|
Today is the first day
of the church’s liturgical year. It is also the beginning of Year A in the
Sunday Lectionary- the year of Matthew. I shall be giving a short
introductory talk on Matthew’s gospel this coming Wednesday
(10.15am-11.15am and again at 8pm - 9pm in the hall.)
Advent is the season
when we prepare to celebrate Christmas. But we also direct our minds to the
second coming of the Lord. These are the themes of today’s readings.
The First Reading-like so many in
Advent-is taken from the prophecy of Isaiah. It is a vision of the
restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem and of peace among the nations.
Christ’s coming ushered in this new age, and this vision should inspire us to
work for the true worship of God and for world peace. The Responsorial
Psalm continues the same themes.
In the Second Reading St Paul
- using the imagery of night turning to day - tells us that as Christians we
now live in the new age (of Christ) and should behave accordingly: we should
‘wake up now’ and live in the light of Christ.
In the Gospel Jesus
compares his second coming to Noah’s flood. It will be sudden and unexpected;
some will be taken and others left (some will be saved and others not); so we
must ‘stay awake’ and always be prepared to account for ourselves at the
Day of Judgement.
An Advent Pastoral Letter from Archbishop
Peter will be read at Mass today.
Fr. Bryan.
|
|
|
Attendance last week was 593.
|
|
Sunday
1/12/13
|
First
Sunday of Advent
6pm
(Sat) – People of
the Parish
9.15am – Judy, Gyneth, Paquita and Elwyn
Ingrams, RIP
11am –
Welfare of Helen
Geogheghaw (Margaret Thompson)
|
|
Monday
2/12/13
|
No
Monday Mass
|
|
Tuesday
3/12/13
|
St
Francis Xavier, priest
9.30am – David Kelly, RIP (Teresa and
David West)
|
|
Wednesday
4/12/13
|
Feria
of Advent
9.30am – Ben White, RIP
|
|
Thursday
5/12/13
|
Feria
of Advent
9.30am
– David Kelly,
RIP (Josephine)
|
|
Friday
6/12/13
|
St
Nicholas, bishop
9.30am
– James King, RIP
(J. Loftus)
|
|
Saturday
7/12/13
|
St
Ambrose, bishop
9.30am
– Maureen and Joe
Joslin, RIP (Liam Carland)
|
|
Sunday
8/12/13
|
Second
Sunday of Advent
6pm
(Sat) – People of
the Parish
9.15am
– Florence Fulton, RIP (Hannah Harrison)
11am –
Joe McPartlin,
RIP (Kate Clubbs)
|
|
|
|
|
Today:
Traidcraft
goods on sale
after Mass.
2nd
collection for St.George’s Cathedral. Do visit our cathedral
(Waterloo East then 15 min walk.) A most inspiring church and the ‘seat’
(‘cathedra’) of our Archbishop.
7’s and
8’s at 5pm and confirmation group at 6.30.pm.
|
|
Monday:
Craft
group at 1.30pm (hall)
Pondering
the Word. 11 am - 12 noon (church).
|
|
Wednesday:
Talk on
St Matthew’s gospel (10.15am and 8pm).
|
|
Thursday:
Christmas
choir practice at 8pm.
|
|
Friday:
Mothers
and Toddlers. 1.30pm - 3pm- all most welcome.
|
|
Saturday:
Confessions
heard – 10am-10.30am.
Church
cleaning 10am-11am (NB new time - parents of young people in school
year 8 please). I do ask everyone to take their turn –about two or three
times a year. Thank you.
|
|
Next
Sunday:
Christmas
Minimarket after
the Sunday morning Masses. Many thanks to all who are organising this, and
to those who have brought in items for sale. There will be many excellent
bargains!
|
|
Daily
Mass during Advent:
You are
encouraged to come to a weekday Mass during Advent (Tues-Sat.
at 9.30am). Also- Morning Prayer is said Tues-Fri at 9.10am (not Sat.)
NB No
more exposition and benediction on Saturdays. (We are hoping to restore this in some form
in the new year.)
|
|
PWCT
Christmas cards.
In back
corridor. Please sign and take a bundle and deliver as soon as possible -
thank you. Our Christmas services are listed, together with all the
other PW churches.
NB Confessions
before Christmas: Saturday 22nd December – 10am - 12 noon
(note extended time) with at least two priests. (There will be no Penitential
service this Advent.) NB also ‘Midnight Mass’ on 24th December
will be at 11pm.
|
|
Church School Applications:
All SIFs
to Fr. Bryan personally after Sunday Mass only- at latest noon on December
15th. He will send them to the appropriate schools.
|
|
Literature for you to buy or borrow (from
our library.) Do try and read a spiritual book this Advent/Christmas. See
porch table and our library shelves.
|
|
Thank
you for your
magnificent response to the Philippines appeal and also for your ‘Hungry for
Change’ cards- some 70% of last Sunday’s congregations responded which is
fantastic!
|
|
Thanks
also to
LiveSimply members who helped with the Forest School Project at St
James’ School, before the Christmas Fair. And thanks to those who supported
the Fair.
|
|
Journey
in Faith:
In the
past few weeks several non-Catholic adults have come forward. So we
may well start up again in January on Tuesday evenings.
Please
drop Fr. Bryan an e mail if you might be interested (with no obligation) so that we can
plan (Catholic spouses are of course also most welcome.)
|
|
Marriage:
Catholics
are required to be married according to Catholic form (i.e. in a
Catholic service with a Catholic priest (or deacon) or their marriage
is not recognised by the church. It is amazing that
many Catholics do not seem to know this. If you were not married in a Catholic
church, and there was no impediment (eg, a former marriage) please contact
Fr. Bryan so that your marriage can be convalidated , and thus
recognised by the church.
Please
let your families know this (especially those contemplating marriage).
For
those who are divorced and re-married, help may also be at hand. Again please feel free
to speak to Fr. Bryan in confidence.
|
|
Petts
Wood Festival Chorus:
Our
inter-church choir (some 70 members). Rehearsals will be on Wednesday
evenings in church starting January 8th.(7.45pm-9.30pm) and
the concert will be on Sunday March 23rd at 7.30.pm. Music
still being chosen but please put in your diaries, and come and sing- a
thrilling experience! This will be our seventh year!
|
Eco tip of the week
Household cleaning – the LiveSimply way
To
make an abrasive cleaner use either salt or bicarbonate of soda, both of which
are gentle enough for most surfaces.