Friday 29 December 2017

Feast of the Holy Family

Mersey Leven Catholic Parish

To be a vibrant Catholic Community 
unified in its commitment 
to growing disciples for Christ 

Parish Priest: Fr Mike Delaney 
Mob: 0417 279 437 
Priest in Residence:  Fr Phil McCormack  
Mob: 0437 521 257
Postal Address: PO Box 362, Devonport 7310
Parish Office: 90 Stewart Street, Devonport 7310 
(Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am - 3pm)
Office Phone: 6424 2783 Fax: 6423 5160 
Email: merseyleven@aohtas.org.au
Secretary: Annie Davies / Anne Fisher
Pastoral Council Chair:  Jenny Garnsey

Mersey Leven Catholic Parish Weekly Newsletter: mlcathparish.blogspot.com.au
Parish Mass times for the Month: mlcpmasstimes.blogspot.com.au
Weekly Homily Podcast: mikedelaney.podomatic.com  


Our Parish Sacramental Life

Baptism: Parents are asked to contact the Parish Office to make arrangements for attending a Baptismal Preparation Session and booking a Baptism date.

Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist: Are received following a Family–centred, Parish-based, School-supported Preparation Program.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: prepares adults for reception into the Catholic community.

Marriage: arrangements are made by contacting one of our priests - couples attend a Pre-marriage Program

Anointing of the Sick: please contact one of our priests

Reconciliation:        Ulverstone - Fridays    (10am - 10:30am)
                               Devonport - Saturday (5:15pm – 5:45pm)
                                 
Care and Concern: If you are aware of anyone who is sick or in need of assistance in the Parish please visit them. Then, if they are willing and give permission, could you please pass on their names to the Parish Office. We have a group of parishioners who are part of the Care and Concern Group who are willing and able to provide some backup and support to them. Unfortunately, because of privacy issues, the Parish Office is not able to give out details unless prior permission has been given. 

Eucharistic Adoration - Devonport: Every Friday 10am - 12noon, concluding with Stations of the Cross and Angelus
Benediction with Adoration Devonport:  First Friday of each month.
Legion of Mary: Wednesdays 11am Sacred Heart Church Community Room, Ulverstone
Prayer Group: Charismatic Renewal – In Recess until Monday 15TH January, 2018
                      Healing Mass sponsored by CCR will be held at St Mary’s Church Penguin on Thursday 8th February, 2018


Archdiocesan Website: www.hobart.catholic.org.au  for news, information and details of other Parishes.



Parish Prayer


Heavenly Father,
We thank you for gathering us together 
and calling us to serve as your disciples.
You have charged us through Your Son, Jesus, with the great mission
  of evangelising and witnessing your love to the world.
Send your Holy Spirit to guide us as we discern your will
 for the spiritual renewal of our parish.
Give us strength, courage, and clear vision 
as we use our gifts to serve you.
We entrust our parish family to the care of Mary, our mother,
and ask for her intercession and guidance 
as we strive to bear witness
 to the Gospel and build an amazing parish.
Amen.
                                                                    
Weekday Masses 1st - 5th January 2018
Monday:         12noon Devonport - Mary, Mother of God
Tuesday:        9:30am Penguin
Wednesday:    9:30am Latrobe 
Thursday:      12noon Devonport                     
Friday:           9:30am Ulverstone
                      12noon Devonport                                                                                     
                                                  
Next Weekend 6th - 7th January 2018 
Saturday             9.30am Ulverstone                                                             
Saturday Vigil:     6:00pm Penguin                                                                              
                                        Devonport 
Sunday Mass:      8:30am Port Sorell
                          9:00am Ulverstone
                        10:30am Devonport
                        11:00am Sheffield
                        5:00pm Latrobe    
                                    

Your prayers are asked for the sick:  Vic Slavin, Rex Bates, David Welch & …

Let us pray for those who have died recently: Tony McKenna, Georgia Lewtas, Fr Tim O’Toole CP, Bob Wallace, Sr. Joy Hanrahan, Tony Marshall, Zoe Duncan, Margaret Devine, Ken Denison, Donald Cooper.

