The Light in darkness
Let us pray for the Sick
The darkness
is dispelled by
the light which
the birth of Jesus brings. In
the joy of our
Christmas prayers and songs we
unite in the hope that the peace
of which the angels sang, may
be felt by our families, our friends
and throughout our world.
Terry McManus, Alfredo Fecci, Michael
Jones, Anne Jones, Jim Hughes, Margaret Carr, Margaret Evans, Fred Battersby, Gwen Jones,Joe Goggin,, Debra Ann
Roberts,Tricia Twizell, Rosa Maria, Joan
Lawrence, Moira Catherall, Lea Hill,
Anne Turner, Mary Rowe, Jenny Mansley, Jennifer Rowley, Nancy Wilson, Joe
& Luisa Desena, Shelagh Fulham, Margaret Stubbs, Philomena Lamano, and
Leo McManus.
“Don’t
(24th Dec) Teresa Saum, Ann Carroll, Anne
Cassidy, Frances Hammersley(25th Dec)
Mary McCann, John Walsh, Alice O’Neill, Mary
O’Neill, Rose Dubay (26th Dec) Ann Griffiths,
Winefride Duffy, Patrick Brennan, Joseph
Esmon Thomas, Mgt.Williams (27th Dec)
Richard Ward, Jeannie Scully, (28th Dec)
Maria Brannen, Edward Stafford, William
McManus, Agnes Ivy, Christopher Nicholls,
Harold Jones, Henry Roden (29th Dec) Julia
Fox, Minnie Mary Jones (30th Dec) James
Cummins, John Wilson
make the pious mistake of
thinking that at that first Christmas Christ came to bring us
some sort of gift. He never came
to bring us anything. He came to
awaken us to what we already
are: children of God”.
Oliver Todd
DANCING IN THE PEWS
Do you ever find
yourself wanting to
move about when
singing in church?
Have you ever felt
the urge to sway
about when singing
Christmas Carols?
You shouldn't be
too surprised if the
answer is "yes", because originally many
carols were also danced as well as
sung. In fact some of our carol tunes still
have a dance-lilt to them, like "We three
kings" or "The holly and the ivy". We
know that the angels sang at the first
Christmas. What we might not know is
that, according to Durand (a medieval
French bishop), on Christmas Day the
bishop and clergy used to sing and
dance Christmas carols and play games
together. Not much has changed then!
We remember in our prayers
Eglwys Catholig Dewi Sant, Yr Wyddgrug
St.David’s Catholic Church, Mold
Parish Priest: Fr. Pius Mathew CMI,
St.David’s Presbytery, St.David’s Lane, Mold. CH7 1LH
Email: [email protected]
Tele: 01352 752087
Deacon David Joy:01352 754722 LSUConvent:01352 700121
Website: www.stdavidsmold.org
www.wrexhamdiocese.org.uk http://www.cmi.org.in
25th December 2016
Those whose anniversaries
Occur this week
Are you willing to believe that love is the
strongest thing in the world - stronger than
hate, stronger than evil, stronger than
death - and that the blessed life which
began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred
years ago is the image and brightness of
the Eternal Love? Then you can keep
Christmas. Henry Van Dyke
Because of his boundless love, Jesus became what we are, that he might make us
to be what he is.
(St. Irenaeus, third century)
Merry Christmas
The Nativity of the Lord
Year A
LITURGY OF THE WEEK: Psalter Week I
24th December Saturday
Mass 5.30pm
Int. Bea Towey
Mass 9pm
Pauline Carberry RIP
(Peter Carberry)
25th December Sunday
Mass 11am
For People of the Parish
Monday :
26th Dec
Feast: St. Stephen, the first martyr
Mass 10am
Int. Sean Neeson (Michael Greaney)
Tuesday:
Feast: St. John, apostle & Evangelist
27th Dec
Mass 9.15am
Int. Rita Loftus (Win & Brian Egan)
Wednesday: Feast: The Holy Innocents
28th Dec
Mass 9.15am
Gerry Walsh RIP (Agnes Walsh)
Thursday:
Fifth day: Octave of Christmas
29th Dec
Mass 9.15am
Int.Marie Flanagan (Shelagh Bird)
Friday:
Feast: The Holy Family
30th Dec
Mass 9.15am
Gay McCornick RIP(Bridget&Tim O’Dwyer)
Eucharistic
Adoration
with
Rosary and
Benediction
Every Friday
following the
morning Mass
at 9.15am
Sacrament of
Reconciliation
(Confessions)
Saturdays
10.30am to
11.30am
& Before the Vigil
Mass
31st December Saturday
1st January Sunday
(4.45-5.20pm)
Mass at 5.30pm
Mass 11am
Sundays before
Deceased Members of the
the Mass
McGuire&Brown Families For People of the Parish
(Doreen&Vincent Brown)
(10.30-10.50am)
FAITH IN FOCUS:
THE
C
MEANING OF CHRISTMAS
is for Christos
(Christ) which means
the one anointed by God.
