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PALM SUNDAY – Year C

28^th March 2010                                                  YEAR OF PRIESTS

Celebrating Easter 

‘During Holy Week the Church celebrates the mysteries of salvation accomplished by Christ in the last days of his life on earth, beginning with his messianic entrance into Jerusalem.

            The Lenten season lasts until the Thursday of this week. The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, is continued through Good Friday with the celebration of the Passion of the Lord and Holy Saturday, to reach its summit in the Easter Vigil. It concludes with Vespers of Easter Sunday.

            The Church by the celebration of this mystery, through liturgical signs and sacramentals, is united to Christ, her spouse, in intimate communion’.

                        (Congregation for Divine Worship, Rome, 1988)

This week is clearly the holiest of all weeks in our year as we recall and make present again through our worship what Jesus accomplished during the last days of his life on earth. It is about the outpouring of divine life from the very heart of God. “What had God ever done for us?” He has come on earth and established his glorious Kingdom among us, in the Church, even though we rejected Him in the bloodiest way that 1^st century man could think of. It is the true story of love offered, love rejected, love vindicated and love offered again.

During these days we do not remain merely witnesses to these events, witnesses to this outpouring of love. As those official words above state: through the miracle of the celebration of the liturgy, ‘the Church is united to Christ in intimate communion’. If you want God to touch you in a most powerful way, come to as many of the celebrations as you can during this week – come with an open heart, and open mind. May we be open, body and soul, to the redeeming power of God.

FEASTS THIS WEEK 

Maundy Thursday: We remember the Last Supper by celebrating it. There was an ancient belief among the Jews that the Messiah would make himself known on Passover night. Jesus showed ‘how perfect his love was’ by announcing that he would give himself for us and continue to give himself to us and for us at every Mass we would celebrate, from then on.

 Good Friday:  On this day we confront two realities: the extent of human sin – that man would seek to destroy God; and the extent of God’s love for us – that he would embrace and defeat it. We adore, with a kiss, a symbol of that victory wrought for us and pray for the salvation of the whole world which has now become a possibility.

 Holy Saturday: We are at the tomb. We contemplate the Lord’s ‘descent’ to the netherworld to save the just who lived before he came.

 Easter Sunday – Resurrection of the Lord: The Vigil: We gather on the night of the Lord’s victory and commemorate it in four parts: the Service of Light –Christ’s victory is light to a world darkened by sin and death; the  Liturgy of the Word – we listen to the unfolding of God’s saving works in our world through history; the Baptismal Liturgy – we share in the life of the risen Lord through that sacrament we have all received; the Eucharist – the highpoint of the night when the risen Christ becomes present on the altar.

Mass on Easter Sunday continues our joyful thanksgiving for the resurrection of Christ.

PARISH NEWS

Thank you for last week’s offertory collection for the four churches which came to £2 128.64 (including standing orders).

 300 Club Winners:      No. 266          £25                  Pauline Brown

                                     No. 153          £10                  Angela Wilkins

 The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children have written to thank us for the proceeds of the White Flower Collection in January which realised £782. Many thanks too for those who supported the St Patrick’s Night Celebration last Friday – a further £477 was raised for SPUC.

 300 Club at St Peter’s is now recruiting new members and new agents for all the churches. Last year over £3000 was raised for parish funds and £100s paid out in prizes. Please consider joining the club. The Sub is 50p per number per week.

 Scarborough Parishes Youth Club NO YOUTH CLUB until after Easter

 First Holy Communion Preparation for 2010. Next meeting for children and parents Thursday 22 April at St Peter’s Rectory & Parish Centre.

LOURDES May 2010 (28 May to 4 June) – By coach: Fr Coleman from Hull (07914 741554). For flights: Liz Murphy (507893) or Tim Boyes (366255).

 Elderly and housebound parishioners are invited to Mass, refreshments and entertainment at St George's Wednesday 14 April at 2pm. To attend,  contact Margaret Ryan 381616, Joan Salt 363321, Isabella Pitts 871323, Monica Driver 355559.

 Ampleforth Summertime for 10-14s, 27-30 July. It’s a holiday full of action – talks, workshops, prayer, sports using the College’s superb sports facilities & pool and a trip to Flamingoland. Forms now available from Sara Rutter & Fr William.

 Need more joy, peace, love? Come and find out how to experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit in your life: St Peter’s Parish Centre, Friday 26 March 7.30pm: information session on a series of ‘Holy Spirit Seminars’ to take place after Easter.

 Scarborough Parishes Magazine If anyone has any interesting items,
news of events, photographs etc. for the summer issue, please leave in the suggestion box in the church porch, or email to the editor, Bernard Wilkins info@bmwphotography.co.uk before end of May.

Focus Africa: Next opportunity for prayer and almsgiving will be on
Sunday 4 April at 10. 45am before Mass in St Peters.

Spring clean in St Peter’s parish centre tomorrow morning,
Monday,  10.30am – 12.30pm. Any willing helpers will be more than
welcome.

 Lists for people to commit to praying at the Altar of Repose at St Joseph’s on Holy Thursday are in all the churches. We’ll be ‘watching & praying’ until 11pm and just need to be sure that there are enough people to cover the time.

 Would anyone like to volunteer to read at any of the Churches? There will be a training session at St Peter’s on Wednesday 21 April at 7pm leading to Commissioning by the bishop in York on 8 May. Speak to one of the priests.

 Traditional Polish blessing of food by Fr Radoslaw at St Peter’s on Holy Saturday (3 April) 12.30 – 1pm.

 St Augustine’s Easter Concert, Tuesday 30 March at Westborough Methodist Church, 7pm, Tickets: £4 from school or on the door. (If it’s anything like the Christmas Concert then this is one not to be missed.)