From Catholic Online: Lingsugūr
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption.
Following the example of the Ninevites, who did penance in sackcloth and ashes, our foreheads are marked with ashes to humble our hearts and reminds us that life passes away on Earth.
Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice.
The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins — just as Adam, the first man, was turned out of Paradise because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days’ penance and sacramental absolution. Later, all Christians, whether public or secret penitents, came to receive ashes out of devotion. In earlier times, the distribution of ashes was followed by a penitential procession.
The ashes are made from the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. The ashes are christened with Holy Water and are scented by exposure to incense. While the ashes symbolize penance and contrition, they are also a reminder that God is gracious and merciful to those who call on Him with repentant hearts. His Divine mercy is of utmost importance during the season of Lent, and the Church calls on us to seek that mercy during the entire Lenten season with reflection, prayer and penance.

Quetiapine online prescription Suggestions for preparation for Easter

Stations of the Cross

Dear Parishioners,

In Lent we are asked to prepare for Easter by prayer and sacrifice. Here are a few suggestions:

• Bishop John suggests we give God some silent attention each day
• Buy (£1) the ‘Walk With Me’ booklet which will help you pray and reflect each day of Lent.
• Join the Stations of the cross in Clitheroe at 7.30pm on Fridays and in Sabden at 7.30pm on Tuesdays.
• Spend a little time each day reading the Bible in the quiet of your home.
• Attend daily mass. (Details weekly in the newsletter)
• Come to Exposition on Saturday mornings between 11am and 12noon.
• Pay a visit to the church which is open daily during daylight hours.
• Encourage someone who has been away from Mass to return to practice and accompany them to church.
• Recite the Rosary at home or join the weekday recitation in church at 9.30am.
• Visit someone in need of help or friendship or perhaps an elderly relative you haven’t visited for a while?
• Make up a longstanding quarrel.
• Help to clean the church on Monday mornings at 9.30.
• Give up a favourite treat like sweets, drink, watching too much TV or cigarettes.
• Keep ‘Family Fast day’ on Friday.
• Every Friday give up eating meat.
• Make a clean sweep. Go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), available Saturdays in Clitheroe from 11 to 11.45 and during the Stations of the Cross on Fridays.
• Attend the series of ecumenical Lenten talks on Saturday mornings in the Hall at 11am. (Coffee from 10.30)
• Join a Lent discussion group based on Pope Francis’ recent letter ‘The Joy of the Gospel’, Wednesdays at 7.30pm in the Hall on 4th, 18th and 25th March.
• Attend a Lenten Station Mass at 7.30pm at St Mary’s Langho 25 Feb, St Joseph’s Blackburn 4th March, St Joseph’s Darwen 11 March, St Gerard’s, Lostock Hall 18 March.

Wishing you a fruitful Lent,

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

Pope Francis has made today, the feast of St Josephine Bakhita, an International Day of Prayer against Human Trafficking. Anthony Brown, the parish and local coordinator against human trafficking explains:
Saint Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of trafficking victims, was born in Sudan in 1869. Captured by Arab slavers she was sold in the markets of El Obeid and Khartoum until finally bought by the Italian Consul, Callisto Legnani. For the first time since the day she was kidnapped, she found that no one used the lash when giving her orders; instead, she was treated with love and as one of the family.
Callisto returned to Italy and when he and his family had again to move abroad he left Bakhita in the care of the Canossian sisters, an Italian Religious order. There, she came to know and experience God’s love. She had always believed in God but had never known who he was until then. In January 1890, Bakhita was baptised Josephine and made her First Holy Communion. When Callisto returned, with unusual courage, she expressed her desire to remain with the Canossian sisters. She had by then come of age and enjoyed the freedom of choice which Italian law guaranteed.
On 8 December 1896 Josephine Bakhita made her religious vows and for the next 50 years lived in the Canossian community, involved in various services: cooking, sewing, embroidery and attending to all who called at the convent door, especially the poor and those in trouble. Her sisters in the community esteemed her for her constant sweet nature, exquisite goodness and deep desire to share her love of Jesus with others.
As she grew older she experienced long, painful years of sickness but always responded to people with a smile. She died on 8 February 1947 surrounded by the sisters. A crowd quickly gathered at the convent to have a last look at their ‘Mother Moretta’, their ‘Dark Mother’, and ask for her prayers.

I have ordered 200 prayer cards for Sunday 8 February and hope that you will take one from the porch and pray for the victims of human trafficking.

Sunday 8^th February is also Caritas Sunday, when we are invited to be part of the rich heritage of charity in our diocese and to reflect on the part that we all as members of our church and community have to play in bringing about a fair and compassionate society

Anthony Brown, The Medaille Trust and Caritas Salford.

