Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

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Fig Leaves The fig tree that features in the Gospel this weekend brought me back to an earlier reference to fig leaves in Genesis 3:7, where Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden have just eaten of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Their apparent nakedness was discovered and precipitated them to cover themselves up with fig leaves. Anyone who knows fig trees, knows to avoid touching the leaves because when they come in contact with skin it makes it incredibly itchy! Imagine all the thousands of plants and trees that they could have chosen from – and yet they chose itchy fig leaves.   This exemplifies the consequences of Original Sin. It demonstrates the breakdown of humanity’s relationship with the natural environment (and with God). No longer will humanity be able to collect the fruits of the earth, but have to labour, to plough, pluck, sow and grow its food. No wonder we build homes, towns and cities on flood plains and complain when they flood. Or when we live in areas prone to earthquakes, forest fires, or any natural disaster. That disconnect repeats throughout human history and even today when the threats to our environment by pollution, waste and consumption are ever increasing.   There is a solution to the disaster of original sin though: it’s called Baptism. This is only made possible through Jesus’ death and resurrection. And only then can we begin to repair our wounded, damaged relationship with God, with each other and our environment too. Fr Francis Please pray for those who are sick: Eileen Hawthorne, Vidal Geronimo, Estelita Risaldo, Claire Godinho, Eunice Van Vurren, Canice Carson, Pamela Faber, James Langan and  Theresa Chee.    Please pray for those who are recently deceased:  Rolando Lirio, Lea Caldonazzi and Canon Bernard Scholes.   Please pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time:  Rosalina Sunga, Fr Henry Young, Andrzej Blonski, James Curry, Gitalia Cruz, Daniel Geronimo and Lady Donatella Adams. Second Collection for Our Lady of Walsingham Shrine The National Shrine to Our Lady is in Walsingham, North Norfolk. Today we take up a second collection to support their work. You can donate by cash, via the contactless machines at the back of the Church, or online: https://www.walsingham.org.uk/support-shrine/. Deacon Paul has been working closely with the shrine rector Fr Robert Billing in bringing two religious communities to the Shrine, enabling it to better support pilgrimages from across England and beyond. We hope you are able to join us on our parish pilgrimage on 7th June and visit England's Nazareth. CHRISTIANS IN THE HOLY LAND: CHALLENGES AND HOPES Bishop William Shomali, Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine speaks on how the war affects the daily life of Christians in the Holy Land, on Monday 31st March from 12pm at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8EP. Attendance free of charge; however, as light refreshments will be provided, please register at https://www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk/forms/bloomsbury Volunteer as a Trust Board Director  Saint John Southworth Catholic Academy Trust in Westminster Diocese is responsible for schools in Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham.   We are keen to hear from people from diverse backgrounds interested in serving as directors on our Trust Board, especially people with finance, education, estate management and special educational needs skills. For more info contact our governance team at [email protected]. Westminster Cathedral’s Great Cross: Two Sides, One Story Fr Patrick for his Christian Art website, has produced a video looking in detail at the Cathedral Rood. A perfect introduction to Lent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcm-o3Bga0E UPDATED: ECUMENICAL LENT COURSE 2025 - THE NICENE CREED  Churches Together in Kensington & Chelsea - Churches Together in Notting Hill. Our Lady of Victories will host a talk by Rev’d Aled Jones, as part of the ongoing series on the Nicaean Creed: Wednesday 26th March at 7.30pm.  See poster for details. The Victorious Word Podcast Each Sunday during Lent a new episode of The Victorious Word podcast will be released, hosted by Charlie Brown and featuring Fr Nigel and Fr Francis. In the podcast they will share their thoughts on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings, to help get the most out of our Lenten journey. Walk with us as we explore and meditate upon the deep spiritual riches of this great season of Lent. You can access the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, from your smart speaker, just search for ‘The Victorious Word podcast’. Episode 1 - 3 are available now and Episode 4 will be released on Sunday evening. Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal 2025 This Holy Year invites us to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. We invite you to consider supporting work being done in the Diocese of Westminster to bring hope into many lives. Your contributions will help fund vital projects across our               Diocese, including Youth & Evangelisation, Social Action, Marriage & Family Life, and Catholic Education Initiatives. His Eminence, Cardinal Nichols,   extends his heartfelt thanks to all who give what they can to this meaningful cause. Donation envelopes are available today, and you can also contribute online. Thank you for your kindness and support. Bach’s St John’s Passion: Cathedral, 18th March  As part of their Lenten devotions, Westminster Cathedral Choir will perform again Johann Sebastian Bach's retelling of St John Passion. The event will take place on Tuesday 18th March 2025 at 7.30pm at Westminster Cathedral.   