Jesus was appointed to be
prophet, priest and king of
all nations. He is the one
whom people were waiting
for, the one sent by God as
a champion for the people.
H
is for Hope. The
birth of Jesus encourages us that we have a
God who is so concerned
about us that he stoops as
low as he can get, to become a little baby. The birth
of Christ renews our hope
in the promises of God.
is for Redeemer.
Helpless as he was
in the manger of Bethlehem, he was born to die.
His life led him to an inevitable conflict with the authorities that came to its
climax on Calvary. Through
his death and resurrection
he has bought us back from
the slavery that sin and evil
exercise over us.
is for Immanuel. The
Christmas feast cheers
us with news that Jesus is
Immanuel/Emmanuel, Godwith-us. We have a God
R
I
who feels our pain, knows
our struggle and shares our
joys, for he is not far away
in the heavens but is with
us here on earth in the person and presence of Jesus.
is for Son. Jesus reveals a God to us who
is not a distant sovereign
S
M
is for Mercy. The
incarnation of Jesus
is God's gift of mercy to us.
None of us is worthy to
speak to God or to claim
any favours from him. Yet
in Jesus God shows us
mercy and forgiveness,
blotting out our guilt and
wiping away our sins. That
same mercy is given to us
on condition that we pass it
on to others.
is for Alleluia, a word
which means Praise
the Lord! Christmas and
Easter are the springboards
for Christians not only to
rejoice and enjoy the wonders that God works for us,
but also to proclaim far and
wide God's marvellous intervention.
is for Song. Christians
cannot keep silent
about the consequences of
Christ's birth. Our songs
and carols tell the everlasting story of our God who
sets us free. Our worship
recalls the events of 2000
years ago and makes them
come alive once more today. Have a happy
C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S!
A
but a parent. He referred to
God as his Father and
through our baptism we
share the closeness and
intimacy of a relationship as
sons and daughters.
is for Truth. Jesus
took our human form
as a baby in order to lead
us into the truth, to provide
us with a recipe for happiness and peace. He
claimed that he himself was
the way, the truth and the
life. To follow Jesus is to
have eternal life.
T
S
Christmas Celebration
Christmas is a time for celebration. How do
you celebrate?
Do you rush around spending more money
than you can really afford in order to buy
food, decorations, presents and drink?
Or do you take a tipple or two at the office
party and remain in a daze until sometime
around New Years Day?
Perhaps you’re one of those who feel that
their Christmas is incomplete if you haven’t
spent some time in church, listening to the
readings about the birth of Christ and responding with well-loved carols and hymns?
Our ways of celebrating either anaesthetise
us to reality or heighten our perception of it.
So how did the characters in the gospels
celebrate the very first Christmas?
The shepherds celebrated by spreading the
gossip of the Good News everywhere they
went.
The angels and the wise men celebrated the
birth by being amazed.
Mary celebrated by storing up all these wonderful things and treasuring them in her
heart.
So this year why not listen to the good news
of God identifying with our human condition
on that first Christmas, then allow yourself to
be utterly amazed by it, and finally, when
you have stored it all up, ponder it seriously?
If you do these three things then you really
will have celebrated Christmas.
Crib Offerings For
Mission Together:
Bishop Peter will dedicate this year’s
Christmas Crib collection to MISSION
TOGETHER (Holy Childhood) to support
its school meals programme in Kenya,
run by the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi.
Diocesan Pilgrimage
to Lourdes 2017
22nd May Mon– 27th May Sat
The Posters and Booking forms are available in the Porch. There is a £10 discount
if you do the booking online:
www.joewalshtours.co.uk
Pilgrimage to Medjugorie
27th May to 3rd June 2017: Contact :
Geraldine Downing: 01978 357367.
A call for help!
At the Offertory procession the “work of our
hands” is brought to the altar in bread,
wine, and the collection. To do this with
efficiency and dignity, we are introducing
extra collection points, so that we can reduce delay.
Therefore we seek the help of more people
to take the collection – we need five at
each Mass. If enough will volunteer we can
ensure a ‘rota’, so that it is shared out.
Please consider offering your service to the
parish in this way.
There is no restriction by age or gender!
Please give your name to Fr Pius, Deacon
David, or to Tony Gent (Saturday) or Peter
Carberry (Sunday).
The collection begins immediately after the
Bidding Prayers.
Money Matters :
Offertory Collection last weekend
£762.18 of which £409.58 was Gift Aided
Flowers for Christmas: £231.56
Gift Aid: If you are a Tax Payer, please
consider filling out the Gift Aid form which
is in the church porch to receive a box of
weekly envelopes for your offertory donation or for a one-off donation then please
use the Green envelopes. Please remember to write your name, address, and date
the green envelope.
Thank you for supporting our Parish.