There is a retiring collection today for Caritas which supports people living on the margins of society and who are often overlooked by statutory bodies.

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

You may remember that near the beginning of the month I quoted from a letter sent by Bishop John, a part of which read: “As part of the work of the Synod on the family, you may know that Pope Francis has asked us to take time to reflect on marriage and family life, and our own experience. It is all too evident that both marriage and family life have been challenged and, in our generation, they have seen unprecedented breakdown. Despite its many struggles, we know that without the gift of family our society would have lost something fundamentally important and good. Marriage is such a noble vocation and family life must be strengthened and assisted, especially in times of difficulty.”
Following this letter, further information and suggestions were received from the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. These were discussed at the Parish Forum on 14^th January and Forum’s suggestions were further refined, by a small coordinating group, into a questionnaire.
This questionnaire will be distributed at the end of this month with the request that all responses be returned by 14^th March.
The questionnaire will be anonymous though you will be asked to tick boxes indicating your gender, age group and whether you are married, living with a partner, separated, widowed, or single.
To help you give serious thought to this exercise and, if you wish, to discuss it with your friends, the questions are listed below.

1 What are your joys and hopes for family life today?

2 What are your struggles and fears of marriage and family life today?

3 How can we better understand marriage as a vocation?

4 How does your marriage enrich you?

5 How does your family life help the world be a better place?

6 How does the way your family lives witness to our faith?

It is not necessary to answer every question, only those applicable to you and in less than 40 words. This restriction will encourage concise responses and help to coordinate replies. Finally, any replies received back before the questionnaire is distributed will be ignored. And if you don’t like the whole idea, then accept it as a penance for Lent which begins on 18^th of this month.

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

During an impromptu press conference on his flight from Sri Lanka to the Philippines Pope Francis condemned the violence surrounding the Charlie Hebdo killings but also said there are limits to free speech — especially when it involves religion.
In particular, he said, one shouldn’t abuse freedom of expression to “provoke” or “offend” others deliberately, and also one shouldn’t be surprised when they react to such taunts.
Nodding towards a friend and smiling, even in the case of a dear friend, Francis said, “If he says a swear word against my mother, he’s going to get a punch in the nose. That’s normal.”
The question was asked by a French journalist about how to balance religious freedom against freedom of expression, and Francis immediately linked his answer to the Charlie Hebdo attacks.
“You’re French, so let’s talk about Paris, let’s speak clearly. One cannot make war [or] kill in the name of one’s own religion, that is, in the name of God,” Francis said. “To kill in the name of God is an aberration.”
That said, Francis also insisted that free speech does not imply total license to insult or offend another’s faith.
“One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith,” he said, “Every religion has its dignity … and I cannot make fun of it,” the pope said. “In freedom of expression there are limits.
“People who make fun of, who toy with other people’s religions, he said, risk running into “what would happen to [that friend] if he said something against my mother.”
Pope Francis appeared to be saying that while nothing can justify the kind of violence witnessed Paris, that doesn’t mean that religion may be gratuitously insulted under the banner of freedom of speech.
Charlie Hebdo, the French magazine where 12 people were slain, was renowned for publishing content that ridiculed Muhammad, the founder of Islam, including occasionally running cartoons of him in pornographic poses.
Unfortunately Pope Francis’ words were prescient. Anti-Charlie Hebdo riots in Niger resulted in at least ten deaths, the destruction of churches and the closure of dispensaries and schools that served the poor.
Freedom of speech must be constrained by courtesy and consideration if we are to live together in peace.

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

On New Year’s Day, the feast of Mary the mother of God, Pope Francis focused his homily on Mary as both the mother of God and mother of the Church.
“Jesus,” he told the congregation, “cannot be understood without his mother,” the one who gave him human flesh, raised him and was near him always, even as he died on the cross and rose from the dead.
“Likewise inseparable are Christ and the Church,” he said. And, just as Mary brought Jesus into the world more than 2,000 years ago, the Church continues to bring him to the world, he said.
Pope Francis repeated what he has said in the past: “It is not possible to love Christ without the Church, to listen to Christ but not the Church, to belong to Christ but not the Church.”
The Church brings Christ to people, nourishes people with the sacraments and helps them understand what it means to belong to Christ, the Pope said. “Our faith is not an abstract doctrine or philosophy, but a vital and full relationship with a person: Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God.”
“Where can we encounter him? We encounter him in the Church, in our hierarchical, holy mother Church,” he said. “It is the Church which says today: ‘Behold the Lamb of God.’ It is the Church which proclaims him. It is in the Church that Jesus continues to accomplish his acts of grace which are the sacraments.”
“Without the Church,” the Pope said, “Jesus Christ ends up as an idea, a moral teaching, a feeling.”

