SECOND WEEK OF CHRISTMAS – YEAR A
SUNDAY: PARISH MASS at 10.00am (Live-streamed)
MONDAY: No Liturgy
TUESDAY: FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD – Holy Day of Obligation
Adoration at 6.30pm EVENING MASS at 7.00pm
WEDNESDAY: No Liturgy
THURSDAY: SCHOOL MASS OF THE EPIPHANY at 9.30am – all welcome
[NB no midday Mass because of Fr Vincent Ryan’s Funeral Mass]
FRIDAY: Adoration at 11.30am Mass at 12.00noon
SATURDAY: Adoration at 11.30am Mass at 12.00noon
Sacrament of Reconciliation: after Mass and 4.00-4.30pm
TODAY [1] With the Second Sunday of Christmas we continue our celebration and contemplation of the wonder of the Word made Flesh dwelling among us, full of grace and truth. Jesus is God’s Wisdom, journeying among us. In the incarnation of the Word and Wisdom of God in the Child of Mary, the Child of Bethlehem, God has entered into human history – indeed in the evolution of our plant and Universe! God is involved the joy and pain, hopes and despairs of humanity – will we also live a spirituality and discipleship of involvement in the world’s development?
NEXT SUNDAY [1] The Christmas Season draws to a close as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. In Jesus adulthood, he commits Himself to His Father’s vision for His life on Earth, commits Himself to the Father’s Word and Mission, which would lead him to the Sacrifice of the Cross – the ultimate abandonment of Himself in trust into the Father’s Hands! This abandonment is glimpsed when He stayed in the Temple at the age of 13 and found a new depth in His submitting to John’s Baptism in the Jordan River. Jesus invites us today to renew our baptismal commitment, and abandon ourselves into God’s hands, because He is our Father!
[2] We have the joy of celebrating the Baptism of Jonathan (Joni) Samuel
PRAY FOR THIS WEEK’S PARISH MINISTRY OR MISSION We pray for our Proclaimers of the Word, co-ordinated by Lucy Lourenco. This ministry of of life-giving importance as the Word of God is our daily ‘Bread for the Journey’. Christ is truly present among us in His Word proclaimed in our Liturgical Assembly. The Word is not simply ‘read’ but is to be proclaimed with faith and love, with understanding passion. We also pray for our Preaching Team who regularly ‘break the Bread of the Word’ for us one Sunday a month and when I am away on a Sunday.
DIOCESAN PRAYER We pray this week for the parishes in communion for mission of St Peter, Cirencester, St Aldhelm, Malmesbury and St Michael, Tetbury, served by Fr Mariaselvan Alexander MSFS, Fr Thomas Kulandaisamy, Deacons Steve Boughton, Remi Thivet, parish Administrator (pending) and all their communities.