We began the holy season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, but on this Sunday, the First Sunday of Lent, we receive a sacred invitation to renewal, repentance, and a deeper conversion of heart. In the Gospel, Our Lord is led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where He fasts, prays, and confronts Satan, the tempter, modeling for us a disciplined response to temptation and a steadfast commitment to the Father’s will. The readings call us to examine our own lives: to turn away from sin, to open our hearts to God’s mercy, and to embrace the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as means of purifying our souls and drawing us closer to Christ. As we enter this desert sojourn, may we resist the deceits of the Evil One and listen more intently for the voice of the Father speaking to us in the quiet moments we take in reading the Holy Scriptures, through listening carefully to our consciences and through the adoration we give to our Lord and King. May this Lent deepen our resolve to follow Christ more faithfully: to root out sin with a grateful and repentant heart, to grow in prayer and in love for neighbour, and to align our everyday actions with the Gospel we profess. Let us renew our baptismal commitments, celebrate the sacramental life with renewed devotion, and seek reconciliation with those we have wronged. May our families become homes of prayer, our parish an instrument of mercy, and our parish family a bright beacon of hope, inviting others to encounter the transforming power of God’s grace. Through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, and all the saints, may God bless you and your loved ones on this First Sunday of Lent. THIS WEEK - THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT 22nd February 2026 Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.15 am. PENITENTIAL PROCESSION & PARISH MASS at 10.00 am. 24th February TUESDAY Low Mass at 6.30 pm. Faith Formation Group at 7 pm at the Vicarage. 25th February WEDNESDAY Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.00 am. Eucharistic Adoration at 11.45 am. Low Mass at 12.15pm. Lent Lunch in aid of Willen Hospice & ACS at 12.45 pm. Lent Course at 7.15 pm at the Vicarage. 26th February THURSDAY Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.00 am. Low Mass at 10.00 am. Exposition, Vespers, Silent Prayer & Benediction at 6.00 pm. 27th February FRIDAY Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.00 am. Low Mass (B.C.P. / English Missal) at 10.00 am. Lent Coffee Morning at 10.30 am. 28th February SATURDAY Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.00 am. Low Mass at 10.00 am. 1st February SUNDAY - THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.15 am. PARISH MASS at 10.00 am. TEA AND COFFEE IS AVAILABLE AFTER MASS ON SUNDAYS - DO JOIN US FOR FELLOWSHIP. PARISH NEWS THE SEASON OF LENT Is a time of joining Our Lord in the desert and for forty days, seeking Him with all our hearts. It is essential, therefore, that we enter fully into the spirit of Lent and make use of the extra opportunities that are provided through our parish to nurture these paths to spiritual growth and the seeking of Christ. ALL FRIDAYS IN LENT (OPTIONALLY ALL WEDNESDAYS TOO) INCLUDING GOOD FRIDAY are days of ABSTAINING from Meat. Again, we are called, from the beginning of our 14th year, to seek to do this faithfully. People, due to pregnancy, illness, or hard physical labour, may, in these circumstances, choose another form of penance or charity. The Church urges that works of penance be linked to works of charity - for example, using the money saved on less expensive meals, or giving up snacks, to feed the poor. PLACES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM which will take place from Friday, 2nd - Monday 5th October. Cost for Full Board at the Shrine: Adults: £268.40. Children and Young People 17 or under: £161.29. A further Parish Bursary of £35 for Children or Young People is also available. A non-refundable deposit of £40 needs to be paid by the end of April. If interested, speak with Father Victor. OUR HALF HOUR BIBLE STUDY GROUP ON MOST SUNDAYS. This is a regular meeting that takes place after Sunday Mass and Coffee every week - Father Tunji leads us to reflect more closely on the Holy Scriptures, which are one of God’s most precious gifts to us. Bibles texts will be supplied. THE BIBLE STUDY MEETS EITHER IN THE VESTRY HALL OR THE LIBRARY IN THE CHURCH, BY THE CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM. CONFESSIONS - As well as Saturday mornings, the Sacrament of Confession can be celebrated 20 minutes before any of the Weekday Masses and immediately