Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish - Mass for the Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God. Friday, January 1, 2021 (EPISODE: 270)

Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God. Year B – 
Friday, January 1, 2021
(EPISODE: 270)

  HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! 

 

First Reading: Numbers 6:22-27
Psalm: Ps 66:2-3. 5. 6. 8. "May God bless us in his mercy."
Second Reading: Galatians 4:4-7
Gospel Acclamation: Hebrews 1:1-2. Alleluia, alleluia! In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; now he speaks to us through his Son. Alleluia.
Gospel: Luke 2:16-21

Image Credit: ID: 22831801. Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. By alphaspirit.it

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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Mary Mother of God. Year B - January 1, 2021 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-solemnity-of-mary-the-holy-mother-of-god-1st-january-2021-episode-270 (EPISODE: 270)

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A new calendar year has begun today. 2021 has arrived. And the most excellent way to begin is to commend this brand new year to the intercession, protection and guidance of Mary the Mother of God. Mary, the first and most perfect disciple of Christ. May God bless this new year with his compassionate hand, and his grace and love.
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
{{Kindness and grace to you all}}

On this special Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God,, trusting in Gods faithfulness, mercy and love let us first call to mind our sins.

Lord Jesus, your beloved and Mother is thereby the Mother of God. Lord have mercy
Your beloved mother is Help of Christians. Christ have mercy
Your beloved Mother is the Queen of Heaven. Lord have mercy

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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PREFACE: Blessed Virgin MARY I
Euch .Prayer: 2
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{Thanks everyone, and THROUGH God's grace and mercy, and the faithful intercession of Mary the holy mother of God, may this be for you all a blessed, healthy and grace-filled year of the lord.}

The Lord be with you……
(Bow down for the blessing)

May God, the source and origin of all blessing,
grant you grace,
pour out his blessing in abundance,
and keep you safe from harm throughout the year. Amen.

May he give you integrity in the faith,
endurance in hope,
and perseverance in charity
with holy patience to the end. Amen.

May he order your days and your deeds in his peace,
grant your prayers in this and in every place,
and lead you happily to eternal life.
Amen.

And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son,+ and the Holy Spirit,
come down on you and remain with you forever.

Amen.

 

Dismissal:

 Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
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HOMILY:
It's always excellent to dedicate the new calendar year to God, and God's Kingdom, and God's vision for the world.

For this is indeed the Year of the Lord, 2021.

....

In good times and in times of trial .. God has shown us the direction, priority and values that show us the way to live and respond in any circumstances ...

it's also very fitting to dedicate this new year to the prayer and intercession of the first and most perfect disciple .. mary the mother of god ...
Mary - a woman of faith;
The willing handmaiden of the. Lord.
faithfully Saying yes to all that God was doing in her life.
woman of prayer &
praising God for his justice, his loving kindness and overflowing concern for the poor and the humble
Our lady - Pondering and treasuring in her heart, all that happened to her and around her.
filled with generosity and practical charity and concern for others.
faithful and willing intercessor on behalf of the needy, to her beloved Son.
In the readings for this feast day, it says "Happy /. blessed," are the people because God's hand is upon his people ... God cares for them.
God is guiding them, God is concerned for them and faithful to them.

We are blessed because God's hand is upon us, 
God's loving presence is with us, even when we are not happy or fortunate or when things are not going well, or even when we are not being treated well. Calling always for human dignity and justice to be given to all who are mistreated.  

(Commentary)

"Because Jesus, though a real human, like ourselves, truly and rightly calls God his Father. He is the son and heir of God. Jesus is free of all restrictions and enslavements, and we too, plunged into Christ in baptism, are similarly heirs and made-free. All this depends on Jesus fully sharing our human nature. (For he is truly), 'born of a woman.'

"Where did he get his human existence from, if not from Mary?"

"At the Council of Ephesus, (AD 431), the controversial and dissenting theologian, Nestorius wanted Mary to be called merely 'Christotokos' or 'Christ-bearer', but the Council insisted that the man Jesus, who was fully God, derived his whole being from Mary: she was 'Theotokos', 'God-bearer'. The whole person who was God was born of Mary, not just a human Christ. From Mary, he derived his genes, his DNA, his flesh-and-blood, his temperament (which was divine too), his habits of mind, his warmth of personality. He was utterly, frankly and joyfully human, and yet those who opened their eyes and ears to him could also revere him as God." (HW)

In today's Gospel .....

