Sunday: December 12th
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Gaudete Sunday
MASS (OLHoC): 6.00pm (Sat.) (Mick Kearney RIP)
X Refreshments
in the Parish Hall after Mass
MASS (OLHoC): 11.00am (Pro Populo)
X Refreshments
in the Parish Hall after Mass
CAROL
SERVICE (St Joseph’s): 4.30pm
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• MONDAY, December 13th – St Lucy
MASS (OLHoC): 9.00am
(Angela Diwell RIP)
FUNERAL MASS
of AGATA BORZA (OLHoC) 12.00 noon
Followed by
reception in Parish Hall 1pm- 3pm (all invited)
X Funeral
service for Angela Diwell (Hawkinge): 10.30am
X New Readers Training (OLHoC): 7.00pm
• TUESDAY, December 14th – St John of the Cross
NO MASS TODAY
• WEDNESDAY, December
15th - Feria
FUNERAL MASS
of VERA PICKERING (OLHoC): 10.00am
X Refreshments
in the Parish Hall after Mass
X Confessions (OLHoC) 1.00pm – 2.00pm
X Folkestone
Winter Shelter (OLHoC night)
• THURSDAY, December 16th - Feria
FUNERAL MASS
of MICK KEARNEY (OLHoC) 10.00am
X Confessions (OLHoC) 1.00pm – 2.00pm
• FRIDAY, December 17th – Feria
MASS (OLHoC): 9.00am (Well-being of Gracy Abraham)
• SATURDAY, December
18th – Feria
MASS (OLHoC): 10.00am
(Winifred Brown RIP)
X Confessions and Exposition (OLHoC) 11.00am – noon
X Christmas Fayre (OLHoC Hall) 12.00 noon – 3.00 pm
FOURTH
SUNDAY OF ADVENT
MASS (OLHoC): 6.00pm (Sat.) (Mary Heath RIP)
MASS (St Joseph’s): 9.00am (Pro Populo)
X Refreshments
in the St Joseph’s Hall after Mass
MASS (OLHoC): 11.00am (Guida Rodrigues RIP)
X Refreshments
in the Parish Hall after Mass
X RECEPTION OF
COMMUNION AT MASS
– those not in Full Communion with the Roman Catholic Church and Roman Catholics not able to receive Holy Communion are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing.
Those wishing to
receive a blessing are asked to approach the Priest with their arms crossed
over their chest.
X CAROL SERVICE – Sunday, 12th December at 4.30pm at St Joseph’s Church. There will be anthems and carols from the choir and you are all encouraged to attend, with all of the children of our parish, and join in with traditional favourites such as Once in Royal in David’s City; The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came; Little Donkey, Silent Night; While shepherds watched their flocks; Away in a Manger; The Rocking Carol; O Little Town of Bethlehem; In the deep midwinter; O come all ye faithful before finishing with a rendition of Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
The carol service will be followed by refreshments in the hall including mince pies, mulled wine and a Prize Draw organised by the St. Josephs team and the UCM. There will also be a special gift for all the children. All children are encouraged to attend dressed as shepherds and angels. Thank you to all involved for putting this together.
X CHRISTMAS FAYRE - SATURDAY 18TH DECEMBER – Are you able to give something for the Christmas Fayre this year? We are planning a raffle, lots of goodies for sale, plus tea, coffee and cake. Thank you to those who have offered to help including Maria who will be decorating the hall, Karen who will be providing a craft stall, Sara and the SVP who will be doing a Christmas grocery tombola (mince pies, cranberry sauce, packets of stuffing, sweets, tea, tinned goods, biscuits, sugar etc. Groceries can be individual prizes or put together in little hampers – so if you are able to give a small item for the tombola, please put in a bag marked Christmas Fayre in the porch or hand it to Dylan), Anne who will be doing the raffle, Ira who will be doing the cake stall, Bernie selling books and toys, Kathy and others for doing the tea, coffee and bacon rolls and Cecilia and John for just being there to support everything happening and coming together.
The Fayre will be held from 12.00 noon until 3.00pm in the Parish Hall at OLHoC. Please give any prizes or donations to Dylan or those running the stalls.
