Sunday, 6th December, 2009

Second Sunday of Advent

First Reading Baruch 5: 1-9
God will guide Israel in joy by the light of his glory.

Second Reading Philippians 1: 3-6
We are to be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Gospel Luke 3: 1-6
John the Baptist preaches repentance to prepare for the coming of Christ.

6 December 2009 Second Sunday of Advent

On the Margins

Drunk and wobbling, he stood in the middle of O’Connell Street, Dublin. Ignoring the rictus of the floosie in the jacuzzi statue behind him, he berated passers-by for walking around in a dream and not knowing it. He had a point. But no impact. ‘Ye’r all livin’ in a dream!’ was his shouted message. But for his spectral hearers the medium was the message: a noonday drunk couldn’t have anything worthwhile to say.

Yet what about another down-and-out: the poet Francis Thompson. He had much to say, and all of it worthwhile. As God’s word came to John the Baptist in the wilderness of sand (today’s Gospel Luke 3:1-6) so too it came to an opium addict in his wilderness of streets. When it came his eyes opened and he penned these luminous lines: The angels keep their ancient places/Turn but a stone and start a wing!/’Tis ye, ‘tis your estranged faces,/That miss the many-splendored thing.

John the Baptist couldn’t have put it better! Truly what Advent announces is a ‘many-splendored thing’: God’s splendour shining through simplicity, God’s power bursting through weakness. Conceived out of wedlock, born out of home, rejected by society, killed by the ‘law’, Jesus became a man on the margins.

Do we want to cheer at the birth of a marginalised man? Do we want to listen to what he says? Do we not prefer the hollow chant of ‘Ho! Ho! Ho!’ and the glint of tacky tinsel? Could that be why we’ve handed Christmas over to kids?

Fr. Tom Cahill

Announcements

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Tuesday 8 December is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and is a Holy Day.

Masses for the Holy Day are:

Monday: Vigil 7.00pm.

Tuesday: 8.00am: Holy Cross College Oratory. (Open to the public).

Tuesday: 10.00am and 7.00pm in the Church.

Visitation of Sick and Housebound

The sick and housebound will be visited this week as follows:

Monday Morning: The Trust, Knockavoe Area.

Monday Morning: Ashgrove Park, Olympic Drive, Ballycolman Estate, Laurel Drive.

Tuesday Morning: St. Colman’s Drive, Pearse Gardens, Bridgend.

Tuesday Morning: Carlton Drive, Melmount Park, Urney Road, Lisnafin Park,
Castletown, Country Area.

Dates for Baptism

The following are the dates for the Sacrament of Baptism during the months of

December and January 2010:

December: Sunday 6; Friday 11; Sunday 20.

January: Sunday 3; Friday 15; Sunday 24; Friday 29.

Times for Baptism: Sunday 1.15pm; Friday 7.20pm.

We welcome into God’s Family through the Sacrament of Baptism:

William Patrick Duncan, Cal Barclay Patton,

Pol Antoin Wilson, Heidi Geri Kelly-Crossan,

Claragh Rose Kennedy, Orla Anna Duffy.

Parish Draw 2009

Promoters should make their returns for December to the Parish Office tomorrow

Monday 7 December from 2.00pm - 4.30pm.

The Draw for December will take place on Thursday 10 December at 10.30am in the Parish Office.

Gaelscoil Ui Dhochartaigh

Carol Service for the Gaelscoil will take place in the Church on

Wednesday 16 December at 7.00pm.

Penitential Service

Penitential Service and Confessions for Christmas will be held in the Church on

Sunday 20 December from 5.00pm - 6.30pm.

A number of priests will be available.

Christmas Concert & Pageant

A Concert and Christmas Pageant with Strabane Concert Brass and the pupils of

St. Mary’s Boys P.S. and St. Mary’s Girls P.S.

will take place in the Church on Monday 21 December at 7.00pm.

There will be no 7.00pm Mass that evening.

May they Rest in Peace - Deaths

Seamus Donaghey, Spain formerly Columban Terrace

Anna May Gallagher, 335 Ballycolman Estate

Bridget Gallagher, Sixmilecross

Arthur O’Hare, Belfast

John McHaghney, Glasgow

Anniversaries

John McGurk, Stephen Stewart, Ainsley Catterson,

Harry Ervine, Patrick Arbuckle, Tommy Moss,

John Harkin, Edward Curran, John Duffy,

Mary McGrath, Mary Moore, Rosetta McCullagh,

Paddy Bradley , Frank Donaghey, Paddy Mullen,

Ellen Devine, Daniel McCallion, Tanya McDaid, Michael McNally.

Marie Curie Cancer Care Community Carol Service

will take place in the Alley Theatre on Monday 21 December at 8.00pm. Music by St. Joseph’s Brass Band; singing led by Derg Valley Choir. Book your tickets at the Alley Theatre Box Office Tel: 028 71 384444 or www.alley-theatre.com. Admission £5.00

Cleaning of the Church

Many thanks to Mary McGuigan’s Team for cleaning the church during the month of November.

Collection Counters

The following are asked to count the collection for the month of December: Eamon McColgan,

Elizabeth McColgan, Anne Carlin and Maureen Devine.

Prayer Group

Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration on Monday 7 December in St. Colman’s Chapel at 7.30pm.

(Immediately after evening Mass).

Vandalism in the Cemetery

There have been a couple of incidents of vandalism in the cemetery over the past two weeks.

We ask everyone to show respect for a place that is sacred.

Many thanks to Pat McElwee and his team of painters

for the work on the church doors and sanctuary.

A Mass for the Sick with Eucharistic Blessing

will take place in the Carmelite Retreat Centre, Termonbacca, Derry on Tuesday 8 December at 8.00pm.

All are welcome to attend.

Grateful thanks to you Fr Doherty, Fr. O’Hagan and all the parishioners for your warm welcome and generous support during our Sharing Fair Sale last weekend. A special thank you to Majella, Frank and Diane who gave us such a warm welcome to ‘The Den’. The intake from the weekend was 2,900 Euros including donations. Ronan Donaghey was the winner of the raffle. For anyone interested we have a permanent stock of items at our house at 38 Dungiven Road, Derry. You are welcome to call in any time. Sr. Kay Connolly.

Accord Derry: If you are getting married in 2010 apply for your Marriage Preparation Course. Limited places are available: 29/30 January, 26/27 February and 26/27 March at the Thornhill Centre, Culmore Road, Derry from 7.00pm - 10.00pm on Friday and 10.00am - 4.00pm on Saturday. For booking forms and details contact the Pastoral Centre, 164 Bishop Street, Derry. Tel: 71362475.

Melmount Centre - Parish Bingo Sunday 6 December.

Parish Christmas Bingo will take place in the

Melmount Centre on Sunday 13 December at 9.00pm.

12 Lines @ £50.00 each; 9 Houses @ £150.00; 3 Houses @ £500.00. Books £12.00 or 12 Euro.