REJOICE!
The Third Sunday of Advent is called “GAUDETE SUNDAY”. GAUDETE comes from the Latin word GAUDIUM (a noun, which means joy or delight). It is derived from the Latin verb “GAUDERE”, whichmeans to rejoice, to delight or to be joyful. GAUDETE is the second person plural imperative mood of the verb GAUDERE that forms a command or request. Thus, in this sense GAUDETE means a command or a request being stated for each and every one of us to rejoice, to delight or to be joyful. In short, as an imperative form we find it today plainly with this word – REJOICE!
GAUDIUM has a special implication for all Vocationists because, as I rightly remembered in some of the translated works of our dear founder Blessed Fr. Justin Ma. Russolillo, SDV, GAUDIUM is being inscribed in the uppermost part which is being created in an acronym Gloria Amor Voluntas Deo In Universo Mundo (you may be wondering why the first “U” became “V” in Voluntas because the letters “U” and “V” are being used interchangeably in Latin). G.A.U.D.I.U.M. as Gloria Amor Voluntas Deo in Universo Mundo if translated into English language means “Glory, love and will of God in the Universal World”. Thus, the glory, love and will of God is the very foundation of the said joy springing from each and every one of us. The joy of glorifying God for everything that He has given and granted to us, though our act of glory could not add to God’s greatness. The joy of knowing that God loves and is continually loving us. The joy that each and every one of us could experience in doing the very will of God in our life. Indeed, let us all rejoice.
On this Sunday, what are we rejoicing for? Why is the Church Liturgical pattern, following the cycle, imbibing an attitude or behaviour of being joyful in a penitential ambiance of Advent? This particular Sunday we are all in a mood of rejoicing because we are all looking with joyful anticipation in remembering the coming of our Lord and Saviour. In the collect, or the opening prayer of this Sunday Liturgy, we will find such words: “O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing….” Thus, in this sense, we are all rejoicing in a way or form of a solemn worship through this Eucharistic celebration because we remember the birth of our Lord and Saviour and we are almost coming to the said celebration. Likewise, concerning the joyful mood in the penitential ambiance of Advent we can only say that this very day is trying to present to each and every one of us the idea or concept that despite the gloomy or a moment of grief and sorrow there is still hope. In a sense, this day serves as the silver lining in a gloomy and dark sky because no matter how thick and dark the clouds are, the sun, a symbol of hope, is just beneath the thick and gloomy clouds. This idea or concept is also being evoked by the liturgical celebration we are having today as we will find in our first and second readings, in the very response of the Psalm, and even in the Gospel though it is not explicitly implied because the very announcement of John could also create a feeling of joy or rejoicing by coming to know that someone who is greater than himself would come.
Therefore, let us be filled with rejoicing and let us continue to hope and trust in God as we wait with joyful anticipation His second coming and as we are also about to celebrate in joyful remembrance through our solemn celebration His first coming. Let us rejoice! Let us rejoice in the Lord always for indeed the Lord is near.
May God bless us all.
INFORMATION
- Parish Contributions: Last Sunday Offertory – £1098.92 (Standing orders: £686, Offertory Envelopes £412.92). Counting: This Sunday – Team E, Next Sunday – Team A.
- Christmas Collections:There will be special envelopes available at the back of the church this weekend, and on Christmas Day, for the Christmas collection, which is your contribution to the clergy of our parish.
- Holy Mass, Baptisms, funerals, & Weddings: Our church is open for Holy Masses, funerals, baptisms and weddings, in accordance with government guidelines. We are operating a booking system for weekend Masses; you will be able to make a booking online or by telephone. All Masses will continue to be live streamed for the foreseeable future. Please refer to the parish website for information about baptisms, weddings and funerals.
- Advent Retreat: In preparation for Christmas, we are holding our Advent Retreat on Saturday 19th December. This will be led by Fr. Brendan Carrick and will take place in church after 10am Mass; it will also be live-streamed.The programme is as follows: Holy Mass at 10am, Retreat Talk at 10:40am, followed by Adoration and concluding with Benediction at 11:45am. There will be no Confessions on Saturday morning.
