Saturday PMB Page 82
5.45: Sacrament of Reconciliation
6.30pm: Holy Souls
Sunday First of Advent
8.30am: Parish
10am: Union of Catholic Mothers
11.30am: Peter Early RIP
Monday No Mass
Tuesday St Andrew
10am: Priscilla Head RIP
Wednesday
10am: Simon Bracken Rec De
Thursday
No Mass
Friday St Francis Xavier
10am: Holy Souls
Saturday
5 45: Sacrament of Reconciliation
6.30pm. Holy Souls
Sunday Second of Advent
8.30am: Parish
10am: UCM
11.30am: Sheila Mitchell
Advent is a time of watchfulness. We are waiting for the coming of Christ at
the end of time. Since we don't know when that will happen, we should live
in such a way that we are ready to meet Christ at any time. God has a goal
for the world. The goal is the coming of the kingdom in all its fullness.
First Reading God, the prophet Jeremiah assures us, will send the Messiah
to get us out of this mess. He will be from the line of King David and his
kingdom will be one of justice, wisdom and integrity.
Second Reading A letter, Paul's first, of comfort and consolation in which
the young church in Thessaionika, is urged to love with a love that reaches
out to all people. Live the sort of life God wants. May we be blameless in
the sight of God when at last he comes.
The Gospel Our early Christians thought the end of the world to be just
round the corner and that there would be cosmic signs They (and we) are
urged to await the end with confidence, hope and PRAYER. Prayer Expands the Heart. Prayer is being with God, becoming attuned to God, thinking his thoughts and feeling his feelings. According to St Augustine, God wants us to ask, seek, and petition persistently, not in order that he might be changed but that we might be changed. Through the initial
refusal to give us what we want, God compels our hearts to expand in order
to receive adequately what he wants to give. In the very process of hungering
and thirsting for certain goods we make ourselves worthy vessels. It is not
as though in petitioning God we are approaching a stubborn old boss in the
city who we hope might be persuaded by our persistence. Rather, it is God
who works a sort of spiritual alchemy in us by forcing us to wait.
God Delights in our Requests. If God cannot change, what if the point of
asking him for anything? And if God is omniscient, what is the point of
telling him what you need? Keep in mind that the same Jesus who told us to
ask and ask again also informed us that God "knows what you need before
you ask him" (Matt.6:8). One way to shed light on this problem is to refer to
the biblical master metaphor for God - namely, the parent. Parents hear
petitions from their children constantly, persistent requests for things, some
good and some quite bad - and decent parents know what their child needs
long before she asks for it. But none of this conduces a parent toward stifling
those requests or pronouncing them useless - even if he is obliged frequently
to respond negatively. God indeed knows every thing about everything, so he
is aware of what we need before we ask; yet still, like a good parent, he
delights in hearing our requests- and like a good parent, does not always
respond the way we would like him to.
Bishop's Statement: Honouring Sunday. "The Eucharist is the source and
summit of our spiritual and pastoral life. The central appeal of the Mass, its
beauty and its transcendence raises our minds and hearts to God in an
unambiguous and compelling manner. Our Lord Jesus invites us to receive
anew the gift of Sunday as the preeminent day, the day of Resurrection, when
the church gathers to celebrate the Eucharist. Here we stand together before
our heavenly Father, offering our thanksgiving and prayer, through our
Saviour in the Holy Spirit. Here we receive Christ in his word. Here we are
nourished by Christ in his precious body and blood. This is our primary joy
for which there is no substitute, and from which we draw our strength. The
Sunday Eucharist is a gif; as God's holy people we are called to prause and
thank God in the most sublime way possible When the Church speaks of
the Sunday obligation, it reminds us that attending Mass is a personal
response to the selfless offering of Christ's love.
The Archbishop of Southwark We have a hope in the Lord Jesus These are
the most important words I could ever say to you. In the Lord Jesus we have
a hope for the world, a world which God created, a world which God loves
In him we have hope for our common humanity which God shared by tahing
flesh and dwelling amongst us In the Lord Jesus we have a hope or the
Church, Christ's body, called to announce the Gospel with confidence and
joy. In him we have a hope for cach other, that our lives have a purpose. a
dignity and a destiny, that we can live in love, with justice, for peace. We have a hope in the Lord Jesus, crucified and risen from the dead, alive in his Church, alive in his Word, alive in his sacraments. Dear friends we have a hope in the Lord Jesus, alive in us by the power of his Holy Spirit.
November Masses. Traditionally, we pray especially for the dead during
November. November is the month of the Holy Souls. There are envelopes
at the back of the Church so that you may include names of your loved ones
to be remembered at Mass.
First Sacraments talks for parents continue in church 5pm December 4')
All are welcome - parents with children in year 4 or year 3 and any body else
who wants to come along. If you have just submitted an application for a
place in a Catholic secondary school and are thinking about how best to
support your child as he/she grows in the faith then you would be very
welcome. If you are an adult and thinking about receiving the Sacrament of
Confirmation this could be a help The sessions will normally be around 45
minutes.
Live Simply Thank you everyone has already pledged to the Live Simply. in
solidarity with the poor and sustainably with creation. We will follow this
up in the new year to see how you have been getting on with the pledges as
there is an ongoing commitment and with some further ideas Your I&P
Group
Amnesty International - Write for Rights. As in previous years,
Gertrude's Justice and Peace group will be supporting Write for Rights
campaign. Last year we sent 80 cards to people suggested by Amnesty. We
feel this is a very important campaign, as the act of writing a note can make
a huge difference, whether you are contacting the countries' authorities, to
pressure them to address an injustice, or writing to individuals who have
suffered human rights abuse letting them know they are not alone in their
search for justice. Your messages bring love and comfort even in the face of
the worst abuses. Each year approx. 12 cases are highlighted, by Amnesty
for this campaign. Please support this very emotive cause, by sending a
message on Christmas cards (both religious and non religious) on the
weekend of the 27/28'à November 2021 and a couple of weeks following
after all Masses. Cards etc will be provided at the back of the Church.
Need a Career Change. Need help preparing you CV for that new job or an
interview? Free confidential help, can be undertaken remotely (Zoom) if
need be. Contact Anthony 07941527328 (eves +w/e)
Reflection As we await Christ's final coming, we have a task to perform
namely, to be his witnesses throughout the world. We are witnesses to peace
in the midst of conflict, to hope in the midst of despair, to love in the midst
of indifference, and to life in the midst of death. If we do this and pray
constantly, we will have the strength to survive whatever trials come our way
and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man when he comes.
The Syndod (Rome 2023) Thank you for those who have now responded.
The parish has been invited, and is expected to make some response which
will be relayed to the diocese and then, would you believe it to the Pope
Please think seriously if you think you can make a contribution. The questions are on Communion, Participation and Mission and fresh copies are now available at the back of church. The three sets of question will be on different colours of paper. The real purpose of the Synod is to spread the message of Jesus Christ to the people of the world. We all know what a state the world is in and we know, furthermore, that only God can ultimately lead us to our true home. May our efforts help in this task Through our baptism we are commissioned to go out and bear fruit. All part of our vocation to serve.
John Fisher School are advertising for Foundation Governors Please email
the clerk to the governors at 1.redding@johnfisherschool.org for more details. Coloma
School are recruiting, see website details
WWW.COLOMACROYDON.SCHUK/RECRUITMENT
The New Parish Mass Books C1 are now available to buy. Donation please
Youth work in the diocese collection raised £281. Thank you