"The cosy picture of the bright-eyed child in the clean wooden manger (with the ox and the donkey peeping in from a respectful distance) has been cleaned up over the centuries.......The picture of the stable in Bethlehem is actually one of destitution. There was no room for the new-born in the normal living quarters, and his worried mother had to lodge him in the only space available, a feeding trough for cattle, perched on top of their fodder. That was where the ragged sheep-minders found him. They too were the poorest of the poor, no sheep of their own just hired for the night. Perhaps they got a drink of goats'-milk or a crust of bread for their shivering pains. Whilst Matthew's gospel (which is not heard today), does at least have the baby worshipped by those rather splendid Wise Men from the East, with their noble and powerfully symbolic gift; No gifts forthcoming from today's rough crew of shepherds."

"As we worry about our post-Christmas waistlines, and set out on our New Year resolutions, it makes us reflect on where true blessedness lies, and who are the chosen ones of the Lord."

"Surely, one might be tempted to say, (if only seeing with the eyes of this world), God could have rustled up more suitable worshippers for his Incarnate Son than these scruffy down-and-outs? Of course, (and thanks be to God), - He did not!" (HW)

As this brand new year begins….   Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us.

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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

Commentaries signed "HW" are by Dom Henry Wansbrough of Ampleforth Abbey. © Copyright 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Ltd ·

Image Credit: ID: 22831801. Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. By alphaspirit.it
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria. Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

Christmas Hymn - "Word Made Flesh" by Paul W. Kelly. Based upon: John's Gospel 1:14,  1 John 4:9 , & Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7.
(Written on 8/5/20; 10/9/20).  Arranged and sung by Stefan Kelk, with adjusted lyrics.  2020. https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk

Marian Hymn - "Salve Regina Mater Misericordiae." (Traditional 11th Century). Melody: Mainz (1712), Hymn #783 - Brébeuf Hymnal. From https://www.ccwatershed.org/hymn/
 
Marian Hymn – "Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera." ("Whom Earth and Sea and Sky Proclaim"). Traditional 6th Century Hymn. Melody: Bartholomaus Gesius (d.1613). #376 - Brébeuf Hymnal. From https://www.ccwatershed.org/hymn/


[ Production - KER - 2021]

May God bless and keep you.
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Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish. Sunday Mass podcast. Sunday, December 27, 2020 - The Feast of the Holy Family

Sunday, December 27, 2020, The Feast of the Holy Family

(In the Octave of Christmas)
(EPISODE:269)

Readings for Sunday, December 27, 2020
FIRST READING:
Sunday, December 27, 2020. "The Lord remembers his covenant forever."
SECOND READING: Sunday, December 27, 2020
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Sunday, December 27, 2020). Alleluia, alleluia! In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; now he speaks to us through his Son. Alleluia.
GOSPEL:

Image - Shutterstock licensed Image:  stock photo ID: 150278416. Vranov, Slovakia. 2019/8/22. The Nativity Icon – the Icon of the Birth of Jesus. Chapel of the Convent of the Holy Trinity in Lomnica, Vranov nad Toplou, Slovakia. By Adam Jan Figel
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish Mass – (including readings, prayers and homily etc), for  - Sunday, December 27, 2020, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-solemnity-of-the-holy-family-year-b-episode-269/s-rdS0UK52hXw  (EPISODE:269)
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Prologue:  Hello everyone, and happy Christmas season…    I hope you have been having a peaceful and blessed Christmas.   We continue to pray for people near and far who are still experiencing hardships from the Covid-pandemic.  Thanks be..!! for so many compassionate generous people who are doing everything they can to assist others in need. The Christmas season is not just one day. In fact, it is an "Octave"…  Eight days that allow us to more deeply experience the joys and significance of this great feast of Christ's birth. God made flesh and living among us.  And what better feast than today's celebration, very fittingly within this Octave of Christmas..  the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  This holy family had real difficulties and hardships throughout their lives and their prayers and example help us to this day, as we are inspired by their constant response to God of profound faith, hope and love…  …
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Homily -
As we continue on our journey through this Christmas season, this Feast of the Holy Family is a really important celebration, straight after the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, And within the Octave of Christmas.

At this time of year, we give sincere thanks for the love, nurturing and support that family can give us. And the love, example and intercession which the Holy Family give us on our life journey.