Let us pray for those whose anniversary occurs about this time: 27th December – 2nd January
Jean Matthews, Kathleen Sheehan, Brian Salter, Grant Dell, Mavis Wise, Thelma Batt, Barbara George, Rob Belanger, Pearl Sheridan, William Cousins, Bill Kruk, Ian Stubbs, Tori Enniss, Nicola Tenaglia, Roy Beechey, Cavell Robertson.
May they Rest in Peace
                               

Readings this week – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph – Year B
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 3: 2-6. 12-14 
Second Reading: Colossians 3:12-21
   Gospel: Luke 2:22. 39-40
PREGO REFLECTION ON THE GOSPEL:
I try and find a quiet place where I can pause a few moments on my journey and reflect on the lines above. 
In my imagination, I accompany the Holy Family on their way back to Nazareth. 
Perhaps I re-live with them all they had to do to fulfil the Law before returning home. 
I reflect on my own life and my attitude towards our Church Laws. 
Do I find them reassuring, supportive, inflexible, out of touch ... or...? 
I tell the Lord what is in my heart, trusting he will listen and understand. 
Perhaps my attention is drawn to Jesus’ mother. 
Once again, I tell the Lord in my own words how I feel. 
Joseph supported Mary throughout their journey together.
I may like to picture him in detail. 
What was he like? 
An old man with a beard, or a younger one, athletic and full of vigour? 
Perhaps I see him interact with Mary and Jesus. 
What images come to mind? 
I stay with this scene a while longer and pray for all those who have not been able to know what it is like to grow up with loving parents, who could help them on their journey. 
In time, I thank the Lord for being with me and slowly conclude my prayer.

Readings next week – The Epiphany
First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
Second Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
   Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
                                             

Weekly Ramblings
Over these past twelve months we have taken a number of steps that are all aimed at developing a sense of what being a renewed Parish in the 21st C might look like. At present we are focussing on deepening our relationship with God through our prayer life and the scriptures and so we have been using the Chosen program during this Advent & Christmas Season and we will be using the Surrender Program during Lent and Easter.
I have added another page to the Bus Stop in each of our centres, repeating information that I presented in the Weekly Ramblings a few months back, about the reformation of the Parish Pastoral Team. We are asking Parishioners to re-read the material at the Bus Stop so that all of us might be considering how we can respond to this invitation to be part of the on-going development of our Parish Vision. We will have more information at the Bus Stop in coming weeks so please visit and catch up with the latest information.
As we come to the end of another year (my 4th year as your PP) I would like to express my thanks to everyone who has done so much to help me in so many and varied ways – there are too many to mention in all the centres who work to ensure that our Liturgy is celebrated well, our Churches are clean, tidy and looking good, our counting and fundraising activities are both celebrated and successful. 
I would also like to express my thanks to Fr Smiley for his forbearance and friendship to me and for his priestly ministry amongst us. To Annie, Anne and Digna for their assistance and friendship in the house, the Office and in the Parish – thanks. To John and Maureen who support me as members of the Parish Leadership Team – your assistance and friendship has been wonderful – I would not be able to do it without your support. 
Please take care when you are travelling and be safe



                             
Open to Love
This is an extract from the daily email series from Fr Richard Rohr, OFM. You can subscribe to receive these emails by clicking here 

Picture someone or a situation you feel resistance or bitterness toward. What do you feel in your body? Where do you hold the pain or tension? With gentle awareness, send loving kindness toward this part of your body. Observe your muscles relaxing and your breath coming more freely.
If you have a hard time finding the sensation in your body, clench your fists and draw your arms toward your chest. Hold this posture for a few moments; then release your arms and lay your open hands, palm up, on your thighs.
As you read aloud this prayer from Thomas Merton, allow your heart to continue to soften and let love flow through you toward this person or situation:
Oh God, we are one with You. You have made us one with You. You have taught us that if we are open to one another, You dwell in us. Help us to preserve this openness and to fight for it with all our hearts. Help us to realize that there can be no understanding where there is mutual rejection. Oh God, in accepting one another wholeheartedly, fully, completely, we accept You, and we thank You, and we adore You, and we love You with our whole being, because our being is in Your being, our spirit is rooted in Your spirit. Fill us then with love, and let us be bound together with love as we go our diverse ways, united in this one spirit which makes You present in the world, and which makes You witness to the ultimate reality that is love. Love has overcome. Love is victorious. Amen. [1]
Reference:

[1] Thomas Merton, The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton, eds. Naomi Burton, Patrick Hart, and James Laughlin (New Directions: 1975); 318-319. Merton offered this prayer at a spiritual summit in Calcutta, just after admitting “I have no idea what I am going to say.”
                          


