First Week of Advent

November 26th, 2022 by Dave Heywood

Friday 2 December 2022

Advent Music

Late in the evening, I often listen to Choral Evensong from Canterbury Cathedral on YouTube.  It’s beautiful, prayerful and relaxing.  Last Sunday, they had a beautiful Advent Carol Service.  Why not check out their channel:

Canterbury Cathedral – YouTube

 

Thursday 1 December 2022

At his General Audience yesterday, Pope Francis offered this thought.

“A daily examination of conscience is so important:  before ending the day, stop a moment.  What happened?  Not in the newspapers, not in life: what happened in my heart?  Was my heart attentive?  Did it grow?”

 

Wednesday 30 November 2022

 

Tuesday 29 November 2022

Archdiocesan Online Advent Calendar

This Advent, the Archdiocese is running an online Advent Calendar which will feature daily videos from various people across the Archdiocese. The videos will include reflections, an insight into what Advent means to them, and their plans for Advent.

You can view the Calendar here:

Archdiocese of Liverpool – YouTube

 

An Advent Prayer by Henri Nouwen
Lord Jesus,
Master of both the light and the darkness,
send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.
We who have so much to do
seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.
We who are anxious over many things
look forward to your coming among us.
We who are blessed in so many ways
long for the complete joy of your kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy
seek the joy of your presence.
We are your people,
walking in darkness,
yet seeking the light.
To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!”
Amen.

 

Mass Sheet we will be using in church:    Mass Sheet (Advent 1A)

Bidding Prayers:    Bidding Prayers (Advent 1A)

Reflection on the Readings:   prego-advent-1-a-2022

Pastoral Letter:    Pastoral_Letter_Advent_2022

 

 

PRAY FOR UKRAINE

CAFOD’s Prayer for Ukraine

Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.

We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.

We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.

May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.

Amen.

 

Some Funnies

 

 

 

God bless,
Fr Dave

---

Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

November 19th, 2022 by Dave Heywood

Thursday 24 November 2022

 

Wednesday 23 November 2022

Red Wednesday

Today is ‘Red Wednesday’ when we come together globally to “Break the Silence” on the persecution of Christians and those of other faiths.

The Catholic charity, ‘Aid to the Church in Need’, organises Red Wednesday as a way of standing in solidarity with persecuted and suffering Christians.

Bishop Tom Neylon, the Lead Bishop for Asia, said:

“Pope Francis reminds us that God created all human beings equal in rights and that freedom of conscience and religious freedom are inseparably linked to our innate dignity. He emphasises that this is not limited to freedom of worship alone, but the right of all to live in accordance with their religious convictions.

“Aid to the Church in Need has continuously shone the light on persecution of Christians across the world, including in parts of Asia where I have heard, first hand, about the threats and violence that people experience daily. On Red Wednesday, let us pray for all those facing persecution and everyone working for change.”

For more information:  Aid to the Church in Need | #RedWednesday 2022 (acnuk.org)

Red Wednesday events:  RW.Events-Information

 

Tuesday 22 November 2022

 

Monday 21 November 2022

ARCHDIOCESAN WEBSITE

Today, the Archdiocese has launched a new website.  It’s at the same address:  The Archdiocese of Liverpool (liverpoolcatholic.org.uk)

The new website comes a year since the launch of our Pastoral Plan which maps out the future of the Church in the Archdiocese.  As we journey towards the future, a new website will help us grow and enhance our online presence and communicate and share the Good News from across the Archdiocese.

Mass Sheet we will be using in church:    Mass Sheet (Christ the King C)

Bidding Prayers:    Bidding Prayers (Christ the King C)

Reflection on the Readings:   prego-christ-the-king-c-2022-1

 

WORLD YOUTH DAY

Today is World Youth Day when we celebrate the presence and contribution of young people in the life of the Church.  You can find out more about World Youth Day here: www.worldyouthday.com

Week of Prayer:    youth-sunday-Week-of-Prayer

Resources:    Stand up you are appointed as a witness (worldyouthsunday.com)

 

PRAY FOR UKRAINE

CAFOD’s Prayer for Ukraine

Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.