We think of those countless acts of kindness and love and sacrifices by our parents and families. When we were young, we probably didn't appreciate the scale of it all. When we get older, and have our own families, or watch with admiration brothers and sisters and friends raising their own families, we start to appreciate what our parents must have given and sacrificed out of love. We are truly grateful for this.

We are also very mindful of people whose family life has been extremely difficult and who did not have that support that others take for granted.  That is, not everyone in this world has been blessed with an unconditionally loving and accepting family, who support one another. We give thanks for mentors and all people who have been good role models and sources of care and protection for the young. These people have been family to others, beyond the ties of blood.

We keep in mind at this time, families all over the world, who have done it really tough this year, due to Covid illnesses, distance, separation and financial hardship and worries.

The Holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, are the patron saints of supporting each-other and sticking together when everything is going wrong around them. for example:

When we take a close look at the very first Christmas, we quickly see that life, for the Holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was anything but smooth sailing.  The joy and hope of this celebration comes from the fact that God came into our world and made a home with us when everything was going really badly for the world. The first Christmas came at a time of incredible unrest for the people of Israel, who were suffering under foreign domination of a pagan empire, which had values quite opposed to many of the sacred religious values of the Jewish people.

Mary and Joseph are forced to take a terribly difficult trip to Bethlehem when Mary is imminently due to give birth. This would have been a difficult trip at the best of times, but it must have been extremely difficult for an expectant mother at the end of her term. They arrive at their ancestral home town and there is nowhere to stay. They are forced to sleep in a barn and Mary gives birth to a baby surrounded by animals. The baby is placed in a food-trough where the animals normally eat. The poorest and lowliest "outcasts" in the society at that time, the shepherds, are the first to hear about the birth and come to pay their respects.

Very soon after the birth, Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus must flee for their lives, becoming refugees from King Herod's murderous jealousy. They escape into exile in a foreign land.

And today's gospel, which is truly wonderful, the prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna, in the temple, praise God for Jesus who is the one who will not only save Israel but who comes to save all the world. But then Simeon turns to Mary and warns her that her life will be touched by a sword of extraordinary suffering and sorrow, as the implications of loving and caring for her only son, will touch her life deeply too. Her beloved son must tread a  loving path of indescribable suffering and sacrifice for our sakes.

Mary and Joseph also had countless incidents when they just had to trust in what God was doing and, all the while were plunged into confusion about what it all meant. They trusted in God and supported each other, especially at times when things were not clear and did not make sense to them, and this made all the difference.

The Holy Family are our inspiration and our prayerful support for us ….

And this feast day, and within the Christmas season, we give sincere and heartfelt thanks for family….. and the support and strength that we can give each other along life's long journey, with all its joys and sorrows, its graces and temptations.

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Pray for us.

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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

To listen to the whole Sunday Mass each week (including homily) from Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish, please visit this link:  Liturgy for you at Home (by SPCP) -  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

 Image - Shutterstock licensed Image:  stock photo ID: 150278416.
Vranov, Slovakia. 2019/8/22. The Nativity Icon – the Icon of the Birth of Jesus. Chapel of the Convent of the Holy Trinity in Lomnica, Vranov nad Toplou, Slovakia. By Adam Jan Figel

  (Sunday, December 27, 2020)  (EPISODE: 269 )
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)
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{{Joy and peace to everyone}} welcome everyone, we gather -  Praise and Worship of our God.

my brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of Peace. Lord have mercy//  You are Son of God and the Son of Mary. Christ have mercy// You are Word made flesh, the splendour of the Father. Lord have mercy.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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PREFACE: Nativity of the Lord III
EP 1
Communion side.  pwk:  LH
(theme The Word became flesh)

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{I pray this week brings you an ever-deeper experience of his compassion and love. }

Go in peace. 

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Roman Missal, 3rd edition, 2010, (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA.

"The Psalms" by The Grail - 1963, 2009.

Prayers of the Faithful - Robert Borg "Together we pray" - (1993).

St. Ralph Sherwin Gloria  - written and sung By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski.  2011 ccwatershed.org.

Christmas Hymn - "Word Made Flesh" by Paul W. Kelly. Based upon: John's Gospel 1:14; 1 John 4:9; & Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7. (Written on 8/5/20; 10/9/20).  Arranged and sung by Stefan Kelk, with adjusted lyrics.  2020. https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk

Traditional hymns: performed by the Bobby Cole Chamber Choir, licensed via Shockwave-Sound.com   (https://www.shockwave-sound.com)

[Production - KER - 2020]

May God bless and keep you.
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Surfers Paradise Christmas Message and Christmas Mass Podcast

Christmas Mass - 2020  Faith, Hope and Love (episode: 268)
Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish, Queensland.

