St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist Websites: www.stjohnevang.co.uk www.lpa24.org
Feast of Mary Mother of God, 1st January, 2017. Cycle A
FAITH IN FOCUS: MOTHERHOOD, MEDITATION AND MODELLING
It seems such an obvious thing to say, but Mary is the Mother of God. It’s obvious because we hear it said so many times in our lives, yet astounding when we pause to think what it really means. “Bearer of God” was the very first title officially given to Mary by the Church several centuries after her death. A God who is so powerful that he could have chosen to come down to earth as some sort of spectacular phantasm, to arrive here with armies and cohorts, or at least to come here already grown as an adult, this God chose to become a baby that was carried by a young girl and nurtured in a primitive village of the Middle East. We honour Mary for being chosen, one of our own human race, to co-operate with God in this mysterious and mystifying reality. For she is the Mother of Jesus, and Jesus is God.
Yet she can’t have been just any kind of girl. It must have taken a special personality to be attentive to what God was asking of her. Religious art traditionally depicts Mary in prayer when the angel announced she was to be the mother of Jesus. Just carrying Jesus for nine months wasn’t enough. Mary had to enter in faith into God’s plan, even though she didn’t understand its full implications. And this meant that she had to be the sort of reflective person that is open and attentive to God’s presence and voice. St Luke tells us that she pondered all these things in her heart. Her life of meditation must have thrown up so many strange and frightening questions. But in prayer she talked with God.
Mary is a model of our response in faith to God. She is the pattern of trust and surrender that is demanded of all those who are baptised into Christ’s Church. One of the more recent titles given to the Virgin Mary was by Pope Paul VI who called her “Mother of the Church”. For what she did to serve God in her life is what is demanded of each of us: to be attentive to what God is asking of us personally, to place our trust in God’s powerful presence and grace, and then to find God in all the circumstances of our lives as we respond in Christ to the challenges that meet us daily.
May the Lord bless our coming year
with spiritual growth,
Love for people,
And many opportunities
to spread the Gospel of Life
A local charity called Merseyaid is collecting clothing and household goods to send to Lebanon and for refugees coming to our area.
Anything you want to donate will be put to good use. A box will be provided at the back of church and emptied weekly. As Christians we are called to look after those less fortunate than ourselves.
WIRRAL FOODBANK
Thank you for your continued support .If anyone is free on Monday or Tuesday mornings and would like to go on the rota to take our collected goods down to the warehouse in Birkenhead, please let us know. Please see the list of urgently needed goods on the notice board at the back of Church.Urgently required goods include biscuits, sponge pudding, sugar, squash and deodorant.
Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpfulreflection on next Sunday’s readings and do not forget to take a look at the Church Notice Boards giving details of other events and happenings and to look at the Book Stall and to buy your Catholic Paper.
If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letterbox by 12 noon on Thursdays. This will help Louise, Ann & I greatly. Many thanks.
| Feast of Mary the Mother of God | 1st | 5.00pm
9.30am |
William Kealey Annv RIP
Parishioners |
|
| Monday | 2nd | 10.00am | Rels & Fnds of Fitzpatrick & Kenny Families | |
| Tuesday | 3rd | 9.15am | Service of Word & Communion | |
| Wednesday | 4th | 9.15am | Service of Word & Communion | |
| Thursday | 5th | 9.15am | Rels & Fnds of Davenport Family | |
| Friday | 6th | 2.00pm | Mass in St Johns Junior School for School Intentions | |
| Saturday | 7th | |||
| Epiphany of the Lord | 8th | 5.00pm
9.30am 7.30pm |
Fr Jack McLeish RIP
For Refugees and Migrants Prayer Meeting |
|
| PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN MORNING MASS TIMES FOR THE COMING WEEK | ||||
| CHILDREN’S LITURGY RESUMES NEXT SUNDAY AT 9.30AM MASS | ||||
| Confessions | Saturday 4.15 – 4.45pm | |||
| Morning Prayer of the Church | 15 minutes before daily masses | |||
Baptisms and Weddings in 2017…… please contact us as soon as possible.
First Forgivenessfor children at St John’s School will be celebrated in Church on Thursday 16th February at 6.30pm.
First Communion Masses: Saturday 13th May and Sunday
20th May at 11am.
Prayers for the Sick. At this time of year especially please pray for our many sick and housebound parishioners and if anyone is in need of a visit/Holy Communion or is going into hospital or a care home, please do let us know. After Christmas we will be inviting more parishioners to join our SVP Conference/Group… please give this some serious thought over the holiday period. A few hours a week visiting a housebound parishioner/needy family can bring many blessings upon those who are visited and also the visitor and most importantly lets the sick and needy know they are not forgotten by St John’s Parish.
