Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 5 March 2025
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Ash Wednesday
The beginning of the 40 days of the season of Lent is marked with a special Mass for Ash Wednesday. At the Ash Wednesday Mass, we focus on our mortality, and our reliance of God for forgiveness and grace. As a mark of our willingness to receive God’s forgiveness, we receive a cross of ash on our forehead.
Morning Prayer at 9am, St Barnabas
Low Mass & Ashing at 12.30pm, St Thomas the Martyr
High Mass & Ashing at 7.00pm, St Barnabas
All welcome
First Sunday in Lent (18 February)
On the First Sunday of Lent at the 10.30am High Mass, we begin the service with a Litany in Procession. This is an act of penitence: a mini-pilgrimage of faith.
There is also an 8am Low Mass and 6.30pm Evening Prayer on this and every Sunday in Lent.
Everyone is welcome.
Lent Study Group
(on Zoom)
Insights from the Cross:
Reading and Reflecting on Love Unknown, by John Barton
Amidst the trials and uncertainties of individual human lives, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus can sometimes seem like a great play written by God, where the actors are assigned fixed parts. Yet this is to make a travesty out of these great events. In entering our world and sharing in the suffering in Jesus, God accepts the uncertainty and unpredictability which are part of human nature. The resurrection of Jesus is a sign of unexpected hope beyond final despair. In this Lent Group we will focus on four of the chapters of John Barton’s book Love Unknown. The Lent Group will be on Zoom on the following dates, all at 7pm:
Tuesday 20 February, Thursday 29 February, Tuesday 5 March, Tuesday 12 March
Click on the button below to get the zoom link and details of how to buy the book
‘After Hours’ Mass
7pm on Wednesdays in St Barnabas
21 February, 28 February, 13 March, 20 March
On four Wednesdays in Lent, there will be a gentle, spacious, meditative Mass, with a different musical meditation each week. Gather at the foot of the Cross, receive healing and grace from God in the early evening.
(On Wednesday 6 March, there will be concert given by Stile Antico.)
Stations of the Cross
9am on Fridays in St Barnabas
beginning on Friday 16 February
Every Friday we meditate on the Way of the Cross. The devotion will last no more than 20 minutes and is in place of Friday morning prayer.
Confessions
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (or Confession), is a structured way of unburdening yourself of things that cause you to feel guilty, and a way of articulating to God the thoughts and deeds which you have done which are sinful and hurtful. It is helpful when preparing for Confession to think of sins in this way. Sins against God; Sins against my fellow human; Sins against myself.
The Vicar hears confessions every Thursday at 5pm, or by appointment (email the Vicar to make an arrangement). Extra times of confession before Lent are:
6pm on Shrove Tuesday (13th Feburary) in St Barnabas
5.30pm on Ash Wednesday (14th February) in St Barnabas