Bowland Benefice
Pews News 19 March 2023
Mothering Sunday

Collect
God of compassion,

whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
and on the cross drew the whole human family

to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living
that in joy and in sorrow
we may know the power of your presence
to bind together and to heal;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
This week in the Benefice
Sunday
19 March

10.30am Mothering Sunday
Service in Upton
Snodsbury
11.00am Benefice Holy
Communion and
celebration for
Mothering Sunday
in Peopleton

Tuesday
21 March

7.00pm Lent Course
continues at The
Crown, Peopleton
7.30pm White Ladies Aston
PCC meets in the
Parish Room

Friday
24 March

7.30pm Fisherman’s Friend
2 – Film Night in
White Ladies Aston
(see below)

Sunday
26 March
5 th Sunday of
Lent
Passiontide
begins

9.00am Holy Communion in
White Ladies Aston
10.30am Songs of Praise in
Upton Snodsbury
11.00am Holy Communion in
Peopleton
Film Night on Friday will be held in The Parish Room at
a cost of £5 to include an ice cream!
God is Spirit and those who worship him must
worship in spirit and truth.

Maggie Pearse
Maggie’s Funeral will take place on
Wednesday 5 April at 12 noon
in Pershore Abbey.
This will be followed by a cremation at
The Vale, Crematorium, Fladbury
at 12 noon on Thursday 6 April.
Revd Claire will be officiating.
May Maggie rest in peace and rise in glory.

Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday was originally a time when people
returned to the church in which they were baptised. It
became the custom for young people who worked in
large houses to be given the day off on Mothering
Sunday (the fourth Sunday in Lent) to visit their
mothers and they often took a gift of food, flowers or
hand-me-down clothing from their employers.
Traditionally, people fasted and ate simply during Lent
but on Mothering Sunday many people prepared a
Simnel Cake to share with the family.
A Simnel Cake is a light fruit cake decorated with 11
Marzipan balls representing the Disciples, excluding
Judas. Legend has it that it was named after Lambert
Simnel who worked in the kitchens of Henry VII

around the year 1500.
A Prayer for Mothering Sunday
Loving God,

on Mothering Sunday we thank you for mothers
and all those who are in the ‘mothering role’ for
their families – for all they mean or have meant;
for the love they have shown and the care they

have given.

We thank you for their qualities of patience,
kindness, concern and understanding.
We thank you for the part they play in our lives.
We thank you for this day of saying ‘thank you’ -
for this opportunity to say what we so often mean

to say but so rarely do.
For mothers and motherhood,
for fathers, children and families.
We bring you this day our grateful praise. Amen.
Thoughts for Mothering Sunday
When Mums and Dads fall short of what they intend
to be and do, help them to forgive themselves and
move on. After all we are all human!
For all of us, of whatever age, whose Mother-figures
have died. May we remember with gratitude all the
joys, love and guidance we received from them.
Thank you for our homes. Places of rest, laughter and

forgiveness. Places just ‘to be’.
For the countless thousands who at this time, for so
many reasons do not know the joy and security of a
happy, secure and safe family home.