                               

Posted by at No comments:

Friday 22 December 2017

Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year B)

Mersey Leven Catholic Parish

To be a vibrant Catholic Community 
unified in its commitment 
to growing disciples for Christ 

Parish Priest: Fr Mike Delaney 
Mob: 0417 279 437 
Priest in Residence:  Fr Phil McCormack  
Mob: 0437 521 257
Postal Address: PO Box 362, Devonport 7310
Parish Office: 90 Stewart Street, Devonport 7310 
(Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am - 3pm)
Office Phone: 6424 2783 Fax: 6423 5160 
Email: merseyleven@aohtas.org.au
Secretary: Annie Davies / Anne Fisher
Pastoral Council Chair:  Jenny Garnsey

Mersey Leven Catholic Parish Weekly Newsletter: mlcathparish.blogspot.com.au
Parish Mass times for the Month: mlcpmasstimes.blogspot.com.au
Weekly Homily Podcast: mikedelaney.podomatic.com  


Our Parish Sacramental Life

Baptism: Parents are asked to contact the Parish Office to make arrangements for attending a Baptismal Preparation Session and booking a Baptism date.

Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist: Are received following a Family–centred, Parish-based, School-supported Preparation Program.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: prepares adults for reception into the Catholic community.

Marriage: arrangements are made by contacting one of our priests - couples attend a Pre-marriage Program

Anointing of the Sick: please contact one of our priests

Reconciliation:        Ulverstone - Fridays    (10am - 10:30am)
                               Devonport - Saturday (5:15pm – 5:45pm)
                                 
Care and Concern: If you are aware of anyone who is sick or in need of assistance in the Parish please visit them. Then, if they are willing and give permission, could you please pass on their names to the Parish Office. We have a group of parishioners who are part of the Care and Concern Group who are willing and able to provide some backup and support to them. Unfortunately, because of privacy issues, the Parish Office is not able to give out details unless prior permission has been given. 

Eucharistic Adoration - Devonport: Every Friday 10am - 12noon, concluding with Stations of the Cross and Angelus
Benediction with Adoration Devonport:  First Friday of each month.
Legion of Mary: Wednesdays 11am Sacred Heart Church Community Room, Ulverstone
Prayer Group: Charismatic Renewal – In Recess until Monday 15TH January, 2018
                      Healing Mass sponsored by CCR will be held at St Mary’s Church Penguin on Thursday 8th February, 2018


Archdiocesan Website: www.hobart.catholic.org.au  for news, information and details of other Parishes.



Parish Prayer


Heavenly Father,
We thank you for gathering us together 
and calling us to serve as your disciples.
You have charged us through Your Son, Jesus, with the great mission
  of evangelising and witnessing your love to the world.
Send your Holy Spirit to guide us as we discern your will
 for the spiritual renewal of our parish.
Give us strength, courage, and clear vision 
as we use our gifts to serve you.
We entrust our parish family to the care of Mary, our mother,
and ask for her intercession and guidance 
as we strive to bear witness
 to the Gospel and build an amazing parish.
Amen.
                                                                   
Christmas Eve Masses
6:00pm  Devonport
             Ulverstone
8:00pm  Devonport
             Penguin 
Christmas Day Masses
8:00am  Port Sorell
9:30am  Latrobe
             Sheffield  
PLEASE NOTE - No Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes or Sacred Heart on Christmas Day    
Weekday Masses 26th - 29th  Dec, 2017 
Tuesday:        9:30am Penguin
Wednesday:    9:30am Latrobe 
Thursday:      12noon Devonport                     
Friday:           9:30am Ulverstone                                                                                     
                                                  
