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SCRIPTURE
READINGS
|
Isaiah |
61:1-2,
10-11 |
| Psalm |
Like
1:46-50, 53-54 |
| I
Thessalonians |
5:16-24 |
| John |
1:6-8,
19-28 |
The
ascription of the third Sunday of Advent derives
from chapter 4 (verse 4) of Saint Paul's Letter
to the Philippians and should not be confused with
Laetare or Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday of
Lent, (cf. Galatiand 4, 21 ff.)
The
idea of religious joy is really quite challenging.
It is doubtful if many people naturally experience
great joy or happiness in complying with the demands
of their faith. It may enhance life, but it may
also seem to make it more burdensome. It may seem
all very well to go to church on Christmas night
or Good Friday, to be married in church and have
one's children baptised, but much of this is custom.
It
is only, perhaps, when we explore wonder of the
Christ, who in his feebleness turns the world upside
down that our frail hearts amazed at what occurs
may rise up in joy. The great fourth century A.D
bishop of Milan (c. 340-397) wrote a Christmas hymn
in the course of which he defines Christ as a “geminae
gigas substantiae” a giant of two substances'. The
phrase so much struck Augustine, who owed his baptism
to him, that he incorporated it into one of his
sermons Against the Arians. Christ was (and is)
absolutely unique.
Two
miracles embrace his life, his birth of May the
Virgin and his resurrection from the dead. These
point beyond themselves to the Christ,
the giant, who was at the same time both ONE and
TWO, one person and two natures. All so easy to
say yet impossible for our intellects to grasp.
I wonder if even the mighty intellects of Newton
and Einstein could grasp the wonder which lies at
the heart of our religion.
The
natural order of the universe, despite its earthquakes
and tsunamis is or should be enough to fill us with
a sense of wonder for its very existence. We take
it for granted and it passes us by. “The spacious
firmament on high” in the words of Addison should
be by themselves enough to make our hearts both
amazed and full of joy. Even more so should the
appearance on earth of the source of the order and
very existence of this universe. When Saint Paul
tells his beloved converts in the small town of
Philippi to rejoice always, he is not exhorting
them to be creatures of emotion, Rather is he telling
them to allow a sense of wonder and joy to be directed
to him who his most worthy of our hearts and minds
- 'the giant of two substances' Jesus Christ, our
Lord and God. Our religion as Catholics is not simply
one of tedious repetition, of morals and unglamorous
liturgy. It is also a preparation of the joy which
will be ours when we see the source of it all face
to face .
Fr
Anthony Meredith SJ
The
Church Team
Fr
William Pearsall SJ (Parish
Priest)
Fr
Anthony Meredith SJ
Fr
Tony Nye SJ
Fr
Hugh Duffy SJ (Superior
of the Jesuit Community)
Anne
Paolino (Parish Secretary)
Patsy
Cummings (Catechetical Co-ordinator)
Philip
O’ Brien (Parish
Council Chairman)
David
Graham (Director of
Music)
Patrick Mallon (Sacristan)
MUSIC
AT 11.00 MASS
| Mass:
Motets: |
Missa in Adventus
Prope
est Dominus
Veni
Domine et noli tardare |
M.
Haydn
M.
Haydn
Mendelssohn |
| Organ: |
Kommst
du nun, Jesus, vom Himmel herunter |
J.
S. Bach |
CHRISTMAS
MASS TIMES
Christmas
Eve:
6pm
Children's Mass
(
11pm
Doors open)
11.30pm
Carols
12
Midnight : First Mass of Christmas
Christmas
Day:
8am
,
9.30am
(Family Mass),
11am
Sung Latin
12.30pm
(with Carols)
No
afternoon or evening Masses
Boxing
Day:
8am
,
11am
,
6pm
NOVENA
PRAYER
Pour
forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
Thy grace into our hearts; that
we, to whom the incarnation of
Christ, Thy Son, was made known
by the message of an angel, may
by His Passion and Cross be brought
to the glory of His Resurrection,
through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen
PENANCE
SERVICE AND CAROL CELEBRATION
This
Tuesday December 16 th , we
conclude the Advent Novena with
a special Penance Service immediately
following the 6pm
Mass.
This will prepare us for Christmas
with a guided examination of
conscience and an opportunity
for Confession. At 7.30pm
the Young
Adults group are presenting
a candlelight service of Carols
and Readings
and anyone
can join in this. There will
also be a priest in the confessional
during this part of the evening.
SVP
VOLUNTEERS
If
you are interested in seeing
the Society of St Vincent de
Paul (outreach to the needy)
in action, come along to 114
Mount Street
this Monday December 15 th at
7pm
.
If you have items to donate
to the SVP charity shop, contact
Dominic Beary today: 0776 699
2808.
Farm
Street Christmas cards are now
on sale in the bookshop and
Hall and are available during
the week from the sacristy.
THANK
YOU!
Recent
fundraising
results:
Catholic
Children's
Society
(Christmas
cards)
£650;
Little
Sisters
of the
Poor:
£2,575.35;
Christmas
Children's
Charities
(Raffle
draw
and
jam
sale)
£1,600.
SVP:
£
3281.59
. Many
Thanks!
FLOWERS
A
big
Thank
You
to our
anonymous
donors
of flowers!
If you
would
like
to give
flowers
to the
church
or parish
rooms
for
Christmas,
just
bring
them
in to
the
sacristy
or reception.
"SIMBANG
GABI"
Fr
Randolph
Lumabao
SJ,
of the
Mount
Street
community,
will
be celebrating
Christmas
Mass
with
the
Farm
Street
Filipino
Community
at 7pm
in the
church
on Friday
December
19th
with
a celebration
in the
Hall
afterwards.
WINNING
RAFFLE
NUMBERS
1st
:
4595,
2nd
:
2153,
3rd
:36,
4th
:
4678,
5th
:
3876,
6th
:
1163,
7th
:
1529,
8th
:
838,
9th
:
694,
10th
:
412,
11th
:
4176,
12th
:
293.
Note:
If you
won
2nd
Prize
please
get
in touch
– we
cannot
reach
you!
MOUNT
STREET
JESUIT
CENTER
114
Mount Street
To
book or make enquiries please
e-mail lynne@mountstreet.info
or ring 020 7495 1673.
The
Centre is offering a great variety
of lectures, courses and workshops
in 2009, for example: Reading
and Praying the New Testament,
Really Useful Psychology, A
Portrait of Jesus, Liturgy Course,
12-Step Group Meeting, St John
of the Cross and St Teresa of
Avila , Discernment in Everyday
Life, The Sacraments, Myers
Briggs and Prayer, and Sadhana.
Please
pick up a leaflet or a copy
of the programme. We are blessed
to have this concentration of
expertise in theology, Scripture,
spirituality and other area
of Christian life and learning.
The formation of the laity is
a fundamental need of the Church
in her mission to the world.
Think of the ways that you might
benefit from this opportunity.
To
book or make enquiries please
e-mail
lynne@mountstreet.info
or
ring 020 7495 1673
PLEASE
REMEMBER
Mass
Intentions are always
welcome!
PARKING
REMINDER
Resident
Parking applies 24/7. Parking is "Pay
by phone" only and is free only
on Sundays and from Monday to Saturday
after 6:30pm. Congestion Charges apply
from Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm.
Please bear in mind that the Traffic
Wardens are very “pro-active” in this
area.
GIFT
AID
Please
use the Gift Aid envelopes at the church exits
if you are a UK taxpayer for all your donations.
If you are not sure of the code you have been
allocated, please complete name and address
or contact the parish office. Thank
you
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