Lately Dead: Mary Haigh’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday 9th January at 12 noon and Rose Quigg’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday 12th January at 12 noon. Both Funeral Masses are here at St John’s. May they rest in peace.
Money Matters:
Christmas Offerings £1389.98p
Fr Bernard thanks you for your very generous Christmas Offerings and for the numerous cards and gifts he has received over the past week or so, all of which are very much appreciated. Thanks too, to all who worked so hard to make each of the Advent and Christmas Services special at St John’s this year, to all involved in various liturgical ministries and to those who lean, look after and decorate our Church throughout the year.
Your donations at the crib during the Christmas Season are for Caritas Shrewsbury (formerly known as the Catholic Children’s Society) who offer care and support to refugees (a refuges centre has opened recently in Wythenshawe) and to needy families and individuals on the Wirral and throughout the Diocese. As you always are, please be generous to the Crib Offerings this year…. the needs are great!
“Our Mission Together”
As your commitment to
St John’s continues to bear fruit, the electrical work in the church has now been complete as has the work on the leaded light windows at the back of the Church. Work on the sanctuary reordering and the re-siting of the tabernacle and the baptismal font will begin on Monday 16th January. The decorating of the Church and Day Chapel will follow in the summer of 2017. If you haven’t already pledged or contributed to “Our Mission Together” and would like to do so, please have a word with Fr Bernard.
St John’s Schools and St John Plessington Catholic College reopen after the Christmas break on Wednesday at usual times. We hope 2017 will be a special year for all our Catholic Schools. An Epiphany Mass will be celebrated in the Junior School on Friday at 2pm to mark the beginning of the new school term.
St John’s Parish Pastoral team: First Meeting of 2017 Thursday 12th January at 7.30pm in the Presbytery. Any thoughts/suggestions for the team to consider to Wilf Humphrey or Fr Bernard by 10th January.
St John’s Website As we move into a New Year hopefully you will notice some much needed improvements to our Parish website.
Diocesan Year of Mission 2017. At the request of those who attended a series of talks last year and to help discover our own part in the mission of the Church, four reflections will be offered this January/February. All are welcome to attend the First Talk entitled “Our Father Who Art in Heaven” given by Fr Edmund Montgomery on Wednesday 11th January
7pm-9pm at Our Lady’s Parish Centre in Ellesmere Port.
Diocesan Annual Mass for the Celebration of Marriage. This annual Mass has grown as a Diocesan event and is greatly appreciated by the couples and their families who take part. This year’s Mass will be celebrated at our Lady’s Church in Stockport on Saturday 11th February at 12 noon. If you are celebrating a significant anniversary in 2017 (i.e. 25th , 40th, 50th, 60th) and wish to attend please let Fr Bernard know by 22nd January.
Christmas Prayer
ON THIS DAY
On this day bring back to mind
God’s love and mercy for mankind
On this day may you recall
a tiny babe in a manger lay
On this day remember when
Christ died and rose again
On this day thank the Lord in heaven above
for his sacrificial gift of love
On this day may you be blessed
with quiet peace and holy rest
Misty Lensk
A local charity called Merseyaid is collecting clothing and household goods to send to Lebanon and for refugees coming to our area.
Anything you want to donate will be put to good use. A box will be provided at the back of church and emptied weekly. As Christians we are called to look after those less fortunate than ourselves.
WIRRAL FOODBANK
Thank you for your continued support .If anyone is free on Monday or Tuesday mornings and would like to go on the rota to take our collected goods down to the warehouse in Birkenhead, please let us know. Please see the list of urgently needed goods on the notice board at the back of Church. Urgently required goods include biscuits, sponge pudding, sugar, squash and deodorant.
Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpful reflection on next Sunday’s readings and do not forget to take a look at the Church Notice Boards giving details of other events and happenings and to look at the Book Stall and to buy your Catholic Paper.
If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letterbox by 12 noon on Thursdays. This will help Louise, Ann & I greatly. Many thanks.
St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist Websites: www.stjohnevang.co.uk www.lpa24.org
The Nativity of the Lord, 25th December 2016. Cycle A
FAITH IN FOCUS: THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS
C is for Christos (Christ) which means the one anointed by God. Jesus was appointed to be prophet, priest and king of all nations. He is the one whom people were waiting for, the one sent by God as a champion for the people.
