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Today’s Bible Readings
The First Readingin the Easter season is always from the Acts of the Apostles, not from the Old Testament. Today we hear a description of the life of the earliest Church in Jerusalem after Pentecost. The believers devote themselves to the teaching of the Apostles, the fellowship, the breaking of the bread and the Prayers. These four essentials should also be the hallmark of the life of all Christian communities. The Lord added to their number day by day.
In the Second Reading. St Peter praises God for giving us new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead – ‘through his great mercy.’ We are reminded by these words that Pope St John Paul II inaugurated the celebration of the Divine Mercy on this 2nd Sunday of Easter.
In the Gospel the risen Jesus appears to the Apostles in the Upper Room on Easter Sunday. He gives them his greeting of peace, he sends them out as the Father has sent him, he breathes on them the Holy Spirit so that they can forgive sins in his name, ministering his mercy. Thomas is absent on this occasion and refuses to believe they have seen the Lord. His faith is restored when Jesus appears again in the same place eight days later (today), and he is invited to touch his precious wounds which prove his identity. We who have not seen the risen Lord can join with Thomas in worshipping the risen Lord by saying with him, ‘My Lord and my God.’
Times of Mass and Devotions for the Week beginning Sunday 12th April 26
Saturday 11th April 9.30 am Mass
In Easter Octave 2.00 – 3.00 pm Divine Mercy Devotion with Adoration
6.00 pm First Mass of Sunday followed by Confessions
Sunday 12th April 8.30 am Mass
2nd of Easter – Divine Mercy 10.00 am Family Mass
11.30 am Solemn Mass followed by Confession
6.30 pm Mass
Monday 6.00 pm Mass followed by Adoration & Benediction
Easter feria
Tuesday
Easter feria 6.00 pm Mass followed by Rosary
Wednesday
Easter feria 6.00 pm Mass
Thursday
Easter feria 9.30 am Mass attended by St Mary’s School
followed by Rosary
Friday
Easter feria 9.00 am Mass followed by Divine Mercy Prayers
Saturday 9.30 am Mass
Easter feria 6.00 pm First Mass of Sunday followed by Confessions
Sunday 19th April 8.30 am Mass
3rd Sunday of Easter 10.00 am Family Mass
11.30 am Solemn Mass followed by Confessions
6.30 pm Mass
Announcements This Week
IMPORTANT: Please note that our permanent phone number is: 020 7603 0814
Music at 11.30 am Solemn Mass Today: Gorczycki G. G - Missa Paschalis
Motet: Isaac - Mitte manum tuum
Music at 10.00 am Family Mass: There is now a button on the parish website, which allows parishioners to listen to and practice the Sunday hymns ahead of time.
Mass on Thursday will be at 9.30 am, not 9.00 am, as it is being attended by St Mary’s
Primary School.
Thank you to all those who assisted with the many necessary preparations of the Church for Holy Week and Easter, and all who exercised a special ministry in the liturgy, which enabled us to worship the Lord with understanding, reverence and beauty. Particular thanks to Deacon Wayne O’Reilly, permanent deacon of our Diocese, for assisting in the Holy Week Liturgies.
Thank you for the generous Easter Offertory, and also for the gifts, cards, and greetings received over Easter in the Presbytery.
PASCHAL CANDLE REFLECTION
Our newly painted Easter Candle by Fr Juan offers a
prayerful journey through the mystery of the Resurrection.
The candle is divided into three colourful panels.
The bottom panel portrays the Gospel scene of the empty
tomb, with the angel clothed in dazzling white seated
upon it, proclaiming to the women: ‘He is not here, he is risen.’
His countenance is humble since there is no spiritual authority
without meekness. In his hand he holds a scroll—his mission,
and indeed the mission of all angels, the ‘sent-ones’: to
announce Christ’s victory over death and the freedom from
fear, that death casts over every aspect of our lives.
The middle panel represents Christ risen, ascending into heaven. The Ascension, one of the great solemnities of Easter, is shown with Christ pointing towards Galilee, the land of the Gentiles. In his book are inscribed both command and promise: ‘Go and evangelise’ and ‘I am with you.’ The sun and the moon evoke the whole of creation which is eagerly waiting for the manifestation of the children of God. (Rm 8:19)
In the top panel we glimpse the heavenly life: the Cross in gold or Glorious Cross, is symbol of the future glory that can’t be compared with the sufferings of the present life. (Rm 8:18) Through Christ’s blood, signified in red, and through his five wounds, signified by the 5 incense grain capsules, we are given access to this Life. From this place, from heaven, from Christ’s Crucifixion, flow the waters of baptism, quenching the deepest thirst of the human heart. These waters are the symbol of an inner life that already participates in the good things of heaven, an inner joy that never ends.
