ADVENT REFLECTIONS:

Advent is called the Season of Hope!

Your are warmly invited to come along to the hall for the next two

Tuesdays (10th and 17th December) at 7.00 pm to enjoy a beautiful video presentation entitled THE JOY OF HOPE, Filmed on location on the

beautiful Greek Holy Island of Patmos, where Scripture tells us the

Book of Revelation was written. Each of the sessions are presented at

key places around the island. An uplifting and practical insight into the

joy of living now with hope in the future blessing of Eternal Life with

God in Heaven.

OUR NEW ADVENT GIVING CAMPAIGN

“Sharing the Journey” This year during Advent, in a slight change to our usual Advent Giving Project, we would like to support destitute refugees and asylum

seekers here in Glasgow who quite literally have nothing. We have been

in touch with a couple of local organisations who support the most

destitute of refugees and asylum seekers and they have given us lists of the specific items that would really help them. The idea is, that instead of our usual giving tree, there will be a table with a pile of plastic shopping

bags and shopping lists. This is located near our new Shrine of Saint

Helen as a reminder of how our Patroness herself and great care of the poor. Please just grab a bag and a list and bring back as many or as few items as you can and we will

ensure that they are delivered each week of Advent to those who need

them most. (obviously no need for gift wrap this year!).Thanks so much for

the AMAZING response so far!

SAINT NICHOLAS CARE FUND During Advent each year you are asked to support the Saint Nicholas Care Fund. It used to be known as the Pastoral Care Trust and it supports a wide range of local good causes in our own Archdiocese. Please take a pack from the back of the Church to read about how your donations have helped so many groups. The retiring collection next Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent will be for the Saint Nicholas Care Fund.

CHRISTMAS CARDS You will find a wide range of Christmas cards on sale in the stall. Please support your parish by buying cards from the stall – also helping to ensure that the true message of Christmas is sent in your Christmas greeting!

ADVENT “WALK WITH ME” BOOKLETS: The stall also has copies of the Advent Walk with Me booklets, priced at £1 which will help you through each day of Advent with prayers and reflections.

SAFEGUARDING TRAINING: Attendance at Level 2 training is mandatory for all PVG volunteers. Please check the notice boards for details of available training opportunities and sign up by contacting the Safeguarding Team (Jillian Whalley or Georgie Lanagan on 226-5898) or you can book on line via the Archdiocese of Glasgow web site www.rcag.org.uk and follow this link: (Menu/Safeguarding/Training Dates)

ADVENT DAY OF CONFESSIONS: On Thursday 19th December priests will be available all day in Saint Andrew’s Cathedral (from 7:45am – 5:45pm) for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Come home for Christmas!

THANK YOU: A big thank you to everyone who came along to enjoy last Saturday’s Parish Workers’ Social Evening and to all those who helped organise it. The food gets better every year as does the warmth of the companionship shared by so many who are so committed to our wonderful parish. Great to see some new faces as we continue to build up our parish community.

SALE FOR MARY’S MEALS During the Sunday café, you will find a range of hand-knitted items available for sale with all the proceeds going to Mary’s Meals. Please pay it a vist!

MASS AT THE ROYAL INFIRMARY Sunday Mass within Glasgow Royal Infirmary will be celebrated at a new time of 3.30 pm from Sunday 5th January 2020. Mass is celebrated by Hospital Chaplains Fr Stuart and Fr Augustine every Sunday. If you would be interested in volunteering, or if you are currently an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and would be interested in this ministry within the hospital, please contact Paul on 07402274007.

SICK We remember all the sick of the parish.

RECENTLY DECEASED Sister Veronica of the Holy Face, John Gilchrist, Dean Howden, John Ferguson, Bridie McVey,

ANNIVERSARIES Mary Carberry, Thomas Clark (sen and jun), Sally Hackett, Tommy Barton, Jack Riach, Winnifred Hart,

PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defence against the

wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we

humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of

God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the

world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen

Our Advent Service will be on Thursday 19th December at 7.00 pm. EVERYONE

is welcome to this opportunity of quiet and reflection to prepare for Christmas which will mostly be led by the younger parishioners. We need young readers to volunteer to help at the service. PLEASE SPEAK TO CHIARA this weekend after the 11.00 am Mass or email Mgr. Paul if

you can help

8TH DECEMBER 2019: 2ND SUNDAY ADVENT

First reading Isaiah 11:1-10 A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse, a scion thrusts from his roots: on him the spirit of the Lord rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (The fear of the Lord is his breath.) He does not judge by appearances, he gives no verdict on hearsay, but judges the wretched with integrity, and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land. His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless, his sentences bring death to the wicked. Integrity is the loincloth round his waist, faithfulness the belt about his hips. The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid, calf and lion feed together, with a little boy to lead them. The cow and the bear make friends, their young lie down together. The lion eats straw like the ox. The infant plays over the cobra’s hole; into the viper’s lair the young child puts his hand. They do no hurt, no harm, on all my holy mountain, for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters swell the sea. That day, the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the

TIMES OF SERVICES

SUNDAY MASSES: Vigil (Saturday) 5.30 pm; 9.00 am,

11.00 am and 5.00 pm

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Rosary at 9.30 am, Morning Prayer at 9.50 am and

Mass at 10.00 am

CONFESSION: Saturday 10.30 – 11.00 am

Saturday 6.15 – 6.45 pm Thursday 7.00 – 7.30 pm

ADORATION: Wednesdays from after 10.00 am Mass until 1.00 pm

ROSARY FOLLOWED BY NOVENA: Thursday at 7.00 pm

HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION: Masses on holy days of obligation are at 7.30 am,

12.30 pm and 7.30 pm

CONTACT DETAILS

Saint Helen’s Presbytery 165 Camphill Avenue, G41 3DR

Phone: 0141 632 2626 E-mail: sthelen@rcag.org.uk

Web: www.sthelenslangside.org.uk

Parish Priest Monsignor Paul Murray

Permanent Deacon Rev. Kevin Kelly

www.sthelenslangside.org.uk The Archdiocese of Glasgow is a Religious Charity Number

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peoples. It will be sought out by the nations and its home will be glorious.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 71(72):1-2,7-8,12-13,17 In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails. O God, give your judgement to the king, to a king’s son your justice, that he may judge your people in justice and your poor in right judgement. In his days justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails. He shall rule from sea to sea, from the Great River to earth’s bounds. For he shall save the poor when they cry and the needy who are helpless. He will have pity on the weak and save the lives of the poor. May his name be blessed for ever and endure like the sun. Every tribe shall be blessed in him, all nations bless his name.

Second reading Romans 15:4-9 Everything that was written long ago in the scriptures was meant to teach us something about hope from the examples scripture gives of how people who did not give up were helped by God. And may he who helps us when we refuse to give up, help you all to be tolerant with each other, following the example of Christ Jesus, so that united in mind and voice you may give glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It can only be to God’s glory, then, for you to treat each other in the same friendly way as Christ treated you. The reason Christ became the servant of circumcised Jews was not only so that God could faithfully carry out the promises made to the patriarchs, it was also to get the pagans to give glory to God for his mercy, as scripture says in one place: For this I shall praise you

among the pagans and sing to your name.

Gospel Acclamation Lk3:4,6 Alleluia, alleluia! Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight, and all mankind shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 3:1-12 In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the wilderness of Judaea and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said: A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father,” because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’

Saint Helen’s One Family, One Heart, One Faith