NEWS & VIEWS

Lent is over half through, and Easter is in three weeks’ time. In today’s Mothering Sunday Gospel we hear of Simeon, traditionally known as ‘the righteous’ or (in the east) ‘the God-receiver’. He had been promised he would not see death until he had seen Christ. He blesses the Holy Family in the Temple, and prophesies the impact of Jesus, but also gives Mary the powerful prophecy that a sword will ‘pierce her soul’ – an allusion to her seeing Jesus crucified in years to come, as referenced in our offertory hymn.

TODAY The fourth Sunday of Lent is known as Refreshment Sunday (a slight let up from the rigours of Lent at its halfway point) and Laetare Sunday, from the traditional introit for the day: ‘Laetare (“Rejoice!”) O Jerusalem’. We celebrate Mothering Sunday and during Mass give thanks for our own mothers, for the ‘mothering’ of Holy Mother Church, and for Mary, Mother of Christians.

BAPTISM & CONFIRMATION please pray for our candidates as they prepare for Baptism on Easter Day and Confirmation with First Communion at Pentecost. Today Mandy, Jade and Virette, our Baptisands, will be anointed with the Oil of Catechumens and received under the teaching authority of the Church; and Ross, Joshua and Natalia, our Confirmands, will be blessed with Holy Water in preparation for their Confirmation.

EMMA JEFFERY is celebrating her half-century this week so we shall wish her many happy returns with cake and fizz in the hall upstairs after Mass. Everyone is welcome.

POSIES and PHOTOS of OUR MOTHERS Many thanks to Stephen Smith for making up our Mothering Sunday Posies this year. These posies will be blessed and distributed during Mass to honour our mothers both living and departed. If your mother has departed this life, you are invited to bring a photo of her and to place it on the choir wall, where they too will be blessed in a small act of remembrance.

WE NEED YOU! A friendly greeting and welcome on arrival at the door can be very reassuring to people at an unfamiliar church for the first time who may be feeling a little uneasy; and it’s nice for regulars too. We need some more welcomers to help with this important (but not onerous) ministry. It means arriving at least 15 minutes before the start of Sunday Mass, but with enough people on the rota (that we intend to produce) each one would not be called upon often. Please tell Keith Jeffery (keith@stmarysilford.org.uk) if you can help in this way.

LENT, HOLY WEEK AND EASTER Please ensure you have a copy of the leaflet, detailing our services and other events in this period. Our weekly Lent course on the sacraments continues on Wednesday at 7.45pm the Community Hall. It is not too late to join in.

LENT BOXES to take away are available at the back of church. These are for Lenten alms for the Additional Curates Society. The ACS helps less well-off parishes to afford a curate. They have helped us in the past and we hope they may do so in the future. Online donations at additionalcurates.co.uk/support-us/.

THURSDAY MASS is our principal weekday service. We begin at 9.30am with silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and Mass follows at 10am. Then we have coffee/tea and catch-up in the Community Hall. Why not make attending this ‘Holy Hour’ part of your Lenten discipline?

REGULAR GIVING Giving to fund the ministry of the Church is an essential part of our Christian faith. Please, if you don’t already, would you consider giving a regular amount? No amount is too small. Using our parish giving scheme is easy and you are in full control. One-off donations can be made using the Parish Giving Scheme, or with the card machine at the back of church, or by putting cash/cheques in the offering plate. Cheques should be made payable to St Mary’s Ilford PCC.

INTERCESSION

OF YOUR CHARITY, PLEASE PRAY

for the sick, distressed and bereaved
Joan Cassidy, Richard Holland, Lucy Ball, Amberly Crediton, Kathy Valentine, Margaret Harding, 2 Mel Taylor, Bernard Street, Keith Holland, Matthew, Leslie Haigh, Bibi Bacchus, 3 Fr Elwin Cockett, Jeanmarie Morton, Alastair Ogilvie, Paul Zmak, Dawn Roberts, Caroline & Hugo Furzland, Margaret Quinney, HM The King, Tim Holliday, Terry & Sylvia West, Judy; Denis Deasey

for the recently departed 

 Peter Rowley

for those whose anniversaries of death fall this week

Sunday

Ambrose McDonald priest, Donald Noble

Monday

Tristram Eeles, Katie Furzland

Tuesday

Beatrice Barley, Ian Row

Wednesday

Mary Powling

Thursday

Joyce Sault, Rita Leggatt

Friday

Annie Culling

Saturday

William Lunn

please pray especially for

our Parochial Church Council

ORDERS OF SERVICE