Weekdays of Christmas Time

December 31st, 2022 by Dave Heywood

Thursday 5 January 2023

Tomorrow is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord and a Holyday of Obligation.  Masses

Thursday

7.00 pm Vigil Mass at St Oswald’s

Friday

9.15 am School Mass at St Oswald’s (in church)
11.00 am Mass at St Benedict’s
2.00 pm Mass in St Benedict’s School

 

Wednesday 4 January 2023

A beautiful tweet on today’s Gospel from Raymond Friel OBE:

“The first words of Jesus in the gospel of St John speak directly to the heart of every human being, “What are you looking for? (1:38).” Where do you live, we ask. “Come and see” is the answer. God is friendly to us, hospitable, despite our best efforts to suggest otherwise.”

 

Tuesday 3 January 2023

Thoughts from Pope Francis

“God loves us so much that He shares our humanity and our lives. He never leaves us alone either in joy or in sorrow because He is the Emmanuel, the God with us, the light that illuminates the darkness and the tender presence that accompanies us on our journey” (29 December 2022).

“When we have strong feelings of doubt and fear, and we seem to be sinking, we must not be ashamed to cry out like Peter: “Lord, save me” (Mt 14:30). This is a beautiful prayer! And Jesus immediately stretches out his hand” (3 January 2023).

 

Monday 2 January 2023

Image (c) Vatican News.

Thousands of people are queuing in the Vatican today to pray for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who is lying-in-state in St Peter’s Basilica.

 

Father, eternal shepherd,
hear the prayers of your people for your servant Benedict,
who governed your Church with love.

In your mercy, bring him with the flock once entrusted to his care
to the reward you have promised your faithful servants.

May he who faithfully administered the mysteries
of your forgiveness and love on earth,
rejoice with you for ever in heaven

In your wise and loving care,
you made your servant teacher of all your Church.
He did the work of Christ on earth.

May your Son welcome him into eternal glory.

May your servant whom you appointed high priest of your flock
be counted now among the priests in the life of your kingdom.

Give your servant the reward of eternal happiness
and let your mercy win for us the gift of your life and love.

We entrust your servant to your mercy with faith and confidence.
In the human family he was an instrument of your peace and love.

May he rejoice in those gifts for ever with your saints.

Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

 

Archbishop Malcolm has paid tribute to Pope Emeritus Benedict:

“Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is in my thoughts and prayers as I remember a gracious, kind and gentle man who was courteous and welcoming to all he met. Qualities which shone through his Papal ministry and in his years of prayerful support for the Church following his retirement in 2013. He was a great theologian who opened the words of scripture to many.

His visit in 2010 will be remembered for the joy he brought to the Church and the support which he gave to people throughout our country.

May the Lord now reward his servant for his faithful ministry among us.”

 

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – 1 January 2023

Mass sheet we will be using in church:    

Solemnity of Mary Mother of God Sheet 2023

Pastoral Letter from the Archbishop:

Pastoral Letter 1 Jan 23

 

Pope Emeritus Benedict

Funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict

Pope Emeritus Benedict’s funeral will take place at 9.30 am (8.30 am UK time) on Thursday 5 January in St Peter’s Square presided over by Pope Francis. As of Monday morning, 2 January, the body of the Pope Emeritus will be in Saint Peter’s Basilica so the faithful can pay their respects.

For further information:

Pope Benedict XVI Archives – Catholic Bishops’ Conference (cbcew.org.uk)

O God,
from whom the just receive an unfailing reward,
grant that your servant Benedict, our Pope Emeritus,
whom you made vicar of Peter and shepherd of your Church,
may rejoice forever in the vision of your glory,
for he was a faithful steward here on earth
of the mysteries of your forgiveness and grace.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

(From the ‘Order of Christian Funerals’)

 

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

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Octave of the Nativity of the Lord

December 26th, 2022 by Dave Heywood

Saturday 31 December 2022 – New Year’s Eve

Image (c) Vatican News

Pope Emeritus Benedict has died

The Vatican has released the following statement:  “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible.”

Funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict

Pope Emeritus Benedict’s funeral will take place at 9.30 am (8.30 am UK time) on Thursday 5 January in St Peter’s Square presided over by Pope Francis. As of Monday morning, 2 January, the body of the Pope Emeritus will be in Saint Peter’s Basilica so the faithful can pay their respects.

For further information:

Pope Benedict XVI Archives – Catholic Bishops’ Conference (cbcew.org.uk)

O God,
from whom the just receive an unfailing reward,
grant that your servant Benedict, our Pope Emeritus,
whom you made vicar of Peter and shepherd of your Church,
may rejoice forever in the vision of your glory,
for he was a faithful steward here on earth
of the mysteries of your forgiveness and grace.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

(From the ‘Order of Christian Funerals’)

 

Friday 30 December 2022 – Feast of the Holy Family (A)

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family.

The image above is of the beautiful statue of the Holy Family commissioned in 2000 for the refurbishment of the Church of the Holy Family in Boothstown, Worsley.  It was crafted by Butzon & Bercker in Kevelaer, Germany.

What do you notice?

Notice the curves – Mary holding her Son, Jesus, under the protection of Joseph.

Look closer and notice the chisel marks too – symbolising the rough and tumble and sufferings of life.

Notice the youthfulness of the couple – Mary would have only been about 15 years old and, Joseph, not much older.  How many of our Cribs portray Joseph as a balding man in his sixties?

Notice the simplicity of the statue which just adds to its beauty.

