CHRISTMAS SERVICES CHRISTMAS EVE: Tuesday 24th December 4.30pm: Vigil Mass of Christmas, Family Mass 8.40pm: Carols and Readings 9.00 pm The Mass of the Nativity of the Lord CHRISTMAS DAY: Wednesday 25th December 9.30am: St STEPHEN’S DAY Thursday 26th December CHRISTMAS 2019 10.00am: Mass for altar servers. SUNDAY HOLY FAMILY MASSES Saturday 28th December 6.30pm Vigil Mass Sunday 29th December 8.30am 10.30 am Mass with Blessing of the Children’s toys NEW YEAR’S DAY: Wednesday 1st January 10.00am Mary the Holy Mother of God

Please remember in your prayers: We pray especially for the sick of the parish and for those who care for and support them, in A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM FR DENIS particular Dick Worbey, Mairead Kirk, and Angela Gray. We remember those who have died recently, especially Marian Reade Dear parishioners, I would like to welcome those of you and those whose anniversaries occur at this time: Patricia Gray; visiting our parish, the feast of Christmas is upon us, for Emma Targett; Catherine Wilson; Arthur Smith; James McTigue; some it will be a time for a well-earned rest, for others it Rosa Gelmini; Ermelinda Lowrey; Matthias Hofmeister; Dora will highlight the sad loss of a loved one. There may be an Noonan; Patrick Dowdall; Norina Brever; Muriel Gyde; Catherine empty chair at the table. It is a time for families to be Broadbent; Rena Nedic; Joseph Smyth; Stanley Newcombe; Ethel together, to enjoy each other’s company and to slow down Brown; Jean Blows; Edward Faulkner; Caterina Scarlino. from the stress of our daily lives. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT A big Thank You to all For the young it is a time of great excitement, children have who have helped in the parish this year; those on the following list a lot to teach us. Their joy and hope, and simplicity have a and anyone missed out by mistake:- The newsletter editors, the great part to play in the Christmas story. Jesus the Son of Choir; Young at Heart team; Parish Finance Committee; Parish God becomes a Son of Man, to live among us and teach us Council; Parish Hall Committee; Building committee, church how to be truly human. He shows us the way to the Father, cleaners, 200 Club organisers; Tea and Coffee after Mass team; by his birth, life and death. The angels bring a message for Parish Gardens & Grounds clearers; Outdoor Summer Mass helpers, movers and chefs; First Communion & Confirmation Catechists; the whole world, peace on earth and joy to men of good will. Knit & Natter organisers; Extraordinary Ministers; Mass Readers & Let the message of Christmas renew us and bring the love of Bidding Prayers team; Altar servicers, Collection Counters; God deeper into the depths of our hearts. I wish you all a Children’s Liturgy Catechists, and Mass Meeter/Greeters. very merry and blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year. The Newsletter will return in The New Year. Fr Denis needed. The cost is £2 per session which will go towards the BACK AGAIN - THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS building fund. NEWSLETTER FROM A LETTER OF POPE ST LEO, THE GREAT The Newsletter Team are proud to present the 2019 Christmas Edition. Recovered jokes from previous issues, puzzles and the The mystery of our reconciliation with God: odd, sometimes very odd, quiz, with a big end of the decade type theme going on, freshened up by Fr Denis and his thoughts at this To speak of our Lord, the son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as true very special time of the year. We hope you enjoy it and from all and perfect man is of no value to us if we do not believe that he is the Newsletter Team a huge thanks for reading this year, forgiving descended from the line of ancestors set out in the Gospel. our occasionally off kilter notices & editorial gaffs! Of course, we Matthew’s gospel begins by setting out the genealogy of Jesus wish you all a very happy and holy Christmas and fabulous 2020 Christ, son of David, son of Abraham, and then traces his human too! descent by bringing his ancestral line down to his mother’s MOST WATCHED TV OF THE DECADE husband, Joseph. On the other hand, Luke traces his parentage Listed below are the most watched TV shows in the UK for each of backward step by step to the actual father of mankind, to show the years 2010 to 2019 (up the start of December this year). Name that both the first and the last Adam share the same nature. the year they were top of the TV charts? No doubt the Son of God in his omnipotence could have taught and 1. Blue Planet II sanctified men by appearing to them in a semblance of human form as he did to the patriarchs and prophets, when for instance 2. The X Factor he engaged in a wrestling contest or entered into conversation 3. Olympic Games Closing Ceremony with them, or when he accepted their hospitality and even ate the 4. The Great British Bake Off food they set before him. But these appearances were only types, 5. Croatia v England signs that mysteriously foretold the coming of one who would take a true human nature from the stock of the patriarchs who had 6. New Year’s Eve Fireworks gone before him. No mere figure, then, fulfilled the mystery of our 7. FIFA World Cup Final reconciliation with God, ordained from all eternity. The Holy Spirit 8. The Great British Bake Off had not yet come upon the Virgin nor had the power of the Most 9. I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! High overshadowed her, so that within her spotless womb Wisdom 10. The Wedding of Prince William & Catherine Middleton might build itself a house and the Word become flesh. The divine nature and the nature of a servant were to be united in one person so that the Creator of time might be born in time, and he through 200 CLUB DRAW DECEMBER whom all things were made might be brought forth in their midst. The Winners of the December 200 Club Draw are: - For unless the new man, by being made in the likeness of sinful Chrissy Mitchell, Nadine Wylie, David Cumming & Elizabeth flesh, had taken on himself the nature of our first parents, unless O'Leary. he had stooped to be one in substance with his mother while The next Draw will be held on Sunday 26th January 2020. sharing the Father’s substance and, being alone free from sin, KNIT AND NATTER united our nature to his, the whole human race would still be held Our next meeting will be on Friday 3rd January in the Holy Family captive under the dominion of Satan. The Conqueror’s victory Room from 9.30am. As a reminder, or if you are thinking of going would have profited us nothing if the battle had been fought for the first time, you can bring along your own knitting but outside our human condition. But through this wonderful blending knitting wool, needles etc. are provided, as well as tuition, if the mystery of new birth shone upon us, so that through the same Spirit by whom Christ was conceived and brought forth we too might be born again in a spiritual birth; and in consequence the evangelist declares the faithful to have been born not of blood, Q. What do you call Santa when he takes a break? nor of the desire of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. A. Santa Pause. MARRIAGE PREPARATION THE HISTORY OF 'THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS' This takes place in the Church Hall on Saturday 29th February 2020, from 9am to 3pm. A donation of £20 per couple is asked to cover "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol. From costs, including a substantial lunch. Those couples wishing to be 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to married in our Church should contact Fr Denis 6 months before practice our faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol your planned wedding via the parish office: 01462 893127. as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden CONFIRMATION PREPARATION 2019/20 Applicants must have been 13 (Year 9) or over on the 31st August meaning known only to members of the Church. Each element in 2019. Enrolment forms are at the back of Church and there is still the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children time to enroll. There has already been a welcome meeting for the could remember. conformation candidates and parents; but there is still time to join To fit the number scheme, when you reach number 9, representing before the first meeting on the 11th January 5pm in the parish the Fruits of the Holy Ghost, the originator combined 6 to make 3, rooms. The candidates are asked to stay and help at the 6.30pm taking the 6 fruits that were similar: the fruit in each parenthesis mass. . Please have a word with Fr. Denis if you are interested. is the that was not named separately. There are actually Twelve

