FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
EVANGELIUM VITAE by Pope John Paul II (Pt. 6)
13. In order to facilitate the spread of abortion, enormous sums of money have been invested and continue to be invested in the production of pharmaceutical products which make it possible to kill the fetus in the mother's womb without recourse to medical assistance. On this point, scientific research itself seems to be almost exclusively preoccupied with developing products which are ever more simple and effective in suppressing life and which at the same time are capable of removing abortion from any kind of control or social responsibility.
It is frequently asserted that contraception, if made safe and available to all, is the most effective remedy against abortion. The Catholic Church is then accused of actually promoting abortion, because she obstinately continues to teach the moral unlawfulness of contraception. When looked at carefully, this objection is clearly unfounded. It may be that many people use contraception with a view to excluding the subsequent temptation of abortion. But the negative values inherent in the "contraceptive mentality"-which is very different from responsible parenthood, lived in respect for the full truth of the conjugal act-are such that they in fact strengthen this temptation when an unwanted life is conceived. Indeed, the pro- abortion culture is especially strong precisely where the Church's teaching on contraception is rejected. Certainly, from the moral point of view contraception and abortion arespecifically different evils: the former contradicts the full truth of the sexual act as the proper expression of conjugal love, while the latter destroys the life of a human being; the former is opposed to the virtue of chastity in marriage, the latter is opposed to the virtue of justice and directly violates the divine commandment "You shall not kill".
But despite their differences of nature and moral gravity, contraception and abortion are often closely connected, as fruits of the same tree. It is true that in many cases contraception and even abortion are practised under the pressure of real- life difficulties, which nonetheless can never exonerate from striving to observe God's law fully. Still, in very many other instances such practices are rooted in a hedonistic mentality unwilling to accept responsibility in matters of sexuality, and they imply a self-centered concept of freedom, which regards procreation as an obstacle to personal fulfilment. The life which could result from a sexual encounter thus becomes an enemy to be avoided at all costs, and abortion becomes the only possible decisive response to failed contraception.
The close connection which exists, in mentality, between the practice of contraception and that of abortion is becoming increasingly obvious. It is being demonstrated in an alarming way by the development of chemical products, intrauterine devices and vaccines which, distributed with the same ease as contraceptives, really act as abortifacients in the very early stages of the development of the life of the new human being.
14. The various techniques of artificial reproduction, which would seem to be at the service of life and which are frequently used with this intention, actually open the door to new threats against life. Apart from the fact that they are morally unacceptable, since they separate procreation from the fully human context of the conjugal act, 14 these techniques have a high rate of failure: not just failure in relation to fertilization but with regard to the subsequent development of the embryo, which is exposed to the risk of death, generally within a very short space of time. Furthermore, the number of embryos produced is often greater than that needed for implantation in the woman's womb, and these so-called "spare embryos" are then destroyed or used for research which, under the pretext of scientific or medical progress, in fact reduces human life to the level of simple "biological material" to be freely disposed of.
Prenatal diagnosis, which presents no moral objections if carried out in order to identify the medical treatment which may be needed by the child in the womb, all too often becomes an opportunity for proposing and procuring an abortion. This is eugenic abortion, justified in public opinion on the basis of a mentality-mistakenly held to be consistent with the demands of "therapeutic interventions"-which accepts life only under certain conditions and rejects it when it is affected by any limitation, handicap or illness.
Following this same logic, the point has been reached where the most basic care, even nourishment, is denied to babies born with serious handicaps or illnesses. The contemporary scene, moreover, is becoming even more alarming by reason of the proposals, advanced here and there, to justify even infanticide, following the same arguments used to justify the right to abortion. In this way, we revert to a state of barbarism which one hoped had been left behind forever.
To be continued.
PARISH CHRISTMAS CARD
Please collect your copy of the parish Christmas card from the porch which details all the Mass times and events until the New Year.
