Newsletter- 2nd Week of Advent
We continue our journey through the season of Advent, a chance to renew our relationship with God and with each other. The season of Advent is a time to pause, to take stock and to reflect, as we prepare to receive the gift of God’s love coming amongst us through the birth of the Christ child at Christmas.
This Sunday’s gospel reminds us of how John the Baptist’s message is a fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy. John the Baptist is presented as the one who helps to prepare the way for the Lord. Jesus is the long-expected Messiah who comes to save us and give the entire world hope. John the Baptist calls each one of us into this covenant of announcing the Lord’s coming and preparing a way for him. We are to prepare a place for Christ to be born again in our hearts. Through baptism, our hearts are cleansed, and we are made open to God’s action in our lives. This is the covenant relationship that makes us God’s people.
Advent announces to us all that -We matter to God! God will never leave us in exile. God constantly calls his people back to him with hearts and hands and voices. We must trust that God’s words are true. God will never abandon his people. We all can imagine that our way of doing things is not the same as God’s way of doing things. Nevertheless, we must continually seek God’s will in our lives.
The Season of Advent offers us an opportunity to witness and proclaim God’s love for us all. The simple lesson of Advent asks us to 1) Be ready to change. 2) Acknowledge that God will help us change. 3) Welcome the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to others along this journey. 4) Always have trust that God is with us. At the heart of this lesson, we must recognise that we cannot do this alone. We need each other. Advent asks a new mindset from us. With this new change of heart, we will become more believable as we announce Christ’s forgiveness in our lives and become more open to God’s forgiveness in the lives of others.
Christmas Crib Offerings: Christmas time recalls the needs of our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. Friends of the Holy Landwill be the beneficiary of our crib collection again this year. FHL remains the only registered UK Charity with its own office, staff, andvolunteers in the City of Christ’s birth. From Christmas Day and until the end of the Christmas season there will be a basket to collect your offerings placed before the Crib in church. All donations given will be sent directly to FHL to help support their important aid work.
With my prayers for you and for your families during this Advent season,
Your friend and parish priest,
Fr. Jonathan
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2023 10th December – Newsletter – Download