Sunday
6th December 2009
Second
Sunday of Advent.
Sunday, 6th December, 2009
Second Sunday of
Advent
First Reading Baruch
5: 1-9
God will guide Israel in joy by the light
of his glory.
Second Reading Philippians
1: 3-6
We are to be pure and blameless for the
day of Christ.
Gospel Luke 3: 1-6
John the Baptist preaches repentance to
prepare for the coming of Christ.
ON THE MARGINS
Drunk and wobbling, he stood in the middle
of O’Connell Street Dublin. Ignoring
the rictus of the floosie in the jacuzzi
statue behind him, he berated passers by
for walking around in a dream and not knowing
it. He had a point. But no impact. ‘Yer
all livin in a dream!’ was his shouted
message. But for his spectral hearers the
medium was the message: a noonday drunk
couldn’t have anything worthwhile
to say.
Yet what about another
down-and-out: the poet Francis Thompson.
He had much to say, and all of it worthwhile.
As God’s word came to John the Baptist
in the wilderness of sand (today’s
Gospel Luke 3:-6) so too it came to an opium
addict in his wilderness of streets. When
it came his eyes opened and he penned these
luminous lines: ‘the angels keep their
ancient places, Turn but a stone and start
a wing ‘tis your estranged faces,
that miss the many splendored thing’
John The Baptist couldn’t
have put it better! Truly what Advent announces
is a ‘many splendored thing’.
God’s splendour shining through simplicity,
God’s power bursting through weakness.
Conceived out of wedlock, born out of home
rejected by society, killed by the ‘law’.
Jesus became a man on the margins.
Do we want to cheer at
the birth of a marginalised man? Do we want
to listen to what he says? Do we not prefer
the hollow chant of ‘Ho Ho Ho’
and the glint of tacky tinsel? Could that
be why we’ve handed Christmas over
to kids?
AN INSPIRED CHRISTMAS
GIFT
Trocaire is again offering
Christmas Global Gift Plan - a memorable
collection of practical and life changing
Christmas gifts which will be delivered
directly to hard pressed families in the
developing world.
This is how the Global
Gift Plan works.
You can buy a selection
of enduring gifts - like a vegetable garden,
gift of chicks, A School Lunch, The Gift
of Water and other gifts in a friend‘s
or relative’s name.
These Gifts will go directly
to impoverished families in some of the
poorest parts of the world and your friend
gets a beautifully designed personalised
certificate and Christmas card.
Remember all these gifts
are real, practical and life changing. Vulnerable
families in some of the world’s poorest
regions need these gifts, not just to help
at Christmas, but to change lives for generations
to come.
These gifts are
available at
www.trocaire.org or Veritas shop Shipquay
Street.
Sometimes it seems like God is difficult
to find and impossibly far away. We get
so caught up in our small daily duties and
irritations that they become the only things
that we can focus on. What we forget is
that God's love and beauty are all around
us, every day, if only we would take the
time to look up and see them.
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Tuesday is the Feast of
the Immaculate Conception and is a holyday
of obligation. Masses will be Vigil Mass
on Monday at 7.30pm. Masses on Tuesday will
be 10.00am 12.30pm and 7.30pm.
NOVENA TO OUR LADY
OF PERPETUAL HELP will be included
in the Vigil Mass at 7.30pm. Please bring
your own Petition or pick up a petition
card at the main door of the church and
place it in the special petition box at
Our Lady’s Altar.
SYMPATHY
We offer our sympathy to
the family and friends of
James McMonagle
10 Lindenwood Park and
Michael Anderson
14 Northmeadows who died during the week.
May they rest
in peace.
BAPTISMS
Our parish family welcomes;
Erin Keogh 25 O’Casey Ct
Tony Murray 40 Benview Est
Matthew Thomas MacFarland
39 Dunluce Court
CAROL SERVICE
Our Parish Carol Service
will take place on Sunday next 13th December
at 6.00pm. All our church and school choirs
will take part. We invite the children to
bring gifts for the poor which will be distributed
by St.Vincent De Paul Society.
