Last Tuesday, the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Monsignor Mark Davies, Vicar General of the Diocese of Salford, as the new Coadjutor Bishop of Shrewsbury. As Coadjutor, he will have right of succession to Bishop Brian Noble, Bishop of Shrewsbury, upon his retirement at a future date. In the meantime, the new Bishop will assist Bishop Noble within the Diocese.
Please note: this year’s Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday 3rd January 2010. The feast was transferred to the nearest Sunday in 2008.
Loving God,
guardian of our homes,
when you entrusted your Son
to the care of Mary and Joseph,
you did not spare them the pains
that touch the life of every family.
Teach us to rely on your word,
so that in our trials and in our joys
we may be clothed in gentleness and patience
and united in love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(adapted from ‘The ICEL Collects’)
My dear People,
Jesus went down with Mary and Joseph and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority; he was obedient to them. And in the Carol ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, many of us will have sung in recent days: ‘Christian children all must be mild, obedient, good as he’.
But obedience is a tricky thing.
Watch very carefully today’s story about Jesus, Mary and Joseph for this Feast of the Holy Family. We must not rush to obedient Jesus as if he justifies a parental demand: ‘do it because I tell you to’. The Mary to whom Jesus is obedient, the Mary under whose authority he lived, is the Mary who ‘stored up all these things in her heart’. Always she is the woman who ponders, searches, learns; her relationship to her Son is always in heart and mind and body. And today we are reminded that she ponders this: a Passover feast; the city of Jerusalem; Jesus, lost for three days; and lost to her because he was accomplishing the will of his Father. This is Mary opening her heart to a Passover Feast she will later face; it will again be in Jerusalem but this time on Calvary’s hill, lost to her for three days because by dying he accomplished his Father’s saving will. And Jesus lives under this woman’s authority. He is attentive, obedient, and learns from those who are open to the pain of giving him all the space he needs to accomplish his life’s work and purpose: to die in selfless love and so rise again. This is why we also receive today the story of Hannah and the child she longed for; she gives him all the space in the world: she makes him over to the Lord for his whole life. He is made over to the Lord. And Samuel would accomplish wonderful things.
This all makes me begin to wonder: we proclaim God is holy; but every line in the New Testament has one purpose: to enable us to know, love and follow the God who is love. And I begin to see: Holiness and love mean exactly the same: for God who is Holy, at peace, with no desires to manipulate or dominate or control; the Holy One untouched by envy or pride, is precisely the God who is love; love rejoices in the greatness and uniqueness of others; love creates space to breathe and learn and grow. I find it helps me to describe the life of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in this way: each one rejoices to give the others space to be ever more creative in showing love and mercy to sinners. They love each other; they are love, so space is their secret and this is the way of holiness.
And we rejoice on this day in Christmastide because the child of God became the child of Mary that we might all become the holy, loving children of God. We are able to be holy; we are able to reject the temptation to dominate, control, manipulate, to reject envy and pride; instead to be holy means this loving is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit: a love that rejoices to create space.
Because you are keeping this feast today I am certain: spacious love will be the blessing you will bring to this New Year. I ask you now to receive words often proclaimed at a wedding, well-known words of Saint Paul about love; today receive them as about being holy and about being those who create space:
‘Love is patent and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; love does not insist on its own way; it is nor irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, hopes all things endures all things.’
This is a good day to give you advance notice of our annual celebration of Marriage and Family life at the Cathedral at three o’clock on the afternoon of Sunday 14 February. Archbishop Vincent Nichols will be leading our prayer this year. We will celebrate the holiness, love, space that is the heart beat of affectionate, secure, joyful Family Life. This year it is the children who will have pride of place and of course we will rejoice with those celebrating significant anniversaries of married life. More of that nearer the day.
But for now: ‘Christian children all must be mild, obedient, good as he’. Yes, obedient indeed, because their parents learn from Mary and Joseph and Hannah to offer them the space and opportunity that is God’s plan for them.
Because today you are here to receive as your bread of life him who is holy, who is love, with confidence I wish you and those dear to you a joyful, blessed New Year.
+ Patrick Kelly
Archbishop of Liverpool
New Year’s Eve Mass
If you would like to welcome in the New Year in church, there will be a Vigil Mass at 11.15 pm on New Year’s Eve at Holy Family, followed by the chimes of Big Ben (live), a New Year Blessing, and drink or two at the back of church.
