Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

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Sunday of the Word of God Dear parishioners and friends, This Sunday is the nominated Sunday of the Word of God. It is a day to be devoted to the celebration, study, and spreading of the Word of God. The Sunday assembly gathering to celebrate the Eucharist is the unique moment in the week when their communal identity is nourished by Word and Sacrament. The Word of God is proclaimed at every Mass, and one of the great blessings of the liturgical reform and renewal flowing from the Second Vatican Council is a greater appreciation of the foundational role of the Word of God in every liturgical celebration. The reform of the lectionary has led to much more scripture being proclaimed during the Mass and a greater awareness of the role of the Word of God in the life of faith. I’m conscious that this comes within the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. While we are not yet united around the table of the Eucharist, we do share on many Sundays of the year the same scriptural readings in our different Christian communities. This Sunday we are urged to reflect on how we honour the Word of God in the Mass. We re-commissioned our parish readers at the end of their training day on Saturday. Do we find time to read the scripture readings before Mass? Or use books with daily scripture meditations? Also, consider our own homes, do we have a bible at home?  Is it on display or hidden away? Fr Francis Santo Niño Feast Day 2024 The theme for the year is peace. The Feast day will be celebrated this Sunday, 21 January at 2 pm. Thank you for generous contributions. Bible Studies In the Week of Christian Unity, Bishop Mike will reflect on the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ in St John Chapter 17. Date: Monday 22nd January at 7.00pm at the Armenian Diocesan Centre. All are welcome. Funeral of the late Julie Quadras This will take place on Thursday 25th January at 2pm at Putney Vale Crematorium (East Chapel), Stag Lane, Putney, SW15 3DZ. All are welcome. Viewing of Julie’s mortal remains is possible on 24th January from 10am-4:30pm at Chelsea Funeral Directors (206B Fulham Road Chelsea, SW10 9EL). May she rest in peace. Sean Swiny RIP Our condolences to the Swiny family. Sean's funeral Mass will take place on in the Church on 7th Feb at 12.00Noon. Jesu Mercy, Mary Pray. We Dare To Say – Lent Faith Sharing Groups We Dare To Say is a resource for small group faith-sharing and for individual meditation, featuring five sessions each based on a line from the Lord’s Prayer. Each session includes scripture, prayers and a reflection with questions. The connection of the Our Father with the sacraments and the devotional life is explored, and wisdom from the saints is offered for the spiritual growth of group participants and individuals alike. If you’re interested in joining a group then please contact Fr Francis on: [email protected]. We hope to run a group after the 10am weekday Mass and another on a weekday evening, or weekend time. Let us know your preferred time. Poster here. Sacrament of Confirmation 2024 Parents/guardians should have received a full timetable via email, if not please contact Fr Francis: [email protected]. Please keep our candidates in your prayers over these coming months. A message from Cardinal Vincent Nichols Archbishop of Westminster about Gaza and the West Bank  In the last few days I have heard directly, via Zoom, from the Parish Priest of the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City and from the CEO of the Latin Patriarchate. The situation they face is grave. There are 600 people sheltering and being cared for in the parish compound, together with over 50 seriously disabled and vulnerable children. Water and food can be bought in the local markets at inflated prices. With the damage inflicted on this site, cooking hot meals is only possible three times a week. The parish is also providing for 200 people in the Orthodox property as well as for local Muslim neighbours. The situation in the West Bank is a grave with more than 100,000 families losing income as well as the absence of all visitors and pilgrims. I invite you to make a  contribution to the work of the Latin Patriarch (Catholic Archbishop).   There will be a second collection this weekend. Please be as generous as you can. Thank you. Evangelising post-Christian Britain | Monsignor James Shea | Tuesday, 20th February 2024, 7 PM | St James' Church, Spanish Place, Marylebone | Tickets £5 Monsignor James Shea, President of the University of Mary (Bismark, North Dakota) co-authored the extraordinary book From Christendom to  Apostolic Mission. In a lively lecture and Q&A, he will draw bridges between the different visions that the Church and the world have for our society, and suggest effective strategies to engage our own time and culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A and then refreshments will be available. Book your tickets at guild-ransom.co.uk/events 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: Young Adult Group This is a group for people in their 20s and 30s and aims to build a community in the parish. More events will be coming soon. If there are any questions, please send us an email at: [email protected] or join our WhatsApp group using the QR code:  Welcome to all our Parishioners If you are new to the parish, please come and say hello and complete the new parishioner registration form which can be found on our website:  https://www.ourladyofvictories.net/parish-registrationfinancial-support.html Here you can also find further information on all our parish activities. Leaving a Legacy In the last year, the parish has received a number of legacies from parishioners who have remembered the work of the parish in their wills. Please pray for the repose of the souls of those parishioners. They will be remembered in our annual donors Mass. Please consider remembering the parish in your will. See the leaflets at the back of the Church or call 0207 798 9375 or email [email protected] Pauline Books and Media The Sisters of the Pauline run their shop in the repository at Our Lady of Victories Church from Tuesday to Friday and Sunday from 9am to1pm. 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 ARE LIVE-STREAMED FROM OUR WEBSITE.    Eucharistic Adoration and Confession On Wednesday's, after the 10am Mass, there is Eucharistic Adoration. This is an opportunity to spend some time in prayer before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. During that time a priest will also be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Adoration concludes at Noon with the prayer of the Angelus. Confessions are also available every Saturday from 5 pm to 5.45 pm.   Please do keep an eye on the website: www.ourladyofvictories.net which will be updated weekly.  Mgr Jim Curry & Fr Francis   Our Lady of Victories 16 Abingdon Road London W8 6AF 020 7937 4778  [email protected]