H is for Hope. The birth of Jesus encourages us that we have a God who is so concerned about us that he stoops as low as he can get, to become a little baby. The birth of Christ renews our hope in the promises of God.
R is for Redeemer. Helpless as he was in the manger of Bethlehem, he was born to die. His life led him to an inevitable conflict with the authorities that came to its climax on Calvary. Through his death and resurrection he has bought us back from the slavery that sin and evil exercise over us.
I is for Immanuel. The Christmas feast cheers us with news that Jesus is Immanuel/Emmanuel, God-with-us. We have a God who feels our pain, knows our struggle and shares our joys, for he is not far away in the heavens but is with us here on earth in the person and presence of Jesus.
S is for Son. Jesus reveals a God to us who is not a distant sovereign but a parent. He referred to God as his Father and through our baptism we share the closeness and intimacy of a relationship as sons and daughters.
T is for Truth. Jesus took our human form as a baby in order to lead us into the truth, to provide us with a recipe for happiness and peace. He claimed that he himself was the way, the truth and the life. To follow Jesus is to have eternal life.
M is for Mercy. The incarnation of Jesus is God’s gift of mercy to us. None of us is worthy to speak to God or to claim any favours from him. Yet in Jesus God shows us mercy and forgiveness, blotting out our guilt and wiping away our sins. That same mercy is given to us on condition that we pass it on to others.
A is for Alleluia, a word which means Praise the Lord! Christmas and Easter are the springboards for Christians not only to rejoice and enjoy the wonders that God works for us, but also to proclaim far and wide God’s marvellous intervention.
S is for Song. Christians cannot keep silent about the consequences of Christ’s birth. Our songs and carols tell the everlasting story of our God who sets us free. Our worship recalls the events of 2000 years ago and makes them come alive once more today.
Have a happy C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S!
| The Nativity of the Lord | 25th | 7.30pm
9.30am |
Parishioners
Poor, Sick & Needy |
|
| Monday | 26th | 10.00am | Decd Members of Rice Family | |
| Tuesday | 27th | 10.00am | Parishioners | |
| Wednesday | 28th | 10.00am | Service of Word & Communion | |
| Thursday | 29th | 10.00am | In Thanksgiving | |
| The Holy Family | 30th | 10.00am | Ann Osborne RIP | |
| Saturday | 31st | |||
| Feast of Mary the Mother of God | 1st | 5.00pm
9.30am |
William Kealey Annv RIP
Parishioners |
|
| Confessions | Saturday 4.15 – 4.45pm | |||
| Morning Prayer of the Church | 15 minutes before daily masses | |||
Prayers for the Sick. At this time of year especially please pray for our many sick and housebound parishioners and if anyone is in need of a visit/Holy Communion or is going into hospital or a care home, please do let us know. After Christmas we will be inviting more parishioners to join our SVP Conference/Group… please give this some serious thought over the holiday period. A few hours a week visiting a housebound parishioner/needy family can bring many blessings upon those who are visited and also the visitor and most importantly lets the sick and needy know they are not forgotten by St John’s Parish.
Lately Dead: Please pray for the repose of the soul of Mary Haigh and Rose Quigg …two parishioners who have died recently. May they and all the faithful departed rest in peace. Mary Haigh’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday 9th January at 12 noon and Rose Quigg’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday 12th January at 12 noon. Both Funeral Masses are here at St John’s
Money Matters: Offertory £645.27p
The Collection on Christmas Day is for the support of our Parish Clergy
Your donations at the crib during the Christmas Season are for Caritas Shrewsbury (formerly known as the Catholic Children’s Society) who offer care and support to refugees (a refuges centre has opened recently in Wythenshawe) and to needy families and individuals on the Wirral and throughout the Diocese. As you always are, please be generous to the Crib Offerings this year…. the needs are great!
Christmas Week Mass Times
26th-30th December
Mass times Monday-Friday will be at 10.00am
Sun 1st Jan 2017 Feast of Mary the Mother of God
Masses at the usual times Sat 5.00pm and
Sun 9.30am
2nd January 2017
Mass at 10.00am
Our Parish Altar Servers, members of the Guild of St Stephen, renew their promises at 10.00am Mass on Monday 26th December, the Feast of St Stephen
On Tuesday the Church celebrates the Feast of St John the Evangelist which means that here at
St John’s we celebrate our Parish Feast. Please try and come to 10.00am Mass on Tuesday. There will be tea/coffee afterwards and the opportunity for a chat with fellow parishioners.