Next Weekend 30th & 31st December, 2017                                                                          
Saturday Vigil:     6:00pm Penguin                                                                              
                                        Devonport 
Sunday Mass:      8:30am Port Sorell
                          9:00am Ulverstone
                        10:30am Devonport
                        11:00am Sheffield
                        5:00pm Latrobe                                           
                                                                                                 
Ministry Rosters 30th & 31st December, 2017
Devonport:
Readers: Vigil:  A McIntyre, M Williams, C Kiely-Hoye 10:30am: E Petts, K Douglas
Ministers of Communion: Vigil:  B O’Connor, R Beaton, K Brown, Beau Windebank, J Heatley, T Bird
10:30am: K Hull, L Hollister, F Sly, E Petts, S Riley, S Arrowsmith
Cleaners 29th Dec: M & R Youd 5th Jan:  M.W.C. Lawns at Parish House: T Davies
Ulverstone:
Reader/s: D Prior   Ministers of Communion: B Deacon, K Reilly
Cleaners:  M McKenzie, M Singh, N Pearce Flowers: C Mapley Hospitality: Filipino Community   
Penguin:
Greeters: G & N Pearce    Commentator:   Y Downes      Readers: E Nickols, A Landers    
Ministers of Communion: M Hiscutt, A Guest Liturgy: Sulphur Creek C Setting Up: F Aichberger  
Care of Church: G Hills-Eade, T Clayton
Port Sorell:
Readers: G Bellchambers, T Jeffries   Minister of Communion:  L Post Clean/Flowers/Prepare: A Holloway

                                                                                                                    

Readings this week – Fourth Sunday of Advent – Year B
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14,16
  Second Reading: Romans 16:25-27
  Gospel:Luke 1:26-38 

PREGO REFLECTION ON TODAYS GOSPEL:
On the threshold of Christmas, I pause to pray this very familiar account of the Annunciation. 
As I read, very slowly, I note where and how I am moved within. 
If it helps, I pray using my imagination, letting the account unfold in my mind’s eye as if I am present in the scene. 
There are some wonderful phrases here. 
The angel’s first word to Mary is ‘Rejoice’. 
I may like to ponder what brings me joy. 
In what ways am I, or have I been, a joy to others? 
Mary is disturbed at first. 
Perhaps I can bring to the Lord those situations that are making me unsettled, afraid, uneasy at the moment. 
The angel says ‘Do not be afraid’. 
Can I let those words be said for me, too, during this prayer, this day, this season? 
I may wish to ask for a sense of the power of the Most High covering me with his protection … ‘Nothing is impossible to God’. 
How does this make me feel? 
The visit of the angel, with the words of God’s promise, evokes in Mary a response filled with trust. 
In what ways might my response to the Lord echo Mary’s ‘Let what you have said be done to me’? 
With a sense of deep gratitude for the gift of the Lord’s love made visible in Jesus, I end by praying, Glory be …


Readings next week – The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph – Year B
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 3: 2-6. 12-14 
Second Reading: Colossians 3:12-21
   Gospel: Luke 2:22. 39-40

Your prayers are asked for the sick: Vic Slavin, Rex Bates, David Welch & …

Let us pray for those who have died recently: Georgia Lewtas, Sr. Joy Hanrahan, Fr Tim O'Toole CP, Tony Marshall, Zoe Duncan, Margaret Devine, Ken Denison, Donald Cooper.  

                      Let us pray for those whose anniversary occurs about this time: 20th – 26th December
Jamie Fahey, Amy Batt, Greg Williams, Laurance Kelcey, Austin Florian, Eileen McIver, Neil Hensby, Fr. John Wall, Gwenda Stones, Wallace Malone, Michael Quillerat, Max Anderson, Margaret Waddle, Maria Duggan. Also David Jones, Bill & Kate Last, Melville Williams, Glen Clark and deceased relatives and friends of the Clark Family.

