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Sacred Heart, Skegness
22, Grosvenor Road, Skegness. PE25 2DB and Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Spilsby
Church St., Spilsby, PE23 5EF
Parish Priest: Fr. Dominic O’Connor 01754 762528 email: sacredheartandspilsby@gmail.com Website: www.skegnessrcparish
Safeguarding officer. Mrs Judy Lumb
Charity No 11349 Company no 7151646 Registered office: Willson house, NG1 5AW
Fiat!
Dear Faithful,
The end of the Christian life is union with God and we are all called to reach this goal. “To be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect.” This means to be fully grown, to have reached the full development God has planned for us. The only way we can reach this is through prayer. Lent must involve a deepening of our prayer life, giving it more attention than perhaps we do. To become perfect necessarily means that our prayer life grows and deepens.
It is interesting to note that in the New Testament we receive no techniques for prayer, no manual, no technique. Jesus instead points out the conditions for a healthy prayer life.
Firstly, that we intend to live out fully to the best of our ability the gospel values. We can’t hope for a fully formed prayer life unless we are going to commit to follow Jesus in everything he asks.
Secondly, Jesus tells us that we must enter our private chamber to be alone with God. This means that we must cut out noise and distractions. The modern world presents so many distractions, it so over-stimulates the brain that often we can’t hear what God is saying to us. Lent is a great opportunity to fast a little from the media, our phones, the internet etc. I think this is a far more important fasting than from food. Only the mind has been quietened, when it has come to rest are we then ready for prayer.
Thirdly, we must be at peace with God and neighbour. We cannot expect to grow in prayer unless we first have forgiven or asked for forgiveness.
Most importantly we must be involved in a love affaire with the Lord. Prayer as St Teresa tells us is a dialogue with He who loves us.
Perhaps one of the most important things to remember about prayer is that it is a gift or grace from God. Even the desire to pray already comes from God. This is important because it means that prayer is primarily something God accomplishes in us; it is a free gift from him and we can never achieve it by our own strength or will power. This should relieve us of a great deal of worry or anxiety over prayer. Provided we dispose ourselves to God by giving him quality time and attention, he will do the rest.
God bless, Fr. Dominic.
SP = Spilsby SK = Skegness Pol = Polish Mass at Skegness
SUNDAYS YEAR B GOSPEL OF SAINT MARK WEEKDAYS: CYCLE 1
Day
Date
Prayer Time
Place
Liturgical Calendar
Mass Intention
Sunday
14
9.00am
11.00am
3.00pm
SP
SK
Pol
6th Sunday
Pro populo
Mg.Monahan RIP
Monday
15
Feria
Paul Large RIP
Tuesday
16
Feria
W.Ready RIP
Wednesday
17
12.00
6.30pm
SP
SK
Ash Wednesday
Fr J Duffy RIP
P.Ottewell
Thursday
18
10.00am
SK
Adoration / Feria
Leo Pinto
Friday
19
6.00pm
SK
Lenten feria
A.Davies GHO
Saturday
20
SK
Lenten Feria
Fam+friends
Sunday
21
9.00am
11.00am
3.00pm
4.00pm
SP
SK
Pol
SK
1st Sunday of Lent
Latin Mass
M.Flynn Sp Intn
Pro populo