THE BIG CARD is at the back of church. Please write your Christmas message at a suggested minimum donation of £1. All proceeds will go towards the work of St John’s SVP Group. Please support this very good cause and thank you for your support over the years.
“Our Mission Together”
As your commitment to
St John’s continues to bear fruit, the electrical work in the church is complete and the work on the leaded light windows at the back of the Church (sealing them up, mending broken glass) was completed on Friday. Work on the sanctuary reordering and the re-siting of the tabernacle and the baptismal font will begin on Monday
16th January. The decorating of the church and day chapel will follow later in 2017.
Fr Bernard thanks you for your ongoing support to our Parish. He especially thanks all those who do so much for/in our parish in a rich variety of ways. On a personal level he thanks you for the Christmas cards, gifts and good wishes all of which are read and much appreciated.
Fr Bernard prays that this Christmas will be a blessed time for everyone and that the New Year will bring peace, good health and happiness to all.
St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist Websites: www.stjohnevang.co.uk www.lpa24.org
4th Sunday of Advent, 18th December 2016. Cycle A
FAITH IN FOCUS: FULL OF THEMSELVES
Have you Time and time again in the bible we find that God acts in precisely the opposite way that we would have done. Over and over again God chooses the very person we would think of as most unsuitable. A man with a speech impediment becomes God’s spokesman (Moses), a boy with a sling beats a giant (David), a child thrown down a well goes on to become leader (Joseph), and a woman succeeds in slaying a mighty warrior king (Judith).
So perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised to see that when God makes the cosmic decision to come down onto earth, it is to two unlikely characters that he chooses to entrust the birth of his Son. Rather than choose to be born into some noble family where he would be sure of a safe life and an influence among the movers an shakers that would prove useful in preaching the gospel, Jesus allowed himself to be born of a young virgin girl and her carpenter boyfriend, to a common couple in a backyard stable.
The last thing you could say about Mary and Joseph is that they were full of themselves. Quite the reverse. But because they were not full of themselves they left room for God, and God has a flair for filling voids. It seems that God has a weakness for the poor, the humble and those with no one to stand up for them.
And what of us? Are we so full of our Christmas preparations, of what we are going to do, what we are going to buy, that we have lost sight of the Advent message of humble expectation? We cannot force God to come; we cannot fabricate Christmas joy. God can only come to us when we are aware of our void and of our need for him.
The best gift God could give us this Christmas would be to fill our lives as he filled the lives of Mary and Joseph. In order to make this happen, we have to be sure that we are not full of ourselves. At Christmas, only the poor, the hungry, and those who need someone to come on their behalf, will have that someone. That someone is God, Emmanuel, God-with-us. Without poverty of spirit, there can be no abundance of God
WORD FOR TODAY
The spotlight now turns on the birth of Jesus as Mary and Joseph find that their child will be Emmanuel, God with us. In this final week of Advent we seek to see the face of Christ in those whom we meet, to let Christ be born in our own lives.
A local charity called Merseyaid is collecting clothing and household goods to send to Lebanon and for refugees coming to our area.
Anything you want to donate will be put to good use. A box will be provided at the back of church and emptied weekly. As Christians we are called to look after those less fortunate than ourselves.
WIRRAL FOODBANK
Thank you for your continued support .If anyone is free on Monday or Tuesday mornings and would like to go on the rota to take our collected goods down to the warehouse in Birkenhead, please let us know. Please see the list of urgently needed goods on the notice board at the back of Church. Urgently required goods include biscuits, sponge pudding, sugar, squash and deodorant.
Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpful reflection on next Sunday’s readings and do not forget to take a look at the Church Notice Boards giving details of other events and happenings and to look at the Book Stall and to buy your Catholic Paper.
If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letterbox by 12 noon on Thursdays. This will help Louise, Ann & I greatly. Many thanks.
A Prayer for Refugees
Almighty and merciful God, whose son became a refugee, and had no place to call his own;
Look with mercy on those who today are fleeing from danger, homeless and hungry.
Bless those who work to bring them relief; inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts; and guide the nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your kingdom of justice and peace. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen.
