Advent is about waiting.

 

Most of us dislike waiting. Instinctively we want to “get on” – we resent queuing, and waiting on the phone for ages while a recorded message tells us “your call is important to us.” Most of the time we hurtle on through life and find waiting difficult.  Children especially cannot wait for Christmas!

 

 And yet waiting is at the heart of our Catholic spiritual tradition. After the Ascension, Our Lady and the Apostles were told to wait (in prayer) for the coming of the Holy Spirit (who came ten days later at Pentecost.)  One of the great spiritual classics of the 20th Century is by the Jewish French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil called “Waiting On God”.

 

We must be patient. The recent TV series “The Big Silence” showed us just how important (and difficult) stillness and silence are if we are to grow in our spiritual lives. It is when we are still that God has the opportunity to remind us of the things that really matter, and when we, in turn, a have a chance to respond.  

 

We should aim to be still and silent for a few minutes before Mass each Sunday.  By being still, we wait in readiness for the many graces God wishes to grant us this Advent and always.  

 

 

“I said to my soul, be still,

and wait without hope.

For hope would be hope

for the wrong thing.

Wait without love,

for love would be love

of the wrong thing.

There is yet faith.

But the faith, and the love,

and the hope

are all in the waiting.”

TS Eliot -“East Coker”

 

Mass attendances last Sunday were 689. 

Sunday

28/11/10

 

 

1st Sunday of Advent

6pm- People of the Parish

10am- Gloria Calnan (B Guyton)

11.30am –May Quinn RIP (Rosemary Scott)

 

Second collection for St George’s Cathedral

 

We warmly welcome Fr. Arbo Lekule who will be preaching about U Touch Africa. 

 

Monday

29/11/10

 

Feria

9.30am –CWL – deceased members of the CWL

 

Readers Evening - 8pm in church

 

CWL meeting – 8pm in the social centre

 

Tuesday

30/11/10

 

 

St Andrew Apostle

9.30am- Margaret McAlesse (Gaynor Whitley) Benediction and confessions after morning Mass

 

7.15pm – Bernard Connelly RIP (Geraldine Thompson) confessions heard from 6.45pm

 

Wednesday

1/12/10

 

Feria

9.30am –Bridget Prebble RIP (Pat Murray)

 

Penitential Service -7pm with priests from Bromley Deanery

 

Thursday

2/12/10

 

Feria

9.30am –Dec. Rels. & Friends of the Cushman family (Ellen Cushman)

 

Friday

3/12/10

 

St Francis Xavier Priest

9.30am –Kenneth Jackson RIP (M. Jackson)

 

Sunday 5/12/ 10

 

Second Sunday of Advent

6pm- People of the Parish

10am- Stanley & Elizabeth Lowe RIP (Teresa Lowe)

11.30am – Bridget & Paul Wiggins (Ned)

 

Readers renew their ministry at Mass

 

Saturday 11/12/10

 

Church cleaning before Christmas 9am -12 noon – please sign list in porch

 

School Application Forms (SIFS) to be given to me personally please and no later than Sunday December 5th.

First Holy Communion. Preparation for year 3 children (or ANY child who has not received first communion) who are NOT at Catholic schools will start after Christmas. Parents please take letter from porch and return to presbytery asap.

Youth Group Christmas Party- open to all young people Years 7-10 –Saturday 4th December; church hall 12.30-2.30pm 

 

“Waiting for what?

For all to have clean drinking water.

`

Waiting for what?

For all to have food.

 

Waiting for what?

For women to be treated equally to men.

 

Waiting for what?

For workers to receive a fair wage.

 

Waiting for what?

For the rich to share their wealth.

 

Waiting for what?

For racism to end.

 

Waiting for what?

For baby Jesus to be born.

 

This is some Advent.

Waiting for rather a lot it seems........”

 

by Rosie Morton

 

Every blessing, Fr Bryan