Dear brothers and sisters,
Q+A: How can we live Advent well?
The point of advent is to prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas, in Holy Communion, and at the end of our life and of the world. One way is to set up our crib, or nativity scene, in our home, leaving space for the baby Jesus to place on Christmas Day. This way we remind ourselves daily, and everyone else, and especially Jesus, that we want him to come into our home, our family and our life, that we are expecting him. A second way is to pray more: one good way is to spend a minute each day before our crib, telling Jesus we love him, and asking him to come into our life. Another way is to visit the crib in the church, or outside the church, every day, and spend a minute there: it can become a very powerful and consoling Advent ritual. A last thing to do is to consider how, in this new Church year, what are the bigger mistakes we want to avoid this year that we did last year – and to consider and put into practice the steps or decisions we need to achieve that goal, with God’s help.
Confessions evening 22 December 7.00pm-9.00pm
It is important to prepare well for Christmas by begging God’s pardon for our sins. Confessions are available Tue-Fri 7.15am-7.45am, and Saturdays 8.30am-9.30am. For those unable to come, we will also have 2 priests available from 7.00pm to 9.00pm in the church on 22 December.
Adoration after daily mass
For the rest of Advent the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for adoration from 7.15am to 8.45am every day from Tuesday to Friday. Come in, even for 5 minutes, and experience the peace and silence of God in your busy day, and the love for you in the heart of Jesus beating in that consecrated host, and rest on his heart like Saint John at the Last Supper.
New after-school care for our parish
Having consulted the finance committee and the pastoral council, we are delighted to announce that, with the generous support of Trinity Regents Park Campus in addition to the parish, Saint Peter Chanel Primary school are partnering with Village OSHC to offer all our families after-school care for all parish students. It will be based in the Trinity Regents Park Hall. SPC children will be met immediately at the end of school and accompanied over to the hall by the Village staff. Enrolment of children can be done very easily via the online booking system. Village have a good record of working with our Catholic schools in Sydney, having worked with the schools at Merrylands and Randwick for a number of years. We are delighted to be able to offer families this opportunity.
2024 Change to the Mass of Anointing
Following consultation with the pastoral council, in 2024 the monthly Saturday anointing of the sick will be moved to three Sundays throughout the year – to the 10.00am mass on 25 February, 30 June and 26 October 2024. This will be followed by the usual sit-down morning tea in the Jubilee Hall. The reasons for this change are that it underlines the importance and dignity of our sick and elderly brothers and sisters; it gives a chance for all of us to show our care and pray together for them; it teaches our people and children about the importance and place of this very special sacrament; and it frees Father for other pastoral work on Saturdays. As per this year, candidates for the anointing will be called forward by name. Front pews will be reserved for the sick and elderly. If you would like to receive Anointing of the sick at one of these masses, please speak to Father in the weeks leading up to a Mass.
Yours in Our Lord,
J+
