Franciscan Newsletter: The Fourth Sunday in Advent

REFLECTIONJourney to Bethlehem

Joseph and Mary set out for Bethlehem. When they arrived there, the time came for Mary to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. All of us are journeying to Bethlehem, where we hope to be born. I know we were born once. Nevertheless, we are still unborn, in the sense that our true and full self hasnt yet seen the light of day. When our second birth occurs, then all the gifts of grace and nature, which God gave us as seeds, will blossom and bear fruit. Our ultimate goal is the heavenly Bethlehem where we shall see God face to face.

SCRIPTURE NOTE: As we prepare for the birth of Jesus, the final Sunday of Advent always focuses on Mary. What was the young girl Mary doing when the message came? Kneeling in prayer? Feeding the sheep? Fetching water? Sweeping the mud floor? What was she thinking? Engaged to be married, surely about her approaching wedding to Joseph and about the children she would mother. Then came the message which she could accept or refuse, the message on which hung the future of the world: her child would be different from all others. How different? Her thoughts were turned back to the promise to David. It had been read to her so often in the Bible, and now the words echoed in her mind as she listened to the angel say,His reign will have no end. This would all be the work of the Spirit which she had so often heard about in Isaiah: the Holy Spirit will come upon you, the Spirit which was to come upon the Servant of the Lord, the Spirit of Emmanuel, God with us. Her young body was to grow, nourish and develop this child. Then she would have the child in her arms to cherish and shape as both Son of God and her own son.

What sort of person was Mary? Would you have liked to get to know her? What is Gods plan for you?

PARISH PRAYER

Heavenly Father, pour down on our Church your Holy Spirit, the fire of your love. Give us the courage, the wisdom and the faith to be salt for the earth and light for the world.

Help us to build warm and welcoming communities of faith in our families, our neighbourhoods, our Parish. May we carry the Good News by word and action into all our environments, especially those which are hostile and hurting.

Together with Mary, the first evangeliser we entrust all our efforts into the care of the Divine Spirit, who fills and renews the face of the earth.

Amen.

Franciscan

Church of St. Francis of Assisi

277 Sandygate Road, Sheffield S10 5SD

Telephone 0114 263 0383

Email: stfrancis@frkevin.f9.co.uk

parishcounci26@yahoo.co.uk

Website: www.stfrancisrc-sheffield.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 512021

Parish Priest: Fr Kevin Thornton

Parish Deacon: Stephen Parker

Year B - Psalter Week 4

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

Mass Book pg 90.

Preface II of Advent pg 52.

Sunday

24th

9:00 am

(People of the Parish)

11:00 am

(Priests Intention)

4:00 pm

Children's Nativity Service

THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS

8:00 pm

Christmas Night Mass (People of the Parish)

Monday

25th

10:00 am

Christmas Day Mass (Private Intention)

Tuesday

26th

7:30 pm

St Stephen (Fr John Tomblin)

Wednesday

27th

10:00 am

St John (Thomas & Sheila Watson)

Thursday

28th

10:30 am

Funeral Mass - Tony Womack

Friday

29th

10:00 am

St Thomas of Canterbury (Cheryl Kohs Intentions)

Saturday

30th

11.15-11.45

Sacrament of Reconciliation

12 noon

(May Leonard)

This afternoon at 4pm there will be a NATIVITY SERVICE FOR CHILDREN. Come dressed as a character from the Christmas story. We need volunteers to read, so if you are in key stage 2 and want to join in please contact Claire Levesley. She will be available after 11am Mass and would love your help.

A big THANK YOU to everyone for all the prayer and work (much of it hidden and un-noticed) that has taken place in St Francis Parish throughout 2017. May God continue to send his graces upon us all in the coming year.

May you all have a JOYFUL AND PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS. This is the prayer of Father James, Deacon Stephen and Father Kevin.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION will take place during the 11am Mass on Sunday 13th May. Please return application forms to Fr Kevin as soon as possible. The programme starts with an introductory session for parents at 6:30pm on Wednesday 17th January. More details about the sessions will be given out during the introductory session.

ST. FRANCIS 200 CLUB. The Grand Winter Prize Draw will take place after 11am Mass on Sunday 31st December. Please come to join in the celebration as we witness the draw to find the lucky 100 winner. Free wine and other refreshments will be available and all are welcome.

Jenny and Edmund King will receive a blessing on the occasion of their GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY at the 11am Mass on Sunday 7th January (Epiphany). Everyone is welcome to join them for a light buffet lunch in the hall after the service. There will also be tea and coffee as usual.

The 13th St Francis DANCE CLUB SHOW, "The Dream Girls", will be on Friday 9th February (8pm), Saturday 10th February (3pm), Friday 16th February (8pm) and Saturday 17th February (3pm). Tickets (7 for adults and 3 for children) are available from Grazyna on 2308196 and will be on sale after Mass in the New Year. The show is in aid of CAFOD's Yemen, Rohingya and East African appeals. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Thank you for last week's OFFERTORY COLLECTION.

Thank you to those who supported the ADVENT RECITAL on such a cold evening.

PLEASE PRAY for Alan, Alexander, Alison, AM, Bernard Kelly, Fr Bill Bergin, Dennis Gerrard, Dorry Kennedy, Ellen Dalton, Ian Baxter, Jean Fahy, Jim Foley, John Denzil Joseph, John Hayes, John Rowan, Sr Julia Duignan, J&E.D, JTD, Karen Kilbride, Kathleen Giblin, KC, Leonora, Liz, Margaret Hanour, Margaret Paget, Mary Hunt, Nancy Lennon, Pam Harris, Philip Giblin, Rachel Grace, Roger Kemp, Fr Roy Pannell, Sofia Rabello, Theodora-Angelica, Tony Mulchrone, William Davidson and Willow Grist, who are sick, for Anthony Womack (Funeral 28th December @ 10.30 am), Elizabeth Davison, Nicholas Smith and Kath Foley, lately dead, and for all whose anniversaries occur about this time.

Would you like to help people PREPARE FOR RECEIVING THE SACRAMENTS here at St Francis Church? We hope that training will be available shortly. If you are interested, please speak to Father Kevin or email Lindsay Reynolds on lmreynolds16@yahoo.co.uk.

THANK YOU so much to everyone who contributed in any way to the Panto. Everyone who came had a good time and we raised 2002 for CAFOD. That will make a real difference to peoples lives overseas who really need support. We would love new people to be involved in anyway they wish next year, but for now, a massive thank you again.

The HALLAM YEARBOOK AND ORDO 2018 is available for 3.75.

Do you support CATHOLIC SCHOOLS and the right of Catholics to send their children to them? We need you to make your voice heard. The Government is making a critical decision on whether to overturn the admissions cap which prevents Catholic schools from allowing only Catholic pupils to attend. They have acknowledged that this policy discriminates against Catholics and promised to abandon it but we need to tell them not to u-turn on their promise. Visit http://catholicnews.org.uk or search for Catholic Education and write to the Government and urge them to drop their policy which bans new Catholic schools.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales has received permission from the Apostolic See for a change to the observance of Holy Days of Obligation. In 2006, some Holy Days were transferred to Sunday. However the SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY will now be observed on January 6th except when it falls on Saturday or Monday when it will be observed on the Sunday and the Solemnity of the Ascension will be observed on the Thursday in the sixth week of Easter Time. As the Epiphany falls on Saturday this year, it will be transferred to Sunday 7th January. On all the Holy Days, all Catholics have a serious obligation to go to Mass.