Said Eucharist - 31/03/20

Mental Wellbeing and COVID -19

The Church of England has produced an excellent resource for us to be aware of our mental health in these days of social isolation.

You can find the resource to download here and it's also available in the resources section of this site.

Mass - Monday 30th March

Passion Sunday - A Eucharist and Address

As we stand on the cusp of Passiontide...

I wonder how you are in these strange days? I wonder how you are ensuring you keep yourself healthy mentally and physically?

By now you hopefully will have had contact with members of our new Pastoral Network. If not, I know you will be in the coming days. I am confident that this will be an important way we keep up with one another as communities as we are dispersed to our homes.

I have also established a private Facebook group called Parish Prayers which I hope we will treat this as a place where we can pray for each other in lieu of a sick list on the pew sheet each week. You can find the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1487445011430424. I know that not all of us are on Facebook or will want to be, but for those of us who are, I hope it will be a place of prayer for us to support and encourage each other.

You will find two resources that you might find helpful going forward under the 'Resources for use during the COVID-19 outbreak' tab. There is a resource to aid your worship at home in Holy Week. You can use this from Palm Sunday onwards alongside the Spiritual Communion liturgy you already have in the Lent booklet you have received.

Secondly, you'll find a sheet of readings for Morning and Evening prayer for the next fortnight. I hope these will sustain you as you engage with the scriptures.

I have updated the parish website with a dedicated page of resources for us to use as a dispersed church community. This will be updated as regularly as I can. You can find the page here: https://www.theparishofmillendandheronsgatewithwesthyde.org…

Lastly a couple of practical things: firstly, please remember that the clocks for forward tonight; and, secondly, please find enclosed a link to a video message from the Bishop of St Albans which I hope you will find encouraging as we move into this most holy time for us as Christians. You can watch his message here: https://twitter.com/BishopStAlb…/status/1243886371057664003…

Please be assured of my love and prayer for you, and for God's blessing on us this Passiontide.

Fr Simon.

Said Mass - 28/3/20

Bible Reflection: The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)

I found this Bible Study remarkable and contextually relevant in these days. I am so grateful to the Bishop of Liverpool for sharing these hopeful words.