All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends,

First of all, an apology for the non-appearance of last week’s email. A technical hitch prevented us sending it out.

In the Welsh village where my brother and sister-in law live, there is a chapel called “Bethel,” after the site of Jacob’s vision of the ladder up to heaven. I like the way in which Welsh chapels are often named after Biblical place; the equivalent of our churches being dedicated in honour or saints or mysteries of the faith.   I was sad to that this particular Bethel is to close, like so many Bethesdas and Ebenezers and Tabors before it.

The Gospel at Mass last Sunday was John’s story of the anointing at Bethany.  k.  Bethany, like other biblical places, is not just the location of an event, but a place which continues to convey the significance of what happened there in the life of the Church today.

Close to Jerusalem, it was the home of friends of Jesus: Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He stayed with them during his last days. It was a place of welcome and hospitality, refreshment and retreat, in the dramatic days leading up to the Passover and his passion.  It was the scene of the beautiful story of Mary’s anointing the feet of Jesus with precious ointment.

John tells us that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. We try to make our church a place of welcome for the weary in body and soul.  We try to fill it not just with the perfume of incense but with the devotion of prayer for which it stands. Some, like Judas then, will scorn this as an impractical waste: “Why was this ointment not sold and …given to the poor?”  Jesus replies,  “Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you. You do not always have me.”  We try not to forget the poor, so at the heart of our Lenten discipline is almsgiving to those in need, be they the homeless of our city or those living with HIV-AIDS in Zimbabwe. 

Last weekend, a group of our people were on retreat at Bishop Woodford House in Ely, led by Fr. Neil Bunker.  For a short space they were able to leave behind the routines and demands of ordinary life to listen,

We will hear that gospel again on Monday in Holy Week.  This is a time when the whole Church has a precious opportunity to go into “retreat” together; to give priority to keeping holy the days of our Lord’s passion, death and resurrection.

We are blessed in the week that lies before us to have as our preacher Bishop Stephen Pedley, who will lead us through the great services of the week and help us focus the devotion of our hearts and minds on Jesus.  We pray for him and for ourselves:

O God, whose blessed Son did suffer for all: Grant unto us that that, rightly observing this holy season, we may learn to know thee better, to love thee more, and to serve thee with a more perfect will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Yours in Christ,

Alan Moses

Please pray for Mary Barnet, Eleanor Chapman, Rachel Clayton, David Day,Rosie Flack, Charles Forker, Cecil Garrett, Timothy Harding, Michael Harris, Mason Jacobson, Jonathan Jennings, Barbara Laws, Joshua Levy, Fred Mansfield, Timothy Montgomery, Linda Orme, Tony Pulleyn, Christopher Ryan, Martin Sergeant, Celia Shore, Stephen Short, Brian Sparkes, Ian Stevens, Isabelle Stoughton, Andrew Tillyard, Melanie Toogood, Heather Walker, Wendy Wall The Recently Departed: Daphne Langford, Diane Stonebanks, Florence Watts, Susan Hainsworth, Richard Turner, Canon Philip Crosfield, Robin Kay, Edna Feakin, The Revd Alison Warner At the anniversary of their death: Constance Eveline Kirk,  Belle McCarthy, Beryl Williams, Ralph Ballard, Mary Gertrude Montgomery, John Bruce Silvester Davies, Amy Elizabeth Burnett-Brown, Maya Dean, John Hosier, Diane Suzans, Georgina Carlton-Williams, Joseph Semlyer

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER 2013

Our Preacher for Holy Week is the Rt Revd Stephen Pedley

PALM SUNDAY                                                              10.45am              Liturgy of Palms in Market Place,

Procession to Church and High Mass

6pm                Solemn Evensong and Solemn                                      Benediction 

Monday – Wednesday in Holy Week                          Low Masses also at 8am and 1.10pm

6.30pm          Low Mass with Homily  

WEDNESDAY

7.30pm          Tenebrae for Maundy Thursday

sung by the Choir of All Saints 

MAUNDY THURSDAY

6.30pm          Concelebrated High Mass of the                                  Lord’s Supper 

GOOD FRIDAY

12 noon         The Preaching of the Passion

1pm                The Solemn Liturgy

6.30pm          Stations of the Cross 

HOLY SATURDAY

12 noon         Liturgy of the Day

9pm                High Mass of the Easter Vigil 

EASTER DAY

11am              Procession, Blessing of the Easter Garden, Baptism and  High Mass 

                         Preacher: The Vicar

6pm                Solemn Evensong, Te Deum and                                  Solemn Benediction

                         Preacher: Fr Julian Browning