.
| 4th Sunday of Advent | 18th | 5.00pm
9.30am 3-4pm 7.30pm |
Paddy Foley RIP
Parishioners Holy Hour Prayer Meeting |
||
| Monday | 19th | 9.15am | Marie Rooney RIP | ||
| Tuesday | 20th | 10.00am | Mass at St John’s Junior School
Fr Denis Herlihy Annv RIP |
||
| Wednesday | 21st | 9.15am | Rels & Fnds of Seatle & Bale Families RIP | ||
| Thursday | 22nd | 7.15am | Sick & Housebound | ||
| Friday | 23rd | 9.15am | Rels & Fnds of Brockway Family RIP | ||
| Christmas Eve
Mass of the Nativity |
24th | 4.00pm
7.30pm |
Children’s Crib Service
Parishioners |
||
| Christmas Day | 25th | 9.30am | Poor, Sick & Needy | ||
| SUNDAY IS A DAY OF SPECIAL PRAYER FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS
CHILDREN’S LITURGY AT EACH SUNDAY 9.30AM MASS |
|||||
| Confessions | Fr Bernard will be available for Confessions after Holy Hour this Sunday for as long as necessary, onWednesday morning after 9.15am Mass and on Christmas Eve (next Saturday) from
10.30am-11.30am |
||||
| Morning Prayer of the Church | 15 minutes before daily masses | ||||
Prayers for the Sick. Please remember all our sick and housebound parishioners in your prayers. If anyone is in need of a visit/ Holy Communion this Advent please let us know.
Money Matters: Offertory £523.52p
Parish Social: £252
Scouts Autumn Car Wash: £72
Flowers: £251. Many thanks for your generosity to the parish
The Collection on Christmas Day is for the support of our Parish Clergy
Your donations at the crib during the Christmas Season are for Caritas Shrewsbury (formerly known as the Catholic Children’s Society) who offer care and support to refugees (a refuges centre has opened recently in Wythenshawe) and to needy families and individuals on the Wirral and throughout the Diocese. As you always are, please be generous to the Crib Offerings this year…. the needs are great!
Advent at St John’s.
Holy Hour each Sunday at
3pm-4pm.
Early Mass Thursdays at 7.15am.
Father Bernard will be in church each Saturday during Advent from
10.30am -11.30am ……….an opportunity for Confession, for prayer, or a chat.
Christmas Services at St John’s (the same as last year)
Christmas Eve
Crib Service for Children 4pm in Church
Mass of the Nativity begins at 7.30pm
Christmas Day
Mass at 9.30am
Christmas Week Mass Times
26th-30th December
Mass times Monday-Friday will be at 10.00am
Sun 1st Jan 2017 Feast of Mary the Mother of God
Masses at the usual times Sat 5.00pm and
Sun 9.30am
2nd January 2017
Mass at 10.00am
Crib Service for Children will take place at 4pm on Saturday, Christmas Eve, here at St John’s in the main church and all children and their parents/grandparents are invited to come along.
Our Parish Altar Servers, members of the Guild of St Stephen, renew their promises at 10.00am Mass on Monday
26th December, the Feast of St Stephen
Deanery Christmas Praise. Carols, music, readings. with mince pies and mulled wine, at St Joseph’s Church, North Road, Birkenhead, this Monday,
19th December, 7.30pm. Collection for Diocesan Lourdes Fund. All welcome.
THE BIG CARD is at the back of church. Please write your Christmas message at a suggested minimum donation of £1. All proceeds will go towards the work of St John’s SVP Group. Please support this very good cause and thank you for your support over the years.
Tea/Coffee & Biscuits are also available in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass each Sunday. Come along for a chat with your fellow parishioners.
“Our Mission Together”
As your commitment to
St John’s continues to bear fruit, the electrical work in the church is complete and the work on the leaded light windows at the back of the Church (sealing them up, mending broken glass) was completed on Friday. Work on the sanctuary reordering and the re-siting of the tabernacle and the baptismal font will begin on Monday
16th January. The decorating of the church and day chapel will follow later in 2017.
Thank you for your support for St John’s Parish in recent weeks, the Parish Social at the Bridge Inn on 9th December was a great success. Likewise, the Scouts Autumn Car Wash and the collection for Christmas Flowers last weekend demonstrated your great generosity. Spiritually, too, it has been encouraging to see so many at Weekday Masses, the Sunday Holy Hours and the Saturday times of prayer and Reconciliation this Advent. See you all at Christmas Mass and be assured of my prayers for you and your families this week. Fr Bernard.
St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist Websites: www.stjohnevang.co.uk www.lpa24.org
3rd Sunday of Advent, 11th December 2016. Cycle A
FAITH IN FOCUS: SOAP OPERA GOD?
Have you noticed in the TV soap operas that anytime a character is introduced into the plot who has a religious side to them, they are nearly always portrayed as some sort of weird influence? They are usually elderly people who wander around quoting chapter and verse from the bible, interfering mothers-in-law ruining families, or impressionable people ending up with a nervous breakdown.
