Dear Parishioners,

On this Sunday three years ago, Pope Francis said:

The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday; that is, the Sunday of Joy. In the Mass the invitation rings out several times to rejoice. Why? Because the Lord is near. Christmas is near. The Christian message is called the ‘Gospel’ which means ‘good news’, an announcement of joy for all people; the Church is not a haven for sad people, the Church is a joyful home! And those who are sad find joy in her, they find in her true joy!

However, the joy of the Gospel is not just any joy. It consists in knowing one is welcomed and loved by God. As the prophet Isaiah reminds us in today’s first reading at Mass, God is he who comes to save us and who seeks to help, especially those who are fearful of heart. His coming among us strengthens us, makes us steadfast, gives us courage, makes the desert and the waste land rejoice and blossom; that is, when our lives becomes arid. And when do our lives become arid? When they lack the water of God’s Word and his Spirit of love. However great our limitations and dismay, we are not allowed to be sluggish and vacillating when faced with difficulty and our own weakness. On the contrary, we are invited to strengthen the weak hands, to make firm the feeble knees, to be strong and to fear not, because our God always shows us the greatness of his mercy. He gives us the strength to go forward. He is always with us in order to help us to go forward. He is a God who loves us so very much, he loves us and that is why he is with us, to help us, to strengthen us, help us go forward. Courage! Always forward! Thanks to his help, we can always begin again.

Someone might say to me: “No, Father, I did so many inexcusable things… I am a great sinner… I cannot begin from scratch!” You are wrong! You can begin from scratch! Why? Because he is waiting for you, he is close to you, he loves you, he is merciful, he forgives you, he gives you the strength to begin again from scratch! Everybody! And so we are able to open our eyes again, to overcome sadness and mourning to strike up a new song. And this true joy remains even amid trial, even amid suffering, for it is not a superficial joy; because it permeates the depths of those who entrust themselves to the Lord and confide in him.

Christian joy, like hope, is founded on God’s fidelity, on the certainty that he always keeps his promises. The prophet Isaiah exhorts those who have lost their way and have lost heart to entrust themselves to the faithfulness of the Lord, for his salvation will not delay in bursting into their lives.

Gaudete, Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

Every year the church cleaning team is joined by volunteers for the annual pre-Christmas big clean. It will begin a week tomorrow, Monday 12^th December at 9.15am. We have plenty of dusters, brushes and vacuum cleaners so please do consider whether you can spare an hour anytime between 9.15 and 11.45 to join in the fun, followed by tea, biscuits and natter. Please do come along – volunteers are people like you! If you don’t come, then maybe no one will arrive! A similar appeal has gone out with the school newsletter.

You may remember two weeks ago we began to look at the Bishop’s letter outlining what he considers to be the requirements of a good and adequate preparation for infant baptism. It includes the request that parish members welcome parents and godparents to our parish community by accompanying them to Mass, to coffee and encouraging their growth in faith to ensure a well-founded hope that their child will be brought up as a practising member of our Catholic community.

Bishop John stresses that this is not the responsibility of the few parishioners who help organise the baptismal preparation instruction but of the whole parish community. Baptism should then be followed up by these or other parishioners willing to maintain a friendly link with the family to encourage them to live their baptismal promises.

Why? Well, I’m sure you are aware that the majority of parents never come to the parish after their child has been baptised until they need a copy of the baptismal certificate to help ensure a place in a Catholic school.

I have no idea how we as a parish may best organise this and would be grateful if you would share with me any ideas you may have. Could this be best achieved at the next Forum meeting on 8^th February? Or would it be better to arrange a special meeting to discuss this one issue?

One thought that I have and am certain of, is that grandparents are key. Pope Francis time and again speaks of the important role of grandparents in inculcating a love of the faith in their grandchildren and in developing their awareness of who they are and of their heritage, which will stand them in good stead as they navigate their way through life and encourage them in their turn to share their faith and heritage with their grandchildren.

Let’s start a parish conversation on these vital issues!

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

Advent is a particularly busy time for us all: cards to send, presents to buy, meals to plan and the list could go on. But amid all this frantic panic and haste we must remember that Advent should be above all else a time to reflect, to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ and remind ourselves of what Christmas is about. There is no better way to do this than to buy an Advent Walk with Me booklet, available at the back of church (£1). This provides a short reflection and prayer for each day of Advent. Remember that a prayer a day not only keeps the Devil at bay but according to an increasing body of scientific research helps us live longer and so celebrate many more Christmases!

We are privileged this year to begin Advent with a copy of a Lampedusa Cross. It is made from pieces of a boat that was wrecked on 11 October 2013 off the coast of Lampedusa, a Mediterranean island south of Sicily, while crossing from Libya to Europe. 311 Eritrean and Somali refugees were drowned but the Inhabitants of Lampedusa helped to save the lives of 155 others. After meeting some of the survivors who are Eritrean Christians in the church on Lampedusa, Francesco Tuccio, the island’s carpenter, was moved by their plight but felt frustrated that he could not make a difference to their situation. The best he could do was to use his skills as a carpenter to fashion for each of them a cross from the wreckage of the boat as a thanksgiving for their salvation from the sea and hope for the future. A similar cross was made for Pope Francis who carried it at a memorial service for those who had perished. The cross stands witness to the kindness of the people of the small island of Lampedusa who do so much for the refugees and migrants who arrive on their shores.

CAFOD has supplied a copy of the cross which will be in our parish.

This Sunday for the Advent service in St Mary’s Sabden at 4pm.

Tuesday it will be in St Hubert’s Dunsop Bridge at Mass.

On Saturday it will be processed into St Michael and St John’s at the 6pm Mass and the 9.30pm Mass on Sunday.

During the week It will be displayed in St Michael & St John’s.

Have you considered inviting a refugee family to a meal with your family? Full details are to found at the back of each church?

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

We have already reported on the Bishop’s policy document concerning the Permanent Diaconate and Confirmation. Today we begin to look at Baptism

The general principle: “Good preparation for Baptism is essential and can also have very positive benefits for the parents of the child being baptised, often being the opportunity to bring them back to a committed practice of their faith. We must seek to provide for the best catechesis and preparation for this sacrament, in all our parishes.”

To ensure this, children must be baptised in the parish in which they live but if for good reason, such as regularly attending Mass elsewhere, parents ask for baptism in another parish, they must obtain a letter of permission from their parish priest.

Each parish is asked to recruit a number of parishioners who will offer a warm welcome to parents when they come along to arrange a baptism, to record their details and share with the family the importance of their commitment to bring their children up in the practice of the faith.

Following the initial welcome, parents will attend a baptism preparation course along with the godparents.

One godparent must be a practising Catholic! The other may be a baptised Christian of another denomination. This is important because the godparents need to be people of living Christian faith so that they may be examples of faith in practice and an encouragement in faith to the child and its parents.

Practice of the faith includes regular attendance at Sunday mass. Catholics are obliged to attend Mass every Sunday, except when prevented for grave reason! Sadly, there are many children in our primary school who would love to come to Mass but are prevented from doing so because their parents will not bring them. The Bishop writes: “As an indication of the parents’ willingness to embrace the call to live as part of the Church, it should be required that they, or at least the Catholic parent, attend Mass for at least six Sundays in preparation for baptism.” However, where there is a willingness to do this but also genuine serious difficulties (work commitments, single parent, illness etc) then the situation can be discussed with the priest.

Other requirements for Baptism will be dealt with next week. Meanwhile if you have difficulties with any of these issues then please do speak with me or Fr Kevin.

Fr John