Pastor's Desk: Christmas Day
The Nativity of Our Lord: “A Child is Born to Us”
May the peace and joy of Christmas be with you and all your loved ones. Welcome everyone as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. The birth of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem ushered in a time of new hope; God was with His people in an intimate way by living among them. That feeling of hope is so much in demand in our society today. We are facing difficult times for sure, but as Christians we do so with the hope of our faith. We hope for a better future, a time of happiness and joy in our lives. Gone is the materialism of only a few years ago, simple pleasures have returned to our lives. The joy of being with our family and friends, of having people to turn to when needed.
The birth of a baby gives huge happiness to families because we see something wondrous has happened in the gift of that new life. In the same way the birth of Jesus offers each of us a new beginning, the chance to start afresh. God has made a gesture of love in sending His Son among us and that gesture demands a response from each of us. We celebrate a message of love that is so simple but yet powerful enough to stop wars, even if only briefly. Let each of us avail of this opportunity to begin again with Jesus the centre of all we do.
My thanks to all who have prepared the church and the liturgies for today’s celebration. We are blessed with a spirit of volunteerism in this parish. On behalf of the Parish Team I wish you a very Happy Christmas and every blessing for 2012.
Fr. Eoin
December 24, 2011
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Diocesan Notices: 21st December 2011
From the Dublin Diocesan Noticeboard.
December 21, 2011
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Pastor's Desk: Fourth Sunday of Advent
Welcome to Mass on our Fourth Sunday of Advent! It only feels like yesterday we were lighting the first candle on our Advent wreath and now we have the brightness of four candles. The increased brightness reminds us that our time of preparation is almost over. One of the ways we prepare for Christmas is by celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. In this Sacrament we experience the forgiveness and compassion of God who wants us to be reconciled with Him. As a Parish Community we will celebrate our Penance Service on Tuesday evening (20th Dec) at 7.30pm in the Church. Visiting priests will be in attendance. We hope to see you then.
Looking to our readings today the central character is Mary and in the Gospel we hear all about the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel was sent to Mary. Mary is vital to the whole Advent journey of course because without her “Yes” to becoming the Mother of God, there is no birth of the Saviour. Some people often wonder whether Mary had a real choice. For me it is essential that she did as that is why she is the example of faith to us all. Mary made a personal decision to follow the will of the Father in her life and it was to lead her from this moment with the Angel Gabriel, to the Birth at Bethlehem, to see her son Jesus preach to her people, to the foot of the Cross and the joy of the Resurrection. Mary’s “Yes” became a reality when she said; “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you said be done to me”; we might reflect on those words and their significance in the remaining days of Advent. God Bless till we gather for the great Festival itself.
Fr. Eoin
December 17, 2011
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Diocesan Notices: 14th December 2011
From the Dublin Diocesan Noticeboard.
December 14, 2011
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Pastor's Desk: Third Sunday of Advent
Welcome everyone to Mass on this the Third Sunday of Advent which is also known as Gaudete Sunday or Sunday of Joy. Our joy is because we are beginning the third week of this short four week season, our time of preparation for the great feast of Christmas is getting shorter.
John the Baptist is once again the central character of our Gospel today and we hear very clearly that he was sent by God as a witness to Christ. In a world that was indifferent, John began his mission of witnessing to his faith. Our Readings remind us that we too are called to by God to witness to our faith in Jesus in today’s world. So many people wish to have hope in their lives today with all that is happening and we have an opportunity to bring the hope of our faith to them. In these last weeks of Advent let each of us recognise that we are sent by God to witness to our personal faith and so offer hope to those around us.
Advent Penitential Service
Our Penitential Service with individual Confession will be celebrated on Tuesday 20th December at 7.30pm in the Church. As is usual, we will invite priests from the surrounding parishes to assist us in celebrating this wonderful Sacrament of God’s forgiveness and compassion. Advent is about preparing for Christmas and there is no better way than celebrating the forgiveness of our sins as a community of believers and once again turning our lives in the direction that the Lord wants.
Parish Carol Service
We look forward to seeing you at the Carol Service later today at 5.00pm (Sunday 11th December). Great work has been put in by the school choirs of our parish and also by our own Parish Choir who sing at the 6.30pm Vigil Mass. It is a chance to put Christ at the centre of our Christmas preparations.
Have a great week
Fr. Eoin
December 10, 2011
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