Maybe this is because the scriptwriters have bought into all the extremes of religiosity and combined them into individual people. Certainly, you never see a happy family on its way back from church on Sunday. This wouldn’t fit in with the media idea of the soap opera or the Church.
Sometimes Christians can be guilty of giving this impression of God and religion. God becomes someone of whom they are basically frightened, a God who imposes strict rules and then sits back waiting to catch people out before returning to unleash awful torment on them.
Today’s liturgy, and the season of Advent, shows that things are quite the opposite. We wait for the second coming of our God, because we are sure that God comes to set us free. Isaiah speaks about a desert blooming again, sick people being cured, and general gladness and festivity. In fact, the keyword for today’s liturgy is “rejoice”.
Like the people in the scripture today, we too are blind, deaf and lame. There are areas of our lives that could be productive, but we continue to hobble along making do with what we are used to. The coming of Jesus is for us as well and it’s intended as a liberation not a life sentence.
Advent summons us to yearn for God’s coming, to live our lives with longing for his return among us, and to proclaim by the way we live that Jesus is the most important thing in our lives. Christianity is not some sort of club for repressed maniacs who fear their God, but a calling to enjoy God’s favour and protection and to ache for its fulfilment in the heavenly kingdom. The Lord who is to come is not merely a baby smiling in a manger. He is the Lord of life and he wants us to enjoy it here and now. Despite what you see on the soaps..
WORD FOR TODAY
Advent is a time of waiting. The one we await is coming not to haul us over the coals but to save us and to offer us the chance to be all that we can become. As we journey towards our meeting with Jesus, at today’s liturgy our prayer is the ancient one of the psalmist: Come, Lord, and save us!
A local charity called Merseyaid is collecting clothing and household goods to send to Lebanon and for refugees coming to our area.
Anything you want to donate will be put to good use. A box will be provided at the back of church and emptied weekly. As Christians we are called to look after those less fortunate than ourselves.
WIRRAL FOODBANK
Thank you for your continued support .If anyone is free on Monday or Tuesday mornings and would like to go on the rota to take our collected goods down to the warehouse in Birkenhead, please let us know. Please see the list of urgently needed goods on the notice board at the back of Church.Urgently required goods include biscuits, sponge pudding, sugar, squash and deodorant.
Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpfulreflection on next Sunday’s readings and do not forget to take a look at the Church Notice Boards giving details of other events and happenings and to look at the Book Stall and to buy your Catholic Paper.
If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letterbox by 12 noon on Thursdays. This will help Louise, Ann & I greatly. Many thanks.
Please take a look at the notice boards at the back of church for other events and happenings here and elsewhere between now and Christmas.
| 3rd Sunday of Advent | 11th | 5.00pm
9.30am 3-4pm 7.30pm |
Peggy Fullerton RIP
Seamus O’Rourke RIP Holy Hour Prayer Meeting |
|
| Monday | 12th | 9.15am | William Kealey RIP | |
| Tuesday | 13th | 12 Noon | Funeral Mass – Marie Rooney | |
| Wednesday | 14th | 9.15am | Rels & Frnds Davenport Family | |
| Thursday | 15th | 7.15am | David Ryan RIP | |
| Friday | 16th | 9.15am | John Corrigan RIP | |
| Saturday | 17th | 10.00am | Birkenhead Carmel | |
| 4th Sunday of Advent | 18th | 5.00pm
9.30am 3-4pm 7.30pm |
Paddy Foley RIP
Parishioners Holy Hour Prayer Meeting |
|
| CHILDREN’S LITURGY AT EACH SUNDAY 9.30AM MASS
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF MASS TIME ON TUESDAY. THERE WILL BE NO 9.15AM MASS. MASS THURSDAY IS AT 7.15AM |
||||
| Confessions | Saturday 4.15 – 4.45 pm | |||
| Morning Prayer of the Church | 15 minutes before daily masses | |||
Prayers for the Sick. Please remember all our sick and housebound parishioners in your prayers. If anyone is in need of a visit/ Holy Communion this Advent please let us know.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of
Marie Rooney whose Funeral Mass will be held here at St John’s on Tuesday, 13th December at 12 Noon. Please remember her family in your prayers at this sad time.
Money Matters: Offertory £720.03p Many thanks.
This weekend at both Masses there is a retiring collection for Christmas Flowers …. Please be generous
Tea/Coffee & Biscuits are also available in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass each Sunday. Come along for a chat with your fellow parishioners.
Advent at St John’s.
Holy Hour each Sunday at 3pm-4pm.
