All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends,

My compatriot, Fr Richard Leonard SJ, writes that he recently had to teach some Catholic Primary School children about Sunday’s Feast of the Transfiguration.

When I told them what we would be doing, they all beamed – which, given the subject matter, was an entirely appropriate response. It soon became clear, however, that the kids and I were not on the same page. As soon as I started to talk about Jesus and Mount Tabor, one girl said, “but what about Harry Potter?” … I was then told that in J.K. Rowling’s books when Harry, Ron and Hermione go to Hogwarts School they have to do a course entitled “transfiguration”.

The humanity of Jesus has been to the fore in the proclamation of the Gospel in recent decades. For a long time the divinity of Christ was overemphasised, almost as if Jesus was simply God appearing to be in human form. But that is not our faith, and the accessibility of God through the incarnation of Jesus, his humanity, is now, perhaps, the overemphasised element. The danger now is that we view him as merely a good man: very much the trajectory of  20^th century thought about him.

The scriptural event and Feast of the Transfiguration hold both elements together. Matthew, Mark, Luke and Peter (in the second letter that bears his name) all recount that Jesus was ‘transfigured’ before the eyes of the inner cabinet of apostles, Peter, James and John. At Mount Tabor Jesus’ divine nature was seen directly and immediately by them, which is why this feast was once (perhaps more transparently) called ‘The Manifestation of the Divine Glory’.  

Peter, James and John want to stay there, a natural human response to all the glorious high points of life, but they have to come down the mountain and start another, final journey with Jesus to another mountain, Calvary. However the disciples now know that to look at Jesus is to behold the glory of God, that they can see God in and through his humanity. At this moment, in a sense, the Catholic Faith is born.  

It is the same for us. We don’t have to keep looking wistfully for our own Mt Tabor experience; if it does come, unexpectedly, we will also know that it cannot, must not last, and that it is a necessary preparation for something more down to earth, an interaction with a neighbour, offering a coffee to a homeless person, preparing for a PCC meeting, or dutifully saying our predictable daily prayers. What we need is a committed perseverance in deepening our faith that the glory of God finds unique expression in Jesus of Nazareth, Christ the Lord.  

Unlike Harry Potter we don’t need a course in transfiguration: it’s caught, not taught. To catch it we always keep our eyes firmly on what Jesus does, so that when we are overcome with the enormity of the Christian mission given to us in baptism, we can get up off the ground, not be afraid, take up our cross and follow Christ to the glory of his resurrection.  

Yours in Christ, 

Fr. Michael Bowie,
Assistant Priest,
All Saints Margaret Street 

THIS WEEK’S PRAYER DIARY

Those who have asked for prayers:
Asia Bibi, Pat Hawkins, Joan Cook, Rose Smith, Fr Graham Francis, Hannelore Sibley, Maria Magdalena Gemanaite, Faddy Hardo, Ken Hales, Fr Giles Fraser, Gulzari Babber, Ron Capon, Patricia Capon, John Hughes, Nancy Gardner, Katie Marko, Andrew Evans, Sarah Payne, Rodney Bickerstaffe, Ros Tagoe, Beverley Ward, Vivienne Dunne and Catherine Paciullo.

Those known to us recently departed:
Hugh Cox, Charlotte Nikoi, Graham Wheeler Pr, Pearl Baker, Shirley Jones, Giles Pilgrim Morris, Richard Finlay, Freda Atkinson, Wesley Carr Pr, Mildred Bellet, Michael Manktelow Bp, John Wraw, Bp and Robert Norwood. 

Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week:  
Jessie Graves, David Archer, Harriet Gray, Sidney Browne, Gay Cardew, Leslie York, Andrew Heley, David Johnstone, Charles Oram, Marie-Olivier Mercy, David Welch, Marie O’Connor, Barbara Davis, Beatrice Taylor, Joan Pulham, Philip Merritt and Valerie Hargreaves-Smith. 

WORSHIP THIS WEEK:

6 August ~ 8^th Sunday after Trinity
THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD
8am Low Mass
10.20am Morning Prayer
 

11am HIGH MASS with Choir & Sermon
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Lobo Missa ‘Simile est regnum’
Lassus Quicumque Christum quÓ•ritis

There is no Sunday Lunch service during the August holiday period. We look forward to welcoming both visitors and regular diners once again in September.

5.15pm Low Mass
6pm SOLEMN EVENSONG& BENEDICTION with Sermon
Preacher: Fr Barry Orford
Walmisley in D Minor
Byrd Praise our Lord, all ye Gentiles 

This Week’s Services

Monday 7 to Friday 11 August
7.30am Morning Prayer   8am Low Mass
12.30-1pm Confessions   1.10pm Low Mass
5.30pm Confessions   6pm Evening Prayer
6.30pm Low Mass

Saturday, 12 August
11.30am Rosary
12 noon Low Mass – Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham
6pm Evening Prayer
6.30pm First Mass of Sunday

NEXT SUNDAY’S SERVICES
13 August ~ 9^th Sunday after Trinity
8am Low Mass
10.20am Morning Prayer

11am HIGH MASS with Choir & Sermon
Preacher: The Vicar, Fr Alan Moses
Lloyd Webber Setting in E minor
Palestrina Exsultate Deo 

5.15pm Low Mass
6pm EVENSONG & BENEDICTION with Sermon
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Gibbons The Second Service
Stanford When Mary through the garden went

For full service information: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk.

