St Helen's Roman Catholic Church, Caerphilly
I Have Come To Light A Fire On The Earth | Luke 12:49
The Jesse Tree is back: The shoot sprung from the root of Jesse reminds us of the
Jewish ancestry of Jesus, the many men and women of the Old Testament waiting for and
preparing the coming of the Messiah; it reminds us too of the new shoot sprung from the
broken stump, the Advent hope of a new beginning and renewal. Each week we will add
members of Jesus’ Family tree, waiting with us and helping us prepare for His Advent.
Advent opens with a great cry, and a great promise: Oh that you would tear the heavens open and come down! is the cry, of a people who need God. “…The master is coming is the promise, not to breed fear, but to answer our cry. Advent begins, not with thoughts of the past, with the coming of the Lord we celebrate at Christmas, but with the future, and the promise that He is coming back. We are encouraged to treat every day as the day the Lord will come; we do not do this out of fear for a Master who beats his servants, but out of love of a Master who always treats us with love and mercy. Nevertheless we must always be watchful, because we can grow sleepy and complacent, saying that we can leave this prayer or that confession or the other change in the way we live to tomorrow. Even as we look forward to the tomorrow of the Lord’s coming, we must remember that it might be today!
Today’s Scripture (Psalter: Week 1)
Isaiah 63: 16 – 17; 64: 1, 3 – 8.
Response: Psalm 79
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
shine forth from your cherubim throne.
O Lord, rouse up your might,
O Lord, come to our help.
God of hosts, turn again, we implore,
look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
the vine your right hand has planted.
May your hand be on the man you have chosen,
the man you have given your strength.
And we shall never forsake you again:
Give us life that we may call upon your name.
1 Corinthians 1: 3 – 9
Acclamation for the Gospel:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy
And give us your saving help
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
John 2: 13 – 22
Prayer of the Faithful:
R/. O Lord, come to our help.
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The Family groups Bonfire and Celebration will take place in the hall and grounds on Friday, 7th November at 7pm.
The recently Confirmed ‘So Now What’ group are meeting at 6.30pm to put finishing touches to the bonfire, and at 7pm the Family Groups will join them to watch it burn. Bring your marshmallows and potatoes for baking. Please bring supper, pop, etc., to share.
If you have transport problems, please phone us on: 07969017214 / 07807806058. It promises to be a good night out.
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To celebrate the 500th Anniversary of Saint Teresa of Avila we are going on pilgrimage to Avila, Spain next summer to follow her and her disciple and close collaborator Saint John of the Cross. The pilgrimage will take place on the 24th – 29th May, 2015 which is the Whitsun half term; the price for the trip is £695.
Booking forms are now available, and a presentation of the plans and an outline of where we hope to go will take place this Monday, 3rd November, in the hall at 7.45pm.
Avila is a UNESCO World Heritage site. If you would like to learn more about the beautiful wall city of Avila, please visit the official tourist information website.
I am Yours and born of You,
What do You want of me?
A huge number, impossible to count” – that is the picture this Solemnity creates. In every age there have been men and women who have followed the Lord faithfully, and who now rejoice in the Liturgy of Heaven, as they stand before the throne of the Lamb. These are the “anonymous” saints, whose names we don’t remember – but even though their names are not on our lips, their memory, inspiration, example and prayers are set before us today, so that we too can be encouraged in our own “journey of perfection”. What does it take to be a saint? Surely the Gospel that is appointed for today, ‘the Beatitudes’, shows us that it is in the small things that we triumph: gentleness, mercy, making peace, faithful mourning, purity of heart, poverty in spirit – these are not grand, public ways to sanctity. They are domestic, and homely, to be practised and perfected with those closest to us. We sometimes exalt the “named” saints to the degree that we can feel they are distant from us. Today’s feast, as well as celebrating the memory of the many whose name we do not know, also prompts us to see holiness as within our grasp.
Today’s Scripture: (Psalter: Week 2)
Revelation 7: 2 – 4, 9 – 14
Response: Psalm 23.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness
the world and all its people.
It is he who set it on the seas
on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
1 John 3:1–3
Acclamation for the Gospel:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Matthew 5: 1 – 12
Prayer of the Faithful: R/. Lord, bless us.
