Friday 3rd April 2020

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Regular Mass Times:
Sunday- Parish Mass 10am. Monday- 6.00pm. Wednesday- 12.30pm. Thursday- 10am. Friday- 6.00pm. Saturday 10am.
And at St Peter's Church, Southfield Road, W4 1BB: Sunday- Parish Mass 10am. Tuesday- 10am. Friday- 10am.

Following the Vicar’s Letter, below, is the weekly Newsletter.

Letter from the Vicar, Fr Kevin Morris

Dear Friends,

You never miss the water till the well runs dry
It is often said that you don’t know the value of something until you miss it. There will be many things that each of us miss doing and hopefully will value all the more when they are returned to us.

One of the most significant must be ordinary social interaction: being able to pop in to say hello, meet someone in passing or at a usual time and place; celebrate with friends and relatives. It has been particularly difficult pastorally for the clergy when so much of what we do each day involves face to face contact. I know many of you will identify with the frustration of being unable to see someone - that is, to be physically present - when they are needy, lonely, upset or bereaved, and our instinct is to offer comfort and support.

We are all finding new ways of doing these things and I am grateful to see the neighbourliness, thoughtfulness, sensitivity and practical care that is taking place street by street and through our church community.

Praying and being at Home
The Christian tradition is rich with wisdom. Often it is ignored by society: we prefer to look elsewhere for help and guidance. Yet these days, people have been waking up to the fact that Christian religious communities have something to say to us; have a deep wisdom that can be shared. In one of these Anglican religious communities, one nun put it like this: “We sisters have been practising social distancing for years.”

She offers some advice.

Establish a routine – whether it is following your old one or, for many of us, creating a new one. We need this kind of stability to the pattern of our day. In religious communities, this pattern involves time for prayer and worship; eating; studying; working/exercising; and fun. A peaceful rhythm to each and every day.
Reach out in love to others. In times of uncertainty it is easy to get caught up in making sure your loved ones are ok and your needs are met. She encourages us to reach out beyond our immediate circle to neighbours and others who are in need.
Get to know and learn to enjoy the company of those you are with: families, friends, housemates, yourselves. Don’t hide from them, under the guise that work needs to be done. This is a time to strengthen bonds of family and friendship by spending quality time together.
Take some time out to be quiet – even if you are on your own. She says: "People say they want peace and quiet. Then, when it is thrown in their lap, they panic. They don’t know how to be alone. They are afraid to confront their ‘shadow side’, the hard truths about themselves that they don’t like.” In that silence, learn to hear the voice of Christ who loves, affirms, accepts and forgives us.

Church Services
The live streaming of the Mass each day has received a great deal of appreciation and an astonishing number of people are viewing it and listening to the podcasts. It has become part and parcel of the pattern of their day. I am grateful to Fr Fabrizio and to Jonathan Dods for their hard work in accomplishing these each week (and to the children who have contributed so much to this Sunday’s podcast). You will find the links in the Newsletter below.

If you would like us to pray for you or a loved one, do drop the Parish Office a line, at parishoffice@smaaa.org.uk, and we will incorporate their names into our Morning Prayer each day.

Holy Week
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the beginning of the Holiest Week of the year for Christians. This year it will feel very strange indeed as we make our journey to the Cross and to Easter.

The rites of Holy Week seem to demand communal celebrations – the Palm Procession, the Washing of the Feet, the Vigil in the Garden of Repose, the devotions at the Cross, the joyful proclamation of Alleluia on Easter day.

All this we will have to forego this year, but hopefully we shall all participate as best we can in the live streaming of services from St Michael’s on Facebook and by the careful keeping of this Holy Week in our homes. Masses will also be offered for the wider Italian community by Fr Fabrizio at this time.

On Palm Sunday, why not decorate your front door with some greenery? Join the responses of the Mass, and sing along where appropriate.

The Maundy Thursday liturgy of the Last Supper is held at 7.30 in the evening. Give thanks to God for what the gift of the Eucharist means to you. Have a bell handy to ring. Light a candle in the darkness and spend some time with Christ as He prays in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest.

On Good Friday, have a cross or crucifix nearby and say a prayer (one is added at the end of this letter) as you thank God for His love in Christ who died for us.

And on Easter Day, have a bell handy to ring and when the priest says ‘Christ is risen, Alleluia’, startle your neighbours by shouting the response: ‘He is risen indeed. Alleluia.’

The details of the services are in the newsletter below.

You are all very much in our daily prayers.
May you have a blessed and spiritually fruitful Holy Week and a Joy-filled Easter.

Yours in Christ,
Fr Kevin

Jesu, by thy wounded feet
Direct our path aright
Jesu, by thy nailed hands, move our deeds to love
Jesu, by thy pierced side, cleanse our desires:
Jesu, by thy crown of thorns, annihilate our pride;
Jesu, by thy silence, shame our complaints:
Jesu, by thy parched lips, curb our cruel speech:
Jesu, by thy closing eyes, look on our sin no more:

Jesu, by thy broken heart, knit ours to thee.
And by this sweet and saving sign
Lord, draw us to our peace and thine. Amen
(Richard Crashaw adapted)

Events Newsletter: Friday 3rd April 2020

As some of you know, we’ve had very sad news this week at St Michael & All Angels. Father Graham Morgan, on the death of his partner Ray, and Charlotte Smart, on the death of her husband Graeme, would like to thank so many of you for your kind thoughts, cards and calls at their time of bereavement. It is much appreciated.
          If you would like us to pray for you or a loved one, drop the Parish Office a line, at parishoffice@smaaa.org.uk, and we will incorporate their names into our Morning Prayer each day.

