Thought for the day: The season of preparation is drawing to a close. Like Mary, our getting ready involves deep listening to what God is asking of me now and an interior willingness to say “let what you have said be done to me.” What is God asking of me now, as a person, in the family, at work, and indeed within the faith community of the Church? Have I noticed a pattern of “nudges” from God calling me to a deeper, perhaps different engagement as a disciple? Are my gifts – tokens of God’s grace – fully at the service of my neighbour?
Prayer: Great and loving God, open my ear to your word, open my heart to your call, open my life to your service. Give us all the strength to live according to the Good News of your Son, Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
PAROCHIAL NOTICES
- THE SECOND COLLECTION THIS WEEKEND is towards the ADVENT APPEAL. A very big thank you for your contributions last weekend.
LAST WEEKEND’S COLLECTIONS
Collections R 6 888, 00 Planned Giving R 4 670, 00 Southern Cross R 80, 00 Advent Appeal R 3 637, 75 Calendars R 340, 00
- IN THIS WEEK’S SOUTHERN CROSS – Full roundup of the Mini World Youth Day; How African traditions can build peace; Miracles at India’s Shrine to Our Lady; Why hope begins with Christmas; Fr Rolheiser – We give birth to Christ, too. EDITORIAL: Let the Christmas Season begin.
- 2018 LITURGICAL CALENDARS ARE ON SALE AT R20 EACH.
NEW HYMNBOOKS – The target of R42 000 for our new hymnbooks has been exceeded. Thus far we have raised R43 360. We wish to thank everyone who has given so generously.
THE BANNS OF MARRIAGE
27th January at 14h00 Sean Smith & Charlotte de Kock
24th March at 15h00 Peter Peté & Nicola Stockley
2017 CHRISTMASTIDE TIMETABLE
Sunday 24th December 07h30 Holy Mass at Villa Maria Chapel
08h45 Holy Mass at Nazareth House Main Chapel
10h00 Holy Mass at the Cathedral
17h00 NO MASS
00h00 Midnight Mass at the Cathedral
00h00 Midnight Mass at Nazareth House Main Chapel
Monday 25th December 07h30 Holy Mass at Villa Maria Chapel
08h45 Holy Mass at Nazareth House Main Chapel
10h00 Holy Mass at the Cathedral
Saturday 30th December 18h00 Holy Mass at the Cathedral
Sunday 31st December 07h30 Holy Mass at Villa Maria Chapel
08h45 Holy Mass at Nazareth House Main Chapel
10h00 Holy Mass at the Cathedral
17h00 Holy Mass at the Cathedral
00h00 Holy Mass at the Cathedral
Monday 01st January 08h00 Holy Mass at Villa Maria
09h00 Holy Mass at Nazareth House Main Chapel
Welcome to the Cathedral Parish! We hope you will be happy here. If you want to register or join our Planned Giving Campaign, please do so either via the parish office or the Parish Website. Direct transfers are also in order.
Account name Bank Type Acc. Branch No. Account Number
St Marys Cathedral Standard Current 020-909 071 564 780
Friday, 22 December 2017
Dear Parishioners and Visitors,
In Luke’s Gospel, after the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, Mary utters her song of gratitude to God, in what we now know as the Magnificat. In her prayer, Mary acknowledges the great things God has done for her.
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (Lk 1:46-56)
At Christmas we acknowledge the great things that God has done for us by sending his Son into the world. A great deal has come to be associated with the feast of Christmas, however, at the heart of the feast is the acknowledgment of the gift that God has given us in his Son. We too need to acknowledge that gift and give God thanks for it.
Christmas is the celebration of God’s greatness and generosity. Mary’s prayer suggests that it is above all the lowly and the hungry who are will experience God’s greatness and generosity. It is the lowly who are exalted and the hungry who are filled.
We too approach the feast of Christmas, hungry for God’s gift of his Son, the bread of life; we approach this feast out of a sense of our poverty and emptiness, knowing our need to be filled with God’s presence and God’s coming. Mary herself was one of the lowly, one of the poor in spirit who hungered for what only God could give. May we approach this feast of Christmas in a spirit of poverty and humility, trusting in the great things that God can do for all of us.
In the name of all the Clergy and the Religious Sisters in the parish I wish to you and all whom you hold dear a Blessed and a Happy Christmas.
The Very Reverend Rohan Smuts
The Administrator
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Flight into Egypt
