4th January, 2014 – First Mass (The Epiphany of the Lord)

WELCOME

Times of Mass and Devotions
Sat    4 Jan	5.30pm	HA	First Mass (Father John Nuttall)	Special Intentions of the people of the Parish
Sun   5 Jan	9.15am	HF	The Epiphany of the Lord (Father Graham Smith)	Terry McCourt (RIP)
	11.00am	HA		Donald Llanwarne & Kathleen Ward (RIP) Holy Souls
Mon   6 Jan			NO MASS	NO MASS
Tue   7 Jan	10.00am	HF	Liturgy of the Word (Deacon John Edwards)
Wed  8 Jan			NO MASS	NO MASS
Thur  9 Jan	7.30pm	HF	Liturgy of the Word (Deacon John Edwards)
Fri   10 Jan	12.00pm	HA	Weekday of Christmas Time Mass	Deceased members of Abrew & Morgan families (RIP) Book of Holy Souls
Sat  11 Jan	5.30pm	HA	First Mass	Mary and Maureen O’Shea (RIP)
Sun  12 Jan	9.15am	HF	The Baptism of the Lord	Special Intentions of the people of the Parish
	11.00am	HA		Elizabeth Morris (RIP)

Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confessions) will be at Holy Angels on Friday, 10th January following the 12.00 midday Mass.

Thereafter Sacrament of Reconciliation will be as follows:-

Holy Angels: 1st Friday in the Month following 12.00pm Mass and at Holy Family: 1st Thursday in the month following the 7.30pm Mass.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament every Wednesday at Holy Family @ 7.00pm (in Church Hall)

 (Parish Office Hours: 9.30am – 1.30pm)

                        Please note:  HF = Holy Family, Heath End, Farnham and HA = Holy Angels, Ash

 

Liturgy

5^th January, 2014 Transferred Feast of The Epiphany of Jesus

Celebrant: Father Graham Smith

Entrance:       HA:  170  HF: 788 We three Kings
Offertory:           HA:  166  HF: 55 As with Gladness
Final Hymn:  HA:  150  HF: 692 The First Nowell

 

Holy Family only:
Gloria: 406
Sanctus/Holy Holy 313
Agnus Dei – Lamb of God 313

 

Collections for 22/12/2013

Holy Angels:  £250.66 + Standing Orders
Holy Family:   £192.00 + Standing Orders

Collections for 29/12/2013

Holy Angels:  £251.15 + Standing Orders
Holy Family:  £266 + Standing Orders

 

Information

First Holy Communion

Tuesday 7th January – First Holy Communion Parent’s meeting, 8pm at Holy Angels

Saturday 11th January – First Holy Communion Family Church Search, 3.45pm at Holy Angels (followed by 5.30pm Mass)

Prayer Group for Holy Angels and Holy Family Churches takes place once a month on a Tuesday.  The next date is Tuesday, 14^th January and the 11^th February 2014.  Coffee at 7.30pm for 7.45pm start. To be held in the Parish Office.

 

Songs of Praise by Churches Together in Farnham

Sunday 26^th January at 4pm at HolyFamilyChurch, Heath End, Farnham

 

Prayer Requests

For the sick:  Barbara O’Brien, Deacon David Morgan, Newton Abrew, Tony Rankmore, Edd Turnell and Paul Gibson’s Mother, Judy.

(If you would like prayers for friends or family members, please first check with that person that they are happy for their name to be mentioned in the weekly Newsletter)

 

Father David’s Message

Tradition tells us that the names of the Three Wisemen were Casper, Balthazar and Melchior.  However, there is nothing in the Gospels to support this although their visit is well documented and has a very important significance for the mission of the Church.

The Wisemen were both travellers and astrologers.  One of the main points in today’s Gospel marking the visit of the Wisemen is the celebration at the beginning of the life of Jesus of the worldwide, universal nature of salvation (that it was not just for the Jewish people) and the future Catholicity – universal nature of the Church.

 

Reflection

The Wisemen were led to Christ by the light of a star, but they saw the star only because they were not afraid to travel in the dark.  We cannot see the stars in bright daylight but only in the darkness of the night; the darker the night, the brighter the stars shine.  If Christ is the Light of the World does this not tell us something about our Faith and how our love for him can be made stronger when we have been through a dark time in our life and we have felt the presence and the light of Christ with us and leading us from darkness to the Light of a new day.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins on Saturday, 18^th January.  As a Parish we have been invited to share in two services of Prayer and Praise.  The first is on Sunday, 19^th at St. Mark’s Church, Normandy;  this service will be based on the prayer life of the Ecumenical Taize Community in France and three denominations will be taking part, Anglican, Catholic and members of the United Reformed Church.

On Sunday, 26^th January at 3pm we are hosting a Songs of Praise for Anglicans, Baptists, Catholics, Methodists and Pentecostals at HolyFamilyChurch, Farnham.

Please make a real effort to support and take part in one or both of these events during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  Your presence will be a sign to our brothers and sisters in other Churches that you do care about them and wish to support Christians living in harmony and friendship with each other which is the first and most important ingredient for Christian Unity.

God Bless you all,

Father David

 

A  few  New  Year Prayers

Almighty God, by whose mercy my life has continued for another year, I pray that, as my years increase, my sins may not increase.

As age advances, let me become more open, more faithful and more trusting in you.
 Let me not be distracted by lesser things from what is truly important.

And if I become infirm as I grow old, may I not be overwhelmed by self-pity or bitterness.  So that, when you finally call me to yourself, I may enter into eternal happiness with you, through Jesus Christ my Lord.
(Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-84)

 

For all the possibilities ahead in this new year,
make us thankful, O Lord.
Give wisdom, courage and discernment in the face of so much chaos, despair and fear.
Help us to see how, in our circumstances, we can contribute towards peace, faith and love;
and give us the will to translate our desires into actions.

Brother John Charles SSF

(Taken from The Book of a Thousand Prayers)