My dear friends,
I drew back the curtains on 2nd January 2026 to find everywhere covered with snow. As I drove through Catsfield and Crowhurst shortly after 7.30am, everywhere looked stunning. I was reminded of paintings of snow-scenes in art galleries, and also, rather curiously, of the Christmas cakes my mother used to bake when I was a boy, which she covered with white icing and decorated with a couple of small plastic cottages with snow on the roofs. It is surprising what deeply buried memories can suddenly pop up in one’s hea
The snow made me think how lucky we are to have the four seasons. We sometimes grumble about the weather – too hot, too cold, all four seasons in one day – but I suspect that secretly we would miss the seasons. I may have mentioned before that I encountered an English lady who lived in Monte Carlo, where she found she was surprisingly unhappy because the weather was mild or warm all year round: she missed the many gradations of Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer back in Great Britain.
In the Benedicite in the 1662 Prayer Book we read:
O ye Winter and Summer, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Dews and Frosts, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Frost and Cold, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Ice and Snow, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.
(1662 Prayer Book, Morning Prayer, The Benedicite)
The seasons, of course, are necessary for the planet, flora and fauna, and agriculture. We should see them as precious gifts from God, to be enjoyed and celebrated.
The Church, too, has its own seasons. On Wednesday 18th February, we shall keep Ash Wednesday, the start of the season of Lent. Over the next forty days Christians strive to draw closer to Jesus in preparation for Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter Day (29th March – 5th April 2026) through extra prayer, churchgoing, repentance, study and almsgiving.
On Ash Wednesday, 18th February, we shall have two celebrations of the Eucharist with the imposition of ashes: at St George’s Church, Crowhurst, at 10.00 am, and at St Laurence’s Church, Crowhurst, at 7.30pm. I would be very grateful if parishioners could return last year’s palm crosses, for me to burn to make the ash. May I wish you all a happy and holy season of Lent.
With love and prayers,
Father Robert.