Fourth Sunday of Advent - Year A

23rd December 2007

Reflection

The Gospel for this weekend puts before us a sobering lesson. Speaking to his disciples Jesus lets them know that they will experience persecution, imprisonment, betrayal, the hatred of many and some will be put to death. This will be on account of him and his name. But despite the opposition they will face, Jesus reassures them that ‘not a hair on your head will be lost’. He invites them and indeed us all to see that there is always the loving care of God for us in each and every situation of our lives. Our Father’s care and concern for us reaches into the most difficult and darkest situations that we are undergoing. We are never alone or indeed left alone by God. In the face of all that life throws at us, God goes before us smoothing our path and directing our steps in the way of His peace.


THE PARISH BINGO
The bingo continues in the Parish Hall @ 9.00 pm on Friday evening.

Weekend Masses:
Vigil Mass Saturday evening 8.00 pm Sunday morning 9.00 am & 11.00

Confession Times:
Saturday Evening after Vigil Mass

Mass Intentions for this week:
Wednesday 10.00am - Anv. Mass Madge McHugh
Friday 10.00am - Anv. Mass Mary Baxter
Saturday 8.00pm - Anv. Mass Francis & John McGlinchey

This Week’s Calendar
Monday 24 Advent Weekday.

Tuesday 25 THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. Jesus comes among us as a little child. His name shall be Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.

Wednesday 26 St Stephen, First Martyr. He was one of those in charge of the poor and needy and is remembered for his outstanding forgiveness of his enemies. He is patron of deacons, stonemasons and bricklayers.

Thursday 27 St John, Apostle and Evangelist. St John, brother of James, son of Zebedee, the disciple who Jesus loved, is traditionally said to have died at Ephesus.

Friday 28 The Holy Innocents, martyrs. Today we remember the children who were killed at the command of King Herod, who hoped to include Jesus among the dead.

Saturday 29 Day 5 in the Octave of Christmas.

Samaritans Shoe Box Appeal
A sincere thanks to Mrs Kelly, Mrs. McHugh, Staff, Pupils & Parents of St. Davog’s P.S. & St. Caireall’s P.S., The Rosary Group and all other families who generously donated to make this appeal a great success. It is all worth the effort when we can share our generosity with the children in poorer countries at this festive time. Kathleen McHugh & Margaret Lynch.

Church Collection.
The collection taken up at the Mass of Midnight on Christmas Eve and the Masses on Christmas Day using the Green Envelope in your box for December 25th is your Christmas Gift to the Priest. This is the only collection that is solely for the Priest

Masses during the coming week
The Season of Christmas. The Nativity of Our Lord.
Monday Night 24th Dec 2007 Mass of Midnight at 9.00 pm
Tuesday: Christmas Morning December 25th 2007 Mass 9 am & 11 am
Wednesday to Friday 10.00 am each day

Diocesan Commission for Justice & Social Affairs
During the year Bishop Hegarty set up a new Diocesan Commission for Justice & Social Affairs, with the key aim to raise awareness of the social teaching of the Church. The Commission will attempt to articulate our responsibility as concerned Christians in the modern world, with reference to key issues such as poverty, migration, family and marriage, violence in society, pro-life issues, global warming, and dealing with the conflict of the past, to name a few. Throughout the coming year we will offer some reflection on a number of these issues.

Study Theology from Home.
Spend time learning more about the Faith, take up the study of theology through distance learning, either for its own sake or for a degree. The Priory Institute, under the care of the Dominicans, is offering a programme of theology especially for lay people, with a network of student support services spread all around the country. Information can be had from The Priory Institute, Tallaght Village, Dublin 24, tel. (01) 404 8127 or 404 8124, e-mail enquiries@prioryinstitute.com (website : www.prioryinstitue.com)

At this Joyful Time in our Church
I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and everyone of you A Happy, Holy and Peaceful Christmas. To thank you sincerely for your cards and good wishes, your gifts, your Prayers, your support and help during this last year both in liturgies and throughout the different bodies within the parish when you give of that most precious commodity, your time, and you share the gift of your time so willingly. ž All the great liturgical celebrations we all enjoyed during the year, the couples who began their married life in the Church of St. Patrick, the parents who came to this Church to have their babies enrolled as members of the christian family through the Sacrament of Baptism. It has been a good year for so many of us and then there are those among us who are coping with loss and bereavement with the loss of a loved one during the year. This year we had the commencing of the work on the new parochial house that will hopefully be completed in the first half of 2008. We all look forward to the moving back into the new premises. Merry Christmas Fr. J. Gilmore

Questions people ask
Q. Is it OK to question the virginal birth of Jesus? I’ve read that this was a fashionable notion in those days in mythology and when writing about famous leaders.
A. The gospels of Matthew and Luke treat the virginal conception of Jesus as a fact, not as a fanciful notion or a myth. Joseph, on learning of Mary’s pregnancy, wanted to break off his contract with Mary until the virginal conception was revealed to him. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, already existed as a person before he came to earth in human nature. Therefore, he could not have had a second father, only an adoptive one. But to be fully human, his embryo needed nurturing in the womb of a mother.

Thanks!
The committe and organisers of The Ulster Project sincerely thank the parishioners and the parish choir for their attendance at the Community Carol Service last Sunday in St. PatrickÕs Church, Castlederg.

Marriage Preparation Courses.


2008

January 25th & 26th,
February 22nd & 23rd,
April 4th , 5th, and April 25th & 26th,
May 23rd & 24th,
June 13th &14th.
Numbers on courses are limited. The fee of £80 per couple must be included with completed application form and forwarded to the Accord office