SUNDAY COLLECTION
29th Nov. amounted
to £2111.20 and €197.53
Thank you.
Annual Collection
for St.Vincent De Paul Society
will be taken up after all
Masses next weekend 12 & 13th Dec.
Please give generously.
GROUP GUIDED PRAYER
Thursday 8.00pm - 9.00pm
in the Upper Room.
This group will meet each
week to pray with regard to Sunday Scripture
readings.
All welcome
NEW ALTAR SERVERS
Any child from P5, P6,
P7 who would like to become an altar server
should come to a meeting on Thursday at
3.15pm in the church.
MASS FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF MATT
TALBOT will be celebrated in Termonbacca
tomorrow Monday 7th December. at 7.30pm.
All welcome
MASS OF THANKSGIVING
Bishop Hegarty will officiate
at a special Mass of Thanksgiving in St
Mary’s Church Creggan on Tuesday 8th
December at 10.30am to mark the 50th Anniversary
of the official opening of the school. All
Past Pupils are welcome.
Advent Morning: Thursday
10 December, Thornhill Centre is holding
a ‘Reflection Morning’ for Advent
beginning at 10:30 and concluding with a
light lunch at 1:00 pm. Time includes a
talk, quiet reflection and prayer. A donation
of £5 per morning is suggested. Please
ring 71351233 to book.
COLMCILLE PILGRIMAGES
LOURDES PILGRIMAGE 21st-28th July 2009 Cost
£659 For details tel. Margaret 07732468511
ST. JOSEPH’S
YOUNG PRIESTS SOCIETY
Meeting on Thursday 10th
Dec. at 8.00pm. All welcome
STAMP APPEAL
A collection box will be
in the church over the Christmas period.
Please save your stamps and bring them for
collection. The stamps will be forwarded
to St. Patrick’s Mission after Christmas.
They will aid St. Patrick’s Missionaries
in their work
THE ROSARY
Philip Carty. is having
a concert of his piano work The Rosary.
The Rosary is a religious work for piano.
The concert takes place on the 8th of December,
the Feast of Immaculate Conception. in the
Great Hall, Magee Campus, University of
Ulster. Ticket prices are: £12, concessions:
£8
INTERCESSORS OF
THE LAMB are holding a One Day
Retreat in Ards Friary, Creeslough, Co.Donegal.
On 12 December 2009 Commences at 9.30am
and will finish at 7pm. Cost:E40/£36
including lunch, supper and refreshments.
All are welcome. For booking please contact,
Ards Friary Retreat and Conference Centre
Tel: 074 9138909 or 00 353 74 9138909 Email:
info@ardsfriary.ie
ST. BRIGID’S PTA
will present An Evening of Christmas Flowers
and Music in the school assembly hall on
Tues. 8th Dec. at 7.30pm. Adm £3
LASCO LOTTO .
numbers drawn 30th November 1, 3, 15, 21
2 x £10 winners No Jackpot winner
Next weeks jackpot £1500 Anyone wishing
to join please contact LASCO 71374443
GIFT VOUCHER FOR DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO
LOURDES
Why not give someone an
opportunity of going on Diocesan Pilgrimage
to Lourdes 2010 16-21st July. Gift Vouchers
are available for(£25/£100)
can be obtained from the Pilgrimage Office
164 Bishop Street Tues and Thurs 11am-2.00pm.
Sat 11.am-1.00pm Tel. 71260293
CHRISTMAS YOUTH
2000 RETREAT for young people age
16-35 takes place at Newbridge College Co.
Kildare from Friday 18th- Sunday 20th Dec.
An opportunity not to be missed to experience
the Catholic Faith and meet many new friends.
No charge -donation only. Contact Youth
2000 for information 003531 6753690
FOYLE HOSPICE urgently
requires volunteers for Christmas Bag Pack
at Sainsbury’s. The bag pack will
take place on Saturday 19th December 10am-6pm
and Sunday 20th December 1pm-6pm. All help
extremely appreciated. Tel Sharon or Rachel
on 028 71359888.