New Year’s Day Mass
On New Year’s Day, there will be a New Year’s Day Mass at 12.00 noon at Holy Family. Everyone welcome.
Family New Year’s Eve Party
Tickets are now on sale for the Family New Years Eve party to be held in St Ambrose Barlow Parish Hall from 7.30 pm til late. £5 per ticket or £20 per household. Ticket price includes buffet. Just bring own drinks. See Andrea after Mass in the Church Hall or phone 07765 272070.
Terry Wogan broadcast his final breakfast show on BBC Radio 2 last Friday. At the age of 71, he has decided to move to a weekend show on Sundays from February 2010. Terry has accompanied many of us in the mornings since 1974 when we’ve been on our way to school, college, university, work, and so on, bringing companionship, good music and a smile to our faces. As Canon Roger Royle said in his ‘Pause for Thought’: “May I say a very big thank you – you have allowed us to be part of a programme that brings friendship, laughter, a sense of the ridiculous and an awareness of the needs of others especially children. Terry, thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Loving God,
On this Christmas day we give thanks that
Jesus, your Son, has come into our world
bringing us gifts of peace and joy.
Bless us as we sit down together
at this table for our Christmas meal.
Bless the food we share,
and help us to remember those who are hungry.
Be with our neighbours and our friends,
all who are lonely, sick or away from home.
We pray that our departed loved ones
may now sit at your table in heaven.
May the joy of this feast give us strength and light,
now and in the days ahead. Amen.
The Barnabas Project in Manchester is looking for winter clothing for men and women living on the streets of Manchester. If you have suitable items that are spare (e.g. hats, coats, scarves, gloves, underwear, etc.), please bring them to any of the churches over the next couple of weeks. We will arrange to collect these items from the churches on Monday 21st December. Many thanks, Fr Dave.
Christmas Eve
6.00 pm St. Gabriel’s & St. Richard’s
6.30 pm Sacred Heart, Leigh
7.00 pm Twelve Apostles
9.30 pm St. Richard’s
11.30 pm Holy Family & St. Ambrose Barlow
12.00 am Sacred Heart, Leigh
Christmas Day
8.30 am St. Joseph’s
9.00 am Holy Family
9.30 am St. Richard’s
10.00 am Sacred Heart, Leigh
10.30 am St. Joseph’s
11.00 am Holy Family, St. Ambrose Barlow & Our Lady of the Rosary
Christingle Service
Sunday 6th December at 4.00 pm at Holy Family.
An Advent Service which is especially suitable for children who will lead a procession of light around the church.
Churches Together in Boothstown
Annual Outdoor Carol Service at the Standfield Centre
Sunday 6th December at 5.00 pm
The service lasts about 20 minutes and is followed by the arrival of a rather shady character, dressed in red, with a big white beard!
Advent Evening of Reflection
Presented by the Archdiocesan Justice & Peace Commission
Monday 7th December at St Ambrose Barlow: 7.30 - 8.30 pm. All welcome.
Carol Service
Tuesday 8th December outside Sacred Heart, HIndsford, at 7.00pm.
It may be cold, so wrap up warm. There will be refreshments available in the Parish Centre afterwards. Everyone welcome.
District Cubs Carol Service
Wednesday 9th December at 7.00 pm at Holy Family.
Advent Service of Reconciliation
Wednesday 9th December
7.30 pm at St Richard’s, Atherton.
Christmas Celebration led by St Gabriel’s Catholic Primary School
Thursday 10th December at 6.30 pm at St Gabriel’s. All welcome.
Advent Liturgy of Hope
Tuesday 15th December at 7.00 pm
Holy Family, Boothstown
An opportunity to take a little time out and allow the light of Christ to renew our hearts and minds with hope. The service will last about 40 minutes.
Advent Service
St Ambrose Barlow Children’s Liturgy Group have prepared an Advent Service which will be held in St Ambrose Church on Sunday 20th December at 4:00 pm. All families and parishioners are invited to come along and take a few minutes out of their hectic schedules to refocus on the true meaning of the coming of Our Lord.
Festival Carol Service
On Sunday 20th December, there will be a shortened version of the traditional Nine Lessons and Carols at Holy Family at 5.00 pm. The service will last about 40 minutes and will be followed by mince pies and mulled wine.