{"id":14054,"date":"2026-01-30T09:46:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T09:46:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/?page_id=14054"},"modified":"2026-03-21T19:47:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T19:47:34","slug":"vicars-page-february-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/information\/vicars-page\/vicars-page-february-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Vicar’s page – February 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Previous month<\/a> – Next month<\/a> – Monthly index<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Merry’s miscellany\u2019<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The Vicar\u2019s monthly letter for the Parish News<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n
\n
\"Rev<\/a>
Rev Merry Smith<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

February 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love: A choice, an endeavour, a gift<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As February unfolds, we’re reminded of love; its sweet expressions, its tenderness, and the joy it brings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, true love is not just about flowers or romantic gestures. Or even affection shared with friends and family. It is both a simple attitude and a continual, deliberate act of choosing to care, to serve and to forgive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As human beings we all need love, and grow because of its presence. However, sharing love, even with those very close to us, can feel tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life is not always full of warm feelings or perfect moments; instead, love is about patience in the face of frustration, kindness in times of conflict, and perseverance when things are tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True love is a choice, not a feeling. It’s the act of caring for others, even when it’s challenging, even when it’s messy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bible offers a powerful reminder of this deeper reality of love in 1 John 4: 19: “We love because He first loved us.” This verse invites us to recognise that love begins with God. He has shown us what love truly is, sacrificial, unconditional and constant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to His love, we are called to love others, not just in the easy moments but in the difficult ones too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love is a continuous journey of growth and grace. It’s about wrestling with life’s imperfections and choosing to see the good in others. So this February, let’s remember that love is both a gift and a responsibility. A beautiful, ongoing effort to live out God’s love in all our relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prayer for the Month of Love:
Lord, thank You for loving us first. Help us to love others as You have loved us; patiently, kindly and with perseverance. May Your love shine through our actions every day. Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merry Smith<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Previous month – Next month – Monthly index \u2018Merry’s miscellany\u2019 The Vicar\u2019s monthly letter for the Parish News February 2026 Love: A choice, an endeavour, a gift As February unfolds, we’re reminded of love; its sweet expressions, its tenderness, and the joy it brings. Yet, true love is not just about flowers or romantic gestures. Or even affection shared … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Vicar’s page – February 2026”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":22,"menu_order":263,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14054","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14054"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14274,"href":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14054\/revisions\/14274"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}