathon
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