REFLECTION FOR THE
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT YEAR C
We have reached the
third Sunday in Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. The central message is
that of joy, heralding the nearness of the Saviour. The voice in the wilderness
is heard by real people eager to embrace the message; they are professionals
and the Roman peacekeeping force. The message is the same for them all: a
change of heart and attitude; readiness to perform their duties with honesty
and integrity and, adopting a selfless attitude with no concern for one’s
disadvantage in doing so.
This time, John the
Baptist himself has become the clear message; he is not only the voice that
cries in the wilderness, but a witness whose life is a clear illustration of
the message he is preaching. As he encourages the people to change their ways
without counting the cost by the fact that he is humble in telling them that he
is not the Messiah- to the point of saying that he is not even worthy to undo
the sandals of the Messiah- demonstrates that the message he is preaching is
for himself as well.
Advent calls us to
ready ourselves for the coming of the Messiah by our everyday acts- whether it
be for justice and charity, kindness and love- we are encouraged and
strengthened to amend our lives so that we can welcome and enjoy the mercy of
God that will bring joy.
Let us welcome John
the Baptist’s message and example by making the most of all that the Church
makes available for us: the celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation, the
invitation to reconsider our need to participate in the weekly Eucharistic
celebration on Sundays, our love for one another and especially for people who
are waiting for our love, care, attention and consideration. Truly, the Lord is
in our midst. Where are you looking for the signs of his presence?
The 1st, 2nd and 6th
December 2021, the year 4, 5, and 6 pupils from Stella Maris Catholic Primary
who celebrated their First Holy Communion over the past three years, were
invited to consider putting into practice the call from John the Baptist, a
call for repentance through the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
It was an invitation they said yes to, making the journey as a class. While
those who needed the Sacrament were celebrating it, some who have not
celebrated their First Reconciliation felt the need to have a chat while the
others accompanied them all in saying the Rosary.
I am renewing John
the Baptist’s call to you all as a parish. It is important that we fulfil the
fifth precept of the Church which ensures that ascesis and penance prepare
us for the liturgical feasts as they help us to acquire a mastery over our
instincts and freedom of heart. We therefore honour this precept by
celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the season of Advent, so that
God’s love can empower us to truly become reconciled, become one again with
those we have harmed or who have harmed us; to experience God’s pardon and
peace through the absolution that the priest gives in God’s name; to
acknowledge and praise God for the mercy he extends to us and come to
understand that a life of conversion is about doing penance and making
satisfaction for sins committed.
Apart
from Saturdays at 11-12noon, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will also be
available on Wednesday 15th, Thursday 16th, Friday
17th, Monday 20th, Wednesday 22nd and
Thursday 23rd from 1pm to 2pm. I am also encouraging those who wish to
celebrate it in other parishes to do so. What is important is that when we
arrive at Christmas Eve, we can all say to the Lord and newly born king that he
knows we have tried our best to prepare the way for him.
Please
note that there will be no Mass on Tuesday mornings until further notice.
“O Come, desire of
nations, bind in one the hearts of humankind; Come and cheer our spirits by thy
advent here; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come
to you.”
I take the
opportunity to thank all those who will be involved in the organisation of our
parish carol service and the Christmas Fayre and thank you to all those who
will participate.
I wish also to draw
everyone’s attention to our keeping each other safe by sanitising our hands and
wearing our face mask when we gather in our Churches and halls.
CHRISTMAS
MASS SERVICES
IN THE PARISH
OF
OUR LADY AND
ST JOSEPH
PLEASE NOTE THE TIMES BELOW:
YYYYYYY
CHRISTMAS
EVE,
FRIDAY
24TH DECEMBER, 2021
YYYYYYY
CHRISTMAS VIGIL MASS: 4.30pm
(St Joseph’s)
CHRISTMAS VIGIL MASS (OLHoC): 6.30pm
CHRISTMAS
MIDNIGHT MASS (OLHoC): 11.00pm
Y
YYYYYY
CHRISTMAS
DAY,
SATURDAY
25TH DECEMBER, 2021
YYYYYY
Y
CHRISTMAS DAWN MASS
(OLHoC): 9.00am
and
(St
Joseph’s): 9.00am
CHRISTMAS DAY MASS
(OLHoC): 11.00am
There will be no Saturday night evening Mass
Y
THE HOLY FAMILY of JESUS, MARY and JOSEPH
SUNDAY 26TH DECEMBER, 2021
Sunday
(OLHoC): 9.00am
Sunday
(OLHoC): 11.00am
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