Dear friends in Christ
We are on the final countdown to the start of Lent this Wednesday. We begin the Forty Days preparation for Easter with a day of fasting and abstinence. With the global pandemic, many of us feel like Lent has lasted for these past two years. This is because there are unique parallels between Lent and a life under global quarantines. The word ‘quarantine’ comes from a Venetian dialect meaning forty days. The concept of quarantining originates from Jesus’ own forty days in the desert which gives us the Lenten season. This Lent, think of your forty days as a time of quarantine, where you surrender to Christ the divine physician by developing prayer and practices that remind you to submit yourself daily with trust into His healing care. In this way we call all to make the pilgrimage together towards another Easter and our joyous celebration of the Resurrection.
As Lent is the traditional time of catechesis and preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation, I ask you to keep in your prayers those six adults who are preparing for reception into the Church through Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion; they will be presented to the Bishop next Sunday afternoon in our Cathedral during the Rite of Election. Also, our forty-two young adults who will begin their preparation for their Confirmation in May next Sunday. Not forgetting our Engaged Couples who will be undertaking their Marriage Preparation during the weeks of March.
The restoration of the Rood Beam and Calvary has been completed and is very pleasing. In time for the start of Lent, it can aid our reflection on the Passion and Crucifixion of The Lord as we contemplate the saving events of the Redemption.
This Sunday we welcome the Schola Cantorum of the Campion School, Upminster, under the direction of their Master of Music, Mr James Devor. They will be singing at the 11.30am Mass—joyful music to the Lord—just before we begin the more sombre tones of Lent! We thank them for their visit and above all for the ability to enrich the liturgy of the Mass with music worthy of this august mystery.
Conscious of the state of war in Ukraine, Pope Francis has said: I invite everyone to make this coming 2nd March, Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting for peace: let believers dedicate themselves intensely to prayer and fasting. May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war. God bless you all as together we begin Lent asking Our Blessed Lady to encourage us in our prayer, penance and good works.
Msgr Kevin Hale