Fr. Aidan Writes:
It is good to be back! Thank you for all the welcomes I have received. I will put together a photo presentation and talk on my trip to Gabon for the parish in the New Year, but now our focus is on the forthcoming feast of Christmas.
This Advent we are, as always, introduced to key figures: Mary, John the Baptist, Joseph and key places Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Perhaps we should hold in our prayers the “little town of Bethlehem” which is still surrounded by a wall and a place of controlled entry and exit because of the Israeli/Palestinian conflicts. This is just one of the many conflicts around the world in need of our prayers to the Prince of Peace. Ukraine this year faces a Christmas season very different from last year’s festival. We must hold them especially close as a nation under the thrall and violence of a wicked man’s megalomania. The Ukrainians have shown themselves to be hardy, resilient and no push over. Let us all pray that the New Year sees an end to this madness that has caused so much suffering and the knock on disruption to economic and international stability.
Leading up to Christmas, there will be the need for help with ministries; especially with the decorative ministry for the inside and the outside of the church. All the lights and decoration for the outside of the church need volunteers on Saturday, 17th Dec, from 9-1pm. It will end with pizza! Shirley and the inside decorators will need helping hands on the morning of Christmas Eve.
God bless us all as we prepare for the arrival of the Christ Child.
Fr Aidan–Peter CJ
May God bless you, your families, and the week ahead,
Fr Aidan Peter