7th December, 2008
INVERKEITHING SUNDAY MASSES:
SATURDAY VIGIL: 6.00 p.m.
SUNDAY MORNING: 9.45 a.m.
ROSYTH ST. JOHN AND ST. COLUMBA’S:
SUNDAY MORNING: 11.30 a.m.
INVERKEITHING WEEKDAY SERVICES:
MONDAY, TUESDAY & FRIDAY: 10.00 a.m. Communion Service.
WEDNESDAY: 10.00 a.m. Mass
THURSDAY: 7.00 p.m. Mass.
PLEASE NOTE THE TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENTS ABOVE FOR WEEKDAY MASSES AND COMMUNION SERVICES FOR THIS WEEK.
DURING HOLY MASS today please pray for the SICK OF THE PARISH: Jim McCafferty, Susan Casey, Joe Murphy, Margaret Carberry, Marie Anderson, James Kelly, Patricia Kerr, Rose Murphy, Dorothy Gaskin, Joe McBride, Theresa O’Donnell, Theresa Pilling, Chic Cunningham, Terry Myles, Betty Davidson, Denis Gillan, Agnes Cooper and Father Mac.
RELATIVES and FRIENDS of PARISHIONERS: Canon Stephen Judge, Moya Dew, Mary Dowling, John Hainey, Lee Joel, Pat Simms, Francis Burke, Jennifer Gray, Daniel Smith, Debbie Gray, Tony Dolaghan, Jacqueline Parry, James Quigley, May Schofield, Chris Aldridge, Alistair and Jan MacNeill, Des Morrissey, Margaret Ann Caffrey, Lesley Ramsden, James Anderson, Beryl McNaughton, Betty Scott, Lee McLeod, Margaret Lee, Craig Pollock, Tom Petrie, Ina Lang, Paul Lafreniere, Catherine Crainie, Georgina Bruce, Alasdair Christie, Michael Cooke, Fabien Gaspero, Geraldine Wheeler, Patricia Dinnie, Joe Lamond, Angela McInnes, Elizabeth Muscat, Sister Margaret Connor, Diana Bacceler-Young, Lena Baxter, Catherine Watkins, Noreen Hunter, Catriona Lamont, Angela McGregor, Frank Vaughan, Paul Collins, Dan O’Connor, Charlie Pearson, Chic Cunningham, James Fleming, Brian Ward, Ruth Laing, Sarah Laing, Annabelle White, Sr. Agnes Bolan and Geraldine O’Neill.
ANNIVERSARIES: Peader McGeehan, Katie Boyle, Ben McCaughey, Isobel Walsh, John Sutcliffe, Tommy Shields, George Middleton, Marjory Morris, Archie Bell, William Hershaw, Michael Fitzpatrick, Georgina Queen, Tom Bettles, Jean Dickie and William James Collins.
MONDAY: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
SATURDAY: St Lucy.
TODAY IS PRESENTS SUNDAY: Thank you, children (and parents), for bringing your presents for children who might not otherwise receive any.
CHRISTMAS CHURCH CLEANING: Please see the Church Cleaning Rota at the back of the Church for the list of chores which need done during the week 15th-20th December in preparation for Christmas.
Week 2
Console my people, console them… Prepare a way for the Lord… Let us see your mercy… With the Lord a “day” can mean a thousand years…
‘Prepare a way for the Lord’
FIRST READING: Isaiah 40/1-5, 9-11: The people are urged to prepare a way for their Lord who is coming to save them.
SECOND READING: 2 Peter 3/8-14: If the Lord appears to be slow in coming, it is so that the people will have the chance to prepare for Him.
GOSPEL: Mark 1/1-8: John the Baptist urges the people to prepare for the imminent arrival of the Saviour.
LADIES’ GROUP MEETING on Wednesday 12th December is the Christmas Night Out.
THANK YOU for the £198.48 collected for the Diocesan Pastoral Council last Sunday.
CHRISTMAS CARDS etc. are now on sale at the back of the Church.
THE LADIES’ CLUB Christmas Raffle Tickets are on sale at the back of the Church. Proceeds are in aid of Mary’s Meals. Tickets are £1 per strip.
WALK WITH ME: An Advent Journey of Prayer with a wee meditation for each day of the Season. 80p each, available at the back of the Church.
THURSDAY: RCIA meeting in the House after evening Mass to share our Catholic Faith with anyone who might be interested. Everyone is welcome to come along.
VOTIVE CANDLES: If you would like to have a candle burning for your intentions all day from morning to evening midweek, or during the weekend Masses, please give James £1 and he will light one for you.
GETTING MARRIED? Remember that, if you wish to get married in the Catholic Church, you should give AT LEAST SIX MONTHS notice to your Parish Priest.