WEEKLY NOTICES and FUTURE EVENTS at ALL SAINTS and ELSEWHERE

THE ALL SAINTS’ CLUB ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING will take place in the bar after Evensong and Benediction on Sunday 13 August. All members welcome and encouraged to attend.

MARYLEBONE PROJECT STUDY PACK APPEAL – The latest Marylebone Project Newsletter – on the Church table – describes a new initiative to support women in gaining qualifications to help them become independent. The appeal is for pens, pencils, pencil cases, pencil sharpeners, rubbers, notebooks, rucksacks, memory sticks and reusable water bottle. If anyone can provide these things, please drop them off at the Parish Office as for household items. Thank you. 

Tuesday 15 August – FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY – HIGH MASS & OUTDOOR PROCESSION with choir and brass accompaniment 6.30pm
Preacher: Fr Richard Peers, Director of Education, Diocese of Liverpool
Mass Setting: Mozart Missa Brevis in C ‘Orgelsolo’, K.259
Motet before procession: Elgar Ave Maria
Voluntary: Guilmant Grand Choeur in E flat (Op. 40 No 4)

The Feast of the Assumption is our major annual celebration of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. On this day, we thank God for Mary, the first Christian, and ask her prayers for all persecuted Christians.
All are welcome to join us – please invite friends.

STEWARDS STILL NEEDED – please contact Cedric Stephens 0207 637 7468.

Wednesday 13 September, 6.30pm
CTiW Reformation 500 event, St Martin-in-the-Fields – Bread for the World
St Martin-in-the-Fields is hosting a Churches Together in Westminster Reformation 500 event, with St Anne’s Lutheran Church London and Revd Eliza Zikmane, focusing on Luther’s legacy to Christian Education through the Small Catechism, Bread for the World is a great way to find focus during a busy week. With music led by the Choral Scholars of St Martin’s. 

ALL SAINTS MISSION PROJECTS
Our year-round fundraising efforts go to support three charities:

The Church Army hostels and programmes in Marylebone empowering homeless women into independent living.
The USPG-led UMOJA, HIV Project in Zimbabwe, enabling people living with HIV and Aids to have positive lives, and
The Soup Kitchen (American International Church, Tottenham Court Road) feeding up to 80 vulnerable people daily in central London. 

Men’s clothing is needed by the Jesus Centre in Margaret Street and also by the Soup Kitchen at the American International Church, both of whom provide a daily range of services to homeless people. If you have women’s or men’s clothes to give away, please bring to Church and leave at the Parish Office so we can continue to help support our neighbours’ efforts. The Church Army is now also collecting women’s clothes for their Homeless Hostel so all donations can be found a good new home!

The Soup Kitchen specifically calls for: men’s trousers (sizes 32-36) and men’s sturdy/athletic shoes (sizes 9-12 especially) and say ‘we also need men’s outerwear of all varieties and rucksacks and duffle-bags to help our guests carry their belongings!’

The Soup Kitchen team (only part-time cover) asks: ‘Please drop me a line if you are planning to drop things off here. As always, many thanks for your support.’ Soup Kitchen at the American International Church, 79a Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TD T: 020 7580 2791    www.amchurch.co.uk/soup-kitchen/

Further Communications or Assistance from All Saints Margaret Street:- 
* If you would like to encourage others to take an interest in All Saints/keep up with what is happening here, please forward this email on to them, or to people you would like to invite to services or tell them about our websitewww.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk, which has a full colour 360 virtual tour for viewing the wonderfully restored interior of the Church – seewww.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/history/virtual tour – before a visit or if unable to travel. 

* If you know of others (near or far) who would like to receive this regular update on what’s happening at All Saints please encourage them to sign up for the email on the All Saints website – see the tab News & Events> Weekly Newsletter. 

* If you would like any pastoral assistance, please do not hesitate to contact: 

The Parish Church of All Saints Margaret Street, London W1 W 8JG
Vicar: The Revd Prebendary Alan Moses
T: 07973 878040 E: alanmoses111@gmail.com (Day off: Saturday)

Assistant Priest: The Revd Dr Michael Bowie
T: 07581 180963 E: mnrbowie@gmail.com (Day off: Wednesday)

Confessions 
A priest is available for confessions/counsel Monday – Friday from 12.30-1pm and at 5.30pm Monday – Saturday, or by appointment. (Special arrangements apply in Lent and for Holy Week.)

For amendments to the prayer list please contact:
Dee Prior, Parish Administrator (020 7636 1788).  E: astsmgtst@aol.com

Or make use of the prayer request facility on the website at: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/prayer. 

Safeguarding Officers: Chris Self (Vulnerable Adults) and: Janet Drake (Children)

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