Parish Newsletter

Parish Newsletter

Ware Parish Update – 25th February 2021

Masses for the Coming Week

Sat 27th February

6.30pm Vigil Mass for Sunday

Sun 28th Second Sunday of Lent

8.30am, 10.30am, 5.30pm

Mon 1st March  – St David, Bishop, Patron of Wales

10.00am

Tue 2nd

7.00pm

++Followed by Stations of the Cross at 7.30pm

Wed 3rd

10.00am

Thur 4th – St Casimir

10.00

Fri 5th – World Day of Prayer                     Friday abstinence

Church closed

Sat 6th

6.30pm Vigil Mass for Sunday

Sun 7th Third Sunday of Lent

8.30am, 10.30am, 5.30pm

Places at all Masses on Sunday and during the week need to be booked online through the Events page of the parish website. https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/ware/events/   Booking enables management of the limited number of spaces available, and supports track & trace arrangements. All those attending Mass are required to wear a face mask. If for some reason you need to cancel or change your booking, please inform the parish office Ware@rcdow.org.uk

Confessions: during the COVID–19 pandemic can be arranged on request only.

Weekly Donations:  If you are not able to visit the church but would like to make your weekly donation online, see  https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/ware/donate /   If you would like to donate by Standing Order, please contact the parish office Ware@rcdow.org.uk

28th Feb – Second Sunday of Lent

This Sunday’s Gospel: – ‘A cloud came, covering them with shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him”’ – Mark 9:2-10

Reflection: As Jesus journeys with his disciples to Jerusalem – and he knows what lies ahead, he takes his closest friends – Peter, James and John, up the mountain and there is transfigured. For a few moments, in light and shadow, Father, Son and Spirit are joined – indeed, it is heaven on earth.  And in those difficult times ahead, Peter, James and John will remember whose disciples they are; and for us too, in all our challenges, in all our joys, let us remember that we follow Jesus, God’s Son – revealed to us by God himself.

Season of Lent – a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter. The faithful recall their baptism through prayer, penance and works of charity. It is also a time of special preparation for catechumens, those preparing to be baptised at Easter. Fridays, particularly though Lent, are also a time of abstinence.

Abstinence (3): Re-emphasising the importance of penitence is but one of the responses the Bishops wish to make to the growing desire of people to deepen and give identity to the spiritual aspects of their lives. It is also clear that many of us forget our obligation to do penance on a Friday. On a Sunday our prayer is in thanksgiving to God for the new and eternal life brought to us by Christ’s resurrection from the dead. On a Friday our prayer is in thanksgiving for the gift of the mortal life that we have been given; a life which Christ willingly sacrificed on the cross for our sake. A fitting prayer then, as part of our Friday penance, would be to ask Almighty God to turn away all threats to mortal life. The act of abstinence itself can be offered consciously as a prayer for life and in reparation for sins against life. It can also be put at the service of others if we make a sacrifice and give the financial savings made from our abstention (or fasting) to charities which assist those who are poor or suffering. If we are unable to make that financial sacrifice, we can still perform a ‘work of charity’, an act of kindness and love to another person who is in need or suffering in some way

Lent at Home

  1. Gather together and start with the Sign of the Cross.
  2. Read the Gospel for the day – see https://universalis.com/
  3. Say together this prayer: ‘Lord God, with all our hearts we beseech you: have mercy on your people in this time of pandemic, especially those who are sick.. Give us strength and courage to share your love with all those in need. Comfort those who mourn and gather into your kingdom all who have died. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, who died and rose to life. Amen.’
  4. Pray together: the Our Father; the Hail Mary; each one with his or her own prayer or intention.
  5. Conclude with the ‘Glory be to the Father…’
  6. Give each other a sign of peace.

 So we continue our journey through Lent

Stations of the Cross  – will take place in our Church on Tuesday evenings during Lent at 7.30 pm, immediately after our 7.00 pm mass. All are welcome, and we would ask you to book in for this service in the usual manner using the ‘Events’ tab on our parish website. https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/ware/events/

Small Communities – Faith-Sharing for Lent 2021 – ‘Holy Week Voices from the Holy Land’ – Poems and Reflections for Lent and Easter with Fr Richard Nesbitt, Parish Priest at White City. This rich resource is available in booklet or downloadable format.  And includes a suggested selection of six chapters as this year’s Lenten Resource for Small Communities Faith-Sharing. For further information and to order your copy, visit: https://rcdow.org.uk/faith/news/holy-week-voices

 Friday 5th March, World Day of Prayer – This year’s day of prayer has been prepared by the women of Vanuatu. The 7.00pm Service this year will be by Zoom. If you would like to participate please email Jan Woodford mijamajoje@outlook.com. Further information: https://www.wwdp.org.uk/2021-theme-and-country-vanuatu/

 Receiving the Covid-19 Vaccine – Fr Albert Ofere, Parish Priest of English Martyrs, Wembley Park, shares his experience of his recovery from COVID-19 and his subsequent vaccination. https://rcdow.org.uk/news/receiving-the-covid-19-vaccine/ 

CAFOD – Collection for CAFOD this year will be online or by phone. Please donate online at www.cafod.org.uk/give  or go to the Parish Justice & Peace webpage https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/ware/justice-and-peace/  for further information on donating by text.

Fair Trade Fortnight – 22 February to 7 March – we are a designated Fair Trade Parish.  For more information on how to continue to support Fair Trade Communities during the pandemic, see https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/ware/justice-and-peace/  see also: https://rcdow.org.uk/news/westminster-becomes-the-first-catholic-fairtrade-diocese/

Ware Food Bank – Please continue to support through Lent – next week, with a bar of soap. Thank You.

For further news on what is happening in Ware Parish, visit https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/ware/news/

                                                                                                              

The Parish E-Alerts are one way of keeping in touch with what is happening in our Parish .  Do please share with other parishioners and encourage them to visit the website and sign up to receive Parish E-Alerts directly:  https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/ware/

 

New to the Parish?  Do get in touch, we would love to hear from you:   Ware@rcdow.org.uk