SUNDAY 4th DECEMBER 2022
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” (Matthew 3:2)
On the Second Sunday of Advent each year, the central figure of the Gospel is St John the Baptist. John, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, was sent as the messenger of God to announce the coming of the Messiah. He is sometimes described as a ‘bridge’ linking the Old Testament and the New Testament, his message embodying the prophets of the past and pointing ahead to the coming of Christ. He is also described as being a ‘forerunner’ to Jesus, proclaiming the coming of the “kingdom of heaven”. Proclaiming the kingdom of heaven was, of course, to be the central theme of Jesus’ mission on earth.
On the Second Sunday of Advent the focus is on one of the key themes of Advent, repentance, that is, conversion of mind and heart, which draws us to focus on the gift of God’s love and compassion for us, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This Advent, may we rise to the challenge of lifting our hearts and minds out of the wilderness on to the path of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, who awaits and embraces us always.
MASS SCHEDULE THIS WEEK:
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (Feast of the Immaculate Conception): 10.00am.
Tuesday: 9.30am
Friday: 10.00am and 7.00pm (Month’s Mind Mass for Charlie Dolan)
Please note: Thursday, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, is a Holy Day of Obligation.
Rosary commences 20 minutes before Mass (morning Masses)
Saturday: Vigil Mass, 6.30pm. Sunday morning: Mass at 9.00am and 11.00am
For those who are unable to come out to church, all our Masses continue to be available on our parish webcam:
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is on Thursday of this week, 8 December. It is a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass in St Patrick’s at 10.00am. On this Feast Day, we celebrate the conception of Mary who, from the first instance of Her existence in the womb of Her mother, Anne, was, by a singular grace, privilege and gift from God, preserved from all stain of original sin. In the words of the hymn:
“When creation was begun, God had chosen you to be
Mother of His blessed Son, Holy Mary, full of grace.”
†
John Devine, late of 3A St Eunan’s Terrace, Raphoe (formerly Mossbeg, Ballindrait)
As a parish faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to Valerie, BJ, John and Ian, to Rose, to the grandchildren, to the brothers and sisters and wider family circle and friends of John, whose Funeral Mass took place in St Patrick’s on Thursday. May he rest in peace.
MASS INTENTIONS:
Friday 9 December, 7.30pm: Months Mind Mass for Charlie Dolan, Ardnasool
Saturday 10 December, 6.30pm: Danny & Annie Donnelly, Ballylennon
Sunday 11 December, 11.00am: Seamus McBrearty, Tamnawood.
ANNIVERSARIES:
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they rest in peace:
Molly Colhoun, Coneyburrow; Bridget Coll, Rateen; Bernadette Simpson, Bridge Street
Anne Stewart, The Roughan; John McMenamin, Croaghan Heights; Susan O’Brien, The Roughan.
COLLECTION:
THANK YOU for your generosity in last week’s collection, which amounted to €2,205.00
ST VINCENT DE PAUL:
The SVP helpline number, 087 4647 991, is available at all times to take calls. Please know that all calls are in the strictest confidence. St Vincent de Paul, pray for us.
PARENTS / GUARDIANS OF FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CHILDREN:
Please note that our next Do This In Memory Mass is next Sunday, 11 December (Third Sunday of Advent), at 11.00am.
You are asked, please, to help prepare your child for next Sunday’s Mass, with the help of the Grapevine and your Thumb book.
The children are not asked to bring anything along to next Sunday’s Mass (except, of course, the Thumb book, which has the Mass responses in it), but each child will be provided on Sunday morning with a Jesse Tree symbol, which they will present at the sanctuary and which will later adorn the Tree in the sanctuary for Christmas. The children’s candles will burn during Mass.
It is important that all the children have the opportunity to attend the Do This In Memory Mass. In addition to ensuring that all the children are included in the parish preparation for the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Reconciliation, it is important that no child feels excluded by not being present at Mass with his/her classmates and friends. Thank you very much for your co-operation.
DIGITAL ADVENT CALENDAR:
Tune in each day to www.catholicbishops.ie for the online Advent calendar. Behind each ‘door’, each day there is content aimed at assisting us to pray and to reflect on how best we can keep Christ at the centre of our Christmas preparations during this special liturgical season.
JOB OPPORTUNITY:
Cleaner required for Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál, Lifford: five days per week for ten hours per week initially. Please send a letter of application along with your CV to The Chairperson, Board of Management, Lifford National School, Lifford, Co. Donegal. Closing Date: Monday 12 December at 3.00pm.
THE ADVENT WREATH:
The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent: 1. Hope, 2. Peace, 3. Joy, 4. Love.
They are lit gradually – one each week – drawing us out of darkness into light.
This symbolises not only the First Coming of Christ into the world,
but His Second Coming at the end of history.
Three candles are purple, the penitential colour used in Advent (and Lent).
One candle is rose; it is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday,
symbolising our joyful expectation of the imminent coming of the Light of Christ.
The white candle in the middle represents Christ, and is lit on Christmas Day.
SACRAMENTAL DATES 2023:
Confirmation: Saturday 11 March, at 11.00am. First Holy Communion: Saturday 13 May, at 11.00am.
‘LEARNING ABOUT THE MASS’ CORNER:
KATH: Will the people be singing songs at Do This in Memory Mass next Sunday?
QUMEN: Songs? They’re called hymns and the people singing are called the choir. But anybody else in the congregation can join in too – sometimes, when the choir sings a hymn that my mum knows, she joins in.
KATH: So are hymns part of the Mass?
QUMEN: Well, you don’t have to have singing at Mass, but my mum says the hymns help us to pray and to focus on the Mass. You know the way we have a Church Year – well, she said there are special hymns that you might sing at different times of the Church Year, to fit in with the theme of the Readings at Mass.
KATH: I’m sure there are special hymns for the Advent Masses, because Advent’s a special time in the Church Year. We’ll have to listen next Sunday.
KATH AND QUMEN: We’re good singers. We could join in the singing at the Christmas Masses, because we know most of the Christmas hymns! And maybe we’ll get to join the choir after our First Holy Communion!
Do This In Memory:
And so, boys and girls, our next Do This In Memory Mass is next Sunday. Next Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent. You will notice that we will light the third of the four Advent Wreath Candles, the pink candle (the two already lit on the First and Second Sunday of Advent were purple). The reason we will light the pink candle is that we are coming closer to celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus, and we are in joyous (happy) mode.
Kath and Qumen are in ‘happy’ mode this week – they’re already talking about singing at Mass! Maybe you’ll join in the singing next Sunday.
Access the Readings on our parish website:
The Daily Mass Readings are also on our website: https://clonleighparish.com/todays-mass-readings/ . Alternatively, just google Clonleigh Parish readings.
The Daily Mass Readings are also on our website: https://clonleighparish.com/todays-mass-readings/ . Alternatively, just google Clonleigh Parish readings.
Parish Contact Details:
Parish Priest: Fr Colm O’Doherty Parochial House: 074-9142022
Mobile: 0833665530
Parish Office – Secretary: Lorna Porter @ 074-9142001
Email: clonleighparish@derrydiocese.org
Parish website: www.clonleighparish.com
Follow us on Twitter: @clonleighparish
Find us on Facebook:. Clonleigh Parish