During Lent there are no flowers, no Gloria, no Alleluias, and no music “except to sustain weak singing”. All these things are restored – like life itself – in the joy of Easter.

Keeping the Church Silent and still for prayer and worship is our communal parish Lenten commitment during Lent 2009. Let’s help one another by putting a finger on our lips … Sshhh …

You’ll be amazed (and many people will be grateful) at what a big difference this’ll make to the atmosphere of our Church.

Read page one of the new Parish Magazine (Lent/Easter 2009) so that you don’t put your foot in it (!) by talking in church in Lent.

The Sunday Homily during the first four weeks of Lent will help to deepen our understanding of the parts of the Mass, drawing on the Sunday Gospel readings and liturgical texts.

On this First Sunday of Lent we find Jesus in the wilderness, immediately after his Baptism. He suffers temptations by Satan, but remains steadfast. This prepares Him for His Sacred Ministry.

The first part of the Mass – the Introductory Rites – similarly prepares us for what is to come. We repent and turn from our sins so that we can turn to God and experience His Presence at Mass.

Eastward-facing (i.e. Ad Orientem) is what the Pope is restoring, and we’re offering at the Sunday 11.30am and daily 7am Masses. There is no question of introducing the “extra-ordinary form” Tridentine rite here (to reassure a few people); neither is this a matter of “backs to the people”, but rather of us all facing forward to where we’re destined … We look together to the East from where Christ will come in glory.