Franciscan Newsletter: the Nativity of the Lord
ST. WILFRID’S CENTRE currently has sufficient sugar so no sugar at present please. Tea and coffee are still very welcome. If you wish to donate sugar you can place it in the S2 Food Bank box. Thank you.
The new HALLAM DIOCESE YEARBOOK AND ORDO 2017 is available for £3.65 in the Narthex. It gives details of the Parishes, Mass times, priests, deacons and religious in the Diocese, plus Diocesan organisations, societies and hospital and health care chaplains.
SCRIPTURE NOTEThe Gospel which is read at Midnight Mass reminds us that the real point of Christmas is the birth of Jesus, God’s gift to the world. Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus stresses especially the poverty of the family: Christ comes to the poor and is greeted by the poor. Mary and Joseph are displaced persons, and can find no decent place for the baby to be born. There is no space in the living-quarters and he has to be put in a feeding-trough among the animals. He is greeted not by the rich presents of the magnificent wise men from the East, but by impoverished hired shepherds, guarding flocks in the winter night. He is born to be the patron of the homeless and of displaced persons.But Jesus is also the fulfilment of the hopes of the Old Testament. The families both of John the Baptist and of Jesus are eminently faithful to the prescriptions of the Law, waiting for the salvation promised to Israel. In the Temple Jesus will be greeted by Simeon and Anna, the representatives of fidelity to the Old Law. The birth of Jesus at Bethlehem shows that he is born as the heir to the promises to David, that God would build David a house of everlasting sovereignty, whose king would be the Son of God and would call God his Father.
What does the Christmas story tell us about Jesus?
PARISH PRAYER
Heavenly Father, pour down on our Church your Holy Spirit, the fire of your love. Give us the courage, the wisdom and the faith to be salt for the earth and light for the world.
Help us to build warm and welcoming communities of faith in our families, ourneighbourhoods, our Parish. May we carry the Good News by word and action into all ourenvironments, especially those which are hostile and hurting.
Together with Mary, the first evangeliser we entrust all our efforts into the care of theDivine Spirit, who fills and renews the face of the earth.
Amen.
/ FranciscanChurchofSt.FrancisofAssisi
277SandygateRoad,SheffieldS105SD
Telephone01142630383
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RegisteredCharityNo.512021
ParishPriest:FrKevinThornton
Parish Deacon: Stephen Parker
YearA-PsalterWeeK 1
THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
Mass Book pg 98/103. Preface Ipg 66.
Eucharistic Prayer IIIpg 28.
Sunday / 25th / 10:00 am / Christmas Day Mass (Private Intention)
Monday / 26th / 10:00 am / St. Stephen (Fr. John Tomblin)
Tuesday / 27th / 7:30 pm / St. John (John & Jenny Rockett - Golden Wedding)
Wednesday / 28th / 10:00 am / Holy Innocents (Jack McHale)
Thursday / 29th / 10:00 am / St. Thomas of Canterbury (William Freeman)
Friday / 30th / 10:00 am / Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph (Veronica Andrews)
Saturday / 31st / 11:15-11:45 / Sacrament of Mercy (Confession)
12 noon / (Thomas, Sheila & Stephen Watson)
Thank you for last week's OFFERTORY COLLECTION.
Father Kevin wishes you all a very HAPPY, HOLY AND PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS.
Thank you to those people who gave some of their valuable time to come and adore Jesus in the BLESSED SACRAMENT last Sunday.
A huge thank you to all who helped with the INTERNATIONAL CRIB EXHIBITION for making it a great success. It was a pleasure to see so many of our parishioners enjoying cribs from all over the world. We raised £242.88 for the Hallam Bethlehem Fund and for school lunches in Uganda. Susanne Staub.
There will be anEVENING MASS on Christmas day at St Marie’s Cathedral at 6:30pm. Everyone welcome.
PLEASE PRAY for Alan, Alexander, Alison, AM, Benjamin Lewis, Fr Bill Bergin, David Skinner, Dorry Kennedy, Eileen Jones, Ellen Dalton, Ian Baxter, Jim Foley, John Denzil Joseph, John Hayes, John Rowan, Sr Julia Duignan, J&E.D, JTD, Karen Kilbride, Kathleen Giblin, KC, Leonora, Margaret Hanour, Margaret Paget, Mary Hunt, Mary Rigby, May Leonard, Nancy Lennon, Rachel Grace, Roger Kemp, Fr Roy Pannell, Tony Mulchrone, Willow Grist and Yvonne Reaney, who are sick, for Jack McHale, William Freeman and Vera Dalton, lately deadand for Veronica Andrews and Sheila Watsonwhose anniversaries occur about this time.
On New Year’s Evein St Marie's Cathedral, there will be a VIGIL OF PRAYER starting at 8pm followed by Mass at midnight to usherin the New Year.Everyone is welcome.
ST. FRANCIS 200 CLUB. The Grand Winter Prize Draw will take place after 11am Mass on Sunday 1st January 2017. Please come to join in the celebration as we witness the draw to find the lucky £100 winner. Free wine and other refreshments will be available and all are welcome.
There will be an EPIPHANY CONCERT of Carols and Christmas music at St Vincent's Church at 7:30pm on Friday 6th January 2017. Tickets are £3 and available from Katherine Rice on 2665273. All proceeds go to St. Justin's.
HALLAM YOUTH MINISTRY invites young people to join them for an evening of beautiful music, fun activities, inspirational speakers and free pizza. See the posters in the narthex for more details.
- RiseUp for years 7 to 9, 6pm to 8pm (pizza served just before 6pm) at St William of Yorkon Friday 13th January 2017.
- Rooted for age 15+, 7pm to 9pm (pizza served just before 7pm) at St William of Yorkon Wednesday 18th January 2017.
The CATENIAN ANNUAL DINNER DANCEwill be on Saturday 28th January 2017 at the Royal Victoria Hotel. This is great opportunity to dress up and join parish friends and their families for a night of great food and 'not so great' dancing. If interested,contact Dom on .
The HALLAM NEWS for Januaryis available in the narthex free of charge.
REFLECTIONA fire has been lit
In our times, Christmas has become very commercialised and very pagan. Many people are lured into overspending and excessive eating and drinking. However, these abuses must not blind us to the true meaning of Christmas. When thick smoke rises up, catches in your throat, and brings tears to your eyes, it is because a fire has been lit. Ever since the coming of Christ, a bright fire has been burning on our earth, a fire that will never die. At this fire we experience the warmth of God’s love, and the glow of human fellowship. Let us not be afraid to come in out of the cold and warm ourselves at this fire.
So happy Christmas, everyone!