St Simon Stock Catholic Church

Brookfield Road, South Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU

8th MARCH 2009
Tel: 01233 622399
Parish Priest: Fr John Boyle SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
YEAR B
Saint Simon of England RC Primary School,
Noakes Meadow, Ashford, TN23 2RB. Tel: 01233 623199
Head teacher: Mrs Elizabeth Willis

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS TODAY‟S MASS TEXTS

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Sunday 8 Entrance Antiphon: Ps 24:6.3.22
Second Sunday of Lent (B) Remember your mercies, Lord, your tenderness from ages
10.00am Mass (For the people of the parish) past. Do not let our enemies triumph over us; O God,
12.00 noon Mass (Extraordinary form Latin, 1962 Missal) (Tony deliver Israel from all her distress.
Simmons RIP) First Reading Genesis 22:1-2.9-13.15-18
5.15pm Stations of the Cross The sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith.
6.00pm Mass (Recovery to health of Jacek Shay)
Monday 9
th Responsorial Psalm: Ps 115
R: I will walk in the presence of the Lord
6.45pm Mass (Mary Conn RIP)
Tuesday 10
th in the land of the living.
9.30am Mass (Paddy Tracey RIP) followed by Divine Mercy I trusted, even when I said;
Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until ”I am sorely afflicted.”
10.30am. O precious in the eyes of the Lord
th is the death of his faithful. (R)
Wednesday 11
9.30am Mass (Holy Souls) Your servant, Lord your servant am I;
th
Thursday 12 you have loosened my bonds.
6.45pm Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (Vivienne Smailes RIP) A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;
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Friday 13 I will call on the Lord‟s name. (R)
9.30am Mass (Desmond Fitzgerald RIP) followed by My vows to the Lord I will fulfil
Stations of the Cross before all his people,
th
Saturday 14 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in your midst, O Jerusalem. (R)
10.00am Mass (Tony Shanny RIP)
Sunday 15
th Second Reading: Romans 8:31-34
Third Sunday of Lent (B) God did not spare his own Son.
10.00am Mass (Intentions and welfare of Archbishop Gospel Acclamation: John 1:12.14
McDonald) Glory and praise to you, O Christ! From the bright cloud the
5.15pm Stations of the Cross Father‟s voice was heard: “This is my Son, the Beloved.
6.00pm Mass (For the people of the parish) Listen to him”. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Gospel: Mark 9:2-10
CONFESSIONS/CONSULTATIONS
This is my Son, the Beloved.
Saturday: 10.30am, Sunday 9.30am, 5.30pm.
Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request. During Lent we shall use the Apostles’ Creed
(p.9 in The Simple Prayer Book)
CHURCH CLEANING nd
Preface of 2 Sunday of Lent, Eucharistic Prayer I
th th th rd th
13 Bridie; 20 Sheila; 27 Sue; April 3 Sue; 10 Tara
Communion Antiphon: Matthew 17:5
COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY This is my Son, my beloved, in whom is all my delight: listen
Offertory: £357.73, (Gift Aid: £186.60, loose plate: £171.13) + to him.
£99 approx by standing order. To contribute by regular standing
order please ask for a form. If you are a tax payer and are not
already using the Gift Aid scheme, please ask for a Gift Aid form. PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
Second collection: Parish Maintenance & Development Fund: Please pray for all our sick parishioners. If you know of anyone
£116.16. Thank you. Second collection today: Pontifical who needs our prayers at the present time please place their
Council „Cor Unum‟ expressing "the care of the Catholic Church names in the box in the Church foyer. All our sick parishioners,
for the needy, thereby encouraging human fellowship and making named and un-named, are remembered in our prayers.
manifest the charity of Christ" and, on the Pope‟s behalf, grants ARCHBISHOP McDONALD‟S HEALTH
humanitarian relief in response to disasters or in promoting integral
As you may know, Archbishop Kevin has had heart bypass
human development in needy areas of the world. Please give
surgery and had a successful knee replacement last October. He
generously. Second collection next Sunday: Parish
goes into hospital today for a second knee replacement
Maintenance & Development Fund.
operation tomorrow. He will need some time of rehabilitation
THANKS FOR YOUR GENEROSITY after this but hopes it will be his last visit to hospital for some
Archbishop Kevin has received a letter from the Apostolic Nuncio time. His Grace is very grateful for the prayers of so many
expressing thanks for the Diocese‟s contribution of £30,813.97 to people and requests your prayers now for this third operation
last year‟s Peter‟s Pence collection. and the overall recovery process afterwards.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS IN LENT DIVINE MERCY HOUSE PRAYER GROUP
On Sunday evenings at 5.15pm and after the Friday morning A group of parishioners meets roughly once a month. You are
Mass. Do make an effort to participate in this devotion in Lent. welcome to join the group tomorrow at 138 Beaver Road,
VACANCY AT ST. SIMON OF ENGLAND SCHOOL Ashford. Arrivals from 10.00 am; finish approx. 11.30. Prayer and
Our parish primary school has a vacancy for a caretaker. Please social. Contact Maria Lanzino 625428.
see notice board for full details.

