Epiphany IV - 30 January 2022

We celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Epiphany with a livestreamed mass.

10.00 am Sung Mass

You can find the service HERE. (The video will go live on Sunday at 10.00 am)

You can find the leaflet HERE.

Epiphany III - 23 January 2022

We celebrate the Third Sunday of Epiphany with a livestreamed mass at 10.00 am.

You can find the service HERE. (The link will go live on Sunday morning at 10.00 am.)

You can find the leaflet HERE.

Epiphany II - 16 January 2022

We celebrate the Second Sunday of Epiphany with an online mass at 10.00 am.

You can find the service HERE. (Link will go active Sunday at 10.00 am)

You can find the leaflet HERE.

An organ recital in progress: part 116

Dear SMM Community,

The next part of my online organ recital is here, and I hope that you enjoy it. I offer up these musical meditations as part of our parish efforts to find ways to keep you connected at this time. Recorded on my house organ, the instrument is a musical facsimile of the great 'Father' Willis organ at Salisbury Cathedral.

Today, I present Francis Jackson's Prelude on ‘East Acklam’.  

Francis Jackson (1917-2022) came to fame through his long and highly respected tenure as the organist of York Minster. A protégé of Edward Bairstow, in time he rivalled the illustrious musical career of his predecessor. Jackson’s  Prelude on ‘East Acklam’ is a setting of his own hymn tune (commonly sung to the text  For the fruits of all creation), named after the village northeast of York, where he lived. He wrote the hymn tune in 1957 as a replacement for  Ar hyd y nos, which he had tired of playing. Jackson passed away this week on Monday 10 January at the age of 104.

With best wishes,
Andrew Adair
Director of Music

Baptism of the Lord - 9 January 2022

We celebrate the Baptism of the Lord with a Procession & Online Mass.

You can find the video HERE. (Link to come)

You can find the leaflet HERE.

Epiphany - 6 January 2022

We celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord with an online mass.

You can find the service HERE. (Link to come.)

You can find the leaflet HERE.

It is our custom every year to bless chalk with which you can mark the door of your house. Here’s how it works!

The Blessing of Chalk

Since the Middle Ages there has been a tradition that on the feast of the Epiphany blessed chalk is used to mark the entrance of homes with the initials of the Magi and the numerals of the new year, connected with crosses:

20 + C + M + B + 22

The initials remind us of the legendary names of the Magi – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. This can also stand for the Latin motto: Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless this house.” In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites marked their doors with blood so that the Lord would pass over their homes; but in this ritual, we mark our doors with chalk as a sign that we have invited God’s presence and blessing into our homes.

It is traditional to write the inscription on the lintel, above the door, but it can be written anywhere near the entrance.

As you are writing, you may wish to pray one of more of the following prayers:

May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us; and may we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is Lord, forever and ever. Amen.

Lord God of heaven and earth, you revealed your only-begotten Son to every nation by the guidance of a star. Bless this house and all who inhabit it. Fill us with the light of Christ, that our concern for others may reflect your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord our God, bless this household. May we be blessed with health, goodness of heart, gentleness, and the keeping of your law. We give thanks to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.