The Confirmation Mass of Holy Trinity’s Young People this Year takes place on Sunday 26th April at 6.30 pm. The good news is that there are 40 candidates – twice the number of recent years! This means that the candidates, their sponsors and their families will occupy all the available seating in the church. So we kindly ask those who normally attend the Sunday evening Mass to come to a different Mass that weekend: either Saturday 6.00 pm, or Sunday 8.30, 10.00 or 11.30 am. Many thanks for your understanding.
ARISE! Easter Retreat Morning
‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). The Risen Christ opened the hearts of his disciples to understand Scripture on Easter Day and he wants to do the same for us throughout the Easter season. Please join us in a morning retreat, Saturday, April 25, 10 am-12 noon in the parish centre, (preceded by the 9.30 am Mass and followed by lunch), during which we will together “open the scriptures” to explore the mystery of resurrection. The retreat will be based on Arise: A 50 Day Journey into the Mystery of the Resurrection, newly published by Sophia Press and written by one of our parishioners. The cost of the retreat is £15, which is the purchase price of the book. Those who would like to purchase a book in advance can obtain one in the parish office as of Palm Sunday. Please let the parish office know by 21st April that you plan to attend the retreat.
Our Parish Safeguarding Representative, Laurice Sanderson writes…
After several years undertaking the Parish Safeguarding Role, I will be standing down at the end of May. I have found the role to be interesting and varied. At times challenging, it has been mainly enjoyable! I have engaged with parishioners whom I barely knew, getting to know them in a less formal way and hope to pass on the baton to someone (or more than one person!) who will get as much enjoyment from the role as I have, ensuring the safeguarding of our children and vulnerable adults in church activities. Would you like to know more, are you interested in this very interesting role and would you like more information? If so, please contact me by email: brookgreensg@safeguardrcdow.org.uk
Planned Giving Envelopes for the year April 26 –April 27 are again available from the church porch this Sunday. Please double-check YOUR name and address. If you are a UK taxpayer and have not signed up to gift aid your regular offerings, please contact the parish office. If you have stopped paying tax, please also let us know. If your box is not there, and you would like one, please contact the parish office. |
Prayer workshop: Thursday 30th April 2026 at 2pm at Nazareth House. All welcome.
Monthly Hour of Devotion Saturday 2nd May at 2pm, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Followed by 30 minutes of Silent Adoration and Benediction. All are welcome.
Annual Mass of Thanksgiving for Matrimony at Westminster Cathedral, Saturday 23rd May 2026 at 2:30pm. For couples in the Diocese celebrating their 5th, 10th, 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th (and any year over 60) wedding anniversary of Catholic marriage. Please email us husband and wife’s names, wedding date, years married, address, email (or phone number, if no email). We forward this information to the Diocesan Marriage & Family Life office, who in due course will send you the Cardinal's invitation
Holy Trinity Cine Club: for children in Year 7 to Year 9, and Year 10 to 12 on a Friday evening once a month. Quality ‘surprise’ movie followed by discussion and pizza. All are welcome, suggested donation of £5 towards running costs. Contact cineclubbg@gmail.com. See poster in the church porch.
Need a gift for someone who has everything? Why not book a Mass for their intentions? Masses can be booked in the parish office where you will also receive a beautiful card. Recommended donation £10.
Major Repairs to the stonework of the Tower and Spire of the Church are urgently needed. Protective scaffolding has been erected and a detailed programme of the works required is being drawn up.
Two new illustrated booklets are available as a kind of guide to our Church building here at Holy Trinity: 'The Stained Glass Windows of the Church', and 'The Church Carvings and Paintings.' Researched and written by our parishioner Christopher Road, augmenting the Parish History he has also written: 'Little Rome – The Story of Holy Trinity Brook Green'. The booklets are £5 each, and the Parish History is £12.50. They can be purchased during office hours from the Parish Office. You can also purchase a PDF version of the two booklets by emailing the parish office.
SACRAMENTS
Preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism: If you have a child for Baptism under 5 years old please email us for an application form. You will be contacted once the form has been received. A copy of one of the Catholic parents’ baptism certificate will be required. Baptisms can only take place on Saturdays at 11am.
