A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

i WISH EVERYONE WHO VISITS MY BLOG EVERY BLESSING IN 2014 AND A

THE PATRONAL FESTIVAL OF ST. THOMAS OF CANTERBURY AT THE ILFORD HOSPITAL CHAPEL

The Bishop of Richborough presided at the Pontifical Concelebrated Mass at the Hospital Chapel yesterday evening. He preached an excellent sermon, we had an ad hoc choir from various churches who sang the service brilliantly, under the direction of the Organist and Choirmaster of St. Margaret’s Barking Abbey, Andrew Earwaker. Father Martin Howse read the Gospel and our Intercessions were led by Ann Jennings who also was the Thurifer. in addition to our own team of servers I was grateful to David from St. Mary’s, Ilford and Louise and Daniel from St. Augustine’s who assisted. In addition to Father Martin, Father Gareth Jones from St. Mary’s and Father Stuart Halsted from St. Alban’s and I concelebrated with Bishop Norman.

Refreshments were organised by Ann helped by Gwen and Shelia.It was really great to see the Chapel full for this celebration.

DISNEY ICE SHOW–HIGH PRICES!

Yesterday, we went with our daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren to the Disney on Ice show "Dare to Dream. The show was excellent and quite spectacular. Apart from feeling totally frozen by the time we left (it was an ice show after all) I couldn't believe the prices that were being charged. e.g. £12 for a programme which included a plastic hat and anything from £6 to £9 for popcorn, drinks cup and candy floss. Even the ice creams were £4.60. The toys on the various Disney Toy Stalls had a tremendous mark-up. So today we took the grandchildren to Romford Disney Shop and they were able to buy some toys considerably cheaper than at the O2. The other unbelievable item was the price to park a car was a staggering £21. We parked at a tube station for £2 and took the tube

CHRISTINGLE AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S, RUSH GREEN, CHRISTMAS EVE

We started our Christmas celebrations with our Christingle Service. During the service the children were asked to bring the Nativity figures to the crib. In the talk I asked Father Martin where Mister Monkey was (he is the mascot of our Sunday School – sometimes he’s very good and sometimes not) He had been left in the Sacristy so the servers went to fetch him. He came into church, complaining that he hadn’t been invited to the service so he had made his own Christingle. He used as the base a potato instead of an orange, a discarded post office red rubber band instead of a ribbon, he had five sticks: one with a brussel sprout, one with a baby sweet corn, one with a wiggly worm,  one with a mushroom and one with a piece of broccoli. He had an electric tea light instead of a candle.Father Martin explained how a proper Christingle was made and explained the significance of each part. Mister Monkey was then given a proper Christingle and then every member of the congregation came to collect theirs. Once lit we sang Once in royal David’s City and then the new Children Society’s hymn.

Behold a Virgin shall Conceive

In his sermon at today’s Parish Mass at St. Augustine’s, Rush Green Father Martin invited a teenager, one of our teenage Christians in the congregation, to do an interview with him. He pointed out that “L” was slightly older than Mary would have been when the events recorded in the Gospel had taken place. In the interview amongst the questions Father Martin asked, he asked “L” how she would have felt if an angel appeared to her: “Scared “ she replied. “L” acted the part brilliantly and gave us much food for thought.

Many people regard Mary as a young woman and certainly not around the age of 14 as she probably was and she was probably very frightened when the angel told her that she had been specially chosen to be the mother of God’s Son. It was a task which not only Mary but Joseph had to come to terms with. As we prepare to celebrate the wonderful occasion of the birth of our Saviour we should always remember with the greatest affection Jesus’ mother Mary and Joseph, the Guardian of the Holy Family.

ST. THOMAS OF CANTERBURY

 

ILFORD HOSPITAL CHAPEL OF ST. MARY

&

ST. THOMAS OF CANTERBURY

SUNDAY 29th DECEMBER

SOLEMN CONCELEBRATED PONTIFICAL MASS 6.00 p.m.

Principal Celebrant & Preacher:

The Rt. Revd. Norman Banks SSC

THE BISHOP OF RICHBOROUGH

THE MASS WILL BE SUNG BY AN AUGMENTED CHOIR

ALL WELCOME – REFRESHMENTS AFTER MASS

48 ILFORD HILL, ILFORD IG1 2AT

3rd SUNDAY IN ADVENT–GAUDETE SUNDAY

 

Today Father Martin presided at the Parish Mass whilst I concelebrated, read the Gospel and preached. Our Intercessions were led by Ann. In my sermon I pointed out that the colour of the day was pink or rose. I talked about how pink was a colour of Joy, a joy shared by all little girls who loved pink especially our 3 granddaughters. We are now half way through the Advent Season and this Sunday  the pink candle of the Advent wreath was lit to remind us of that. We need to remember that the word JOY reminded us that we should put Jesus first, others next and yourself last. John the Baptist put Jesus first as he proclaimed that we should repent and that he was sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. This was our task; to prepare our contacts, the people we mix with day by day, so they, and we, would be ready when Jesus comes again. In the meanwhile we have opportunity to meet him every time we come to Mass for he is present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

ADVENT 2

Today I presided at the Parish Mass in a church which was very nearly full. Father Martin read the Gospel, preached and led our Intercessions during which we remembered Nelson Mandela and his family and South Africa. In his sermon Father Martin spoke about “I’m a Celebrity – Get me out of Here” which is currently on ITV and which finishes tonight. He talked about locusts and honey and reminded us of how the Israeli’s had diverted a small part of the River Jordan so it is on Israeli territory rather than Jordan and Lebanon. He reminded those who recently visited the area that it was in the River Jordan that John the Baptist carried out his ministry of calling people to repent very much in accord with the ministry of the Old Testament prophets looking forward to the appearance of the
Messiah.

TOO GOOD

I recently met a man who was the top sales manager in his company. He was rewarded for this prestigious attainment by being made redundant because “he was earning too much”. The mind boggles! It is this type of stupidity which has been the ruination of British business over the years.

ADVENT SUNDAY

1. Today I preached and concelebrated at St. Augustine’s, Rush Green and tonight Ann and I went to our Annual Advent Carol Service and 9 Lessons. We both read Lessons and I gave the Bidding Prayer and Led the prayers at the end of the service. Father Martin gave a brief introduction to each reading and carol.

Amongst the various choir solos I particularly enjoyed the choir’s rendering of Adam lay ybounden.