CALENDAR OF SERVICES FOR FEBRUARY 2020
Sunday readings from Revised Common Lectionary, Year A (Year of Matthew)
Weekday readings from Lectionary for Ordinary Time and Lectionary for Seasons (Year Two)
Sunday, 2nd February: Solemn Feast: Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple:
9.30am Parish Mass in Llanigon
11.00am Parish Mass with Candlemas ceremony in St. Marys, Hay
2.30pm District Mass in Little St. Mary’s, Capel-y-ffin
Monday, 3rd February: Fourth Week of Year in Ordinary Time
Wednesday, 5th February: St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr, is mentioned in the Roman Canon, traditional Eucharistic Prayer of the western church. She attracted much popularity after the fifth century, but legend has replaced her genuine story. Her place is Catania, Sicily. Her story is about refusal to marry, with dedication of her virginity to God. She was punished by torture and sexual mutilation; her breasts were cut off. Her passion occurred sometime during the pagan Roman empire. St. Agatha is invoked against breast cancer. Also, in Sicily her protection is sought against volcanic eruption of Mount Etna. From comparison of molten metal with lava flowing down from the stricken mountain, Agatha is patron saint of bell-founders. From details of her suffering, her prayers form a defence against fire. St. Agatha, intercede for the Australian people, who suffered from fire throughout Christmas. Of course, all such ‘patronage’ of the saints happens within the unique providence of Almighty God.
10.00am Mass in St. Mary’s, Hay
Thursday, 6th February: St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs: As a ‘mixed up kid’ my days out in Hereford are never complete without a visit to the splendid ‘baroque’ church of St. Francis Xavier, which is hidden between All Saints and the Cathedral, just behind a bus-stop for Hay and Glasbury. Francis Xavier, great Jesuit missionary, is called the Apostle of Japan. For he worked there 1549-51, leaving behind two thousand converts. His success followed from sensitive appreciation of local culture. Fifty years after the preaching of Francis Xavier, persecution began, in the course of which five thousand Christians were tortured and executed. Afterwards, the Church in Japan went into hiding for a couple of centuries. The martyrdom of St. Paul Miki with twenty-five companions happened in 1597 as the first episode of the long and cruel oppression. They were crucified together, near Nagasaki. Paul Miki was a native of Japan, Jesuit priest, and eloquent preacher. With him there perished both Jesuits and Franciscans. But most of the victims were Japanese layfolk, including three teenagers, altar servers. The place of their passion connects the story of St. Paul Miki with an event of my own lifetime, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which ended World War II.
10.00 am Mass in Shrine Chapel of St. Mary’s, Hay
NB: Thursday Market Day Mass is being moved to the Parish Church on account of renovations in progress at St. John’s Chapel.
Sunday 9th February: Fifth Sunday and Week of Year: Septuagesima:
9.30am Parish Mass in Llanigon
11.00am Parish Mass in St. Mary’s, Hay
Tuesday, 11th February: Our Lady of Lourdes: day of intercession for the sick
Wednesday, 12th February:
10.00am Mass in St. Mary’s, Hay
Thursday, 13th February:
10.00am Mass in Shrine Chapel of St. Mary’s, Hay
Friday, 14th February: Feast of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, who are counted among the patron saints of Europe.
Sunday, 16th February: Sixth Sunday and Week of Year: Sexagesima:
9.30am Parish Mass in Llanigon
11.00am Parish Mass in St. Mary’s, Hay
2.30pm Evensong in Little St. Mary’s, Capel-y-ffin
Wednesday, 19th February:
10.00am Mass in St. Mary’s, Hay
Thursday, 20th February:
10.00am Mass in Shrine Chapel of St. Mary’s, Hay
Saturday, 22nd February: Feast of St. Peter’s Chair (Commemoration of the Apostle as Bishop of Rome)
Sunday, 23rd February: Seventh Sunday and Week of Year: Quinquagesima: Sunday next before Lent:
9.30am Parish Mass in Llanigon
11.00am Parish Mass in St. Mary’s, Hay
Shrove Tuesday, 25th February: Pancake Day: day for making confession and receiving absolution (shrift) before Lent begins tomorrow.
Ash Wednesday, 26th February:
7.00pm Parish Mass with ceremony of the Ashes in St. Mary’s, Hay
Thursday, 27th February: Commemoration of George Herbert, Priest and Poet: He belonged to a distinguished family of Norman–Welsh nobility, which held power in Wales and the Marches: the Herbert’s of Pembroke and Montgomery. The beginning of his career seemed to promise service at the royal court. He became Public Orator at Cambridge University. He was elected MP for Montgomery in the first parliament of King Charles I. But, through the influence of John Donne and Nicholas Ferrar of Little Gidding, George Herbert was drawn to serve church rather than state. Also, he decided to devote his poetical gifts to the search for the living God. Our present hymnal includes three of his works. He possessed musical ability, and, in his latter days, he enjoyed the choral worship of Salisbury Cathedral. But he suffered chronic ill-health; his death was an early one, so that he was saved from ensuing civil war. In 1630 he was ordained priest and instituted as Rector of Fugglestone and Bemerton, near Salisbury. In the previous year he had married Jane Danvers. The couple adopted the husband’s two orphaned nieces. Both ministry and marriage would be cut short. Nevertheless, George Herbert settled down so well into the role of country parson that he wrote a book about it, a landmark and ideal portrait in the history of the Anglican clergy. He encouraged his people to join him in church for Evensong on weekdays – just like in St. Mary’s, Hay, four centuries later. On his death-bed George Herbert entrusted his book of poems, ‘The Temple’ to his friend Nicholas Ferrar.
10.00am Mass in Shrine Chapel of St. Mary’s, Hay
EVENSONG IS SAID OR SUNG IN ST. MARY’S, HAY, EVERYDAY AT SIX O’CLOCK
