Presider’s Page

We’re just 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.

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.

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.

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 over 2,000 years ago.

We celebrate the feast of Christ the King today, acclaiming Jesus as the Anointed One, who died for us and rose triumphant. We offer praise and worship — and ask for the grace to live as worthy citizens of his kingdom of justice, truth, love and peace.

As we move into the darker times of the year, the readings at Mass remind us more and more of the end of time, and the glory awaiting believers. We trust that God stays with us always.
• Today is World Day of the Poor, with the theme ‘The poor you will always have with you’ (Mark 14:7)

Gathering together in the Lord’s house, we bring simple gifts into God’s presence – our love, our care for each other, our worshipping hearts and voices. We ask for the grace to continue to show love through the coming week.
• Today is Prisoners’ Sunday in Ireland.

On All Saints Day and today, we remember all the dead, those in heaven and those still be on the way there: God alone knows where each soul is. Today we pray for all souls, for the faithful departed still on the journey to their heavenly home.

Today and tomorrow we remember all the dead, those in heaven and those still be on the way there: God alone knows where each soul is. Today’s feast celebrates the saints in heaven, the holy men and women of every time and place: we hope some of our people are among them.

What is asked of us is simple – to love God and our neighbour. But our love also extends to our common home, as all eyes are on Glasgow, where the UN Climate Change Conference begins in Glasgow this Sunday — that Planet Earth may be spared from destruction.

This year’s Mission Sunday theme suggests that “We cannot remain silent”. Those were the brave words of St Peter and St John in the Acts of the Apostles, when even in the face of persecution, they insisted: “We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). We pray to have their courage in our country, today.
In this Sunday’s Mass, we come to God, who gives the blind new sight.

We are called to serve as Christ served, but when that proves hard for us, we approach the throne of grace for mercy and assistance, knowing that God is on our side, encouraging us onwards.

On our journey through life, we pause here for a while, to offer worship and praise. We remember God’s goodness and ask for the gift of wisdom as we continue to hurry towards the Kingdom.

October is Mission Month. In three weeks time we will honour the work of missionaries on Mission Sunday; throughout the month, we are challenged by the Mission theme for 2021: ‘We cannot remain silent’, based on the strong words from the Acts of the Apostles: “We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

• Today is Day for Life in Ireland, which invites Catholics to consider a more positive and compassionate response to the care of people who are in the final stages of life .

All are welcome in this place: anyone who is not against us is for us. All may gather here to worship God our Saviour. Today is the Church’s 107th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (observed annually since 1914). Resources from the South African Catholic Bishops Conference, some included below, can be found on www.vatican.va

In our journey through life we walk the path Jesus walked, so it is hard for us to escape suffering, no more than he could. We remember his suffering and death, knowing that it brought him glory and that it will do the same for us.

God’s healing power was seen in the ministry of Jesus, and continues in the sacraments, in advances in medicine, in vaccine programmes and in the work of the caring professions. Today we pray for strength, trusting that God will continue to show compassion to the whole world.

We gather as people who have chosen to serve the Lord, chosen to walk the Christian way. We worship God who leads us on — and ask for strength to continue as we have begun.