Liturgy

As we Christians come together for worship, each of us brings worries, anxieties and fears. We gather them all together and entrust them to the one who heals his suffering people.

We come together to listen to God’s word and share the bread of life together. As God’s family here, we praise the one who has rescued us from sin and darkness, and brought us the hope of heaven.

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.
• This is the World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

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 Nazareth and the start of his public ministry.

On this first Sunday after Christmas Day, 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.

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.

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, to be ready when the Day of the Lord comes. Today’s gathering will help us on our way, by teaching us how to live and giving us food for the journey.
• Today has been designated by Pope Francis as the first-ever “WORLD DAY OF THE POOR”

At this time of year, our deceased relatives and friends are often in our minds. Our faith tells us that we needn’t grieve over them like people with no hope….