Today is born our saviour, Christ the Lord!

A Blessed, Happy and Healthy Christmas to you all.
And May God bless you and guide you through the coming year.

The Dawning of the Light (Christmas 2020)

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed stock vector ID: 335139557. nativity scene with the Holy Family --transparency blending effects and gradient mesh-EPS10. By www.iostephy.com

Christmas Evening and Day Readings (Same for ALL Masses)

First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7
Psalm: Ps  95:1-3. 11-13. "Today is born our saviour, Christ the Lord."
Second Reading: Titus 2:11-14
Gospel Acclamation: Luke 2:10-11. Alleluia, alleluia!. Good News and great joy to all the world: today is born our Saviour, Christ the Lord. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 2:1-14
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To listen to the audio recording of the Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish Christmas Mass – (including readings, prayers and homily etc), The Nativity of the Lord. 2020. Please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-christmas-2020-the-nativity-of-the-lord-jesus-episode-268
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PASTORS POST -  SOLEMNITY OF CHRISTMAS
A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS REFLECTION 

BY FR PETER DILLON.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas  . . .  
And all through the house there was utter chaos.

We've just found out that Friends from the Northern Beaches of Sydney just called to say that they'd got through the border without anyone catching them and could they stay for just a few days.

That the refrigerator door has been slightly ajar all night and all the ice for the margaritas has melted, not to mention the jelly for the trifle has not set and the chook looks like it has started to cook itself.

The gas bottle for the bar-b-que has been leaking for days, and so the recent humidity is really not the source of everyone's headache.

Nobody washed the novelty table cloth from last year's Christmas lunch, so we have now discovered what happens to spilt gravy and red wine when they are allowed to ferment together for a year.

The children's new action toys do not come with batteries and require a tertiary degree in engineering to assemble and the real Christmas tree we found two weeks ago has now started to shed it needles.

My brother and sister-in-law from Hervey Bay have just told us that their entire family of seven became vegan in November, so they will require only plant-based food for lunch tomorrow, and will there be space for their caravan on the front lawn as they don't want to be any trouble during their 3 week visit.

We now know why the Christmas crackers we got a last year's Boxing Day sale were so cheap. They only contain jokes but no paper hats or trinkets. 

The burglar alarm on the next door neighbour's house has been screaming for five hours and they are in Launceston.

We think our dog has eaten one of the donkeys from the Nativity set or maybe we lost it last year.

The new style ATAR results arrived yesterday for our recent year 12 graduate and we don't know whether to congratulate him or tell him "at least you tried and it has been a really difficult year".

About 10 Christmas cards arrived to day from people we hadn't expected and it's too late to send them one in return and we have just discovered that the Lotto numbers we have religiously playing for years have finally turned up the week we forgot to put them in. It was only a 2^nd division loss.

Just when we thought that all was lost and this was going to be the worst Christmas ever, we recalled that we had made early bookings for Christmas Mass and that the whole family would be there together for the first time in years.

And so it was a Happy Christmas to all and to all a Good Night.

Fr Peter Dillon.

(Ps, there is no Midnight mass in the parish, and Christmas masses are not necessarily at times from previous years, due of course to Covid. Masses are by booking only.
The dispensation from attending Mass continues to apply in these times of Covid restrictions and if people are unable to book into a mass we will have the Mass for you at home audio liturgy and also other streaming options. Thank you for your cooperation at this time.) 

CLICK HERE TO BOOK FOR MASS

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

{{Happy Christmas to you all.    And May the Peace and joy of the Christ Child shine upon you in this special season. }}

On this wonderful  (feast of) The Nativity of the Lord Jesus…   (the Solemnity of Christmas )
In order to worthily celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us first acknowledge our sins.

Lord Jesus, you are the Son of the Living God, Lord Have mercy .
You are the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Christ Have mercy .
Lord Jesus you are Word made flesh, the splendour o the Father. Lord, Have mercy .

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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PREFACE: Christmas I
Euch .Prayer: 1
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{I pray this Christmas Season  brings you an ever deeper Peace… and profound experience of God's overflowing love…and compassion. Bless you all this christmas season…  and may god protect you and guide you in your travels and gatherings at this special time – thanks be to god for the many acts of kindness, love and compassion experienced in so many people in these times of challenge.}

Dismissal:
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
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Prologue: (Fr paul Kelly).