Then this past week Pope Francis gave a 45-minute news conference aboard the papal plane traveling from Sri Lanka to the Philippines. Responding to a question related to the murders in Paris he said first that religious liberty and liberty of expression are both “fundamental human rights. “After stating forcefully that “One cannot offend, make war, kill in the name of one’s own religion, in the name of God. To kill in the name of God is an aberration.” But then he began to outline what he sees as important limits on free expression: “One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith.” “There is a limit, he said. Every religion has its dignity.”
When asked about climate change he said that he remembered a saying: “God always forgives; we men sometimes forgive; but nature never forgives”, adding, “I believe that man has gone a bit too far. Thank God that today, many, many people are talking about this.”

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

“May there never again be wars, but always the desire and commitment to peace and fraternity among peoples,” the Pope said in his traditional noontime Angelus address on New Year’s Day, delivered before a crowd of more than 100,000 gathered in St. Peter’s Square. He added: “Prayer is at the root of peace.” He also asked Catholics to remain loyal to their Church and honour Mary, the Mother of God.

Fr Frankie and I wish you a happy New Year as we also thank you for the cards and other gifts we received: I have never eaten so many mince pies as this year! Also our thanks go to all who decorated the church and prepared and helped with the ceremonies. I’m sure none will begrudge a special mention of Jane and her team who descended on the church even before Bishop John had left and worked solidly for the following five hours to so splendidly decorate the church and sanctuary. (Perhaps this is the moment to mention that they would welcome new members – no previous experience required!)

Bishop John enjoyed his visit to our outpost of Salford diocese and although time constraints prevented him meeting with the many parishioners who filled St M & J’s he was able to join in the hall after Mass with the many who had packed St Marys and enjoy tea and delicious cakes, some of which went home with him in a doggy bag. He now intends to whizz swiftly round the other 157 parishes in similar fashion! He was as impressed with us as we were by him.

Last Sunday evening Mark Paver, while visiting his family over Christmas joined us for a meal and wishes to be remembered to you all.

This year’s marriage preparation course begins next Sunday, 11^th January at 1.30pm in the Presbytery. This is compulsory for all who wish to marry here. So, if you know anyone who is thinking of marrying before March 2016 please invite them to contact me or Fr Frankie as soon as possible.

RCIA resumes on Thursday in the Presbytery.

Please also note that the next Parish Forum will be in Sabden on Wednesday, 14^th January. Peter White completed his three year (non-renewable) term as Chairman in November and Mike Bradley was elected to succeed him. We thank Peter for the commitment and enthusiasm that he brought. The secretary may be renewed and Margaret Donnelly was voted for a second term.

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

Our Lady of the Valley is the first parish of the diocese to be visited by our new bishop. Bishop John will come next Sunday, to celebrate the 9.30am Mass in Clitheroe and then the 11 o’clock in Sabden.
Last Monday at his installation Bishop John preached without notes and everyone I spoke with was impressed by his style and what he said. He is a bishop very much in the style of Pope Francis.
Because Mass in Sabden will remain at the usual time Bishop John will not be able to meet many parishioners in Clitheroe but don’t let that deter your attendance. He will be principle celebrant and will preach, so do come along and by your presence show him what an active and vibrant parish we are.
At the end of his installation he asked everyone to join him in a simple daily prayer: Stay with us Lord on our journey. I’m not too sure where this journey will take us but mark my words, Salford diocese is certainly going to move!

No doubt you have noticed the two glass lecterns in the sanctuary and I’m most grateful to Tony Hargan who drew the plan, ordered the reinforced glass, supplied the glaziers with the measurements and then assembled them. To have a similar lectern built (they can’t be bought off the shelf) would cost over £1,200. Ours were built for only £250 each and one of them was paid for by a kind donor.

The Comedy and Carols evening was a huge success with the Radio Lancashire team impressed by the numbers who came on such a dreadful night. The comedians were very good (the local boy was given the loudest reception!) and the congregation sang wonderfully well, ably led by our music group. The retiring collection for Olive Aid raised £382. To listen to the programme, tune into Radio Lancashire at mid-day on Christmas Eve morning.
One of the comedians praised our church and then as he looked at the sanctuary commented: ‘And this is where Gothic meets IKEA!’ I don’t need to mention that out of respect, the Blessed Sacrament had been removed from the Tabernacle.

Christmas cards, carrying the times of all Christmas week services will be delivered to all parishioners’ homes. If by chance you don’t receive one then it is because we don’t know your address!
During these coming busy two weeks please remember to pause and sanctify each day by a few minutes of quiet prayer.

Fr John