Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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You are salt. You are light. Dear parishioners, dear friends, Salt does not exist for itself, but to season things. Light does not exist for itself, but to brighten rooms, homes and lives. Saint Pope Paul VI reminded us that we teach more by how we live than by what we say. We all need a little salt and light in our lives.  There can be Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter. We can rediscover the salt of faith which is love in action. Whenever our life of prayer becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns there is no room for others. No place for the poor and God's voice is no longer heard. The quiet joy of love is no longer heard. We end up resentful, angry and listless. We need salt and light in our lives. Mgr Jim Centenary Celebrations of St Sarkis Armenian Church Iverna Gardens, Kensington Mgr Jim will represent the parish and The Kensington Council of Churches at the  commemorative events to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of St Sarkis Armenian Church: Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Sunday  5th February, at 11 am.  H.G. Bishop Hovakim, Primate of the Armenian Church in Great  Britain will preside at the Solemn Divine Liturgy. We send our warmest and prayerful  greetings to our Sisters and Brothers in the Armenian Church The Armenian Church of St Sarkis is the only architecturally true Armenian Church in the United Kingdom. St. Sarkis Church was built in 1922 by philanthropist Calouste Gulbenkian and consecrated in January 1923. It is modelled on the 10th-century Church of Haghpat Monastery in Armenia, a UNESCO world heritage site. St. Sarkis is a significant community centre for Armenians and has played an essential role in British- Armenians' religious, cultural and social life. News from the Holy Land Following another act of vandalism, the UK Consulate in Jerusalem tweeted: this week  "UK remains deeply concerned by repeated attacks against Christians & their properties in East Jerusalem. This morning, the Flagellation Chapel was attacked in the Old City. The perpetrators of religiously motivated attacks should be held to account."   Lenten program on climate change and the things that give us joy Take a leap of Faith, join us during Lent to explore climate change and the things that give you joy.  Thursday 9th March 7-8 pm: What are the things that give you joy? What things stand in the way? Thursday 16th March 7-8 pm: Showing the Letter Part 1, followed by reflections and telling your story. Thursday 23rd March 7-8 pm: Showing the Letter Part 2, followed by invitation to a journey forward. Thursday 30th March 7-8 pm: The world is better with you in it. How can we use our talents?   Our Lady of Victories Parish Pilgrimage 2023 We are thinking of a parish pilgrimage to Assisi (Italy). Possible dates and fees are posted below: Monday 1st May to Friday 5th May 2022 led by Mgr Jim Curry.  The pilgrimage will be a beautiful occasion to V visit the significant places of the life of St Francis of Assisi.  Price £1,220 per person in a shared room, half-board (single room supplement £95). Price includes return flights from London Heathrow/Rome, all transport in Italy, professional guides, all entrance fees and gratuities.  Contact Elizabeth at Pilgrimage People for further details.  Tel:0800 612 3423 Email: office@pilgrimagepeople.org   Pilgrimage People Racial Justice Sunday 2023   Racial Justice Sunday is on 5th February. The theme chosen for 2023 is “All are included in the mission of Christ and His Church. Let us walk together, pray together and work together”. This was inspired by observations made by Pope Francis during his visit to Canada last year when he spoke about looking towards a future of ‘Justice, healing and reconciliation’ and by conversations following RJS 2022. For more information please click on the button below. Racial Justice Sunday World Day Of The Sick  Saturday 11th February 2023 is the 31st World Day of the Sick, the                         Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes.   There will be a Mass for the Sick at the Cathedral at 2.30 pm, celebrated by the Cardinal, during which Anointing of the Sick will be offered. If you wish to participate in the mass please register your presence by emailing to our parish office at kensington1@rcdow.org.uk Lenten Course on Spiritual Life A 7-lesson course, Part I/III of the Solid Foundations Course, an  introduction into spiritual life, will be offered by the School of Mary during Lent. It will be given at St. Mary of the Angels in Bayswater on Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm starting Feb. 21st.          The suggested contribution is £12 per lesson. Please contact francescacrocker@outlook.com for more information or see the poster in the church hall. More details can also be found by clicking on the button below.   School of Mary ‘Sharing the Church’s Story’ Day Conference  Catholic Voices and Word on Fire are hosting a one-day conference called ‘Sharing the Church’s Story’. Come and join 1300 Catholics who are passionate about the renewal of the Church in the UK and a host of dynamic speakers including the internationally renowned speaker and author, BISHOP ROBERT BARRON. So whether you are a volunteer, parent, catechist, clergy, religious, or just want a boost for your faith life, then this conference is for YOU. WHEN? SATURDAY 11th FEBRUARY 2023, 10 am-5 pm  WHERE? QEII Centre, Westminster, London, SW1P 3EE WORLD YOU LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE? Click the button below.   Sharing the Church's Story Join Friends of the Holy Land for an unforgettable evening We invite you to come on Thursday 16th February to Westminster Cathedral at a concert featuring the London Welsh Male Voice Choir supported by The Priests. The London Welsh Male Voice Choir has recorded with Charlotte Church, Aled Jones and Bryn Terfel. The Priests are three Roman Catholic priests from Northern Ireland who scooped the Guinness World Record for "Fastest-selling UK debut for a classical act" with their first album. The concert starts at 7:30 pm and tickets starting at £20 are available now through Eventbrite. Click on the button below to book your tickets. Pauline Books and Media The Sisters of the Pauline run their shop in the repository at Our Lady of Victories Church from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm. The contact number is 07561456074.  OLOV LATEST NEWS GIFT AID DONATIONS:   Dear Parishioners:   We have worked with our colleagues in the Parish Support Team towards procedures for processing the Gift Aid from contactless donations through the Dona provider. When signing a Gift Aid declaration on the device, you will also be asked if you would like your previous contactless donations to be Gift Aided.  Further, as entering a Gift Aid declaration on the device can take a couple of minutes, we want to help reduce the amount of time you may spend on the device, and reduce the queue for it. Leaflets have been created and placed at the back of the church and on the notice board. These contain a QR code that will enable you to use your smartphone to make your Gift Aid declaration. You can also access the Dona portal and leave your donation by simply scanning the underneath QR code: You can also donate securely by debit or credit card by clicking on the button created at the section end.   WEEKLY MASS SCHEDULE:   Monday to Friday - 10.00 am Saturday - 6.00 pm Sunday - 9.00 am, 10.30 am, 12.00 pm and 6.00 pm.    ALL OUR MASSES WILL BE LIVE-STREAMED FROM OUR WEBSITE.    EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Each Wednesday, soon after mass, there will be the possibility to spend some time in prayer in front of the most blessed sacrament, immediately after mass. During that time a priest will be available to hear your confession. Adoration will finish at noon with the prayer of the Angelus.  Confessions are also available every Saturday from 5 pm to 5.45 pm. BLESSING OF HOUSES:   For anyone who would like to have the house blessed, Fr Marco we will available to arrange it. Please send an email to marcosalvagnini@rcdow.org.uk   Please do keep an eye on the website: www.ourladyofvictories.net which will be updated weekly. To all who are travelling at this time, stay safe and travel well.   Mgr Jim Curry & Fr Marco Salvagnini   Our Lady of Victories 16 Abingdon Road London W8 6AF 020 7937 4778  kensington1@rcdow.org.uk