Fruits of the Holy Ghost. Q. What do reindeers say before they tell you a joke? The "True Love" one hears in the song is not a smitten boy or girlfriend but Jesus Christ, because truly Love was born on A. This one’s gonna sleigh you! Christmas Day. The partridge in the pear tree also represents Him because that bird is willing to sacrifice its life if necessary to

protect its young by feigning injury to draw away predators. ANSWERS

QUIZ OF THE DECADE: 1. Mo Farah (Men’s 10.000 m Gold at 2012); 2. Best Picture Oscar for Moonlight incorrectly announced as La La Land; 3. The Shard; 4.  The two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments South Sudan; 5. The FIFA World Cup Final Referees for 2010, 2014 & 2018; 6. They  The three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love. were all declared extinct in the decade; 7. The Higgs bosun particle; 8. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2; 9. Gangnam Style; 10. Girl with a Balloon  The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, MOST WATCHED TV OF THE DECADE: 1. 2017; 2. 2010; 3. 2012; 4. 2015; 5. 2018; Luke, and John. 6. 2013; 7. 2014; 8. 2016; 9. 2019; 10. 2011  The five golden rings represented the first five books of the Old Testament, which describe man's fall into sin and the great love of God in sending a Saviour.  The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.  Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit-----Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.  The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

 Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit----- Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience [Forbearance], Goodness [Kindness], Mildness, Fidelity, Modesty, Continency [Chastity].  The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.  The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful Apostles.  The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in The Apostles' Creed.

POPE FRANCIS WRITES AN APOSTOLIC LETTER ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHRISTMAS CRÈCHE Pope Francis has written an Apostolic Letter on the meaning

and importance of the nativity scene. He signed the Letter QUIZ OF THE DECADE 1. Ennis at 9.02pm, Rutherford at 9.24pm – who at 9.46pm? during his visit on earlier this month to the Italian town of 2. What mistake did Jordan Horowitz rectify onstage in 2017? Greccio. 3. What opened at 32 London Bridge Street? Greccio is the mountain village where Saint Francis of Assisi 4. Which African country is this decade’s only new UN member created the first crib scene in 1223 to commemorate the state? birth of Jesus. 5. Who are Howard Webb, & Nestor Pitana? Pope Francis returned to the town to deliver his Apostolic 6. What happened to the Black African Rhino, the Pinta Island Letter entitled, “Admirabile signum”. The Latin title of the tortoise and the St Helena giant earwig in the 2010’s? 7. What was finally discovered in 2012 having been proposed in Letter refers to the “enchanting image” of the Christmas 1964? crèche, one that “never ceases to arouse amazement and 8. What film was released on 15th July 2011 to end an era? wonder”, writes the Pope. “The depiction of Jesus’ birth is 9. What was the first video, released in July 2012, to be viewed itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the a billion times on You Tube? Incarnation of the Son of God”, he says. “The nativity scene 10. Name the Banksy painting that self-destructed after being is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred auctioned in October 2018? Scripture”, continues Pope Francis. Contemplating the Christmas story is like setting out on a spiritual journey, “drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman.” So great is His love for us, writes the Pope, “that He became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with Him.” The Pope hopes this Letter will encourage the family tradition of preparing the nativity scene, but also the custom of setting it up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares.” “As we contemplate the Christmas story, we are invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman. We come to realize that so great is his love for us that he became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with him,” Pope Francis said.