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Lent may originally have followed Epiphany, just as Jesus’ time in the wilderness followed immediately on his baptism, but it soon became firmly attached to Easter, the main occasion for baptism and for the reconciliation of those who had been excluded from the Church’s fellowship for serious faults. This history explains the characteristic features of Lent – self-examination, penitence, self-denial, study, and preparation for Easter.
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Ashes are an ancient sign of penitence; from the middle ages it became the custom to begin Lent by being marked in ash with the sign of the cross.The calculation of the forty days has varied considerably in Christian history. It is now usual in the West to count them continuously to the end of Holy Week (not including Sundays), so beginning Lent on the sixth Wednesday before Easter, Ash Wednesday. Churches are kept bare of flowers and decoration. The Gloria is not used.The Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare or Refreshment Sunday) was allowed as a day of relief from the rigour of Lent, and the Feast of the Annunciation almost always falls in Lent; these breaks from austerity are the background to the modern observance of Mothering Sunday on the Fourth Sunday of Lent.
As Lent continues, the atmosphere of the season darkens; the readings begin to anticipate the story of Christ’s suffering and death, and the reading of the Passion Narrative gave to the Fifth Sunday its name of Passion Sunday. Our journey takes us through Palm Sunday and Holy Week to Easter.
As Lent continues, the atmosphere of the season darkens; the readings begin to anticipate the story of Christ’s suffering and death, and the reading of the Passion Narrative gave to the Fifth Sunday its name of Passion Sunday. Our journey takes us through Palm Sunday and Holy Week to Easter.
A time for Study
This year you’re invited to reflect on Matthew’s Gospel as we follow a course prepared for Chichester Diocese.
Imagine for a moment that you were one of the Gospel writers, aiming to capture the significance of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. What would you include? Matthew’s Gospel highlights Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, or ‘Christ’, the fulfilment of the words spoken through the prophets. Matthew constantly reaches into the treasury of the scriptures, revealing Jesus as the one who was bringing God’s kingdom.
This Lent with Matthew’s Gospel, we’ll take in Jesus’ birth, his calling of disciples, his authority as a teacher, his miracles, and his upcoming passion. And every Sunday, our Gospel reading will add another brushstroke to our picture of Christ.
Rather than gathering everyone together this year there will be three opportunities to participate in the Lent Course. The hope is that you’ll be able to join the course on a day and at a time which suits you.
The course begins in the week commencing 23rd February.
Choose from…
+ Monday evenings at 6.30pm, at the home of Revd Andrew Slater on Norwich Road
(ample parking in Kestrel Road opposite Andrew’s house)
+ Wednesday afternoons at 2pm, at the home of Jane Minchin in Plassett Drive
+ Friday mornings at 10am, in the Church Hall
Rather than publish Andrew and Jane’s home addresses we’ll have a sign up sheet nearer the beginning of Lent.
Although all the groups will be following the same material, please pick a group and stick with it rather than moving between them. If you need to miss a session it doesn’t matter; you can be supplied with the material for discussion later.
Imagine for a moment that you were one of the Gospel writers, aiming to capture the significance of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. What would you include? Matthew’s Gospel highlights Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, or ‘Christ’, the fulfilment of the words spoken through the prophets. Matthew constantly reaches into the treasury of the scriptures, revealing Jesus as the one who was bringing God’s kingdom.
This Lent with Matthew’s Gospel, we’ll take in Jesus’ birth, his calling of disciples, his authority as a teacher, his miracles, and his upcoming passion. And every Sunday, our Gospel reading will add another brushstroke to our picture of Christ.
Rather than gathering everyone together this year there will be three opportunities to participate in the Lent Course. The hope is that you’ll be able to join the course on a day and at a time which suits you.
The course begins in the week commencing 23rd February.
Choose from…
+ Monday evenings at 6.30pm, at the home of Revd Andrew Slater on Norwich Road
(ample parking in Kestrel Road opposite Andrew’s house)
+ Wednesday afternoons at 2pm, at the home of Jane Minchin in Plassett Drive
+ Friday mornings at 10am, in the Church Hall
Rather than publish Andrew and Jane’s home addresses we’ll have a sign up sheet nearer the beginning of Lent.
