Dear Friends
Just looking at this morning’s emails I see one from Chris our Churchwarden sharing a Facebook posting he has made with a photograph of last Sundays service and giving information about our Christmas services. Thanks to Chris for doing this and thanks to everybody who Shares, Likes, Tweets and all manner of social media communication. Social media communication is so important these days and frankly the means by which most people receive information. It would be wonderful if everybody who has a Twitter account, a Facebook page, or Instagram account could share as much information about our Christmas activities as possible.
Our Christmas Services are as follows.
Sunday 22 December
5.40 pm Carols on Handbells
6.00 pm Traditional 9 Lessons and Carols.
Tuesday 24 December Christmas Eve
4.00 pm Childrens Crib Service
11.00 pm Carols and Readings
11.30 pm Midnight Mass
Wednesday 25 December Christmas Day
10.30 am Parish Celebration and Mass
I look forward to seeing you all over the Christmas period.
Simon
Dear Friends
We are now in our final week of Advent. We have lit the first three candles on our Advent wreath: the first for the patriarchs, the second for the prophets and the third (pink one) last Sunday for John the Baptist. This coming Sunday morning we shall light the fourth candle for Our Lady, the Virgin Mary. And in the evening we look forward to our service of Nine Lessons and Carols. This final week of Advent is inevitably especially busy for most of us, and we can become anxious about all our preparations for Christmas celebrations. Nevertheless, I hope we can all find some time for quiet reflection amidst all the hustle and bustle. I reprint below a poem called ‘Refuge’ by the priest and poet Malcolm Guite. I hope you can find time to reflect on his words.
We think of him as safe beneath the steeple,
Or cosy in a crib beside the font,
But he is with a million displaced people
On the long road of weariness and want.
For even as we sing our final carol
His family is up and on that road,
Fleeing the wrath of someone else’s quarrel,
Glancing behind and shouldering their load.
Whilst Herod rages still from his dark tower
Christ clings to Mary, fingers tightly curled,
The lambs are slaughtered by the men of power,
And death squads spread their curse across the world.
But every Herod dies, and comes alone
To stand before the Lamb upon the throne.
Wishing you all a very happy and blessed Christmas
Mother Eileen