St Teresa & St John Southworth Churches, Cleveleys
Fr Chris Cousens—Phone: 853340
Rev Bernard Ward (Deacon) (Tel: 858346)
Enquiries for St John Southworth: Phone: 853340
3 December 2023
http://www.st-teresas-church.co.uk
Email: st.teresas.cleveleys@gmail.com
Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered Charity Number 23433
Sunday : 1st Sunday of Advent
Contents: Gospel
Notices
Reflections for the coming week
Gospel:
Mark: 13-33-37
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come. It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow, dawn; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!’
Gospel Reflection – Advent – A Time For Pre-Natal Exercises
We work hard preparing for births.
A home must be made ready. Babies need cots/beds, nappies, car seats. A body must be made ready. Babies need mothers who get the right nourishment. A community must be ready. The wider family, friends, and work colleagues, need to be prepared for change in their routine of life.
So when during this Advent time we prepare for the Feast of Christmas, and cry to God to come to us, to be with us, born into our own world as it is, let’s remember the work we have to do first. We must “stay awake,” be aware of our need, and God’s love, and find time to reflect on these things, and pray.
These are the pre-natal exercises which prepare us for the birth of Christ in our midst – in our homes, in our bodies and minds, and in our community.
We Remember In Our Prayers Kevin Savage, whose Funeral was last week, Edward Hooker whose funeral is at Lytham Park Crematorium on Monday 4th December at 12.15 pm and Dorothea Hargreaves whose Funeral Mass is at St Teresa’s on Friday, 15 December at 11 am. We remember them and their families, and those whose anniversaries are at this time. May they all be in God’s peace.
This Weekend at each Mass there is a Special Collection for the Poor Missions of our Diocese, that is those parishes of our Diocese who need financial support in order to keep going. This charitable work will be funded from the Special Collections taken this weekend throughout the parishes in the Diocese.
The Christmas Fayre we had last weekend was a great success, as many people have said, in both financial and social terms. The event raised a very good total of £2,570.62 for parish funds, which will be a great help when before long we are going to need a new church boiler, and the whole atmosphere of the day was so welcoming and friendly. Thank you to everybody who attended, and to all those who organised and served the Fayre in so many ways. It was very much appreciated.
A Big Thank You Too for the good number of people who attended the Advent Scripture Meeting on Friday Night. This was an opportunity to have some peaceful, spiritual preparation for Christmas by reflecting on the Advent Sunday Mass Scripture Readings. This will take place again, in the church sacristy, 7-8 pm, next Friday, 8th December, and Friday, 15th December, looking at the Readings for the following Advent Sunday. The Readings are provided. Everyone will be made very welcome.
Christmas Mass Times :
St Teresa’s : Sunday 24th December (Christmas Eve) 6.30 pm
Monday 25th December (Christmas Day) 9 am and 10.30 am
St. John Southworth : Monday, 25th December (Christmas Day) 10 am
(There is no 5pm Mass on Sunday 24th December)
St. Teresa’s School Christmas Services/Celebrations
In Church :
Years 3-6 Carols by Candle Light : Monday 18th December, 2-3 pm, and Tuesday 19th December, 10.30 – 11.30 am, and 6-7 pm
In The School Hall (Particularly for Parents) :
EYFS Nativity : Tuesday, 12th December, 2-3 pm
Years 1 and 2 Nativity : Friday 15th December, 2-3.15 pm, and Monday, 18th December 9.30 – 10.30 pm.
The Church Shop, in the porch at St. Teresa’s Church, is open before and after each weekend Mass. In addition to the gifts and Christmas cards on sale, we also have a daily prayer and Scripture journey through Advent booklet, ‘Walk with Me’, priced £1.
The ‘Hub in the Hall’ Meetings take place in St. Teresa’s Church Hall each Wednesday, 2 pm – 4 pm. All are very welcome.
The Food Pantry At St. Teresa’s Church is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10.30 am – 12 noon, and on Wednesdays, 2.30 pm – 4 pm.
CAFOD “World Gifts” CAFOD have produced their new “World Gifts” Catalogue for this Christmas, and the following year. The gifts selected reflect some of the biggest issues facing communities around the world today – gifts that reach out to people living in remote locations who experience poverty, and injustice, especially women and children.
