Author: Seafield Road

Dear Friends,

On the eve of this rather surreal Easter Sunday, I greet you in the name of the Lord.

While observing the liturgies of Holy Week on my own in the church has been strange, it has also been a real privilege, and I’m thankful to live on site, thankful for the technology which allows me to connect with others through the internet, thankful for all the people who joined me in prayer from all over the country and indeed the world, and who posted kind comments or sent encouraging messages. Mostly I’m thankful to God for the faith that assures us that even though times are very difficult and even if we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is with us.

It is my prayer that all of you feel that assurance and that presence in these anxious times, especially those of you who may be alone and feel very lonely, vulnerable or isolated.

But despite all the challenges of this present time, Easter is a time which testifies to life, not death; to victory, not defeat; to light, not darkness; to hope not despair, and to new beginnings rising from the ashes of shattered dreams and expectations.

So take heart my friends, better days lie ahead. For now we need to keep each other and ourselves safe by following all the advice and directives we have been given. Please continue to pray for all who are sick or suffering; for all whose lives or livelihoods have been affected by this coronavirus; for all who work puts them at risk; for those who are tasked with leading us or finding effective treatments and a vaccine against Covid19, and for all who are lonely or anxious. And as the Lord often answers our prayers through us, please reach out by phone to those who might be glad of hearing a friendly voice or an offer of help.

Please feel free let me know if you need shopping arranged, or if you find yourself in financial difficulties due to loss of income or increased expense. You can also send me prayer requests to be shared in confidence with our Prayer Group, which meets on Tuesday evenings  via Zoom.

Tomorrow, I will be celebrating Holy Communion for Easter Day at 10.30am, which can be viewed live or later on our parish Facebook page or online at: 
https://www.facebook.com/clontarfparish/

The service sheet can be viewed/downloaded here:
https://mcusercontent.com/40b848beaf6e089437429b684/files/516b2350-9660-4f0c-b674-77421e22aee0/Easter_Day_Service_2020.pdf

From Monday onwards I will resume daily services of Morning Prayer at 10.30am.

Finally, tonight at 9pm we are all being encouraged to Shine a Light in our windows to honour all who have died in Ireland and around the world from Covid 19, all those who are sick, and all our healthcare and front line workers. I intend to place the Paschal Candle in the Rectory window and will be lighting it from the Easter Fire outside the church at 8.45pm tonight – you can join me on Facebook for that short ceremony also if you wish.

May I wish you and all your loved ones a blessed, peaceful and safe Easter.

Much love,

Lesley

My Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you well and safe. The longer the current restrictions go on, I know the harder it will be to adhere fully to them – please continue to be strong and resolute in this regard and to trust the advice and directives given by the experts. Take heart – this too shall pass!

How strange it is to not have any gatherings during what is usually the busiest week of the year for clergy! More than that, it is THE most important week of the year for all of us who call ourselves Christians. Often, the busyness of life, the demands of work and the opportunities of leisure prevent us from engaging much if at all with the various liturgies of Holy Week. This year, most of us will have ample opportunity to commit some time to doing this, and I encourage you all to try and access the various services online or on television.

On Good Friday I will broadcast A Service of Meditation on the Cross at 3pm – a quiet, reflective service as we remember our Lord’s agony and death – all of which he endured for us.

I will be broadcasting morning service at 10.30am on Saturday.

The services can be watched live or later on the parish Facebook page or online at
 https://www.facebook.com/clontarfparish/.

The order of service for Good Friday can be found here.

Please do keep in touch and if you would like prayer suppport for yourself or a loved one, let me know.

Very importantly, if you have been adversely affected financially by this crisis and are struggling to pay bills or meet household expenses, please contact me directly in complete confidence at either 087 9091561 or at revlesleyrobinson@gmail.com.

I will be in touch again on Saturday dv and will provide Easter Sunday’s order of service then.

Stay Safe & God Bless

Lesley

Please note that for the foreseeable future, Holy Communion will be administered in one kind only, i.e. the bread. Only the Celebrant will receive from the Chalice. The celebrant will use hand sanitiser before administering the bread.

The ministers will not shake hands with people as they leave the church, as is their custom, but will remain available at the door to greet and converse with people.

If you have symptoms like a cough, sneezing or a fever, you should refrain from attending services and avail of the televised or streamed services instead.

As per all the HSE guidelines, good hand and respiratory hygiene is essential to prevent the widespread transmission of the virus.

As the situation evolves and new guidelines/directions are given by the HSE, decisions will be made about whether certain events will go ahead or be postponed. Please note that there will be NO service in St. Patrick’s Nursing Home, Baldoyle, until further notice. Please continue to pray for all who are affected in any way by this outbreak of Covid-19.

‘Journeying in Faith – a Walk with Christ’, led by Rev. Cecil Hyland on 27th-29th March at Mount Saint Joseph’s Abbey, Roscrea, County Tipperary.’

Cost €160 (includes full board, reception, retreat and course book)
Contact the Rector for more details – closing date for bookings 28 February.

Who Let the Dads Out? returns on Saturday 25th January from 10-11.30am upstairs in the Parish Centre, for all dads and their pre-schoolers. Join us for banter, fun and rasher sandwiches!