                              
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

17th Jan Parish Pastoral Team Meeting – 6:30pm Parish House
11th Feb Marriage Mass Renewal of Vows – 10:30am Church of the Apostles, Launceston
14th Feb Ash Wednesday 
17th Feb Parish Retreat Day – 9:30am – 4pm Community Room, Ulverstone
18th Feb Hospitality & Ministry Workshop – 1:00pm – 5pm Community Room, Ulverstone


Weekly Ramblings
With Christmas almost upon us it is a great temptation just to go into full Christmas mode but there are still some things that are part of our ongoing life as a Parish that are happening as well – hence there will be a Christmas edition of the Bulletin with Christmas Greetings and the Christmas Mass Readings.

If you go to the Bus Stop today you will find a report from the Parish Gathering held on 3rd December. I mentioned last weekend that we were looking at the material that was presented at the Gathering – some matters still being looked at – but the report gives an idea of what is happening next.

The Parish Leadership Team is inviting Sharon Brewer, one of the Staff from the National Centre for Evangelisation, to come to the Parish on the weekend of 17th/18th February 2018 to work with parishioners to help us on the next stage of our Parish Journey. Several weeks ago in my ramblings I mentioned that we would be looking at a new style of Parish Pastoral Team in 2018 and we would be asking people to think about whether they might like to be part of our journey into the future. This is part of the three fold vision of how we see Ministry being lived out in our Parish: the Parish Pastoral Team (similar but not the same as the Parish Pastoral Council) – 9 to 15 parishioners; the Parish Leadership Team – a team of no more than 5; and Parish Action Teams – ministry groups of all varieties throughout the Parish.

The two events being organised for the weekend: on the Saturday there will be a Retreat Day inviting Parishioners to reflect on how we can translate our Vision and Mission into a reality and the life of our communities; and on the Sunday afternoon there will be an opportunity to explore what Hospitality means when it is more than greeting someone at the door or pouring a cuppa after Mass.

One other important part of the Bus Stop Report is the Lenten Program for 2018. I know that Advent is over yet but with Lent beginning on 14th February I thought it important just to plant some seeds. We are hoping that there might be a number of discussion groups throughout the Parish to further deepen our commitment to Prayer as part of our on-going spiritual growth. There will be more information about this over January but with a smaller newsletter (ie less room) I thought that I could start the conversation now.

One thing I will add, even though I have included a brief note tomorrow – this is Steven’s last weekend in the Parish (for the present). He has been a friendly, helpful, useful, enthusiastic and welcome member of the Parish House and the wider community since he arrived in July as part of his 4th year preparation for Priesthood. I’m sure there have been times when I have frustrated him but he has shown great reliance and continued on with enthusiasm and good spirit. He has been part of everything that we have been doing over these months and I pray that his experience will support him into the future. God bless and best wishes for the next stage of your journey – we will miss you.  

To anyone whom we won’t see over Christmas or during the next few weeks – have a Happy Christmas and New Year and please take care on the roads and in your homes,
                             

Please note: Parish Office will be closed until Tuesday 23rd January, 2018
Our Lady of Lourdes Church Piety Shop closed until 3rd February, 2018
                               
FEAR OF GOD AS WISDOM
This is an article from the Archives of Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI. You can find the original article here
Why don’t we preach hellfire anymore? That’s a question asked frequently today by a lot of sincere religious people who worry that too many churches and too many priests and ministers have gone soft on sin and are over-generous in speaking about God’s mercy. The belief here is that more people would come to church and more people would obey the commandments, particularly the sixth one, if we preached the raw truth about mortal sin, God’s wrath, and the danger of going to hell when we die. The truth will set you free, these folks assert, and the truth is that there is real sin and that there are real and eternal consequences for sin. The gate to heaven is narrow and the road to hell is wide. So why aren’t we preaching more about the dangers of hellfire?

What’s valid in this kind of reasoning is that preaching about mortal sin and hellfire can be effective. Threats work. I grew up subjected to this kind of preaching and readily admit that it had a real effect on my behavior. But that effect was ambivalent: On the positive side it left me scared enough before God and life itself to never stray very far morally or religiously. On the negative side, it also left me religiously and emotionally crippled in some deep ways. Simply stated, it’s hard to be intimate friends with a God who frightens you and it’s not good religiously or otherwise to be overly timid and afraid before life’s great energies. Fear of divine punishment and fear of hellfire, admittedly, can be effective as a motivator.