From people living on the front lines of the climate crisis, through refugees fleeing conflict, to families who live on one meal a day, every gift you buy through CAFOD’s “World Gifts” helps real people in real situations, and makes a massive positive difference.
The Catalogues are on the tables in the outer church porch. Please take a look, and even better, take one home if you can help.
Daily Reflections for this week
Monday (Thomas a Kempis)
“I” said the Lord “taught the Prophets from the beginning and up till now cease not to speak at all; but many are deaf to my voice, and hard. Many hear more willingly the world than God. The world promises the trifles of time, and is served with great eagerness; I promise the right things of eternity, and the hearts of men are sluggish. Who serves me with such care in all things, as the world and its masters are served?
Scripture (Mark 13:33-37)
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come. It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cock crow, dawn; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: stay awake!”
Tuesday (Cardinal Basil Hume)
Anguish in the heart, fear of dying, a piercing loneliness, these are to be found in the secular society, a society from which God has been banished as unnecessary, or unhelpful, or one in which He is kept for Sunday and for private reflection only. From sin to union with God, that is the journey which each one of us has to travel; it is our human pilgrimage. Day by day we have to travel along that road, from that which separates us from God to that which unites us to Him.
Scripture (Romans 13:11-13)
Besides, you know the time has come; the moment is here for you to stop sleeping and wake up, because by now our salvation is nearer than when we first began to believe. The night is nearly over, the daylight is on the way; so let us throw off everything that belongs to the darkness and equip ourselves for the light. Let us live decently as in the light of day
Wednesday (From Eucharistic Prayer IV)
Father, we acknowledge your greatness: all your actions show your wisdom and love. You formed us in your own likeness and set us over the whole world to serve you, our creator. Even when we disobeyed you and lost your friendship, you did not abandon us to the power of death, but helped all to seek and find you. Again and again you offered us a covenant and, through the prophets, taught us to hope for salvation. Father, you so loved the world that in the fullness of time you sent your only son to be our saviour.
Scripture (Isaiah 63: 16-17, 64:4-8)
You, Lord, yourself are our Father, Our Redeemer is your ancient name. Why, Lord, leave us to stray from your ways and harden our hearts from fearing you? Return, for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance. No ear has heard, no eye has seen any god but you act like this for those who trust him. You guide those who act with integrity and keep your ways in mind. You were angry when we were sinners; we had long been rebels against you. No one invoked your name or roused themselves to catch hold of you. And yet, Lord, you are our Father: we are the clay, you the potter, we are all the work of your hand.
Thursday (Fr. Richard Rohr.)
Marriage encounter teaches husband and wife how to fight with each other. They hold one another’s hands, look one another in the eye and yell at each other. Through it all, they’re not to let go of the other’s hand. Married folks tell me that this is the hardest thing in the world to do. Because what you want to do when he or she is really hurting you is push away. But the given is union: we’re together. Don’t question that. Wife and husband are committed to one another and mustn’t pull away. That is a fantastic image of the way God loves us: God won’t let go of our hands.
Scripture (Hosea 11:8-9)
My people are bent on disregarding me; if they are summoned to come up, not one of them makes a move. Ephraim, how could I part from you? Israel, how could I give you up? My heart within me is overwhelmed, fever grips my inmost being. I will not give rein to my fierce anger, for I am God, not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I shall not come to you in anger.
Friday (Thomas Merton)
The “remembering “of God that we sing of in the Psalms is simply the rediscovery that God remembers us. We would not seek God unless He was seeking us. We may begin feeling nothing but His absence. But the mere fact that we seek Him proves that we have already found Him. And we see that He has found us. And we realise that this is a new beginning, a change that could only be brought about by the intervention of His Spirit in our lives.
Scripture (Psalm 51)
Have mercy on me God, in your faithful love, in your compassion wipe away my offences; wash me more and more from my guilt, purify me from my sin. You delight in sincerity of heart, and in secret you teach me wisdom. God, create in me a clean heart, renew me with a resolute spirit, do not thrust me away from your presence, do not take away from me your spirit of holiness. Give me back the joy of your salvation, sustain in me a generous spirit.
Martin Bennett