Liturgy

The calling of Andrew and his brother Peter is described in today’s Gospel. Like those early disciples, we too are called. As believers, we gather here to listen to God’s word, resolving to put it into practice in the coming week.

Now that the Christmas season is behind us and we are moving into the New Year, the liturgy challenges us to reflect on what following Christ means. We gather as God’s people, called to follow the Lamb of God and we praise God, with thanksgiving.

Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord: it’s the last day of the Christmas season.
The baptism of Jesus marked the end of his quiet years in Nazereth and the start of his public ministry.

On this feast of the Epiphany we celebrate the revelation of who Christ is. The visit of the three wise men reminds us that Jesus came as the Saviour of all nations, including ours. We worship God who wants all people to be saved.

We gather to celebrate the first Sunday of 2015, with thankfulness for the year just gone. We ask God for continuing care and protection as face this New Year, not knowing what it will bring.

On this first Sunday after Christmas, we honour the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We entrust our families to their patronage, and pray for all who have been part of our families, those still alive and those whom we hope have joined the great family of God in heaven.

Advent is drawing to a close, so we have just a few days left to prepare for the birth of Christ. On this Sunday, we’re invited to follow Mary’s example and imitate her faith.

We’re half way 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 the first part of the season, the Church focuses on the end of time, when Christ will come in glory. Then, for the last week of Advent, we will prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. At the end of time, this king will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. He will ask how we treated the hungry and thirsty, the stranger, the naked, those sick or in prison, promising a great reward to those who show love.

The beginning of the Advent season is coming closer, and the Liturgy invites us to look further into the future, towards the end of time, when the Day of the Lord comes. Today’s gathering will help us on our way, teaching us how to live and giving us food for the journey.

Every year on 9 November, we celebrate the dedication of the pope’s cathedral in Rome, the Lateran Basilica. Because that church is dedicated to our Most Holy Saviour, the celebration of this feast takes the place of the regular Sunday readings and prayers. And we praise our loving God who provides a home for us on earth as in heaven.

There’s a reminder of the two great commandments in today’s celebration: we are called to love God and our neighbour: friend, visitor and stranger alike.

Mission Sunday is celebrated today. Its theme is “That we may have life…” We come to the source of life and pray that the life of Christ might be in us and in all of humankind.

We gather as fellow-pilgrims at this Sunday’s eucharist, all travelling towards the great banquet of heaven. In our Communion today, we get a taste of what is to come.

There are reassuring words for us in God’s Word, with Paul reminding us that there is no need for us to worry. If there is anything we need, we can pray for it and God’s peace will be ours.