- Willesden Episcopal Area The Parish Church of St. Lawrence Little Stanmore alias Whitchurch

PALM SUNDAY (C) Sunday 14th April 2019

For your hearing comfort there is a Sound Reinforcement & Loop System - to tune in to the “loop” please use the “T” switch on your hearing aid -

WELCOME to our celebration of the Holy Eucharist on Palm Sunday, when we begin Holy Week with the solemn reading of the Lord’s Passion as set out in the Gospel of S Luke. Today we follow Jesus on his journey into Jerusalem riding on a colt. We sing our joyful praises to the king who has freed us from sin and death through his passion, cross, death and resurrection. As we enter into his suffering during Holy Week, we look towards Easter with joy.

TODAY we welcome as our Celebrant and Preacher The of Northolt, Duncan Green.

As is usual on this particular Sunday, the Parish Eucharist at 10:00 begins in the Hall, where we gather for the blessing of our palms and the procession into Church.

Everyone is invited to coffee, conversation and a “special birthday celebration” in the Hall after the Parish Eucharist. Visitors are especially welcome.

Today's Readings First Reading Isaiah 50:4-7 The servant of God places his trust in the Lord and knows that he is lovingly protected from the insults and spittle so that he can endure all suffering with patience.

Second Reading Philippians 2:6-11 Like the seed that is buried in the soil and brings forth new life, Jesus reveals that it is only by dying that we rise to new life.

Gospel Luke 22:14 - 23:56 St Luke reveals the compassionate promise of Jesus to the good thief: "today you will be with me in paradise".

FLOWERS FOR EASTER If you wish to make a donation towards the flowers in church at Easter in memory of a loved one please place your offering in an envelope with all the details written on it and either put it in the Offertory Plate or put it through the Rectory Door before Wednesday. We will write out all the names and remember them during Easter Week.

APCM ARRANGEMENTS 2019 Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting is scheduled for next Sunday 28th April 2019 following on from The Parish Eucharist at 10:00. In view of Fr Paul’s recent absence owing to illness the following arrangements will operate: Next Sunday 28th April there will be the Annual Meeting of Parishioners when we will receive the new Electoral Roll and elect two Churchwardens. We will then open the Annual Church Meeting and adjourn it till the Sunday 9th June 2019 at which we will elect PCC members and receive the Annual Accounts and Reports.

PARISH LUNCH - SUNDAY 12TH MAY 2019 We shall be having lunch together at 12 Noon. The cost will be £7 but might we suggest £10 as all proceeds made going to Christian Aid. Lunch will be Home Made Soup followed by a Cold Collation. Offers of help, further details to Gillian Bugden please. THIS WEEK’S PARISH INTERCESSIONS: We pray for our parish and for its needs; we ask for God’s blessing on all that we shall do in his name during the coming Holy Week and we commend to his particular care:

The Sick Especially those who are known to us and those whose names are read out in Church along with The Patients of The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital & St Luke's Hospice, The Elderly & Housebound of our Parish especially all those who live within Knights Court & Whitchurch Lodge

The Departed Recently Sheila Birch, Bob Maunder Years Mind Pam Bent, Chris Copplestone, Brian Cox, June Horrigan, Tom Keen, Susan Porter, Nan Prince, Veronica Simper, Edward White, Robert Mitchell Emily Barnes, Joan Knight, Alf Vitols, Lynda Wells, Harry Penn, Rose Mulcare Edna Aldred, Audrey Amps, Betty Bailey, Pat Bartlett, Marilyn Blackwell, Norah Burrell, Grace Burgess, John Cowan, Anne Cristofoli Betty Dalton Joan Dillingham, Leslie Dodkin Eve Fulker, Jean Glasgow, Martin Herring Catherine Hills, Cora Kemp Mary Knight, Win Lake, Pauline Lewis, Dorothy Francis, Lilly Kitto, Freda Meacock, Barry Morris Keith Overy, Alan Pooley, George Sainsbury, Steve Scarborough, George Sharratt, George Skene Daniel Sinclair Brian Smart Beatrice Townsend, Claudette Veitch, Matthew Wesson

TODAY SEES THE START OF HOLY WEEK and the days that follow are the most important in the Christian Year as we journey with Jesus through the events of the final few days of his life. The church has traditionally marked the week with special services and this year as in previous years we shall be keeping them in full I invite you to COME AND JOURNEY WITH CHRIST DURING THIS HOLY WEEK OF 2019. The Solemn Triduum (or the Great Three Days) begins on Maundy Thursday. Over these days the church offers continual worship to her Lord. These are the most solemn and dramatic days in the life of Jesus and in the Christian Year, yet are the epitome of the good news of Jesus. Maundy Thursday (from the Latin ‘Mandatum Novum’ meaning a ‘New Commandment’) commemorates the events of the Last Supper when Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with this disciples and their families. On this day we share with Jesus in the breaking of bread and the washing of feet, followed by the watch in the ‘Garden of Gethesemane’ in church. The Blessed Sacrament is reserved at the Maundy Thursday Eucharist and processed to the Garden of Repose where it will remain until the Good Friday Liturgy when it is consumed. During the Watch, we watch and pray with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane until midnight. Good Friday is the day when we remember the Crucifixion of Jesus, his death on the cross. Although there is no celebration of the Eucharist on Good Friday, we do receive Communion, the Ambry is left empty and open, Jesus is no longer sacramentally present in the church. The church is left desolate and forsaken, there is no adequate way of recalling the being dead of the Incarnate God. The Easter Vigil is the climatic celebration where we begin in darkness, lighting the Easter Fire, marking lighting the Paschal Candle which is then processed into church. We renew our Baptismal vows, and celebrate the first Eucharist of Easter. Much of the liturgy and ritual in the Solemn Triduum is among the most ancient in the church and lifts us into the presence of the God who offers us life in all its fullness. Please try and make every effort to be in Church on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, The Easter Vigil and Easter Day. (NB The latter is a day of obligation for members of the to make their Holy Communion wherever they find themselves). On Good Friday this year for the first time at 10:00 we will be joining other local Christians to walk from St William of York RC Church (Du Cros Drive) to St John’s Church Stanmore for a United Service at 11:00 which will last 45 minutes approx.

THE , Fr PAUL REECE is pleased to report that following on from his recent surgery at the end of February he WILL BE RETURNING TO PARISH DUTIES FROM TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK (16/04) AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO CELEBRATING THE TRIDUUM WITH YOU. Fr Paul is most grateful to all of you for your good wishes, prayers and cards whilst he was off - and not least the most generous Amazon Voucher that you gave him! Fr Paul is also thankful to all those who have done so much to keep things going in his absence especially Sheila Moir, Eric Ramsay, Ian & Gillian Bugden, Stuart Cawthorne and of course all the visiting Clergy. As he returns, Fr Paul, would appreciate your understanding insomuch as that for a little while other than being present in Church he will be on a “phased return to work” aka “light duties” however available for any pastoral emergencies. Similarly, as he puts his surgery and extended time off behind him he asks that you respect that his privacy and that he will not be discussing the nature of it other than to say that so far it appears to have been a complete success.