Monthly Archives: December 2016

Newsletter for Sunday 18 December 2016

16 Dec

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

With only a week to go before Christmas Day, the liturgy of the Fourth Sunday of Advent sets the scene for our coming celebrations. The child who is to be born will be known as Emmanuel, a name meaning ‘God is with us’. As we remember and imagine Mary and Joseph preparing for the arrival of their son, let us prepare for his coming by opening our hearts and minds to him.

Blessing of the Fourth Candle

Lord our God, we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:  he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples; he is the way that leads to you; he is the Saviour of the world.

Lord God, let your blessing come upon us as we light the fourth candle of this wreath. May the coming of the Christ, the Light of the World, dispel any darkness in our lives.

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Newsletter for Sunday 11 December 2016

9 Dec

GAUDETE SUNDAY

This weekend we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent which is also known as Gaudete Sunday or Rejoicing Sunday.  This title is taken from the words of the entrance antiphon: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near! ‘ (Philippians 4:4-5). This Antiphon  sets the tone for the entire liturgy today: our readings are exuberant, confident, and filled with hope, joy and the promise of a new and better life. They point to the coming of Jesus our Saviour. No wonder the church for this one day sheds its penitential purple of Advent, donning instead rose-coloured garments.

For the next few days, let us recall in a prayerful manner the words of the Alleluia verse: ‘The spirit of the Lord has been given to me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor’.

Fr Philip Sainter

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Newsletter for Sunday 4 December 2016

2 Dec

THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

The Advent theme of “preparing a way for the Lord” is again being repeated in our readings – in the imperative!: ‘A voice cries in the wilderness: “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight” ’! 

Whilst Isaiah points to The One to be born of the family of Jesse (- Jesse was the father of King David, the ancestor of Jesus (see Mt 1:1-16), and with pointed urgency John the Baptist preaches a baptism of repentance, both speak of the eschatological judgement that will take place: Isaiah says, ‘He will judge the wretched with integrity, give a verdict for the poor, strike the ruthless and bring death to the wicked’ (vv 3&4);  John the Baptist says ‘His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning the chaff’ (v 12. see also Lk 3:7-8).  That He will do this with fine-honed accuracy (c.f. the Hebrew word for ‘delight’ in Is 11:3) – as our Creed professes – the mercy of God is such that all who turn to him with a contrite heart (Ps 50:17;  Mk 1:14-15) making straight their paths (Mt 3:3 //)  will be granted salvation.

Let all of us prepare a way for the Lord to come into our personal lives, our family situations and our society, by coming into the presence of Christ in prayer and through the sacraments.

Fr Philip Sainter

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