Lenten Reconciliation Service for Adults
Webmaster • March 23, 2026
DO NOT FORGET !
Our annual ‘Lenten Reconciliation Service for Adults’ takes place THIS FRIDAY 27th March at 19.30 in the church of Our Lady of Sorrows, Effingham, KT24 5JP.
We join with the Parish of Effingham & Fetcham in celebrating the Lord’s forgiveness ready for the great festival of Easter.
We will be joined by four priests to aid us in this celebration. This is the major opportunity this Lent to ask for God’s forgiveness.
The first reading from Ezekiel is perfectly paired with the Gospel reading of the raising of Lazarus. Ezekiel hears God say very clearly that God will raise his people from the dead, animating them with the spirit that will bring them back to life. The second reading from St. Paul also addresses the Jewish and Christian theological question, “Is death the end of every thing?” Paul is as emphatic as Ezekiel. No. “The One who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also.” Of course, it might seem easy to believe in life after death until we have had a loved one die. Martha and Mary might have believed in an afterlife because, as Jews, they would have been familiar with the promise from Ezekiel. Yet when their brother died and the reality of him being gone for four days sank in, they doubted too. Not only did they doubt, but they grieved deeply, and even got angry at Jesus. Martha told Jesus she believes Lazarus “will rise, in the resurrection on the last day,” but believing that didn’t lessen her other perfectly normal human emotions. Even after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, mysteries remain. Why didn’t Jesus go to Lazarus immediately when the sisters summoned him? Why did he let them experience heart-breaking sadness for four days? Why did Jesus cry if he knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead? Why did Jesus raise Lazarus but not others who died during his lifetime? Why do some people today get to experience healing miracles, but others don’t? Why do we have to wait for the resurrection of the dead to see our loved ones again? These readings today don’t solve any mysteries of our faith. They don’t give us answers about God, but they point to the complete conviction of three different biblical writers who do not doubt that Jesus is “the resurrection and the life.” Questions of the week What most stands out to you when you hear the Gospel reading today? Why? If you have lost a loved one(s), did that affect on what you believe about the afterlife? How so?
The solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord was first celebrated in the fourth or fifth century. Its central focus is the Incarnation: God has become one of us. From all eternity God had decided that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity should become human. Now, as Luke 1:26-38 tells us, the decision is being realised. The God-Man embraces all of humanity, indeed all creation, to bring it to God in one great act of love. Because human beings have rejected God, Jesus will accept a life of suffering and a terrible death: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Since Mary is the instrument of Incarnation, she has a role to play with Jesus in creation and redemption. It is a Godgiven role. It is God’s grace from beginning to end. Mary becomes the eminent figure she is only by God’s grace. She is the empty space where God could act. Everything she is she owes to the Trinity. Mary is the virgin-mother who fulfils Isaiah 7:14 in a way that Isaiah could not have imagined. Together with Jesus, the privileged and graced Mary is the link between heaven and earth. She is the human being who best, after Jesus, exemplifies the possibilities of human existence. She received into her lowliness the infinite love of God. She shows how an ordinary human being can reflect God in the ordinary circumstances of life.
Wednesday 1st April, 18.00, Arundel Cathedral, BN18 9AY. People from across our diocesan family of faith are invited to join Bishop Gerard Bradley and members of clergy at the annual Chrism Mass – one of the most beautiful Masses of the year, celebrated in Catholic cathedrals across the world in Holy Week. All are welcome.
EASTER COLLECTION FOR THE SUPPORT OF PARISH CLERGY - This provides income to the Parish for the support of clergy and may be Gift Aided. Any cheques should be made payable to the ‘Sacred Heart Parish, Cobham’ (any cheques made out personally to a member of clergy are direct gifts and cannot be received into Parish funds or Gift Aided). You will find a supply of Gift Aid Envelopes for this collection in the Church Narthex
Our singers and musicians are busy in their rehearsals for leading our liturgies during Holy Week (Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, & Good Friday). Any and all parishioners are more than welcome to come along and join in, no previous experience necessary. If you enjoy singing as part of a group this could be for you! Dates of the remaining rehearsals: Sat. 28 Mar. (10.30); and Wed. 1 Apr. (19.30).
The latest Deanery Newsletter is now available in the narthex and on our Parish Website. Wondering what happened to all those postcards from last Advent? The results are in! If you'd like some food for thought on Mission - this is it! What's going on around the Deanery during Holy Week and Easter? Find out in the Deanery Newsletter, come along, and you’ll be made very welcome.
Every household within the Parish is requested to complete a ‘Parishioner Registration/Census’ form so that our Parish records may be kept up to date. These forms can be obtained from the Parish Office and should be completed fully before being returned to the Parish Office. Should you move address within the Parish at any time please complete a new form and write ‘AMENDMENT’ across the top of the form. Thank you.
At the rear of the church are a set of ‘sign-up’ sheets for our liturgies over the course of Holy Week. Would all Readers, Welcomers, Servers and Extraordinary Ministers please look at these lists and ‘sign-up’ if they can fill gaps. Also among the lists are a request for ‘Disciples’ to have their foot washed and for those who wish to take part in the tradition of ‘Watching’ at the Altar of Repose on Holy Thursday evening
The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Very busy around The Presbytery as things begin to ‘hot up’ for the great Easter Feast . . . . . . Last Saturday morning our singers and musicians were once more practicing for some of our Holy Week liturgies. On Sunday afternoon parishioners once more had the opportunity to celebrate Lenten Evening Prayer & Benediction - taking the chance to jump off the normal merry-go-round of life to spend a short period of time with the Lord. After celebrating Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition on St Patrick’s Day (Tuesday), Fr D was off down to the diocesan offices to wear his ‘other hat’ in the Tribunal. Whilst there he received an email from the lighting engineers asking for a little more input as to the various lighting circuits in the church and how they would be used to construct various ‘themes’ to be used at our different types of service. Fr D left working on this until the evening as he was working on his judgment for one of his marriage cases. Following Morning Prayer and Mass on Wednesday Fr D sent off his answers to the lighting engineers and very quickly got a reply that the schema was just what they wanted (but could still be adjusted on site if necessary at any point in time). Fr D met for his regular monthly lunch with Fr Ruslan (Walton-on-Thames) - the waiter had to keep coming back to try and take their order as they were talking so animatedly! In the early evening Fr D was meeting with our Confirmation candidates to look at Holy Week and all the different from normal things that happen during it. The candidates ‘signed-up’ for various jobs at the Holy Thursday Mass and also told Fr D a little bit about the saints they had chosen for their confirmation name. Finally Fr D was able to announce that, because we are minus a bishop at present, the confirmation Mass will now take place here in the Sacred Heart at the 18.00 Mass on Saturday 9th May, and that in the bishop’s absence he had been given faculties to celebrate their confirmation. After the meeting Fr D opened up the church for our singers and musicians to continue with their practices for some of our Holy Week Liturgies. After Morning Prayer and Mass on Thursday Fr D began his parts of the newsletter before travelling down to Sussex for a meeting of the Bosco Catholic Education Trust which he is a member of . . . . . .