O God,
you cradle us at the beginning of life
and embrace us at our journey’s end,
for you love us as your own.
Bind our families together
and deepen our faith,
that, like the Holy Family of Nazareth,
we may grow in wisdom,
obedient to your word.
Through Christ our Lord.

 

Thursday 29 December 2022 – Feast of St Thomas of Canterbury

Thomas Becket was Chancellor of England during the reign of King Henry II.  Henry and Thomas became great friends, so when the See of Canterbury became vacant in 1162, Henry saw an opportunity to gain more control over the Church in England by appointing Thomas as Archbishop.  However, in his new position, Thomas changed.  He resigned as Chancellor and dedicated himself to serving the Church.  Arguments ensued and Thomas ended up in exile in France.

Six years later, in December 1170, Thomas returned to Canterbury.  While he was greeted with great celebration by the monks of the Cathedral and the people of Canterbury, the authorities loyal to Henry were less than pleased.  Before the year was out, four knights travelled to Canterbury to arrest the Archbishop.  The monks begged Thomas to hide in the Cathedral for safety, but the knights followed him.  Thomas clung to a pillar to avoid being dragged from the building.  It was then that a knight struck Thomas’ head with a sword.  A second strike followed.  The third strike killed the Archbishop.

In their shock and grief, the monks of the Cathedral placed the body of their Archbishop in the crypt.  As word of his murder spread, people gathered at the Cathedral to pay their respects.  Such were the crowds, that the monks had to move the Archbishop’s body into the Cathedral.  Within days, there were reports of miracles attributed to the Archbishop.  Word spread to Europe and people flocked to Canterbury.  Within three years, the Pope canonised Thomas – one of the fastest canonisations in history!  A year later, in 1174, Henry undertook public penance for his role in the murder of the Archbishop.

 

Wednesday 28 December 2022 – Feast of the Holy Innocents

Matthew 2: 13-18

After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:  I called my son out of Egypt.

Herod was furious when he realised that he had been outwitted by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he had all the male children killed who were two years old or under, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men. It was then that the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah were fulfilled:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loudly lamenting:
it was Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted because they were no more.

 

Pope Emeritus Benedict

Image (c) Vatican News

At his General Audience today, Pope Francis asked for prayers for his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict:

“I would like to ask you all for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who in silence is supporting the Church. Remember him – he is very ill – asking the Lord to console him, and sustain him in this witness of love for the Church, until the end.”

Almighty and eternal God,
you are the everlasting health of those who believe in you.
Hear our prayers for your sick servant, Benedict,
for whom we implore the aid of your tender mercy.
Through Christ our our Lord.
Amen.

 

Tuesday 27 December 2022 – Feast of St John, Apostle & Evangelist

“Something which has existed since the beginning,
that we have heard,
and we have seen with our own eyes;
that we have watched
and touched with our hands:
the Word, who is life –
this is our subject.”

(1 John 1: 1)

 

Monday 26 December 2022 – Feast of St Stephen, First Martyr

Christmas Message from Pope Francis

Urbi et Orbi Christmas 2022

Christmas Message from Archbishop Malcolm

Text:    Christmas Message 2022

Audio:

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Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

December 24th, 2022 by Dave Heywood

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day 2022

A very Happy Christmas to you all!

 

Mass sheets we will be using in church

4.30 & 6.30 pm at St Oswald’s on Christmas Eve:

Christmas Eve Mass Sheet 2022

8.30 am at St Benedict’s on Christmas Day:

Christmas Dawn Mass Sheet 2022

10.30 am at St Benedict’s on Christmas Day:

Christmas Day Mass Sheet 2022

 

Christmas Eve

BBC Radio 4 will be broadcasting the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge, at 3.00 pm (repeated on BBC Radio 3 on Christmas Day at 1.00 pm).

BBC Radio 4 will also be broadcasting Midnight Mass from Leeds Cathedral at 11.30 pm.

Christmas Day

Mass will be livestreamed at 11.00 am from Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on YouTube:

Sunday 25 December 2022, Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord – YouTube

 

And finally a little humour:

 

 

 

God bless you,
Fr Dave

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Fourth Week of Advent

December 17th, 2022 by Dave Heywood

Mass Sheet we will be using in church:    Mass Sheet (Advent 4A)

Bidding Prayers:    Bidding Prayers (Advent 4A)

Reflection on the Readings:   prego-advent-4-a-2022r

 

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

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Third Week of Advent

December 10th, 2022 by Dave Heywood

Tuesday 13 December 2022

Tomorrow is the memorial of St John of the Cross…

Mass Sheet we will be using in church:    Mass Sheet (Advent 3A)

Bidding Prayers:    Bidding Prayers (Advent 3A)

Reflection on the Readings:   prego-advent-3-a-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

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Second Week of Advent

December 3rd, 2022 by Dave Heywood

“In the Bleak”

Another classic from The Marsh Family premiered this evening:

“In the Bleak” (Official Music Video) – by The Marsh Family – YouTube

Image (c) 2022 Marsh Family Songs

 

Of The Father’s Heart Begotten (Sir David Willcocks) Ely Cathedral Choir – YouTube

 

“I wish you all a good Advent journey made up of many small gestures of peace every day: welcoming gestures, gestures of understanding, closeness, forgiveness, and service… Gestures from the heart, like steps towards Bethlehem, towards Jesus, the King of peace.”

(Pope Francis, Twitter, 6 December 2022)

 

Mass Sheet we will be using in church:    Mass Sheet (Advent 2A)

Bidding Prayers:    Bidding Prayers (Advent 2A)

Reflection on the Readings:   prego-advent-2-a-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

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