Dates for your Diary Events for the week (in the St Mary's Centre) All Diary Items and Church Services are now cancelled due to the on-going Covid-19 outbreak 1 st Reading Isaiah 50:4-9 The Servant’s Humiliation and Vindication 4   The   Lord   God   has   given   me   the   tongue   of   a teacher,   that   I   may   know   how   to   sustain   the weary   with   a   word.   Morning   by   morning   he wakens—wakens    my    ear    to    listen    as    those who are taught. 5 The   Lord   God   has   opened   my   ear,   and   I   was not rebellious, I did not turn backwards. 6   I   gave   my   back   to   those   who   struck   me,   and my   cheeks   to   those   who   pulled   out   the   beard; I    did    not    hide    my    face    from    insult    and spitting. 7   The   Lord   God   helps   me;   therefore   I   have not   been   disgraced;   therefore   I   have   set   my face   like   flint,   and   I   know   that   I   shall   not   be put to shame; 8 he    who    vindicates    me    is    near.    Who    will contend   with   me?   Let   us   stand   up   together. Who   are   my   adversaries?   Let   them   confront me. 9   It   is   the   Lord   God   who   helps   me;   who   will declare   me   guilty?   All   of   them   will   wear   out like a garment; the moth will eat them up. 2 nd reading: Matthew 27:11-54 Pilate Questions Jesus 11 Now   Jesus   stood   before   the   governor;   and the   governor   asked   him,   ‘Are   you   the   King   of the    Jews?’    Jesus    said,    ‘You    say    so.’ 12 But when   he   was   accused   by   the   chief   priests   and elders,   he   did   not   answer. 13 Then   Pilate   said to     him,     ‘Do     you     not     hear     how     many accusations   they   make   against   you?’ 14 But   he gave    him    no    answer,    not    even    to    a    single charge,    so    that    the    governor    was    greatly amazed. 15 Now    at    the    festival    the    governor was   accustomed   to   release   a   prisoner   for   the crowd,   anyone   whom   they   wanted. 16 At   that time    they    had    a    notorious    prisoner,    called Jesus   Barabbas. 17 So   after   they   had   gathered, Pilate   said   to   them,   ‘Whom   do   you   want   me to   release   for   you,   Jesus   Barabbas   or   Jesus who   is   called   the   Messiah?’ 18 For   he   realized that    it    was    out    of    jealousy    that    they    had handed   him   over. 19 While   he   was   sitting   on the   judgement   seat,   his   wife   sent   word   to   him, ‘Have   nothing   to   do   with   that   innocent   man, for   today   I   have   suffered   a   great   deal   because of    a    dream    about    him.’ 20 Now    the    chief priests   and   the   elders   persuaded   the   crowds   to ask   for   Barabbas   and   to   have   Jesus   killed. 21 The   governor   again   said   to   them,   ‘Which   of the   two   do   you   want   me   to   release   for   you?’ And    they    said,    ‘Barabbas.’ 22 Pilate    said    to them,   ‘Then   what   should   I   do   with   Jesus   who is   called   the   Messiah?’   All   of   them   said,   ‘Let him    be    crucified!’ 23 Then    he    asked,    ‘Why, what   evil   has   he   done?’   But   they   shouted   all the   more,   ‘Let   him   be   crucified!’ 24 So   when Pilate   saw   that   he   could   do   nothing,   but   rather that   a   riot   was   beginning,   he   took   some   water and    washed    his    hands    before    the    crowd, saying,   ‘I   am   innocent   of   this   man’s   blood; * see   to   it   yourselves.’ 25 Then   the   people   as   a whole   answered,   ‘His   blood   be   on   us   and   on our   children!’ 26 So   he   released   Barabbas   for them;   and   after   flogging   Jesus,   he   handed   him over   to   be   crucified. 27 Then   the   soldiers   of   the governor     took     Jesus     into     the     governor’s headquarters,    and    they    gathered    the    whole cohort   around   him. 28 They   stripped   him   and put   a   scarlet   robe   on   him, 29 and   after   twisting some   thorns   into   a   crown,   they   put   it   on   his head.   They   put   a   reed   in   his   right   hand   and knelt    before    him    and    mocked    him,    saying, ‘Hail,   King   of   the   Jews!’ 30 They   spat   on   him, and   took   the   reed   and   struck   him   on   the   head. 31 After   mocking   him,   they   stripped   him   of   the robe   and   put   his   own   clothes   on   him.   