So why not preach fear? Because it’s wrong, pure and simple. Brainwashing and physical intimidation are also effective, but fear is not the proper fuel for love. You don’t enter a love relationship because you feel afraid or threatened. You enter a love relationship because you feel drawn there by love.

More importantly, preaching divine threat dishonors the God in whom we believe. The God whom Jesus incarnates and reveals is not a God who puts sincere, good-hearted people into hell against their will, on the basis of some human or moral lapse which in our moral or religious categories we deem to be a mortal sin. For example, I still hear this threat being preached sometimes in our churches: If you miss going to church on Sunday it’s a mortal sin and should you do that and die without confessing it you will go to hell.

What kind of God would underwrite this kind of a belief? What kind of God would not give sincere people a second-chance, a third one, and seventy-seven times seven more chances if they remain sincere?  What kind of God would say to a person in hell: “Sorry, but you knew the rules! You’re repentant now, but it’s too late. You had your chance!

A healthy theology of God demands that we stop teaching that hell can be a nasty surprise waiting for an essentially good person. The God we believe in as Christians is infinite understanding, infinite compassion, and infinite forgiveness. God’s love surpasses our own and if we, in our better moments, can see the goodness of a human heart despite its lapses and weaknesses, how much more so will God do this. We’ve nothing to fear from God.

Or, have we? Doesn’t scripture tell us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom? How does that square with not being afraid of God?

There are different kinds of fear, some healthy and others not. When scripture tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, the kind fear it is talking about is not contingent upon feeling threatened or feeling anxious about being punished. That’s the kind of fear we feel before tyrants and bullies.  There is however a healthy fear that’s innate within the dynamics of love itself. This kind of fear is essentially proper reverence, that is, when we genuinely love someone we will fear being selfish, boorish, and disrespectful in that relationship. We will fear violating the sacred space within which intimacy occurs. Metaphorically we will sense we’re standing on holy ground and that we’d best have our shoes off before that sacred fire.

Scripture also tells us that when God appears in our lives, generally the first words we will hear are: “Don’t be afraid!” That’s because God is not a judgmental tyrant but a loving, creative, joy-filled energy and person. As Leon Bloy reminds us, joy is the most infallible indication of God’s presence.

The famous psychiatrist, Fritz Perls, was once asked by a young fundamentalist: “Have you been saved?’ His answer: “Saved? Hell no! I’m still trying to figure out how to be spent!” We honor God not by living in fear lest we offend him, but in spending the wonderful energy that God gives us to help life flourish. God is not a law to be obeyed, but a joyous energy within which to generatively spend ourselves.
                                 
Vow of Nonviolence
This reflection is taken from the daily email by Fr Richard Rohr OFM. You can subscribe to receive the email here

Years ago, the Center for Action and Contemplation staff, volunteers, and friends were invited to say this vow together at an outdoor mass on the Feast of John the Baptist. Today I renew my commitment to nonviolence and invite you to make this vow your own as well.
Recognizing the violence in my own heart, yet trusting in the goodness and mercy of God, I vow for one year to practice the nonviolence of Jesus who taught us in the Sermon on the Mount:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons and daughters of God. . . . You have learned how it was said, “You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy”; but I say to you, Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. In this way, you will be daughters and sons of your Creator in heaven. (Matthew 5:9, 43-45)
Before God the Creator and the Sanctifying Spirit, I vow to carry out in my life the love and example of Jesus
•             by striving for peace within myself and seeking to be a peacemaker in my daily life;
•             by accepting suffering rather than inflicting it;
•             by refusing to retaliate in the face of provocation and violence;
•             by persevering in nonviolence of tongue and heart;
•             by living conscientiously and simply so that I do not deprive others of the means to live;
•             by actively resisting evil and working nonviolently to abolish war and the causes of war from my own heart and from the face of the earth.
God, I trust in Your sustaining love and believe that just as You gave me the grace and desire to offer this, so You will also bestow abundant grace to fulfill it. [1]
Reference:
[1] Eileen Egan and John Dear, “The Vow of Nonviolence, Pax Christi USA, paxchristiusa.org/resources/vow-of-nonviolence/.
                               