The Dawning of the Light (Christmas 2020) -

It is comforting to remember that the first Christmas, over two thousand years ago...   things were not going very well at all in the world, for countless numbers of people....   Christ was not born into a world that was going along nicely...  far from it, The people were walking in overwhelming darkness of spirit.....   suffering terrible poverty and injustice...and with many generations praying desperately that a saviour would come soon, to help them.... 

The world today, especially this year, knows all too well what that feels like.  At the end of a year where people all over the world have been plunged into the darkness of the worst  global pandemic in living memory... //. in these last few months .....  Like the words of the first reading...   "in the darkness...   a great light has begun to shine..."   - including real hope that an end to this crisis is in sight... with the development of promising vaccines... (not out of the woods yet -  but there is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel).

A profound Light of hope has also shone in the darkness  of this year, as we all offer  heartfelt thanksgiving, deep appreciation and gratitude for the precious and fragile gift of life, an even deeper cherishing  of how precious good health and well-being can be,  the irreplaceable treasure our family and friends are to us.... the value of community and church,  the pricelessness of so many people who have shown enormous reserves of kindness, generosity, compassion,  adaptability and practical assistance in the community, especially when things got very bleak...    - again, echoing the Our Lord's message and example...  "A light has shone when it was darkest..."    
Darkness and bleakness aren't usually words we would use here in Australia at this time of the year, in hot mid-summmer. But certainly after this years experience,  these words have new and powerful resonance,  symbolically.

And we keep in mind:
winter darkness and sombernness defined the location and predicament of the very first Christmas in Bethlehem: The place of the Lord's birth.
- cold,  dark,  bleak, the shortest of days,  everything seems asleep,  or lifeless or hibernating ,,,,
(the traditional shepherds field in Bethlehem is a series of caves on an exposed hill-  trees bent sideways from centuries of powerful, relentlessly freezing winds, cutting through the region)...

Gillian Bouras,  a writer who was born here in Australia, very familiar with Christmasses here: - boiling hot,  and bright-as-can-be from eleven minutes to five am on Christmas morning until sunset -  at 6.42pm, Christmas lunches with air coolers turned right up,  outdoor bbqs and picnics in the park or at the beach..    She now lives with her family in Europe,  and observes  as this particular year ends-  "I think every southerner should experience the starkness of a northern hemisphere Christmas, where one cannot help but notice and feel the Birth of Jesus being the one ray of light and hope, so much needed this year, penetrating the gloom."

Through the Birth of our Lord, wherever we are in the world ...    In summer or winter..  in light or darkness ... whether we are reunited again with family and friends or still cherishing them in our hearts and prayers from afar.... we are all truly  united in love, prayer and in spirit. Our absent friends and family are also truly one with us tonight/today.  "We carry you in our hearts." all Gods beloved children everywhere.

Two thousand years ago -  God loved us so much that God was not content to worry about us from a distance...  and so He sent his only son to be with us ,  and be born as one of us; - to truly and fully share our condition; and save us from ourselves...  (to be the model of self-forgetting love and service),  He was the ray of light that broke through, into a world of cold and darkness, selfishness, despair, injustice, and violence...   and truly shared our suffering;  experiencing with us all our joys and all our sorrows, and calling us in turn, to lift up others around us in their struggles.

Our Lord constantly gets right "in-there" - into the messiness of life and never leaves us to muddle on alone. And that is the cause of great joy.

God's miraculous decision to join-in with us, and be with-us, means that...." there is absolutely nothing too complex, too messy, or too vulnerable about our own lives into which God cannot or will not enter."

Let us rejoice, for our saviour has come...   He has been born to us...   humble and lain in a manger...  and who grew up to  offer his life as free and full self gift- to save us all...  he is the light that scatters the darkness....   He is the promise and fulfilment of all our Hopes and prayers. 
He is Christ the Lord.

{Prayer of the faithful -   For people throughout the world suffering in any way from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. That the Lord will grant healing, and recovery and continue to inspire acts of compassion and generosity. And in thanksgiving for medical teams and care workers, emergency services and support groups – that they will be uplifted and strengthened in their important work} .

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HOMILY BY FR PETER DILLON.