J.S. Bach's setting of the Passion story was first performed in 1724 and has since become a popular staple of the season of Lent.  Bach deliberately crafted the Passion to enable the congregation to reflect more profoundly on the story of the arrest, trials, death and burial of Jesus. It is a perfect spiritual preparation to the Holy Week. We are delighted to invite you to join us for this devotional performance by our world-famous Choir directed by Master of Music, Simon Johnson, accompanied by a period Baroque Orchestra and joined by outstanding soloists: James Gilchrist and William Thomas. This is a wonderful chance to hear the Cathedral’s superb choir performing one of the greatest pieces of Easter music ever written. As a way of encouraging as many as possible from our parishes across the diocese to benefit from this spiritual preparation to the Holy Week in the Jubilee Year, we would like to offer you and your parish team an opportunity to buy your tickets at a discount of 30%.    Discounted tickets are available at the following link, using the password below. Click Enter Offer Code and type the code: SJP30 Lourdes Pilgrimage: 25th July - 1st August 2025 Registration for the Westminster diocesan pilgrimage led by Cardinal Vincent Nicholas is now open via the online form at https://pilgrimages.rcdow.org.uk or by contacting the Pilgrimage Office on 020 7798 9173. Options to travel by plane or train are available and there are many volunteering opportunities for those wishing to serve. Deadline to register: Wednesday 30th April. Stations of the Cross - 7pm Fridays in Lent Join us for this traditional meditation on the Lord's Passion and Death on each Friday during Lent at 7pm. Copies of the stations meditation will also be made available at the first station for individuals or families to use during Lent. Parish Pilgrimage to Walsingham – Jubilee Celebration: 7th June 2025 Mark your diaries for Saturday, 7th June 2025, as our parish embarks on a special day-pilgrimage to Walsingham, the ancient National Shrine lovingly known as “England’s Nazareth”.           This pilgrimage is a unique opportunity to celebrate the Holy Year Jubilee proclaimed by Pope Francis, a time of renewal, grace, and deepened faith. Please register your interest with the parish office as soon as possible but expect an early start from 7.30 am. For a commitment, we are requesting  £10 deposit. Donation: using the reference ‘Walsingham’: Bank: HSBC, 69 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5EY Sort Code: 40-05-20 Number: 61263714 Or in cash, or cheque  Account: Our Lady of Victories, Kensington Jubilee 2025 Our designated Jubilee Church for the West Area of the diocese is St Gregory the Great, 447 Victoria Rd, South Ruislip HA4 0EG. Every Saturday: 10am Mass will be a Jubilee Mass, followed by Confession, Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. More events to follow. https://www.st-gregory.org.uk/ Pauline Books and Media The bookshop will be open from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Friday and Sundays.  The shop will reopen on Friday on Jan 18th.The contact number is 07561 456074. Young Married Couples Group Are you a young married couple seeking to build friendships and desiring to connect with other young married couples? Well, a young married couples group is present in our parish. The purpose of the group is to offer support and foster friendship and connection among the many young married couples present in our parish. The ideal age range of the group is under 40. The group meets every month to socialize and foster communion and support. Among the different activities offered are meals together, trips out, games nights and social exercises. If you’re interested in attending, please email Steve and Annie Caprio at [email protected]. You can also join our Whatsapp group using the QR code below:  Welcome to all our Parishioners If you are new to the parish, please come and say hello and complete the parishioner registration form which can be found on our website:  https://www.ourladyofvictories.net/support.html Here you can also find further information on all our parish activities. 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 are live-streamed from our website.  Please note: the sanctuary and first five pews are livestreamed 24/7. All the celebrations of Mass are recorded. The recordings are kept securely for 28days, after which they are deleted.   Eucharistic Adoration and Confession On Wednesdays, after the 10am Mass, there is Eucharistic Adoration. This is an opportunity to spend some time in prayer before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. A priest will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation from 10.30 to 11.15am. Adoration concludes with Benediction and the Angelus at Noon. Confession also available every Saturday from 5 to 5.45 pm. Parish Team: Fr Nigel Woollen (Parish Priest) Fr Francis Thomas (Assistant Priest) Rev. Paul Hewitt (Permanent Deacon)  Sr Maureen McNamara rsm (Sacramental Programmes) Mrs Rachel Mulira (Parish Secretary) Our Lady of Victories 16 Abingdon Road London W8 6AF 020 7937 4778  [email protected] Support our Parish Financially here