HAVING A BABY? If you have recently had a baby, please let Father Mac know so that remote preparations can be made for the Baptism.
GETTING A PRIEST: When you can’t get Father Mac at home in Inverkeithing, please try Father Andrew (412084), Father Mullen (722202), Father Barr (625611) or Canon Doherty (510549).
200 CLUB: The lucky winners for the draw in September were Kathleen Pope (72) and Margaret McLuckie (57) and in October they were Karen Finnigan (24) and Ken Ritchie (75). The draws for November and the December Bumper Draw will take place after Mass today. Good Luck!
RAISED VOICES: It’s so hard to hear yourself think in December. The TV screams at us through adverts that are desperate to get us to buy their products. Cosy Christmas fireside scenes, talking reindeers, food and drink, comfortable sofas, the must-have gifts: this is dangled before us as the epitome of what Christmas is all about. And when we think that we’ll have a nice quiet read, the papers are packed with full-page adverts reminding us of what we’ve already seen for sale on TV!
There are other voices trying to get through to us in the lead-up to Christmas. One of them is Isaiah’s. Today he tells us that our time of being enslaved is over. We have been set free and have been offered the greatest Christmas present of all: sharing the life of God’s Son.
But Isaiah’s voice clashes with the other sounds of Christmas because he tells us that if we want to go beyond the tinsel and baubles then we have to do some personal spadework. If we really want to experience the true meaning of Christmas, then we have to make sure we’re not just drifting along with the Christmas crowd but instead are keeping ourselves focused on the reason for our feast. And this means fine-tuning the way we live, resetting our spiritual compasses and going out to meet our God who is coming.
Advent is not a mini-Lent but it
is a time to remember that repentance, turning back to God, is a Christian
constant. “Here is your God” says Isaiah. And our God still comes to us today
and everyday. Advent challenges us to find God’s face in the ordinary events of
our daily existence. And if there are aspects of our lives that prevent us from
seeing this face, then Advent asks us to make changes.
When God comes it is not to point a finger but to lend a hand. The God we ask into our Advent lives is not the vengeful judge but the loving Saviour. God always comes to set us free not to condemn us. But, of course, if we are genuinely to welcome Jesus into our lives this Advent and Christmas, then we have to know what we need to be set free from. Otherwise we might as well just join the shopping queue.
WORD FOR TODAY: Advent demands preparation. As we come closer to the events of Christmas we are challenged to smooth out the wrinkles of our daily life, to actively look for the ways in which God comes to us in the ordinariness of our existence, and to do all we can to come closer to Him.
FAITH IN FOCUS: Advent should be a time of good cheer shouldn’t it? Our chocolate Advent calendars suggest that Advent is the season of Christmas preparation, so why do the Advent readings insist on reminding us of our sin and the necessity for repentance?
Yes Advent is a preparation for Christmas, but more importantly it is a broader preparation for the coming of God’s reign in our lives. Today John the Baptist tells us exactly what we must do to prepare, and it doesn’t involve rushing round buying Marks and Spencer stuffing balls. John tells us that the key to preparation is recognising our sin and repenting. True, this doesn’t fit with our idea of Yuletide festivity, but repentance doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom, repentance can be liberating and invigorating. Repentance is all about the joy we feel when God gives us a second chance. Think of the pain you feel when you’ve had a family quarrel. The reason family quarrels hurt more than quarrels with outsiders is that we’ve damaged a relationship with someone we love. So it is with God. When we sin, we fall out of God’s love. Repentance is all about restoring that relationship. There’s no better feeling than setting out with a clean slate in a new direction, unburdened by yesterday’s baggage and empowered by the confidence a clean conscience can bring.
“Prepare the way of the Lord ... Make straight His paths,” John tells us. We have repented and decided to take a new direction in life, but the path is not always clear. What obstacles stand in the way between God and us? Perhaps we have decided to spend more time with an infirm relative, but a more selfish agenda stands in the way. Perhaps we have decided to educate ourselves better in matters that affect the poor and disadvantaged, but when push comes to shove, we would rather curl up in front of the TV with a takeaway and a bottle of wine. Advent is that special time every year when we can take stock and look at the road ahead. Advent is that special time when we can say ‘no’ to the things that take our lives off track, so that we can say ‘yes’ to the direction God gives us.
QUOTE: Jesus’ coming is the final and unanswerable proof that God cares. (William Barclay)
FAMILY PLANNING – GOD’S WAY – NATURE’S WAY – The Billings Ovulation Method of Family Planning is 99% effective in avoiding pregnancy with no side effects. This method is also very helpful for couples having difficulty conceiving. For an information pack or details of a tutor in your area, please contact Fertility Care Scotland Head Office on Telephone:- 0131 623 8932 or E-Mail: info:fertilitycare.org.uk
