Professional Documents
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West Green
4 Vincent Road, London N15 3QH
Parish Office Tel No: 020-8888-5518 E-mail: westgreen@rcdow.org.uk
Facebook: West Green - St John Vianney Church
Our website: http://stjohnvianneywestgreen.co.uk/
(SJV Parish Centre – 020-8888-5518)
17th /18th FEBRUARY 2018 How true! Are we not already in this
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT desert? As Fr. Joe mentioned in his homily
on Ash Wednesday, there is more than
“REPENT, AND BELIEVE enough pain, suffering, death, sadness,
hunger, poverty, dryness, etc. in our lives
THE GOOD NEWS” and in this world. Life is full of sacrifices
as it is. I don’t think God wants even more
We see the banner displayed clearly on the of it from us!
front wall as soon as we enter the church.
Repent, yes – recognise our faults and
We hear these same words last Wednesday,
shortcomings, and turn away from sin...
as our foreheads were marked with ashes.
but then turn to him and believe in the
Today, again, we read and hear Jesus
Good News: no matter what desert we
proclaiming these very words in the Gospel. find ourselves in, we are not alone. Even
Jesus didn’t go through the desert alone –
The message is clear... or is it? an angel was sent to look after him!
God knows
The word “repent” may sound familiar to that we can’t
most of us, but I get the impression that face that dry
many of us may feel uncomfortable with it, emptiness
or dislike the notion outright. There is a and all those
general sombre, sad and serious air about ‘wild beasts’
it all. It makes us think of fingers pointing just on our
accusingly at a person with head bowed own
down, shoulders hunched, feeling guilty strength and
and ashamed. Often we associate this will power...
‘repentance’ of Lent as needing to go into
the desert and suffer, having to make up The Kingdom of God is close at hand –
for our sins by doing penance, making God is very close to us, precisely in the
sacrifices, and giving up the pleasures of desert: He is loving us, looking after us,
life. The more I sacrifice, the ‘better’ I am. encouraging us and giving us strength. We
don’t have to do it alone, God is walking
But the desert is not a place of punish- with us.
ment, and Lent is not about us ‘redeeming’
ourselves (Jesus did that for us already!) May this Lenten season be a time where
Someone said to me very recently, “there’s we experience God’s tender mercy and
no need for us to go looking for a desert – love, as we walk with Him in trust and
quite often Life is the biggest desert, and hope towards Resurrection.
we are in it whether we like it or not.” God bless, Sr. Devy
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY IN THE CELEBRATION OF BAPTISM
LAST SUNDAY’S COLLECTIONS If you would like to have your child
baptised on the 10th March or later, the
ADORATION OF THE BLESSED next session will be on Monday 5th & 19th
SACRAMENT March at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall.
The first Sunday after the 11am Mass and Please contact the Parish Office to book
Tuesdays after our 9:15am Mass your place on the course.
Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Saturday: from 9:45 am – 10:15am