Although all the groups will be following the same material, please pick a group and stick with it rather than moving between them. If you need to miss a session it doesn’t matter; you can be supplied with the material for discussion later.
A time for Prayer
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Over the last few months the PCC at St Mary’s have been trying to adjust the time of special services to hold them when people are more likely to attend. They have noticed that some people don’t like to come out after dark or when it’s too late so you’ll see that some service times during Lent and Holy Week have been adjusted from previous years to reflect this.
Ash Wednesday: Wednesday 18th February Begin the season of Lent with this traditional penitential service where we are marked with the sign of the cross in ash made from last year’s palm crosses as a sign of repentance and our desire to try harder in the future. + 10am: Holy Communion - with the imposition of Ashes + 6.30pm: Sung Eucharist - with the imposition of Ashes and special music from the choir*. Sung Compline Each Friday during Lent the choir are going to sing Compline after choir practice at 9.15pm and would be very pleased if you would like to join them. The ancient office of Compline derives its name from a Latin word meaning ‘completion’ (completorium). It is above all a service of quietness and reflection before rest at the end of the day. The service lasts about 15 minutes. |
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Palm Sunday: Sunday 29th March
8am: Holy Communion
9.50am: Procession from the East end of the Churchyard
10am: The Parish Eucharist*
11.30am: Holy Communion [Besthorpe]
6.30pm: The Crucifixion
9.50am: Procession from the East end of the Churchyard
10am: The Parish Eucharist*
11.30am: Holy Communion [Besthorpe]
6.30pm: The Crucifixion
Come and Sing ‘The Crucifixion
As part of our Lenten Journey you are invited to come and sing The Crucifixion by John Stainer on Palm Sunday, 29th March at 6.30pm.
Free admission with a retiring collection.
Singers: £10 • Rehearsal at 4.30pm, followed by refreshments.
The piece was written by John Stainer in 1887 setting text by W J Sparrow Simpson and tells the Biblical narrative of the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus with the story interspersed with choruses, solos and hymns giving some reflection on the narrative.
A key element to Stainer’s Crucifixion are the five hymns interspersed throughout the piece. Some of these are fairly well known, particularly ‘Cross of Jesus, Cross of Sorrow’ and ‘All for Jesus, All for Jesus’. So even if you don’t feel your singing is up to the whole performance, you can come along to meditate during the choral pieces and join in with the hymns.
Free admission with a retiring collection.
Singers: £10 • Rehearsal at 4.30pm, followed by refreshments.
The piece was written by John Stainer in 1887 setting text by W J Sparrow Simpson and tells the Biblical narrative of the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus with the story interspersed with choruses, solos and hymns giving some reflection on the narrative.
A key element to Stainer’s Crucifixion are the five hymns interspersed throughout the piece. Some of these are fairly well known, particularly ‘Cross of Jesus, Cross of Sorrow’ and ‘All for Jesus, All for Jesus’. So even if you don’t feel your singing is up to the whole performance, you can come along to meditate during the choral pieces and join in with the hymns.
Holy Week
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Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
6.30pm: Holy Communion* Maundy Thursday, 2nd April 10am: Holy Communion 6.30pm: Eucharist of the Last Supper* followed by the watch for one hour Good Friday, 3rd April 11.30am: Act of Witness in Queen’s Square 1pm: Stations of the Cross 2pm: The Last Hour* 8pm: Compline |
Why do we come to Church on Maundy Thursday? |
Looking ahead to Easter...
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Holy Saturday, 4th April
8pm: The Easter Vigil* Easter Day, 5th April 8am: Holy Communion 10am: The Parish Eucharist* followed by an Easter Egg Hunt 11.30am: Holy Communion [Besthorpe] 6.30pm: Choral Evensong* |
We catch our first glimpse of the Resurrection at the Easter Vigil. After darkness has fallen we light a fire to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness; we proclaim the Resurrection with the singing of the Exultet, hear the Easter Gospel and renew our Baptism Vows. If you’ve not been to the Vigil before please come along and experience this wonderful service. |
*also live-streamed to www.youtube.com/stmarysattleborough