While it might seem a relatively new practice of stringing stands of coloured lights outside our homes to signify the approaching Christmas season, we are really simply reviving a centuries old tradition that originated in Europe, when people lit fires outside their houses in their wintery climate, to let people know that that they believed the presence of Christ would bring light into their darkness, and warmth into the cold.

Ancient religions as well as modern ones have always used the themes of light and darkness as a way of speaking about religious experience. Light has always been associated with goodness, knowledge, and hope. Darkness has symbolised evil, ignorance and despair.

In my lifetime, I cannot think of a more oppressive year for the whole world, which has had to rethink the ways we live together and the way we relate to each other. Without our knowing how it happened, a dark cloud came over the globe and we were all tested as to how we would address the changes that would forever alter our fragile environment. How we endured the pandemic should be a good indicator as to how we incorporate our belief in a God of hope into how we live each day.

In the Christian tradition we interpret the light to be Jesus the Christ. Without him we are stumbling around in the dark; without him we can eventually come to prefer the darkness to the light. He is the only light that darkness cannot overpower. Yet this light does not force itself upon us, not like some bolt of lightning, but as a child born as all children are, from their mother's womb. With the birth of every child there is new life, new hope, and a new innocence which graces a world that is tired of pain and contradiction.

But this is not the birth of just any child. Luke is anxious to tell us the true identity of this child. So the angels announce to the shepherds, who represent us, the meaning of all that is happening in obscurity. Their announcement pierces the disguise of obscurity and peals out the identity of this child:

"Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

But what did the shepherds believe they were witnessing. At the time they could have had no comprehension of what it might mean for him to be "the saviour of the world". He was a mere baby who had not yet revealed himself to the world. He was not full of wisdom and authority, he performed no miracles or broke open the ancient texts of scripture. They simply had hope that this child would grow to be the fulfilment of God's promise that the Messiah would come into the world. For the moment they were just happy to be connected to this new life.

The angels proclaim at the beginning of the Gospel what Jesus' followers came to understand only after the resurrection: that Jesus was the saviour, Christ the Lord. The one prophesied by Isaiah.  Because we have been given access to his life and his words and words through the Gospels, we have to come to believe that this child grew to maturity and understanding of his mission, and that he died and rose again, so we can take the light of our faith back to the manager. 

One of the unique aspects of Christmas is that it achieves a great levelling off of society. Even people who do not have the birth of Christ as part of their faith tradition, accept that nobody feels superior to another on this day. It seems to put an end to elitism, even though it may only be for a short time. It achieves this levelling, not by lowering us all, but by lifting us up.
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References:
HOMILY BY FR PETER DILLON

PROLOGUE - Fr Paul W. Kelly

POEM:   "In the bleak midwinter." BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI. (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53216/in-the-bleak-midwinter)
 
 Gillian Bouras, "The way we were at Christmas,"  In – "Eureka Street   - A publication of Jesuit Communications Australia." © 2020. (edition 08 December 2020).  Read more: https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/the-way-we-were-at-christmas  

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed stock vector ID: 335139557. nativity scene with the Holy Family --transparency blending effects and gradient mesh-EPS10. By www.iostephy.com
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Roman Missal, 3rd edition, 2010, (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. 


"The Psalms" by The Grail - 1963, 2009.
Prayers of the Faithful - Robert Borg "Together we pray" - (1993) .

St. Ralph Sherwin Gloria  - written and sung By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski.  2011 ccwatershed.org.

Christmas Hymn - "Word Made Flesh" by Paul W. Kelly. Based upon: John's Gospel 1:14,  1 John 4:9 , & Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7.
(Written on 8/5/20; 10/9/20).  Arranged and sung by Stefan Kelk, with adjusted lyrics.  2020. https://www.airgigs.com/user/stefankelk

Traditional hymns:
O Holy Night (Vocal Duet),
Joy to the World (Choir),  
Away in a Manger (Choir), performed by the Bobby Cole Chamber Choir, licensed via Shockwave-Sound.com
( https://www.shockwave-sound.com)

[ Production - KER - 2020]

May God bless and keep you.
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Fourth Sunday Advent. Year B - Sunday, December 20, 2020 (EPISODE:267)

Fourth Sunday Advent. Year B - Sunday, December 20, 2020
(EPISODE:267)

Readings for 4th Sunday of Advent - B
FIRST READING: 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 (diff)
Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27+29. "Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord."
SECOND READING: Rom 16:25-27
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Luke 1:38). Alleluia, alleluia! I am the servant of the Lord. May his will for me be done.
GOSPEL: Luke 1:26-38

Image - Shutterstock licensed Image:  stock photo ID:  1203620218. Biblical vector illustration series, Gabriel visits Mary also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. By rudall30
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Fourth Sunday Advent. Year B - Sunday, December 20, 2020, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-advent-4b-episode-267-fourth-sunday-of-advent-year-b  (EPISODE:267)
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* Prologue – The wonderful news of the Annunciation to Mary occurred more than two thousand years ago.  The message Mary received was the start of the fulfilment of God's promise, made to King David one thousand years before that.  That timeline is so long that it is hard to comprehend.