AN INSIDERS GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS EVE AT THE COW PALACE

This is the story of the Church of the Nativity on Christmas Eve. The Cow Palace is a facility at the local Fair Ground. You can read the original blog here


This year is our 12th at the Maryland State Fair for Christmas Eve. Twelve years ago we decided to make the break, close our church building down entirely and move the whole operation up the road. The move has transformed Christmas Eve: what was a dysfunctional nightmare which no one enjoyed, has become a not-to-be-missed community wide event and a beloved holiday tradition for many families.

That first year was in the Exhibition Hall with about 1,000 chairs which we (mostly) filled. The next year we added a second Mass, and the subsequent years we added seats. Eventually we outgrew it and moved to a much larger facility, the “Cow Palace” (which is every bit as lovely as it sounds). We have about 6,000 seats and two Masses. For one evening we transform a sprawling barn into a festive and sacred space with incredible hospitality, lavish decorations, a relevant message and all the wonderful music of Christmas.
Over the years we’ve learned a thing or two about how it all best works. Here are a few pointers:
1. Don’t be intimidated by the crowds.
Some people miss out on this wonderful event entirely because the idea of the crowds is intimidating. Don’t let that keep you away. Our parking ministers and hosts have been working on an incredibly detailed plan, down to the smallest detail. It will be fun and it will be over in exactly 60 minutes.
2. Come early/save seats
We have a festive program of seasonal music by Al Walsh and members of our Nativity house band, beginning about a half hour before Mass. Come early, choose where you’d like to sit. If you’ve got a group, go ahead and save as many seats as you like so you can all sit together (at what other church can you do that on Christmas Eve). Sit back, relax, and enjoy the music.
3. Use our kids programs.
We’re offering ALL STARS for our youngest attendees. No sign up, just show up.
For parents who choose to keep their little children with them, we have a specially designated seating area just for you, where your kids are free to move around.
For older kids our TimeTravelers Programs is transformed into a winter wonderland we call Jingle Jam. I’ve seen the rehearsals and it is going to be spectacular. Your kids and grandkids will love it. No sign up, just follow instructions at Mass.

4. Come to the 6pm Mass.
We say this every year, but think about it this year. Last year we had 6,000 people at the 4pm Mass and somewhere between 3,500 and 4,000 at the 6pm. Many people who choose the 4pm do so because they have other obligations for the evening and perhaps a tight schedule to follow. Others have small children and need to avail themselves of the earlier option. If that’s not you, do yourself a favor and come later. It’s not just less people,it’s more relaxed. And I promise you, you’ll be on your way by 7pm.

5. Sign up to Serve.
The very best way to enjoy Christmas Eve is to sign up to serve. You can do it with friends or your Small Group, you can do it with family members, or on your own. It doesn’t even matter if you’ve never served before. Just sign up to serve on our website. Teams are arranged in 90 minute shifts, so you can easily serve and still enjoy your other Christmas Eve festivities. I guarantee, it will make your holiday.
                                    

He came all so still

Contemplating the Nativity, for St Ignatius, is not just a cerebral exercise; engaging with the mystery of the Incarnation requires all of our senses. Sister Teresa White belongs to the Faithful Companions of Jesus. A former teacher, she spent many years in the ministry of spirituality at Katherine House, a retreat and conference centre run by her congregation in Salford. In this article she considers how our meeting with the gentle Christ child can effect a powerful transformation in us if are alive to the many ways in which we can receive the gift of his coming.
Ignatius of Loyola, at the beginning of the Second Week of his Spiritual Exercises, encourages the practice of what he calls ‘the application of the senses’. Ignatius takes the Nativity as a model for his method of imaginative contemplation. The retreatant is encouraged, after a consideration of the mystery, to set the scene and to enter imaginatively into it, to be fully present there in order to ‘see’ what is happening: the circumstances, the persons, the actions. Ignatius then suggests listening to the voices and sounds, smelling and tasting the ‘infinite fragrance and sweetness’ of the divinity. Finally, there is an invitation to apply the sense of touch, ‘by embracing or kissing the place where the persons stand or are seated’ (Spiritual Exercises, §122 – 125).
You can read the remainder of this article by clicking here







Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)