Then they   led   him   away   to   crucify   him. 32 As   they went   out,   they   came   upon   a   man   from   Cyrene named    Simon;    they    compelled    this    man    to carry   his   cross. 33 And   when   they   came   to   a place   called   Golgotha   (which   means   Place   of a   Skull), 34 they   offered   him   wine   to   drink, mixed   with   gall;   but   when   he   tasted   it,   he would    not    drink    it. 35 And    when    they    had crucified   him,   they   divided   his   clothes   among themselves    by    casting    lots; 36 then    they    sat down   there   and   kept   watch   over   him. 37 Over his    head    they    put    the    charge    against    him, which   read,   ‘This   is   Jesus,   the   King   of   the Jews.’ 38 Then   two   bandits   were   crucified   with him,    one    on    his    right    and    one    on    his    left. 39 Those   who   passed   by   derided   him,   shaking their    heads 40 and    saying,    ‘You    who    would destroy   the   temple   and   build   it   in   three   days, save    yourself!    If    you    are    the    Son    of    God, come    down    from    the    cross.’ 41 In    the    same way    the    chief    priests    also,    along    with    the scribes     and     elders,     were     mocking     him, saying, 42 ‘He    saved    others;    he    cannot    save himself.    He    is    the    King    of    Israel;    let    him come   down   from   the   cross   now,   and   we   will believe   in   him. 43 He   trusts   in   God;   let   God deliver   him   now,   if   he   wants   to;   for   he   said,   “I am    God’s    Son.”    ’ 44 The    bandits    who    were crucified   with   him   also   taunted   him   in   the same   way. 45 From   noon   on,   darkness   came over     the     whole     land     until     three     in     the afternoon. 46 And    about    three    o’clock    Jesus cried    with    a    loud    voice,    ‘Eli,    Eli,    lema sabachthani?’   that   is,   ‘My   God,   my   God,   why have   you   forsaken   me?’ 47 When   some   of   the bystanders   heard   it,   they   said,   ‘This   man   is calling   for   Elijah.’ 48 At   once   one   of   them   ran and   got   a   sponge,   filled   it   with   sour   wine,   put it   on   a   stick,   and   gave   it   to   him   to   drink. 49 But the    others    said,    ‘Wait,    let    us    see    whether Elijah   will   come   to   save   him.’ 50 Then   Jesus cried   again   with   a   loud   voice   and   breathed   his last. 51 At    that    moment    the    curtain    of    the temple   was   torn   in   two,   from   top   to   bottom. The    earth    shook,    and    the    rocks    were    split. 52 The    tombs    also    were    opened,    and    many bodies    of    the    saints    who    had    fallen    asleep were    raised. 53 After    his    resurrection    they came   out   of   the   tombs   and   entered   the   holy city   and   appeared   to   many. 54 Now   when   the centurion    and    those    with    him,    who    were keeping   watch   over   Jesus,   saw   the   earthquake and   what   took   place,   they   were   terrified   and said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’ *

PALM SUNDAY Week beginning: Sunday 5th April 2020 Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem All Services are now cancelled until further notice Should anyone need assistance of any kind, i.e. shopping, medicines etc. please contact: Lane Thompson at the Timebank on 01480 467209 or 07484 524180 or houghtonwytontimebank@gmail.com Contacts: Revd Geoff Boucher, The Rectory, 3 Rectory La, Wyton, PE28 2AQ, 01480 461846 Church Wardens: Mike Batchelor: 01480 300390 Guy Morton: 01480 494641 1st reading: Isaiah 50:4-9 2nd reading: Matthew 27:11-54 CollectS for 1 PALM SUNDAY Almighty and everlasting God, who in your tender love towards the human race sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross: grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; 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. 2 PALM SUNDAY True and humble king, hailed by the crowd as Messiah: grant us the faith to know you and love you, that we may be found beside you on the way of the cross, which is the path of glory. Amen.

Prayer for the week Keep   us,   good   Lord,   under   the   shadow   of   your mercy   in   this   time   of   uncertainty   and   distress. Sustain   and   support   the   anxious   and   fearful, and   lift   up   all   who   are   brought   low;   that   we may    rejoice    in    your    comfort    knowing    that nothing    can    separate    us    from    your    love    in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen  .