God has a very, very long memory. The people of Israel hoped and trusted in God's promise to King David.  And as the years went on, (and there were many years); that hope was boosted, and then seemingly shattered, then rebuilt.

And now we arrive at the wonderful scene of the Annunciation.  After all this time, (in the fullness of time), God's promise is fulfilled at the home of a humble maiden.

Here we can learn our response from Mary the right response to God's message:  "Be it done to me according to your word."  If only we could all learn to respond to the Lord in such a wonderful way as Mary did!  May we more readily and with joy proclaim:  "Be it done to me according to your word!"

Mary is the model for all of us who want to follow God's ways.  She was a humble servant of God who was faithful to the Lord.  In her lowliness, God chose her for the most important role:  the mother of His Son.

This weekend's gospel, for the closing Sunday of Advent is all about the greatness of that word "YES" in Mary's life and in the lives of all of us who want to be Disciples of Christ. Mary's trust in God's promise is absolute. Mary continues to live according to God's ways, even when the events in her life are confusing and worrying and disorientating. 

It would be a tragedy if Mary's "yes" was the last "yes" in human history! In fact, Mary's YES becomes the pattern for many more "Yesses."
The Hebrew word "Amen" means "yes," --That is, "let it be so." And we say this "yes/ Amen" every time we come forward for the Communion at Eucharist. We say yes, we will be the house where God, in Jesus, makes his home.

We are saying YES. we will take the divine life of God into our bodies, - by the body and blood of Our Lord. And we too say "Let it be done to us, according to your word." So, as amazing and wonderful as it seems, one of God's last known addresses is….within YOU!

One thing I find really striking and challenging.  Mary's wonderful reply to the Angel was very down-to-earth and with no puffed-up pride. She answers: "I am God's servant !!"   Mary is saying to God, "I am your servant. I am your humble slave; let it be done to me according to your word"?

Briefly put:  We are here to do things God's way, not our way.
May this Advent bring us all closer to the Lord because He is always close to us.  God loves us and sends His Son to save us.   Mary intercedes for us as we learn from her complete trust in God's plan and learn to serve her Son, Jesus Christ the Lord.

We say  YES to God's invitation to cooperate in the constant work of building up God's Kingdom, not only in heaven but here and now, in this life. May this coming Christmas celebration be a time of incredible renewal and peace as we allow God's grace to strengthen and build upon our YES.   Inspired by Mary's great YES to God.

O Emmanuel,
king and lawgiver,
Desire of the nations,
Saviour of all people.
Come and set us free.
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Homily:  Fr Peter  - 4th Sunday - Advent – Year B – 2020
As we come to the end of the Advent time for this year, it is valuable to stop for a brief time and see if we have used this time well. It is possible that we have let the secular events of our home or work life take control and take over our good intentions to pray a little more, or try to speak more positively about others or even just take more time to spend with the people we like, rather than doing the tasks that aren't really that important. We may have learnt that in our desire to be more spiritually focussed we realise that we are not masters of our time and gifts, but rather lead by social convention and worldly expectations.

One of the great catch cries of the modern generation is to seek happiness and fulfilment by "doing your own thing". It's what I want that really matters. They believe that happiness lies in having no commitments, no one to answer to, no one whose needs or problems will ever tie us down.

It is, of course, good and necessary to find and do that which deep down we feel called to do. Nevertheless, human nature being what it is, we have to be on our guard. There can be a lot of selfishness in the "do your own thing" approach. It often means taking the easiest path, in the belief that this is where freedom and happiness lie. But this approach is more likely to lead to being swamped by choices and the unhappiness that follows having to make difficult decisions. We find out eventually that we don't have the time or energy to have and do it all, even though it may appear to be on offer.

