Newsletter- 7th Week of Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners
Lent will soon be upon us, as we begin our Lenten journey together again this year on Ash Wednesday 5th March. Next weekend in the Parish Bulletin I will give you all the information regarding extra liturgies and such like to help us to journey as individuals and as a parish community more fully through this important season in the Churches Liturgical Year.
The readings this week at Mass on the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time encourage us all to be compassionate, towards ourselves, towards others, and in all we do each day.
In the First Reading, we see how David does not give way to revenge when he finds Saul asleep, vulnerable and under his power. David has a choice and acts with loyalty and restraint. Saul has persecuted him, but David now spares his life because Saul is the Lord’s anointed one. The Responsorial Psalm is a song of praise, describing with gratitude God’s own compassion and love towards all his children. St Paul teaches us that although we are earthly by nature and very human, by modelling ourselves upon Christ, the second Adam, we receive his life-giving spirit. (Second Reading). All the readings at Mass this weekend prepare us for Jesus’s challenging teaching in the Gospel. Jesus encourages us all to love our enemies, to do good to those who hurt us, to lend without expecting a reward, to love without counting the cost. This is the way Jesus and God our Father love us.
As we ponder these texts as Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee Year, we may wish to pray particularly for a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness in our own lives, our communities, our country, and in all the situations of war, strife, injustice and suffering that we find happening in the world around us at this time.
First Holy Communion Candidates 2025: Please continue to keep our First Holy Communion candidates in your prayers as this Sunday they continue their catechesis after their well-earned half term school break!
Lourdes 2025 It has been one of my greatest desires since I came here as your parish priest to take a parish group to join the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. I have myself over many years now and prior to coming to Grantham been involved as a helper, a chaplain and as a pilgrim too. Lourdes for anyone who may not have visited before is a wonderful experience on so many different levels. This year I have decided that we should try to join other parishes from our diocese in Lourdes during the Jubilee Year of Hope. All the details for booking are now available on the Parish Notice Boards and within this Bulletin. For those who may wish to join us in Lourdes this year the following may be helpful when making your booking:
- Nottingham 2025 Diocesan Jubilee Lourdes Pilgrimage takes place between Monday 14th and Friday 18th July.
- The Pilgrimage includes a full liturgical programme, with Mass each day; return direct flights from East Midlands Airport to Lourdes; full board for four nights in one of the three Pilgrim Hotels; assistance (for those who need it) from the Diocesan Hospitalité and Health Team.
- It has been suggested to me that if we would like to be accommodated as a smaller parish group and as part of the main diocesan Pilgrimage that when you book directly online, you request accommodation in The Hotel Eliseo (The hotel has an excellent reputation and is close to St Joseph’s Gate and the entry to the Sanctuary. It is a lovely smaller hotel in an ideal location and perfect for a parish group such as our own).
- When booking online please add “Travelling as part of the parish group from St Mary the Immaculate Grantham” through: dioceseofnottingham.uk/events/lourdes or www.tangney-tours.com/tours-and-pilgrimages/diocese-nottingham-ya/
- For less able pilgrims in a wheelchair or those requiring the assistance of the Diocesan Health Care Team you may like to consider booking into the Hotel Padoue. This hotel is deal for those who need medical care and assistance since it’s the base for the Diocesan Health Care Team. You will still be able to be a part of our parish group and join parishioners at all the liturgies and activities each day. In addition, I will come to visit you in your hotel during your Pilgrimage in Lourdes.
- Young adults (18-35) are warmly invited to join the Jubilee Lourdes Pilgrimage as Helpers. You will take on a variety of roles: including carrying banners in processions, supporting music ministry, serving at Mass, and assisting with wheelchair maintenance and support. You will also help with catechesis sessions, airport transfers, and hotel support to ensure the smooth running of the whole diocesan pilgrimage. You will have some specific evening and free time activities just for young adults.Finally, there will be opportunities for spiritual formation, including talks and reflections to deepen your pilgrimage experience with activities specifically tailored to your needs. I was a young adult helper and then their chaplain over many years and and it’s a wonderful way to make new friends and become involved in a unique way in the whole “Lourdes Experience” For young adults interested in supporting pilgrims, deepening faith, and coming together as a young adults community please contact: archer@dioceseofnottingham.uk or visit: www.tangney-tours.com/tours-and-pilgrimages/diocese-nottingham-ya/
- Lourdes From Home: Last year our diocesan “Lourdes From Home” initiative allowed hundreds of viewers to join the Lourdes Pilgrimage via live-stream and email updates, sharing photographs and good news from across the water. This year it’s back, with more opportunities to engage. I encourage those within the parish who may be unable to come to Lourdes this year as a “Physical Pilgrim” to share with us there by registering for the Lourdes from Home initiative. Registrants have the option to receive a physical ‘Pilgrim Pack’ posted to your own home, complete with: Pilgrimage Booklet, a physical candle lit for you in Lourdes; a Zoom link for a live group call with Bishop Patrick; your intentions taken to the Grotto by Fr Jonathan; daily updates via e-mail and other goodies to enhance your Lourdes from Home experience. For more details and to register please contact:communications@dioceseofnottingham.uk
I do hope as many as possible from the parish will consider booking on the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes this coming year. I know you will not regret your decision!
With prayers for you and for your families during the coming week ahead,
Your parish priest and friend,
Fr Jonathan
2025 23rd February – Newsletter – Download