First Week of Advent    (B)

Dear Parishioners, 

The new Christian year begins this Sunday with the church open for adoration at the usual mass times and mass said in private. The second lockdown and lockout from churches ends on Wednesday this week and public masses resume on Thursday. Our bishops have welcomed this.

The General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Canon Christopher Thomas has written:

“The Catholic Community in England is delighted at the Government’s decision to allow the resumption of collective worship following the national lockdown in all three tiers.

“This decision reflects the importance of the right of all people to express their faith in worship, but more importantly, it is an acknowledgement of the active collaboration the church has had with public officials in developing COVID-secure protocols in our churches.

“As we move forward, it is incumbent on all who come to worship God in our churches to play their part in keeping themselves and others safe by following all of the guidance that has been prepared.

“Through our encounter with Christ in the Eucharist and other sacraments celebrated in the Church, the works of charity which have been expressed through Catholic charities and communities over the last nine months finds its source and goal.” (from the website of the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales)

In the coming week, the Church celebrates St Andrew’s Day which is also the First Day of the Great Novena of the Immaculate Conception.

Participants in the "Great Novena of the Immaculate Conception" traditionally say every day at least one decade of the rosary, followed by three times the invocation: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.". However, there are many ways of saying the novena which you can find online. I always use the one in my Opus Dei prayer book ‘Handbook of Prayers’ which a fellow seminarian got for me (he was ordained but after four years gave up the priesthood). You can begin with a rosary, then say the novena prayers. Every day of the Opus Dei novena has a specific dedication. Eg. Day 1. The new Eve, day 2. Mary full of grace, day 3. Mary the handmaid of the Lord. Firstly, there is a particular prayer for that day, followed by a scripture reading, then a ‘consideration’ and finally every day finishes with the Collect of the Immaculate Conception:

Lord God,

You prepared a worthy dwelling place for your Son by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary;

grant, we pray,

that, as you preserved her from all stain of sin

in your foreknowledge of his death,

so we, by her intercession,

may come to you with pure hearts.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

In love and devotion to Mary, come to your church to give thanks and praise to God at The Mass of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to be publicly celebrated at 10.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m. on Tuesday 8th December.

DAILY PRAYER

Coming to private prayer and Adoration will have spiritual and welfare benefits. We will be in unity and communion with others in adoration of the Lord. We will have a trip out in the day, perhaps walking to church to give some exercise. We will be maintaining an active interest in others in the parish, seeing they are OK and keeping our church alive by praying in it. All these things are ways we can keep away Lockdown depression. See you in church!

FIRST COMMUNION PARENTS:

Thank you to all the parents who have applied for their child to make FIRST HOLY COMMUNION IN JUNE 2021. The last day for applications was SUNDAY 8TH NOVEMBER 2020. The list is now closed. (any new applications received will be placed in the list for 2022).

CONFIRMATIONS 2020. These will take place at the soonest date possible.

MASSES AND INTENTIONS FOR THE COMING WEEK: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT

The scripture readings for the mass of the day will be left open on the lectern below St. Joseph in the Lady Chapel for you to read during your time with the Lord in church.

Saturday 28th November FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (B)

   6.30 p.m. An Hour with the Lord: Private Prayer with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Sunday 29th November

   9.00 a.m. An Hour with the Lord: Private Prayer with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

 10.30 a.m. An Hour with the Lord: Private Prayer with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

 12.00 noon. Mass in private. Deceased members of the D’Cunha and Pereira families. R.I.P.

Monday 30th November St. Andrew, apostle, patron of Scotland, feast. The First Day of the Great Novena of the Immaculate Conception.

 10.00 a.m. An Hour with the Lord: Private Prayer with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

 12.00 noon. Mass in private. Muriel D’ Souza W.B.

Tuesday 1st December feria. The Second Day of the Great Novena of the Immaculate Conception.

 10.00 a.m. An Hour with the Lord: Private Prayer with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

 12.00 noon. Mass in private. Mary Kilgannon R.I.P.

Wednesday 2nd December feria. The Third Day of the Great Novena of the Immaculate Conception.

CHURCH CLOSED TODAY

 12.00 noon. Mass in private. Gillian Pereira R.I.P.

Thursday 3rd December St. Francis Xavier, priest, co – patron of missions, memorial. Day of prayer for migrants. The Fourth Day of the Great Novena of the Immaculate Conception.

 10.00 a.m. Reagan Pereira WB (on his birthday)

Friday 4th December St. John Damascene, priest & doctor of the church. The Fifth Day of the Great Novena of the Immaculate Conception.

 10.00 a.m. Peter Blessing R.I.P.

Saturday 5th December feria. The Sixth Day of the Great Novena of the Immaculate Conception.

 10.00 a.m. Theresa Kane R.I.P. [ SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (B)

   6.30 p.m. Tracy D’ Souza T.G.]

December prayer: THE SUB TUUM.

Sub tuum presidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genetrix; nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus nostris sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

We fly to your patronage, O holy mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever – glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

(The Sub tuum is the oldest known prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In a nutshell it contains everything that all other prayers to her since have expressed: it is the seed from which nearly two millennia of devotion to the Mother of God has grown. Watch and listen to it sung with Pope Benedict on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrmgl_hE414

Until next time, may God keep you in safety and peace,