LIVE STREAMING. This has now started and you will see notices in the church to guide you on filming areas. Please remember that all readers, altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, sacristan’s and anyone who needs to enter the sanctuary must complete a consent form, which are in the porch, and given to Fr. Innocent or placed in the box in the porch. We cannot be held responsible if you knowingly appear on camera and have chosen to not sign a consent form. Please speak to Fr. Innocent for more information.
PARISH MASS BOOKS.
The Lectionary, which is the book that contains the Scripture readings for Mass and the Sacraments, has now changed. Due to this change, the Mass books that we have will need to be changed which comes at a large cost to the parish. We have purchased part 1 of cycle C but we still need donations for the remaining 6 books which will cover all 3 cycles. We have received £1,295.00 so far and donations can be made in the usual ways.
INFORMATION FOR THE NEWSLETTER.
If you would like a notice published in the weekly parish newsletter, please email your request to bostallpark@rcaos.org.uk by Tuesday evening.
SOCIAL CLUB NEW YEAR’S EVE DISCO
Tuesday 31st December in the hall from 8pm till 12.30am.
Social event for all the family. Please see the poster in the porch for more information.
LUNCH CLUB.
There will be no more lunch club meetings this year. The next meeting will be on the 9th January 2025 at 12.30pm.
SOUTHWARK ARCHDIOCESE ROSARY PRAYER PROJECT.
Everyone is warmly invited to join this Archdiocese-wide prayer initiative, praying a decade of the Rosary each day for priests and parishes in their deanery. For details see the poster on the noticeboard, pick up an invitation leaflet at the back of church or email southwarkrenewal@gmail.com.
Save the date: Building a Better Marriage
This day, held at St Stephen’s parish hall, Welling, on the 25th Januray 2025, starting at 9.30am until 4.30pm, is a day in which married couples can privately explore their relationship more deeply and gain valuable insights into the communication and the call of the Church to the married. There is no charge for this course. Booking is essential - please contact Carole on mflkent@rcaos.org.uk or phone 07983 524 727
Refreshments will be provided but please bring a packed lunch.
FOOD BANK.
Donations can be made in the crate in the Church Porch and they are taken to the Bexley Food Bank on a Monday morning.
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DEATHS
Please pray for the souls of:
Mario Carrasco who died recently, his funeral will be on the 30th December at St Peter’s Church, Woolwich.
Antonio Zachariah Fernandes who was a parishioner for many years. His was on the 11th December.
Carol James who sadly died recently. Carol was a long standing parishioner who regularly attended the Saturday evening mass. Her funeral was on the 19th December.
Muriel D’Souza whose funeral was on 27th November.
May they rest in peace.
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Saturday 21st December
P Feria
10.00 a.m. Muriel D’Souza RIP
10.30a.m.-12 Noon. Confessions
FOURTH SUNDAY OF
ADVENT C
6 p.m. Daily Rosary
6.30 p.m. Joachim D’Souza RIP
Sunday 22nd December P
8.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
9.00 a.m. Percy Burke for healing & strength
10.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
11.00 a.m. Delia Deady
12 Noon – 2pm. Confessions
Monday 23rd December
P Feria
No Public Mass Today
Tuesday 24th December
P Feria (W-evening)
9.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
10.00 a.m. Anna Theresa Gaffney RIP
6.00 p.m. Christmas Vigil. Children & Youth of the Parish
10.30 p.m. Carol Service
11.00 p.m. Christmas Night. The People of the Parish
Wednesday 25th December
W THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
8.00 a.m. The People of the Parish
10.00 a.m. The People of the Parish
Thursday 26th December
R St Stephen
10.00 a.m. Henos Michael
Friday 27th December
W St John
10.00 a.m. Percy Burke for healing & strength
Saturday 28th December
R The Holy Innocents
10.00 a.m. Eileen Ruddy RIP
THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH C
6 p.m. Daily Rosary
6.30 p.m. In honour of the Holy Family PI
Sunday 29th December
8.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
9.00 a.m. The Pereira Family WB
10.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
11.00 a.m. Joseph Bane RIP