31^ST DEC ’22 – 1^ST JAN 2023

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE

Dear Parishioners,

HAPPY NEW YEAR! And every blessing to you, all your family and friends in the year ahead, 2023. Over a couple of days we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family; New Year’s Day; Mary, Mother of God; World Peace and the Feast of the Epiphany. What a series of treasures to unpack!

As we begin a New Year, we can place our lives, our joys and our sorrows into the capable hands of Mary our Mother. In a world where we can feel so helpless to make a change or a difference, we mustn’t rely just on our own abilities. The words of the Christmas season are still ringing in our ears! “Those who walked in darkness have seen a great light”; “The Word was made flesh and lived among us, we saw his glory”; The Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means GOD-IS-WITH-US”.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you

May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace”.

In the Gospel, we hear of the shepherds hurrying to Bethlehem to greet Mary and Joseph and see the infant Jesus. Everyone is astonished at what the shepherds had to say, while Mary ‘treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart’. Yes, Mary the Mother of our Saviour had to try to understand all that she was caught up in – the MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION. If Mary had On Friday (a Holy day of Obligation) we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. The Magi, came from the East, following the Star, to pay homage to the new-born-King. They knew that something special was happening in their day. to PONDER, TREASURE, REFLECT and try to understand what was happening, how much more do we need to ponder and pray about all that we are celebrating in this Christmas period?

They wanted to be part of the mystery of God present with his people in the infant Jesus in a manger.

We must never get tired of praying about, probing the depths of the truth of the birth of Jesus and trying to appreciate the mystery of God Emmanuel – God made flesh like ours in the person of Jesus Christ Our Lord. We have heard it all before! But we must ponder as if hearing this message for the first time.

Thanks again for all your gifts and good wishes during this Christmas Season.

Happy New Year and may God bless us all in the year ahead. Fr Joe