Early Mass Thursdays at 7.15am.
Father Bernard will be in church each Saturday during Advent from
10.30am -11.30am ……….an opportunity for Confession, for prayer, or a chat.
Christmas Services at St John’s(the same as last year)
Christmas Eve
Crib Service for Children 4pm in Church
Mass of the Nativity begins at 7.30pm
Christmas Day
Mass at 9.30am
St John Plessington Annual Carol Service takes place in College Hall on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th December 2016 commencing at 6.30pm. Tickets are now available from the College Reception 645 5049.
Tickets are free of charge. A cash collection will be taken on the evening to support the work of local Food Bank charities.
We do hope that you will be able to join us as we prepare to celebrate Christmas together.
LAST OPPORTUNITY THIS WEEKEND to purchase Scout stamps which will be on sale after both Masses until this Sunday 11thDecember at a cost of 30p each.
THE BIG CARD will be at the back of church from this Saturday. Please write your Christmas message at a suggested minimum donation of £1. All proceeds will go towards the work of St John’s SVP Group. Please support this very good cause and thank you for your support over the years.
“Our Mission Together”
As your commitment to
St John’s continues to bear fruit, the electrical work in the church is almost complete. Work on the leaded light windows at the front of the Church is next on the agenda and then other improvements will follow some before Christmas others afterwards. Grateful thanks for your continued generosity… several individual donations have been received in the last few weeks… which makes these improvements possible. If anyone else would like to donate to ‘Our Mission Together’ please see Father Bernard.
A musical celebration of Christmas at St Anne’s this Wednesday 14th December at 8pm. Mulled wine and mince pies from 7.30pm- a fabulous evening of festive music performed by the soloist and chorus of Birkenhead Operatic Society Trust. Tickets £8 from
St Anne’s Parish office . Tel-645-3996.
Thank you to everyone who helped with and came to the LPA Mass on Thursday… it was an uplifting spiritual occasion.
Many thanks too to everyone who supported the Christmas Social at the Bridge Inn on Friday. May God abundantly bless these final days of Advent and our preparations for the Feast of Christmas here at St John’s. Fr Bernard.
St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist Websites: www.stjohnevang.co.uk www.lpa24.org
2nd Sunday of Advent 4th December 2016. Cycle A
FAITH IN FOCUS: NO-FRILLS MESSAGE
John the Baptist needed no spin-doctor or publicist to get his message across. Attracting people to listen to what he had to say was no problem for him. Even though he was out in the desert, crowds flocked to hear what this strangely dressed ranting preacher had to say.
And his message was anything but soothing: you’ve got to change and change now! He knew that the time was at hand for God to make a decisive revelation, a revelation that would come via his own cousin, Jesus. And if anyone wanted to be part of that new kingdom, then they had to do something about it now.
Repentance is about making changes. It means realising that the way we are living at present is not leading us in the right direction, and doing a U-turn. Our pride makes it hard for us to admit that we are going nowhere, that our lifestyle has become predictably stale, that we look further and further to get satisfaction, to feel good about ourselves.
Yet God has planted a seed of yearning within each of us that lets us know how unfulfilled we really are. This is the longing we have for something that takes us beyond the here and now. It is the seed of eternal life. And Advent is the time to water this seed as we anticipate the birth of our Saviour.
And how do we do this? By giving God a chance. That’s what John the Baptist means when he quotes the prophet, saying that we need to prepare a way for the Lord. Preparing a way for the Lord means being open to God’s working within us, allowing God to pervade our minds and hearts, to provoke us to change.
At a time when Christmas parties have already taken place and our streets are full of a Christmas message that seems at odds with the gospel story of Christ’s birth, Advent presents us with the no-frills message of the Baptist: be prepared to change and give God a chance.
Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope….
A local charity called Merseyaid is collecting clothing and household goods to send to Lebanon and for refugees coming to our area.
Anything you want to donate will be put to good use. A box will be provided at the back of church and emptied weekly. As Christians we are called to look after those less fortunate than ourselves.
WIRRAL FOODBANK
Thank you for your continued support .If anyone is free on Monday or Tuesday mornings and would like to go on the rota to take our collected goods down to the warehouse in Birkenhead, please let us know. Please see the list ofurgently needed goodson the notice board at the back of Church.Urgently required goods include biscuits, sponge pudding, sugar, squash and deodorant.
Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpfulreflection on next Sunday’s readings and do not forget to take a look at the Church Notice Boards giving details of other events and happenings and to look at the Book Stall and to buy your Catholic Paper.
