Lent Choices

In our first reading at Mass today, Moses addresses the people of Israel, towards the end of their journey through the desert, Deuteronomy 30: 15-20. The people are offered a choice: ‘See, today I set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster.’ Part of what Lent is about is

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Ash Wednesday

The first day of Lent, a day of Fasting (for those between the ages of 14 and 60) and abstinence (that is, meat). Live-streamed Masses at 10am and 6pm, Rosary at 930am, Stations at 7pm. Details are on the parish website of our parish Lent course on Fratelli Tutti which

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Saints Cyril and Methodius

Although the liturgy for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time takes precedence, today is also the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, patron saints of Europe. There is a chapter about them in the booklet I wrote about Europe’s patron saints some years ago (out of print but if anyone

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Day of Prayer for the Unemployed

Tomorrow is the Day of Prayer for the Unemployed. I am repeating this post from our website from a couple of years ago, as the message remains the same essentially; of course lots of people, including many of you, have lost their jobs because of the pandemic. God bless and

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CAFOD Walk for Water Challenge

One in three people round the world does not have access to safe drinking water. You have the power to change this through your support of Cafod. Why not join our Walk for Water challenge, 10,000 steps a day every day for 40 days? Lent begins on February 17th; maybe

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Feast of St Scholastica

Today is the feast of St Scholastica, the sister of St Benedict. A good day to pray for female Religious, especially the two communities in our parish, the Missionary Sisters of St Peter Claver and the Salesian Sisters. She shared her brother’s vision for the religious life in sixth century

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Monday: feast of St Josephine Bakhita

Today is the feast day of St Josephine Bakhita and the World Day of Prayer for victims of human trafficking and slavery. Rosary before the 10am live-streamed Mass today. God bless and take care Fr Ashley Posted by St Edmund’s Church, Beckenham on Sunday, February 7, 2021

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Sunday’s Scripture

Today’s first reading is from Job chapter 7. The figure of Job, shown here, is one of the most fascinating in the Old Testament. Some may feel very worn down by work at the moment, possibly seeing it as pointless drudgery, as he does in the reading. Next Sunday is

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St Paul Miki and his Companions

Today the Church honours St Paul Miki and his twenty-five companions, martyred by being crucified in Japan, in the year 1597. Jesuit priests had brought the Christian message to the country and Paul Miki had been educated by them. He himself was a seminarian at the time of his death.

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