First Published December 2001 in the Parish Magazine

Friends before you get too caught up in the Christmas rush spare a little time to glance at the bulletin and see if we as your priests, in this parish, have anything to help you prepare spiritually for the great and joyful feast of the Nativity of Christ.

It so easy to get all hot and bothered about all the preparations and seeing to the presents that the whole picture can become distorted and leave you with a feeling that this is one religious feast you wish would go away. We talk about how commercialised the season is and yet we are the ones that the shops etc. are trying to satisfy.

The Church in its wisdom gives us four weeks to prepare our hearts and minds. The theme of the Mass each Sunday for the next four weeks will speak about preparing the way of the Lord, rejoice in the coming of the lord and giving us the example of Mary as she prepared to become the mother of the Lord.

The Journey in healing each Wednesday evening at 7.30pm will reflect these themes also, in order to help us to prepare in our individual hearts and make room for the indwelling of the Christmas Peace. On Thursday 20th. December we will have a Penitential Service in Church with visiting priests to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). Going to an extra daily Mass, with the good people already attending in large numbers, is another way of preparing for Christmas.

Whatever you do, try and make an effort to have Christ in your Christmas because without Him you are celebrating a birthday without the principal guest.

Fr.Phil