OUR MISSION WEEK: DOES THE IMAGE OF FIRE SPEAK TO YOU?
Today’s Gospel reminds us, during this time of Advent, that Jesus came to baptise with “the Holy Spirit and with fire”. Through these words we are offered a chance to hear again of the radical gift God offers us through his Son. The liturgy of this season calls us back to ask again “have I accepted the Holy Spirit and the fire of God into my heart?”
This week we have our parish mission which is a wonderful opportunity to rediscover the gift with which we are empowered and entrusted through our baptism. We all know that the pressures of life and the surrounding world can dim the fire that God has placed in our hearts. Do we want to know the Holy Spirit more fully? Do we want to experience the fire of God’s love more deeply? If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’ then this is the perfect moment to act.
The week will be full of events, music, confessions, prayer and personal testimonies that will all encourage us to draw closer to God. On Monday night John Pridmore will be speaking about his conversion from the life of a gangster in East London to international missionary. On Tuesday there will be our advent penitential service which forms part of the programme and the rest of the week we will be reflecting upon and opening ourselves to God’s love and mercy, and the gift of Mary, Our Blessed Mother.
There will be beautiful music sung by a member of the mission team before all masses and services. There will also be a special blessing for babies and mothers on Wednesday and on Friday the Way of the Cross. Finally on Friday evening there will be a mass to invoke the Holy Spirit. This will be a chance to know the fire that our souls are longing for. This is the fire that the saints speak of, the fire that God wants to blaze out into the darkness.
On Sunday we will also have our Parish Christmas Carol Concert and Nativity play. This too will be part of this special week in which we all hope to come closer to Jesus, to enter into the Christmas that is approaching with greater peace and joy.
PARENTAL FOLLOW-UP TO TODAY’S CHILDREN’S LITURGY: Explain the image of fire to your child, (as representing the warming and purifying love of God) - and light a candle.
This week we have our parish mission which is a wonderful opportunity to rediscover the gift with which we are empowered and entrusted through our baptism. We all know that the pressures of life and the surrounding world can dim the fire that God has placed in our hearts. Do we want to know the Holy Spirit more fully? Do we want to experience the fire of God’s love more deeply? If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’ then this is the perfect moment to act.
The week will be full of events, music, confessions, prayer and personal testimonies that will all encourage us to draw closer to God. On Monday night John Pridmore will be speaking about his conversion from the life of a gangster in East London to international missionary. On Tuesday there will be our advent penitential service which forms part of the programme and the rest of the week we will be reflecting upon and opening ourselves to God’s love and mercy, and the gift of Mary, Our Blessed Mother.
There will be beautiful music sung by a member of the mission team before all masses and services. There will also be a special blessing for babies and mothers on Wednesday and on Friday the Way of the Cross. Finally on Friday evening there will be a mass to invoke the Holy Spirit. This will be a chance to know the fire that our souls are longing for. This is the fire that the saints speak of, the fire that God wants to blaze out into the darkness.
On Sunday we will also have our Parish Christmas Carol Concert and Nativity play. This too will be part of this special week in which we all hope to come closer to Jesus, to enter into the Christmas that is approaching with greater peace and joy.
PARENTAL FOLLOW-UP TO TODAY’S CHILDREN’S LITURGY: Explain the image of fire to your child, (as representing the warming and purifying love of God) - and light a candle.
posted by Sinead Reekie at 2:12 pm