Here is an important truth: freedom, happiness and fulfilment are more likely to be found in the acceptance of duty, rather than the avoidance of it. However, for this to happen, a grim acceptance of duty is not good enough. It has to be a loving acceptance of duty. The more difficult the task to which we devote ourselves out of love, the more it will exalt us.

In this regard, Mary gives us a great example. She didn't say to the angel,
"Sorry, but I have my own plans. I want to do my own thing". She said, "It's not what I want, but what God wants that matters. Let what God wants be done to me".

Mary made a complete gift of herself to God and accepted the task he gave her. Even though she didn't understand all the implications of it, she trusted that God would give her all the help she needed.

In effect, she was saying, "I don't understand what all this means, but I trust that good things will happen. If not for me, then for others who are important to me". She trusted so deeply in God that she was open to all possibilities. She gave up control over her future and let God define her life.

Life imposes a lot of duties on us. Besides duties to ourselves, there are duties to others and to God. Where would the world be if everyone just thought of themselves, and insisted on doing their own thing?

Some people suspect that God chose someone like Mary who would be so meek that she could do nothing else but do what was expected of her. That is some way she was not really human, not like us. Being chosen by God for such a task does not free her from the human race. Gods' choice for her does not free her from making her choice for God. She was asked to put her freedom, her whole person at the service of God.

If there is any great difference between Mary and ourselves is that she fully responded to be chosen for her role while we remain hesitant and half-hearted about responding to what God asks of us.

Just like Mary, we face God's choice for us, and like her, we are challenged to say "yes". Like all choices, it may ask us to make a sacrifice, to give up or reject one option to fully accept the other. If we could have it all then there would be no choice required at all, but in reality, we do have to make the decision and some time the cost of that decision is putting our freedom at the service of God. What Mary clearly understood was that she was so highly favoured by God, and maybe that is where we have to decide if we truly believe that God has favoured us in a similar way. Maybe we have reached the stage where we don't think we are worth anything in God's or other people's eyes. So listen again to God's word to you:

"Rejoice, highly favoured, for I have chosen you to be holy and live through love in my presence"
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References:
HOMILY:   FR PETER DILLON

PROLOGUE: Fr Paul W. Kelly

Celebrating the Gospels.

My Daily Visitor, Nov-Dec 2011.

Monastery Of Christ In The Desert. Abbot's Homily. http://christdesert.org

Image - Shutterstock licensed Image:  stock photo ID:  1203620218. Biblical vector illustration series, Gabriel visits Mary also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. By rudall30.


Fourth Sunday Advent. Year B  (Sunday, December 20, 2020)  (EPISODE:267)

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4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR B –

INTRODUCTION

In the Name of the Father (+) and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Lord be with you.

Welcome everyone, we gather -  Listen to God's Word and contemplate the sacraments. AS · We continue on our Advent journey. We now light the fourth Advent Candle. The "Angel's Candle" Reminding us of the message of the angels: "Peace on earth, to people of goodwill. .

The Presider lights the fourth candle

O Rising Sun, you are the splendour of eternal light and the sun of justice. O come and enlighten those who yearn for you. Lord Have mercy.

O King of all, Come and save humanity, whom you formed from the clay. Christ Have mercy.

O Immanuel, Lord our God, Come and save us. Lord Have mercy.

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(no Gloria in Advent)

Collect

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son
was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. God, forever and ever.

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Prayer after Communion

Having received this pledge of eternal redemption,
we pray, almighty God,
that, as the feast day of our salvation draws ever nearer,
so we may press forward all the more eagerly
to the worthy celebration of the mystery of your Son's Nativity.
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.

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Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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PREFACE: Advent II
EP II
Communion side.  pwk:  RH
(theme variation: 4 )
(pre+post variation: 4)
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{I give thanks to God for your prayers at this time of reflection upon our God.}

Go in peace (glorifying the Lord by your life). .

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

"O Come. Lord. (Advent)" - In Memory of Paolo Mario (Paul) Giacomantonio (1968-2020).
By Paul W. Kelly.  Based on the Ancient church "O Antiphons" of Advent.
Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics, By Stefan Kelk, 2020.

 [ Production - KER - 2020]

May God bless and keep you.

Extra Text : unspoken for Advent: -
             Roman Missal, 3rd edition, 2010, (ICEL)
            
             Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA.
            
             "The Psalms" by The Grail - 1963, 2009.
            
             Prayers of the Faithful - Robert Borg "Together we pray" - (1993) .+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++