Advent Penitential Service and First Confession for our 7 candidates on Saturday 11th December at 5 pm.
Rehearsal for Nativity Mime at Christmas Eve Mass will be Saturday 18th December at 2pm, Children from St Wilfrid’s and
St George’s are all welcome to take part in this special part of the Mass.
Last Sunday we lit the 2nd Advent candle. This candle can remind us that spending time in prayer is one way to prepare for Christmas. Some people find that what is known as ‘The Prayer of the Hand’ or ‘The five finger prayer’ can help us to pray.
Thumb: This is the nearest to me, and can remind me to pray for those who are closest to me, my family and friends.
Index Finger: This is used for pointing, and can remind me to pray for all teachers and those from whom I learn.
Middle Finger: This is the tallest and biggest, and can remind me to pray for those who have a special responsibility, for doctors and nurses, those in the rescue services, and anyone who has to take decisions that effect how we live our lives.
Third Finger: This is the weakest finger, as I’m told any piano player will tell you, and can remind me to pray for anyone who is ill or in trouble.
Little Finger: This is the smallest and least important, and can remind me to pray for myself, as I recall the words of Jesus who said we must love our neighbours as ourselves.
Finally, a Danish Proverb that’s worth remembering: Pray to God in the storm, but keep on rowing.
Again, thanks be to God.
We had a lovely, lovely evening which took place at St George’s church last Saturday. The Southdown Singers presented us with very enjoyable singing, music and stories most appropriate to the Advent Season. Also, they left us with a beautifully decorated church to enhance our worship prayer and commitment. After the long term effects of covid, windows of opportunity for enjoyment are much appreciated. We have a baptism here at St George’s this Saturday and for all of us this weekend the sacrament of reconciliation; an opportunity to experience one of God’s most special gifts – His forgiveness, His pardon and His peace.
Repetition has a great value in leaning, so I return to the idea of sowing new seeds. Please, please God, we will really sow some new seeds. So that is why I mention “co er” groups. I suggest that you give some thought to this and say we could form a “co er” group. As the pandemic has had a major influence on our actions, the opportunity that this “Synod” is of the greatest importance. A real challenge confronts us in the life of our church.
In response to this, various groups should give it the care and attention that it deserves. Again, these two questions:-
Why do we need it? And what is the best outcome for the future, for the life and witness for the catholic church?
This could be a tick box exercise in futility, on a memorable opportunity in the life of our church.
When I left the seminary almost fifty years ago as a young priest, I had hopes of a new Pentecost, and while some aspired to it, the church in general allowed itself to be laden and overburdened – so no great fruits. The challenge always goes on; and people always try to accept a challenge. We had in our time an excellent effort from the Liverpool Diocese and with Cardinal Hume providing his authority, more was expected of it. To outer eyes it was shelved, and here we are like St Peter; who has fished all night and caught nothing. With the inspiration of Jesus……. St Peter was prepared to set out once again with the message of salvation, that he had received from His master. In keeping with what he said we set out once more in obedience with the words “I have come to save the lost”.
Please make a note in your diaries of our over 50’s Activities:
Christmas Lunch at Kings Head – Horsebridge: Thursday 9th December, in the function room, 12noon. We have had to close the list for people coming, as we have reached our maximum available. Sorry if you cannot join us for this Happy Event. We have a good interest in our monthly lunches so perhaps you would like to join us on our next date which will be Thursday 10th January, details to follow in the New Year. Of course our friends from St George’s are invited to any of the events organised by us here at St Wilfrid’s.
Thursday 30th December, 2pm in our Hall for Afternoon Tea: We have decided to make this a pre New Years Eve Party, homemade food, music, games suitable to our age group!! Crackers, goody bags and special raffle. The cost for this will be £5 and I can assure you it will be worth every penny – come on lets make it a jolly good party. 2-4pm, looking forward to seeing you there, make a New Years resolution.
All these events are open to St Wilfrid’s and St George’s plus any friends are most welcome of course. Please contact Joan 07873390944 or after Sunday and Wednesday Mass in the Hall.
St Wilfrid’s last Sunday, 21st November: We had a special sale in our hall after Mass of Hannah’s toys. The money raised will go to the Lourdes Pilgrimage Fund in her honour. Well we raised £104, mainly from donations given to this very worthy cause. The goods, very good quality, will be on sale until the 1st week in December when the ’Sales Table’ will have a Christmas Theme. Do pop in after Mass on a Sunday, have a cup of tea with us and buy some ’Bargain Goods’ or pop some money in the pot for this very worthwhile cause – Lourdes Fund for Handicap Children. Thank you so much.
Hello, my name is Kelly Richards, and I am the Safeguarding Rep for St George’s
Christmas is fast approaching and it is a joyful time, but can also be a lonely time for those that may not have family or friends that they can spend this Holy time with. Safeguarding is not only there to help and support families, or children that may be of concern regarding any issues, but also for older people in our community in need of help. If you feel that anyone is in a situation of concern please do contact me …. Merry Christmas Kelly (07967562110).
St George’s Love In A Box: A big thank you for all the donations you have made to this wonderful cause. We have knitted 51 blankets, filled 26 shoe boxes and raised £293 to cover the boxes and transportation costs. This is a tremendous effort from you all and the Mustard Seed Mission lorries will soon be on the way to children in Romania with all our good things.
St Wilfrid’s Church: Advent Penitential Service and First Confession for our 7 candidates on Saturday 11th December at 5 pm.
Rehearsal for Nativity Mime at Christmas Eve Mass will be Saturday 18th December at 2pm, Children from St Wilfrid’s and St George’s are all welcome to take part in this special part of the Mass.
Food for thought:
A writer called Mark Link wrote the following: On the night of April 15, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank. Over 1,500 people lost their lives in one of the worst sea disasters in history. A few years ago a magazine recalled the great disaster and asked its readers this shocking, almost blasphemous, question: “If we’d been on the Titanic when it sank, would we have arranged the deckchairs?” At first we say to ourselves, “What a ridiculous question! No one in his right mind would ignore wailing sirens on a sinking ship and rearrange its deck chairs! No one with an ounce of sanity would ignore the shouts of drowning people and keep arranging deck chairs!” But as we continue to read the magazine, we see the reason for the strange question. And suddenly we ask ourselves, “Are we perhaps, rearranging the deckchairs on a sinking ship? — For example, are we so caught up with material things in life that we are giving a back seat to spiritual things? Are we so busy making a living that we are forgetting the purpose of life? Are we so taken up with life that we are forgetting why God gave us life?”
