New and Events at HTR Week beginning March 20th
The Parish Mass is offered every Sunday at 9:00AM.
There will be Sunday School at Christ Church run by Sherri and her team. Sadly, weekday worship is still cancelled while our Church is unsafe due to storm damage on the bell turret.
Today and for next Sunday it is likely we will continue to meet here at Christ Church in Vale Square for our Parish Mass at 9:00AM.
Sunday March 20th The Third Sunday of Lent. Hymns for Mass: 360, 359, 74, 64.
Readings at Mass today: 1st Reading: Isaiah 55: 1-9. Psalm: Ps 63: 1-8. 2nd Reading: I Cor 10: 1-13. Gospel: St Luke 13: 1-9.
Our Gospel reading today presents us with some difficult questions. What do we make of the situation when bad things happen to seemingly good people?
Jesus seizes on two calamities that may have been subjects of conversation around the local well –one an instance of state-sanctioned terror, one a random accident. Both saw people snuffed out with little warning and for no apparent reason. Both kinds of events lead the rest of us to realize how precarious our existence is. Jesus implies that the victims did nothing wrong, nothing that caused their demise. He characterizes life as just as capricious as it is nasty, brutish, and short. Although these events might allow Jesus an opportunity to defend God against charges of mismanaging the universe, he does not go that route. Jesus only implies that we must not equate tragedy with divine punishment. Sin does not make atrocities come.
Life’s fragility gives it urgency. Jesus turns attention away from disasters, victims, and “why?” questions to address those of us who thus far have survived the hazards of the universe. We should not mistake our good fortune as evidence of God’s special blessing.
The Lent Course Continues: God at the Movies – at 6:30PM in the hall at St Andrew’s Deal. This week we will watch the film Shadowlands. Thanks to brilliant performances from Debra Winger and especially Anthony Hopkins, Shadowlands is a deeply moving portrait of British scholar and theologian C.S. Lewis’s romance with American poet Joy Gresham. Handouts will be provided.
The Bell and Turret – work is now underway to erect new scaffolding, and we hope that this will then allow our stone mason to begin the task of dismantling the bell turret and remove the bell, thus making our Church safe to use again very soon. Until the building is safe to use, we will continue meeting at Christ Church in Vale Square. Please check out our Facebook page and web site for updates.
March 25th is Lady Day This special day is the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. Please Note: There will be a special Mass at Noon in The Rectory followed by a Soup and Bread lunch.
Stations of the Cross – We walk the Way of the Cross every Friday in Lent at 5:00PM. We begin at The Rectory until the Church is safe to use.
April 10th PALM SUNDAY: Liturgy of the Palms, Procession and Solemn Mass with the Reading of the Passion at 9:00AM
April 11th – 13th Mon, Tue and Wed of Holy Week Mass and Homily at 6:00PM
Tuesday April 12th. The Chrism Mass (Blessing of the Oils) at Canterbury Cathedral with Bishop Norman. 12 Noon. All are welcome.
April 14th MAUNDY THURSDAY: Mass of the Last Supper with Footwashing and Stripping of the Altars followed by the Watch at the Altar of Repose. 6:00PM with Watch until 8:00PM.
April 15th GOOD FRIDAY: The Way of the Cross for Children at 10:00AM . The Solemn Liturgy of the Passion at Noon.
April 16th HOLY SATURDAY. EASTER EVE The Great Easter Vigil at 8:00PM for both parishes. The Blessing of the New Fire, Reading of the Prophecies, Renewal of Baptismal Vows and First Mass of Easter.
April 17th EASTER DAY The Parish Mass of Easter Day at 9:00AM
This year our APCM will take place after Mass on May 15th. This is a good to time to commit to your prayers the question – Can I serve God in this parish as a member of the PCC or as Churchwarden? The next year will be crucial for our parish and its future as you seek to call a new parish priest after my retirement. The future of Holy Trinity Church is very much in YOUR hands!
SPRING FAYRE at Holy Trinity will take place on April 30th from 12 – 2pm. Can you bake us a cake, make some jam, doinate toyts and bric a brac? Helpers also needed tl man the stalls.