The next publication of the newsletter will be on:

6th January 2008

The 4th Sunday of Advent

23rd December 2007

CALENDAR:

TUESDAY - THE CHRISTMAS FEAST
Wednesday - St. Stephen
Thursday - St. John the Evangelist
Friday - The Holy Innocents

Gospel Reflection
'Count Me In.'

Our Nativity scenes show Mary smiling fondly at the newborn baby Jesus and Joseph looking protective and relaxed as though bringing up the Son of God might be the most normal thing in the world. The couple look like they have slipped into the history books with the greatest of ease, but nothing could be further from the truth. Without the benefit of hindsight, things must have felt very different. Mary was taking terrible risks by saying 'yes' to God's plan, yet without her agreement the history of salvation would have looked very different. Joseph's agreement to God's plan was of equal importance. Without Joseph, Mary would have had no one to support her. Without Joseph, Mary would not even have been accepted. Without Joseph, Jesus would have had no family in which to grow up. It is a tribute Mary and Joseph's faith that they were prepared to accept what was being asked of them ..... without the faintest idea of where God's plan might take them.

The interesting lesson to learn is that what might originally seemed to have been difficult demands on the couple turned out to be gifts of hope and joy and love, not in a 'happy ever after' kind of way, but in a 'lasting fulfilment' kind of way.

We too are part of God's plan. We too have a part to play in leaving the world a better place than we found it. The challenge is to discover what God is asking us to do, and to say 'Count me in' to his plan wherever that plan might take us.

Masses for Christmastide

Monday 24th December - Christmas Eve

• 5.30pm - Family Mass
• 8.00pm - First Mass of Christmas
• 12.00 - Midnight Mass - Carols will commence at 11.45

Tuesday 25th December - Christmas Day

• 8.30am & 10.30am (There will be no Evening Mass)

St Stephen - Wednesday 26th December

This feast dates back to about the 4th century. Because his name is Greek, it is assumed that Stephen was a Jew of the 'Diaspora' (Gentile territory) who had resettled in Jerusalem. Stephen is the first-named among the seven deacons chosen to minister to Greek speaking Christians in Jerusalem at the very dawn of the Christian church. He is the first recorded martyr of the New Testament.

St. John the Evangelist - Thursday 27th December

Also known as St John the Divine, the apostle John was the son of Zebedee and the brother of James, and a fishermen. John was very close to Jesus and was present at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus' daughter and the agony in the Garden. John is the "beloved disciple" referred to in the gospels. He is remembered for the Fourth Gospel, the Book of Revelation and three epistles which bear his name. We believe John died in Ephesus in extreme old age.

ADVENT FUNDRAISING

Many thanks to all who contributed so generously to Advent fund-raising in the parish. Here are the results to date:

1. We succeeded in raising over £1000.00 for CAFOD's overseas Christmas Charities.
2. We opted to send new men's clothing for The Passage Project for the Homeless.

On Wednesday last we delivered 18 vests, 23 scarves, 32 hats, 40 pairs of gloves, 83 pairs of underpants & 156 pairs of socks.

In addition there was a cash donation of £200.00 for the Passage to be allocated as required. I am sure that these items will make a real difference to those in need at this particularly cold time of the year. Frances Lazarus

"...Ye who now shall bless the poor
shall yourselves find blessing"