Today, the Sunday after Christmas, is part of the continuing celebration of the Lord’s Nativity. In today’s Mass, we honour the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. As we say goodbye to 2018, we entrust our families to their patronage, and pray for God’s help in 2019, soon to dawn upon us.
In an op-ed published in the Telegraph, Jeremy Hunt, Foreign Secretary of the U.K. Government, explains why he has commissioned a review into the persecution of Christians.
“Whatever the cause, we must never allow a misguided political correctness to inhibit our response to the persecution of any religious community.”
Irish politicians please copy?
We celebrate today an amazing mystery — God is born in time. The eternal God has taken human flesh, has pitched his tent in the midst of humanity. With joy in our hearts, we contemplate the mystery of the Word made flesh.
Wishing a very happy and peaceful Christmas to you and your family Nollaig Shona Dhuit Feliz Natal 楽しいクリスマスをお過ごしください Froehliche Weihnachten Joyeux Noël Feliz Navidad 愉快的圣诞节 Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia
In the dark of this winter night, we proclaim the new light that has shone on the world: Jesus Christ is born! With the angels, we worship God who saves us — for through the life, death and resurrection of this child Jesus, salvation is ours.
Advent is drawing to a close; we have just another day left to prepare for the birth of Christ. On this Sunday, we rejoice that the promise made to Mary by the Lord is to be fulfilled.
Seamus Ahearne offers a short Christmas reflection.
To facilitate people taking time off over Christmas, the entire set of Christmas Presiders Page has now been published, up to and including New Years Day.
Chris McDonnell writing in the Catholic Times tells how each year in his parish “we have included a Proclamation of the feast of Nativity, read by candlelight in a darkened church…….. So each year when the Nativity feast is marked, we do so in the context of what once happened and what happens now in our own days. We should realise the crucial role that each of us, however insignificant we might be, has to play; all of us are pilgrims on a journey.”
We’re well over halfway through Advent. Traditionally, today is called Gaudete Sunday, which means ‘a day for rejoicing.’ The reason for celebration is that the day of the Lord’s coming is nearer.
Seamus Ahearne wonders at recent happenings; ” are there any political saviours emerging that may bring hope to this mad crazy world? The chaos of the world presented to us in the stories of Advent may also prompt us to believe that hope and good sense can prevail. ”
Chris McDonnell in the Catholic Times remembers Henri Nouwen whose ‘perceptive nature and ability to relate to those in distress demonstrated that he was more than an inspiring teacher and fine book writer.’
Tony Flannery will speak on “How can we talk about God to the next Generation?
Will the Faith Survive?” on Sunday, December 16th, at 3.00pm
in the Freigh Inn, Newport, Co. Tipperary.
A good antidote to the mad shopping rush!
Roy Donovan commenting, in an article in The Limerick Leader on the clustering of parishes in Limerick diocese into ‘pastoral units’, says “Every possibility should be put on the table. Limerick diocese is operating within the limits – they are doing the best they can within the limits. We would be saying the overall church, all over the world needs to go beyond those limits and needs to open up every possibility including married people and women priests,”.
John the Baptist is the focus of the liturgy on the Second Sunday of Advent each year. His challenge to us to ‘prepare a way for the Lord’ is at the heart of the Advent message. We worship the one who will surely come to us.
Our preparations for Christmas always include Mary, the Mother of God. Today’s feast celebrates her conception free from sin, a miracle that displays God’s power for believers. We worship God, for whom everything is posssible.
Tin Hazelwood writes on the sensitive topic of how the funerals of priests who died while ‘out of ministry’ should be conducted.
“While some regulation may be necessary, it needs to be considerably more nuanced than the present protocols……. Mindful as we are of the difficult situation of those who have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of priests, we believe that in the interest of justice and mercy there are questions that need to be answered.”
Advent begins today. During these days, we look forward, waiting in hope. We watch for the end times, when Christ will come in glory, Christ who was born for us just a little over 2,000 years ago.
Saints in December 03 December St Francis Xavier, Priest, Missionary Born in 1506 in Navarre (Spain); died on this day in 1552 off the coast of China. Francis Xavier met…
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