Dear Friends,
The first Sunday of Advent has come around again. Doesn’t it just come earlier and earlier each year, or is that just me? It is a time of preparation for the coming of Our Blessed Lord. As part of this we are going to have Confessions here at St Mary’s on Sunday 17th December with visiting priests as we have done in previous years. Please take advantage of this opportunity to receive God’s grace in this most important and oft-forgotten of Sacraments. I will give more details about this next week. In our secular world with the dominance of consumerism it is easy to forget that we are in Advent. It is not Christmas for four weeks. This Sunday we will light the first Advent Candle that symbolises Hope—the anticipation felt in awaiting the coming Messiah. It is also known as the “Prophecy Candle” in memory of the prophets, particularly Isaiah, who prophesied the birth of Christ. You might like to have a look at this webpage which outlines various Advent traditions that you might adopt in your homes:
https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/catholic-traditions-for-advent-and-christmas.html
In last week’s newsletter we advertised the Cardinal Hume Centre Big Give Campaign. During this, all donations to the Centre will be doubled in partnership with the Childhood Trust. They aim to raise £150k to help vulnerable children and families feel safe and secure this Christmas. In this year’s appeal the CHC is telling the story of Leila's family, for whom poverty and the housing crisis left three young girls unable to go to school or flourish as a family. Families like Leila’s are living in overcrowded, unsuitable accommodation, and in increasing numbers; more than 3,600 children in Westminster are currently in a similar situation or otherwise homeless. We know this drastically increases their chances of future homelessness, perpetuating a destructive cycle. https://www.cardinalhumecentre.org.uk/ PLEASE GIVE IF YOU CAN.
Also mentioned last week is the Advent concert at St Mary’s at 16h30 on 16th December. St Peter’s Italian Church Young Adults’ Choir is coming. The repertoire seamlessly blends selections from the Italian cultural tradition with those from the broader international musical heritage. Please come and enjoy some beautiful singing.
Next Sunday Bishop Nicholas Hudson is coming to confirm 25 young people. Please pray for them and their families.
God bless, Monsignor Phelim
PS Christmas Masses: Christmas Eve 17h00 & 21h00; Christmas Day 09h00 & 11h00. No need to ‘book’ seats!