1. At 12 Noon today, Friday April 3rd, in St Michael & Angels Church, the Mass will be live-streamed. Please join us at home for the 25-minute service on our Facebook page, live or as a recording. You can watch it without signing up to Facebook, simply by clicking the link.
You can watch recordings of all our recent services on our Catch Up: Videos page.
           To keep in touch, please read the ‘Coping with COVID-19’ page on our website, which is updated every day with information on how to offer or receive help; join in services; make online donations; and keep cheerful!

2. Normally on the first Friday of every month at St Michael & All Angels, we have a Lunchtime Organ Recital, when some of the best organists in the country come to play our wonderful instrument. In an extract from the archives, you can hear Jonathan Dods, our director of music, playing Clair de Lune from Pieces de Fantasie by Louis Vierne. Click here to hear it.
You can also watch a lunchtime organ recital recorded on Wednesday this week by Robbie Carroll, assistant director of music at Saint Fin Barres Cathedral in Cork, here on YouTube.

3. At St Peter’s Centre for Mindfulness at our sister church, St Peter’s Acton Green, they are uploading podcasts to help you with Mindfulness meditation at home. This is the direct link to the podcasts. They request a small donation towards keeping the Centre going at this time. Please click the donation link here.

4. Tomorrow, Saturday 4th at 12 Noon, on the St Michael & All Angels Facebook page, the Mass will be live-streamed and available to watch afterwards: you can join it at home.

5. Sunday April 5th is Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week. At 10am at St Michael & All Angels Church, Mass will be live-streamed for watching at home. Why not decorate your front door with some greenery? And join the responses of the Mass, and sing along where appropriate.
          See photographs of last year’s Palm Sunday procession at St Michael’s.
Our Children’s Church has prepared Sunday worship material for children to read, discuss and create at home. See Palm Sunday: Jesus enters Jerusalem on our Children’s Church pages.
And Children's Church will be organising an Easter Bonnet
competition for next weekend. Simply design and make and Easter Bonnet, take a photo of yourself wearing it, and email it with your name and age to the Parish Office parishoffice@smaaa.org.uk. Entries close next Friday April 10th.

6. You can also listen to our Palm Sunday podcast, led by Fr Thomas Couper and nine members of St Michael’s Choristers (singing from home). Click here to listen it now.
Benedictus from Messe Basse - Faure
Reading from Matthew 21: 1-11 Freddie Maud
Homily - Fr Thomas
Hymn - It is a thing most wonderful
Prayer - Fr Thomas
Fugue in d minor from Bach's Well tempered clavier BWV 875 - William Brooke
            You can listen to previous Podcasts on our Catch Up: Podcasts page.

7. With no Sunday collection, please contribute to the work of St Michael’s via our website. You can donate here. Please add Gift Aid if you are able and consider joining our Planned Giving scheme.

8. With no Green Jar in church, you may also donate online to our Lent Charities Appeal, in aid of St Michael’s three charities for 2020, The Upper Room, WaterHarvest and West London Welcome. Please donate here to our charities.

9. On Holy Monday, April 6th, Holy Tuesday, April 7th and Holy Wednesday April 8th, the 12 Noon Mass and Address will be live-streamed for you to join it at home.

10. On Maundy Thursday, April 9th, at 7.30pm the Liturgy of the Last Supper will be live-streamed for you to join it at home. Have a bell handy to ring. Light a candle in the darkness and spend some time with Christ, as He prays in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest. At 6pm there will be an Italian Mass. There will also be a podcast.

11. On Good Friday, April 10th, the 12 Noon Mass and Address will be live-streamed for you to join it at home. Have a cross or crucifix nearby and say a prayer as you thank God for His love in Christ who died for us. There will also be a podcast.

12. On Sunday April 12th, Easter Day, the 10am Mass and Address will be live-streamed for you to join it at home. Have a bell handy to ring and when the priest says ‘Christ is risen, Alleluia’, why not startle your neighbours by shouting the response: ‘He is risen indeed. Alleluia.’? There will also be a podcast.

13. If you have self-isolated and/or you need any pastoral or other support, please get in touch with us via the Parish Office: 020 8994 1380 or parishoffice@smaaa.org.uk. Fr Thomas is co-ordinating volunteers to help vulnerable people with food deliveries, picking up prescriptions and so on. More volunteers would be welcome – please contact the parish office.

14. If you want to give or receive support, more than 30 local roads now have a WhatsApp group to help their neighbours. You can see the list on the Chiswick COVID-19 Mutual Aid Facebook page.

15. On Sunday April 19th, entries close for the Blossom Day Haiku and Poem Competition for young people. See more and download the entry form on the Chiswick Book Festival Newsletter, which has entertaining and informative links for you and your children. Click here to read it.

Dates further ahead:

- Friday June 12th to Sunday 28th: Green Days weekend and the Bedford Park Festival have been cancelled in physical form, but some events will continue online. More details will be announced after Easter.

- Thursday September 10th to Monday 14th: Chiswick Book Festival. Planning continues. Read more. See their latest Newsletter today.

For events in Chiswick see The Chiswick Calendar and ChiswickW4.com and Chiswickbuzz.net .