We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.

We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.

May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.

Amen.

 

Some Funnies

 

 

 

God bless,
Fr Dave

---

Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

November 12th, 2022 by Dave Heywood

Don’t underestimate the long-term impact of the war in Ukraine, says Bishop – YouTube

Prayer of St Augustine of Hippo

God of our life,
there are days when the burdens we carry
chafe our shoulders and weigh us down;
when the road seems dreary and endless,
the skies grey and threatening;
when our lives have no music in them,
and our hearts are lonely,
and our souls have lost their courage.

Flood the path with light,
turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise;
tune our hearts to brave music;
give us the sense of comradeship
with heroes and saints of every age;
and so quicken our spirits
that we may be able to encourage
the souls of all who journey with us
on the road of life,
to your honour and glory. Amen.

 

 

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

Mass Sheet we will be using in church:    Mass Sheet (33C)

Bidding Prayers:    Bidding Prayers (33C) 2022

Reflection on the Readings:   prego-sunday-33-otc-2022

 

WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

Today is the sixth World Day of the Poor.  In his message for the day, Pope Francis invites us to greater solidarity and responsibility for the poor.  This “is precisely what solidarity is: sharing the little we have with those who have nothing, so that no one will go without.”

Message from Pope Francis:    World Day of the Poor 2022 Pope Francis

 

PRAY FOR UKRAINE

CAFOD’s Prayer for Ukraine

Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.

We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.

We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.

May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.

Amen.

 

Some Funnies

 

 

 

God bless,
Fr Dave

---

Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

November 5th, 2022 by Dave Heywood

The Mass will be livestreamed here:

Tuesday 8 November 2022, Capitular Mass and Installation of New Canons – YouTube

The order of service is here:

Tuesday 32nd Wk Ord Time Yr II – Installation of New Canons

 

COP27

The COP27 climate conference has started in Egypt with calls for leaders to act after a year in which the destruction caused by the climate crisis has become even more stark.

The summit comes 12 months after leaders left Glasgow at the end of COP26, where governments took some steps to move away from fossil fuels but failed to commit to the deep and rapid emissions cuts required to keep global temperature rises below the catastrophic 1.5C threshold.

The need for governments to act has been made even more urgent after a year in which millions of families have been pushed to the brink of starvation in East Africa and millions in Pakistan have lost homes and livelihoods to monumental floods.

Campaigners are demanding rich countries commit at COP27 to set up and contribute towards a ‘loss and damage fund’, meaning the countries that have historically polluted the most provide financial support to countries that have contributed least to the climate crisis but are being hardest hit.

Polling undertaken ahead of COP27 shows that a majority of people in the UK feel the government must do more to tackle the climate crisis.  The poll, conducted by YouGov on behalf of CAFOD, showed that nearly six out of 10 people feel the government has done too little to tackle the climate emergency.

Bishop John Arnold, Chair of CAFOD, said: “The environment cannot be isolated from our relationship with God. We are blessed with stewardship over the earth, but with this comes the responsibility to protect our planet and preserve it for future generations. For too long, we have been reliant on fossil fuels which are causing devastation to communities around the world. As the world’s eyes descend on COP27, I pray the government and world leaders will seize this opportunity and invest in renewable energy so we can protect our planet for future generations.”

Prayer

God of blessings,
the universe sings of your glory.
Deepen our gratitude for all you have made
and awaken in us a renewed commitment
to care for the earth and each other.

Inspire world leaders at COP27,
with openness to listen to those most affected by climate change
and with courage to act urgently and wisely,
so that our common home may be healed and restored
and all people, and generations to come, may delight in it.

Amen.

Source:  www.cafod.org.uk 

 

 

Mass Sheet we will be using in church:    Mass Sheet (32C)

Bidding Prayers:    Bidding Prayers (32C)

Reflection on the Readings:   prego-sunday-32-otc-2022

 

CAFOD’s Prayer for Ukraine

Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.

We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.

We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.

May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.

Amen.

 

Some Funnies

 

God bless,
Fr Dave

---