“Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”

Once more I turned to poet Malcolm Guite for a sonnet commentary on the last temptation from toady’s Gospel https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/tag/lent/:

“So here’s the deal and this is what you get:
The penthouse suite with world-commanding views, The bankers bonus and the private jet
Control and ownership of all the news
An ‘in’ to that exclusive one percent,
Who know the score, who really run the show
With interest on every penny lent
And sweeteners for cronies in the know.

A straight arrangement between me and you
No hell below or heaven high above
You just admit it, and give me my due
And wake up from this foolish dream of love…” But Jesus laughed, “You are not what you seem. Love is the waking life, you are the dream.”

Fr Matthew

The celebration of our Sunday Eucharist forms the highest part of the week. At Mass we gather as a community of believers, and fulfill Our Lord’s command to “do this in memory of me”. We open ourselves up to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who seeks to strengthen us, enabling us to proclaim the Good News in the world to the people we meet.

Music Group at Christ the King

In an effort to enhance the dignity of our celebration, I am looking to establish a regular music group for the 6pm Saturday Mass at Christ the King, and, being a musician, I am willing to assist in the establishment of such a group. The Fathers of Vatican II remind us of the importance of singing as a fundamental component in our Mass: “Therefore sacred music is to be considered the more holy in proportion as it is more closely connected with the liturgical action, whether it adds delight to prayer, fosters unity of minds, or confers greater solemnity upon the sacred rites. But the Church approves of all forms of true art having the needed qualities, and admits them into divine worship.” If you are able to contribute to establishing a music group for the Saturday evening Mass, whether in playing the piano, organ, or another musical instrument, or through singing in a choir, to lead and maintain the singing, please speak to me, Deacon Daniel directly, or to Fr Matthew.

Serving at St Brigid’s

It is a great privilege to assist the priest and the deacon at the altar during the Mass. The role of the altar server within the Mass is essential, not only to prepare the sanctuary, but also to ensure that distractions are kept to a minimum, and so enable people to pray and participate in the Mass. Over recent years, there has been a decline in servers to assist in our celebrations, particularly the 11am Mass at St Brigid’s. If you have made your First Holy Communion, and would like to serve Mass, in any of the 3 Churches, please speak with Canon Matthew or me Deacon Daniel after Mass. I should add that we hope to have a get-together for all our servers soon, something like a fish’n’chips supper!

Deacon Daniel