afterwards. Please speak to Father Victor, Father Ian or Father Tunji. REPOSITORY - OUR PIETY STALL This is open before and after Mass on Sundays and weekdays selling a wide range of items from religious cards, rosaries, books, crucifixes and icons to mugs, fridge magnets, church diaries, pens and note books. THE PROCEEDS OF EVERYTHING WE SELL ON OUR PIETY STALL GOES TOWARDS WELL NEEDED CHURCH FUNDS. Items can be seen in the glass case by the font at the back of church and in the glass case in the Vestry Hall. Please take a look. IF YOU HAVE ANY PRAYERS or Mass intentions you would like me to offer at Mass or if would like someone added to our parish prayer list of the Sick or Departed. My contact details are as follows: Telephone: 07714190663 Email: Vicarstmartin@outlook.com I am also available in person during Surgery Hour on Saturday’s in Church between 10.30am - 11.30am. THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION AND RECONCILIATION is also available at this time. Please continue to remember the following in your prayers: That as a parish we may seek afresh to grow in our discipleship in Christ and to become more fully the people He wishes us to be. May we welcome Christ Jesus fully into our hearts and lives. For a good and fruitful keeping of this Lent, that it may be a season of grace for us all. That we may grow in a deeper appreciation of the Holy Traditions of our Christian Church, of the Holy Scriptures and of the precious deposit of faith and teachings that have been passed down to us from the Apostles. For Blessings on our Parish family as we seek to grow our Church. For graces, blessings and a deepening of understanding of Christ and His teachings for those participating in our Faith Formation and Lent Groups. For peace in our troubled world. For the successful development of our House Groups as places of prayer and fellowship. For a greater generosity in giving and stewardship so that we may be able to fund our mission and witness effectively. For our Church community, that we may continue to grow into the likeness of Our Lord through worship, prayer and service. For our Parish that we may emulate him in our faithfulness to the Gospel and its proclamation and to the care of our brothers and sisters in their need. For our young people that the Lord may fill their hearts with living faith that they may serve Him faithfully in worship and in service. For our Bishop Paul and all the Parishes that look to him in the See of Oswestry. For the future of our Sunday School, that we may find a capable and loving teacher to carry on this vital ministry. For a deepening of our own faith and a greater commitment to Christ. For the strength to remain firm in our Christian faith and to give witness to it through our own example. For an end of war in the Ukraine and in Gaza and the Holy Land and the re-establishment of Peace. That we may continue to remember, the needs of those so less fortunate than ourselves. For those at school, college or University, that as they grow in knowledge and wisdom, they may be safe and well. For those who work, particularly those who have families or other dependents. For our Government, that they may seek to serve the common good and that we may see increased integrity within the world of politics. For peace to reign within our homes and between one another. For the elderly, housebound and those living in residential and nursing homes. For our Ambulance Service and for our other Emergency Service Staff and for Milton Keynes Hospital and all who work there. For Father Victor, Father Ian, Father Tunji as they seek to continue to make Christ present in our midst through the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass and the other Sacraments of the New Covenant. May the Lord bless them as they seek to make Christ known and offer continuing Pastoral care. For our Monastic Community of the House of Initia Nova of the Order of Saint Benedict and for its Motherhouse in Ponce, Puerto Rico. For our Abbot, Michael-John Austin, for all of the community and for those new to its life. For the Sick: For Amanda Lowe, Yvonne and Denis Simpson, Gary Ashby, Rosalio Eluna, Heather Burke, June Reid, and Nicola Monaghan. For the Departed: For Amalia Marino, Marino Eluna Senior and all the recently departed, and for all whose whose anniversaries fall at this time, among them Sister Monica Ruth Mullen OSB, Charlotte Ellen Preen, Joan Wren, Jack Kelly, Mary-Anne Sellars, Bertram Parkings, Terry Powers and William Vickers. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let Light Perpetual shine upon them. May the Lord love and keep you, Father Victor (Brother Cuthbert)