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The Chaplain’s Message
January 2010
 
As the wheel of the yearly cycle continues to turn, we are brought once again to the approach towards another Easter. The New Year 2010 marks the end of a decade that opened for us several recurring opportunities to maintain a stable routine of annual religious and social events during which many Maltese assembled and kept their affinity to their Faith and Culture.
 
This year the season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and is meant to be forty days of prayer, penance and almsgiving as we reflect on the Paschal Mystery, as we prepare to celebrate the Church’s greatest feast day, Easter. Most of us recall that in the past the Lenten Season was a serious retreat with continuous voluntary deprivation from the things we liked most in life, especially food. It was a time of daily rigorous fasting and abstinence from eating meat. In our present times these restrictions have faded away and Christians are exhorted to choose their own method of practising self-sacrifice. One practical exercise is to give alms to the poor. This is surely being done by many as they are frequently inundated with requests to give aid towards charitable causes. If Lent is spent in this spirit of altruism there is no longer a need for the Church to impose on people to deny them the bodily nourishment they need through a good diet that is appropriate for their own physical health.
 
Lent is a great time to look back on the last few months and re-think the circumstances of our relationship with God and the Church. It is most important that we plan to achieve a significant measure of improvement in our personal well-being, and that includes the spiritual side of our lives too. When celebrating the traditional and cultural feast days each year, we are often tempted to regard these occasions as ‘just another one like last year’. With the going of time it becomes a routine which makes us take things for granted, if not also dreading the regular occurrence of the same annual events. It is time to think positive and look ahead towards embracing the real meaning of our Maltese heritage and culture as well as adopt a determined mind to make a change from our old and sluggish conduct.
 
February is also a time when we are reminded of the Shipwreck of Saint Paul on the shores of Malta. We take pride that the saint is honoured as the ‘Father of the Maltese Islands’. Since their conversion to Christianity by St Paul the Maltese remained faithful to their commitment throughout the past two thousand years. We are the ones who can bring about the continuity of this phenomenon into the next millennium.
 
Please follow the programme below and make every effort to fulfil your obligations as Christian Maltese.  I look forward to seeing you during the Lent and Easter functions.
God bless our families at all times
Fr Victor J Camilleri OFM
(Chaplain)
47 Adler Street, London E1 1EE
Ans/Fax: 020 7247 3879
Mobile:   07930 198 251
E-mail:  victor-camilleri@hotmail.com 

DEATH
LENT  &  HOLY WEEK
PROGRAMME 2010
with the
Maltese Community
at ST BONIFACE CHURCH
Adler Street, Aldgate East
London E1 1EE
*
Church location map>>
 RESURRECTION
17th February is Ash Wednesday:  It is the beginning of LENT in preparation for the celebration of Easter. On this day ashes will be distributed to remind everyone of the need to exercise penance and self-sacrifice. ASH WEDNESDAY is a day of Fasting and Abstinence by order of the Church.
 
Sunday 21st February       (First Sunday of Lent):     at 4.30pm
                                          Holy Mass (in Maltese and English)
 
Sunday 28th February      (Second Sunday of Lent):  at 4.30pm
                                          Holy Mass (in Maltese and English)
 
Sunday 7th March            (Third Sunday of Lent):     at 4.30pm
                                          Holy Mass (in Maltese and English)
 
Sunday 14th March          (Fourth Sunday of Lent):   at 4.30pm
                                          Holy Mass (in Maltese and English)
 
Sunday 21st March           (Fifth Sunday of Lent):      at 4.30pm
                                          Holy Mass (in Maltese and English)

    i                 H O L Y    W E E K                 
Sunday 28th March      (PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION):    at 4.30pm
                                    Distribution of Palms, Reading of the Lord’s Passion and
                                    Holy Mass (in Maltese and English)
 
Thursday 1st April       (MAUNDY THURSDAY):    at 7.00pm
                                   Holy Mass of Our Lord’s Last Supper (together with the
                                   German Community), followed by Adoration at the Altar of
                                   Repose (SEPULKRU).
 
Friday 2nd April          (GOOD FRIDAY):              at 6.00pm
                                    Liturgical Function with Veneration of the Cross and Holy
                                    Communion (in Maltese and English).  
                                    This is a day of Fasting and Abstinence.
 
Saturday 3rd April       (HOLY SATURDAY):         at 8.00pm
                                    Easter Vigil with Blessing of New Fire and Baptismal Water,
                                    Acclamation of Easter and Holy Mass of the Resurrection of
                                    Our Lord (together with the German Community).
 
Sunday 4th April         (EASTER SUNDAY):          at 4.30pm
                                    Celebration of Easter with Solemn Holy Mass (in Maltese and
                                    English).