Email: parish@stsimon.org.uk; Web: www.stsimon.org.uk;

Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/; diocesan website: www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
 FROM FATHER JOHN‟S DESKTOP
Today the Church commemorates St John of God. John was born in Portugal in 1495. In his younger years he was
an adventurer who, among other things, fought against the Turks defending Vienna. He was also a shepherd in Spain, a
manual labourer in North Africa and a seller of religious articles in Granada in Spain. There he was converted after
listening to a sermon by the famous St John of Avila. It appears that he became somewhat confused at this point and was
consigned to an asylum until St John of Avila intervened and obtained his release. Having witnessed how harshly the
inmates of the asylum had been treated John founded a hospital to care for the sick and neglected. Together with some
companions he founded the religious institute known as the Brothers Hospitalers. He is patron of hospitals and the sick,
and nurses are particularly placed under his patronage.
St John of God was an apostle of mercy and compassion. His consciousness of God‟s mercy led him to be
compassionate to others. “If we kept before us the mercy of God,” he wrote, “we would never be deficient in doing good.”
In his message for Lent, Pope Benedict says that this season must be an occasion for opening ourselves to God so
that we can be more open to others. “Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to
listen to Christ and be fed by His saving word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest
hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God. At the same time, fasting is an aid to
open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live.”
“Dear brothers and sisters … the ultimate goal of fasting is to help each one of us … to make the complete gift of
self to God. May every family and Christian community use well this time of Lent, therefore, in order to cast aside all that
distracts the spirit and grow in whatever nourishes the soul, moving it to love of God and neighbour. I am thinking
especially of a greater commitment to prayer, lectio divina, recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and active
participation in the Eucharist, especially the Holy Sunday Mass. With this interior disposition, let us enter the penitential
spirit of Lent.”
Next Friday is „Red Nose Day‟ when lots of money will be raised for „Comic Relief.‟ There‟s nothing wrong in „doing
something funny for money‟ but I would like once again to suggest that you do not support Comic Relief. Millions have
been given by Comic Relief to „charities‟ that actually promote abortion and life-style choices that are contrary to the
Natural Law of God. Rather than allow Comic Relief to give money to charities, choose the charities yourself. Missionary
organisations such as The Association for the Propagation of the Faith, Aid to the Church in Need, Medical Missionaries
of Mary; pro-life organisations such as SPUC, Good Counsel Network; or those who help the homeless and unemployed
such as the Manna Centre and Cardinal Hume Centre are all deserving of our support. Today we have a collection for the
Pontifical Council Cor unum through which the Pope channels aid to needy people around the world.
Please pick up an article „Why Comic Relief should be boycotted‟ available with the newsletter this week (or visit
http://spuc-director.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-comic-relief-should-be-boycotted.html) with its clinching argument: Some
may say that "Only a small percentage of Red Nose Day goes towards abortions… Supposing, in the 1940s, only a small
percentage of a charity's funds went towards the killing of Jews and ethnic minorities in concentration camps, would it be
OK for people to give to that charity?” Fr John.
REGULAR EVENTS – COME ALONG! liturgy or at other times of prayer. If read from a Bible or included
DIVINE MERCY PRAYER GROUP in hymns, the word „Yahweh‟ should always be replaced with „the
after the 9.30am Mass on Tuesdays. Prayers of Lord‟ or „Lord.‟
intercession for various needs and silent L‟ARCHE EXPERIENCE
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament till 10.30am. L‟Arche seeks assistants to live and work in L‟Arche
MUSIC PRACTICE TUESDAYS 7.30PM communities, sharing life with adults with learning disabilities.
Newcomers always welcome. See poster on notice board.
BIBLE STUDY THURSDAYS 7.30PM AN AUSTRALIAN EVANGELIST TO VISIT ST SIMON‟S
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Studying St Paul‟s letters to the Corinthians. Why This is advance notice of a visit by Raymond de Souza on 12
not consider joining us for Lent? May. Raymond travels the world giving lively and engaging talks
about the Catholic faith, able to inspire old and young to a
EVANGELIUM – CATHOLIC FAITH ENQUIRY
renewed engagement with their faith. Put this date in your diary
For all, Catholic or not, who would like to deepen their
as we prepare for his visit. You can find out more about
knowledge of the Catholic faith. Next meeting: 7.15pm this
Raymond de Souza at his website
Friday. Topic: Liturgy and the Sacraments
http://www.raymonddesouza.com/.
TALK ON OLD ASHFORD APF BOXES
Mr Richard Filmer, author and speaker will be giving an It‟s time to have the red boxes emptied. Please bring them for
illustrated presentation about Old Ashford, on Friday 20th counting before the end of March. The spring magazine is also
March at 7.30 pm sharp, in our hall. Tickets are now available available in the repository. If anyone would like to have a box at
from Shirley Hook or Thereza Baker, priced £2.50 which includes home please see Eileen Conn. Just putting your loose coppers
a glass of wine or tea/coffee; a very interesting evening is in the box all adds up
guaranteed. and all the money
goes to the missions.
CELEBRATE LOVE MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT SEMINAR
MISSION
A non-residential weekend seminar for married couples who
TOMORROW
want to stay successfully and happily married and to live
The 2008/2009
marriage as God intended. March in London, June in Kent. See
newsletter of the
notice board for details.
Society of St. Peter
THE USE OF GOD‟S NAME the Apostle is
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the available on the table
Sacraments in Rome has reminded us of the reverence that in the church
must be given to God‟s Name, particularly when translating the entrance.
Name of God (YHWH). The use of „Yahweh‟ is highly offensive
to Jews and it should never be read aloud, sung, or prayed in the There in their presence he was transfigured…
To catch up on previous newsletters visit http://www.stsimon.org.uk/Newsletters/. Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/