Christmas Day 25th December 2011 Year B

St John the Evangelist

New Ferry, in the Diocese of Shrewsbury, Reg. Charity 234025

Fr. Frank Rice;

Revd. Philip White; Revd. Michael Daly phone: 0151 645 3314

email: stjohntheevangelist

websites: www.stjohnevang.co.uk www.lpa24.org

Christmas Day 25th December 2011 Year B

FAITH IN FOCUS: STABLE BLUEPRINT

We are so familiar with the Christmas story: the journey to Jerusalem, stopping off at Bethlehem, the stable, the angelic choir, the shepherds, the star and the wise men. And there’s something comforting about the scene of Mary, Joseph and the child in the manger. Glory to God in the highest and peace to God’s people on earth.

Parents often look at the smallest features of their new-born child, like fingernails, and marvel at how everything needed for growing into adulthood is already there at such an early stage. When we look at Jesus in the crib we could do the same but this would be to miss the point.

What we see when we look at the infant Jesus is God’s blueprint for being human. Jesus is God’s way to be man, God’s way to be woman, God’s way to be human. We are not talking about physical features but about the values that direct human life and action.

The life of Jesus is a pattern for us to follow. It’s about serving others and thereby serving God. The baby in the straw will go on to show that we reach maturity in God’s eyes by the way we treat others. We grow into full humanity by giving without reserve so that our fellow human beings may see something of the face of God in the way we treat them.

And so each Christmas summons us to go beyond the nostalgia for past events and to celebrate our commitment to being born again ourselves like the Christ-child. Christmas renews our pledge to making Christ born in our own lives so that we may give glory to God and peace to those who share our lives.

Christmas, therefore, is not only Christ’s birthday. It’s ours too. For on this day we are caught up into the mystery of God’s love for the world, a mystery that is born not only each time a baby comes into the world but every time we allow ourselves to bear God to the world. For from this day forward God has entered our lives in the most intimate way. Jesus is God’s way to be man, God’s way to be woman, God’s way to be human. And so are we.

WORD OF GOD

The Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel.

(Matthew 1: 23)

WORD FOR TODAY

God has such confidence in us that he became one of us: the perfect pattern of how to be human and divine. Our celebration of Christmas expresses our joy at this mystery and it pledges us to reveal the God within us. Christmas invites us to give birth.

THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE

Lord, I light this candle at Christmas for myself and those who are dear to me.

May its flame be a reminder of the way you light up my days and warm my heart. May its fire burn away my pride, my selfishness, and all that keeps me from you.

As I celebrate the birth of your Son, who came into the family of Nazareth, I pray to you for my own family and friends, both living and dead. Keep them in your love and let them feel your powerful presence. I leave this candle now as a token of the service I want to give you. May it continue to burn in all my thoughts, words and deeds today and for ever. Amen.

HOLY INNOCENTS (December 28th)

God of all life and goodness, we remember today the slaughter of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims, those who are abused or oppressed in any way. We pray for those who have caused children to be killed in the womb before birth. We pray for those children who have been trafficked for money, used for sex and mistreated for selfish exploitation. In your great power come to the aid of those who work to frustrate the designs of evil rulers, bring your light to those who trade on the weakness of the young and establish your reign of justice, love and peace. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Christmas Day	25th.	8pm 10 am	Parishioners Rice Family
Mon	26th.	9.15	Private Int.
Tues Patronal Feast.	27th.	12md.	Vin Roper’s Ints.
Wed	28th..	9.15	Kath Bassett
Thu Fri	29th. 30th	9.15 9.15	Nov. List Nov List
Sun	1st	5.30pm 10am	Donor’s Int. Parishioners

Please pray for our sick and those who care for them Frances Heslin, James Sweatman, Liam Halpen, Philomena Moore, Margaret Randles, Michael Collins, Teresa McLean, Denis Welch, Josie Cohen, Peter Williamson, Kathy Smith, MarjorieHoey, Mrs H McCormack, Esther Roche, Fay Challoner, Sheila Stockley, Joan & Charles Reynolds, Kath Holland, MaryBryden, Owen & Josie Toohey, Betty Kennedy, Helen Worth, Christopher Hadfield, Ivan Gregory, Christopher & Raymond McNally, Mark Harrison, Genevieve Foster, Aileen McGuigan. & Chris Foster. Remember also those in theparish who do not wish their illness to be made public but who also need our prayers.

Money

Offertory last week: £697 54p.

120 Club Winners No. 114 L Davies £20

Flower Fund

Very many thanks for your very generous donations to the flower fund which realised £505- a tremendous sum. Unfortunately the Christmas flowers may not be quite as extensive as usual because of the absence through illness of Liz de Seine and Joan Sutton who are largely responsible for most of the fantastic arrangements we see week after week. Hopefully Liz will be back to her flower arranging best before too long. Rest assured that they will use your money wisely & keep them both in your prayers.

Christmas is a wonderful time. It’s not true that it’s just about children. It’s about us all. We may consider ourselves very ordinary. But nobody is ordinary any longer, not since Christ came on earth. Yet he did not come to bring us anything. He came to awaken us to what we already are. We are all children of God.(Flor McCarthy)

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world – stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death – and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas. (Henry Van Dyke)

I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses. (Taylor Caldwell)

Don’t forget the Barn Dance which will take place on Friday, 10th January, in Parish Centre, 7.30pm. Tickets £5. Bring your own drink. This is a real family event- and all in aid of the parish centre improvements.

Tickets available from Ann Murray 645 5514 and Bernard McGuigan.645 7929

A Card from Fr. Dennis contains the following message:

Fr Frank & Family of St John’s.

The love of Christ moves me to say: I love you!

You have been a source of spiritual nourishment and comfort; my second home.

May you have a peaceful and blessed Christmastime and a happy 2012

BECKET FOR CHILDREN

December 29th is the feast of Thomas Becket of Canterbury. This is his story:

Thomas Becket was the best friend of Henry II who was king of England. Thomas and Henry did everything together; they went hunting, riding and feasting.

Henry had a problem. He wanted to change the law. At the time any ordinary person who committed a crime such as murder would go on trial and could be sentenced to death. But priests did not have to go on trial in the king’s courts because they had their own Church courts. Henry wanted the priests to go on trial in his courts but the pope would not let this happen.

Henry made his friend Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, hoping that Thomas would change the law, but Thomas wouldn’t do so. Henry and Thomas had a big argument and Becket ran away to France. Henry went to France to make peace because he still wanted to be friends with Thomas.

So Becket came back to England but he still would not allow the priests to be put on trial by the king. He also threw out some of the priests who supported the king. This made Henry very angry and he shouted, “Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?”

Four knights had been listening at the door and they thought the king wanted Thomas Becket killed so they went to Canterbury Cathedral where Thomas was praying. There in the Cathedral on 29th December 1170 they murdered him.