If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letterbox by 12 noon on Thursdays. This will help Louise, Ann & I greatly. Many thanks.
Please take a look at the notice boards at the back of church for other events and happenings here and elsewhere between now and Christmas.
| 2nd Sunday of Advent | 4th | 5.00pm
9.30am 3-4pm 7.30pm |
Sr Mary McDonough Anniv RIP
Jamie Armstrong RIP Holy Hour Prayer Meeting |
|
| Monday | 5th | 9.15am | Kevin Moreton RIP | |
| Tuesday | 6th | 9.15am | Fr Frank Rice Intentions | |
| Wednesday | 7th | 9.15am | Kate & James Kennedy RIP | |
| Thursday | 8th | 7.30pm | LPA24 Intentions | |
| Friday | 9th | 9.15am | Vic Gemmell RIP | |
| Saturday | 10th | |||
| 3rd Sunday of Advent | 11th | 5.00pm
9.30am 3-4pm 7.30pm |
Peggy Fullerton RIP
Seamus O’Rourke RIP Holy Hour Prayer Meeting |
|
| CHILDREN’S LITURGY AT EACH SUNDAY 9.30AM MASS
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF MASS TIME ON THURSDAY. THERE WILL BE NO MORNING MASS. |
||||
| Confessions | Saturday 4.15 – 4.45 pm | |||
| Morning Prayer of the Church | 15 minutes before daily masses | |||
Prayers for the Sick. Please remember all our sick and housebound parishioners in your prayers. If anyone is in need of a visit/ Holy Communion this Advent please let us know.
Lately Dead: Please pray for the repose of the soul of
Marie Rooney who died on Thursday afternoon. May she rest in peace. Funeral arrangements as yet to be confirmed.
Money Matters: Offertory £642.02p. Many thanks.
APF Red Mission Boxes:
Thanks to all Missio Box Holders….. The total collected in October amounted to £211.25p. Next collection will be March 2017. Your generosity to the Missions is much appreciated.
Advent at St John’s.
Holy Hour each Sunday at 3pm-4pm.
Early Mass Thursdays at 7.15am.
LPA Mass Thursday 8th December at 7.30pm.
Father Bernard will be in church each Saturday during Advent from 10.30am -11.30am ……….an opportunity for Confession, for prayer, or a chat.
Christmas Services at St John’s(the same as last year)
Christmas Eve
Crib Service for Children 4pm in Church
Mass of the Nativity begins at 7.30pm
Christmas Day
Mass at 9.30am
LPA 24 Annual Mass will be held on Thursday 8th December at 7.30pm here at
St John’s. All our local parishes… Christ the King, St Anne’s, St Luke’s and St John’s will be involved in this special celebration on the
Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Tea, coffee and mince pies will be served at the back of church after this Mass.
Church Parade…We welcome our uniformed groups to Mass this Sunday and ask you to support them with your prayers.
Tea/Coffee & Biscuits are also available in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass each Sunday. Come along for a chat with your fellow parishioners.
St John’s Parish Christmas Social on Friday 9th December at
The Bridge Inn Port Sunlight from 7.30pm onwards, featuring the music of Michael Coyne. Bar open, tea and coffee and mince pies available. Tickets £5 on sale after weekend masses.
Readers. Would any readers who will not be available during the Christmas period, please let
Dot Humphrey know as soon as possible. Thank you.
Scout stamps will be on sale after both Masses until next Sunday 11thDecember at a cost of 30p each.
THE BIG CARD will be at the back of church from next Saturday/Sunday 10/11th December. Please write your Christmas message at a suggested minimum donation of £1. All proceeds will go towards the work of St John’s SVP Group. Please support this very good cause and thank you for your support over the years.
“Our Mission Together”
As your commitment to
St John’s continues to bear fruit, the electrical work in the church is almost complete. Work on the leaded light windows at the front of the Church is next on the agenda and then other improvements will follow some before Christmas others afterwards. Grateful thanks for your continued generosity… several individual donations have been received in the last few weeks… which makes these improvements possible. If anyone else would like to donate to ‘Our Mission Together’ please see Father Bernard.
A musical celebration of Christmas at St Anne’s on Wednesday 14th December at 8pm. Mulled wine and mince pies from 7.30pm- a fabulous evening of festive music performed by the soloist and chorus of Birkenhead Operatic Society Trust. Tickets £8 from St Anne’s Parish office Tel-645-3996.
Christmas posters are available at the back of church, these are provided free of charge by Wirral Knights of St Columba. Please display and support our Keep Christ in Christmas campaign.