- Day of Prayer for all Expectant Mothers:On Sunday 20th December there will be a special blessing for all expectant mothers. If you have any friends who are expecting babies, please invite them to join you when you come to Mass.
- Advent Penitential Rite & Confession:This will take place on Monday 21st December. Everyone is encouraged to join us, to make a confession and prepare for Christmas. In order to avoid any risks, you may wish to make use of the opportunity for Confession on other days too. The programme is as follows: 6pm: Adoration & Confession, 7pm: Holy Mass, 7.30pm: Penitential Rite, 8.15pm: Night Prayers & Benediction.
- Attendance at Christmas Masses:If you are planning to attend one of the Christmas Masses, please remember to reserve a seat, either online or by telephone. Bookings will be available from Monday 14th December. Please reserve your seat as soon as possible to ensure attendance.
- Bambinelli Blessing:The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as Bambinelli Sunday. On this day, we bless the statues of baby Jesus which are to be placed in our Nativity sets at home. It is a beautiful Advent tradition; one that sanctifies the home with the baby Jesus and makes his arrival in the manger scene an even more joyous event. This blessing will take place during each Mass this Sunday, 13th December. Please bring the statues of baby Jesus that you are going to place in your manger.
- Feast of St. Stephen – 26th December – Mass with the Altar Servers:All our altar servers are expected to come and renew their commitment during 10am Mass. Due to current restrictions, they will not be able to sit on the sanctuary this year. They should remain in their own seats, in the front pews of the church, wearing their albs and medals and maintaining a safe distance.
- RCIA Programme 2020-2021:The next session will take place on Monday 11th January at 7.45pm in the parish hall. The topic for this session will be ‘Confirmation’. All are welcome!
- RIP: Please pray for the soul of Tony Callaghan who died on 4th December. Please remember his wife, Carol, in your prayers at this sad time. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. (Please note that, until restrictions are lifted, attendance at all funerals is by family invitation only. We appreciate your understanding and support in this matter.)
- RIP: Please pray for the soul of Terence James Egan (Tez) who died on Saturday 5th December. May he rest in peace. His Requiem Mass will take place in our church on Wednesday 30th December at 11:30am.
- RIP: Please pray for the soul of Pauline Elsie Margaret Clark who passed away on 23rd November. May she rest in peace. Her funeral service will be held at Streetly Crematorium on Monday 4th January.
- 2021 Directory of Birmingham Archdiocese & Christmas Cards: This is now available to purchase from our Piety Stall.
| CONTACT DETAILS | ||
| St. Mary’s | Fr. Jobin Kollappallil, SDV | Address: Glebe St., Walsall, WS1 3NX; Tel: 01922 622 633 Web: www.stmarysthemount.co.uk Parish Email: stmary.walsall@rcaob.org.uk Fr. Jobin: fr.jobin.kollappallil@rcaob.org.uk Fr. Rionelle: fr.rionelle.hinampas@rcaob.org.uk FB: Stmarys Mount; Twitter: @marys_mount Blog: stmarysthemount.tumblr.com Safeguarding representative: Mrs Karen Donnellan – 07711831462 |
| St. Patrick’s | Fr. Roberto Ciardo SDV | Address: Blue Lane East, Walsall, WS2 8HN. Tel: 01922 622633 Email: stpatrick.walsall@rcaob.org.uk |
| St. Thomas’s | Fr. Christogonus SDV | Address: Dartmouth Avenue, Walsall, WS3 1SP. Tel: 07404816951 Email: frchrisinsdv@gmail.com |
Sunday and Weekday Masses
| Date | Time | Church/Place | Mass Intention | Offered By |
| Saturday 12th | 5:30pm 6.30pm 6.30pm | St. Mary’s St. Patrick’s St. Thomas | Tony Callaghan – RIP Holy Mass Holy Mass | Pauline Power |
| Sunday 13th Third Sunday of Advent Bambinelli Sunday | 9:00am 10.00am 10.00am 11:00am 7.00pm | St. Mary’s St. Patrick’s St. Thomas St. Mary’s St. Patrick’s | Pro Populo Holy Mass Holy Mass Thanksgiving Holy Mass | Quing Family |
| Monday 14th St. John of the Cross Priest & Doctor of the Church | 9.15am 9.15am 9.30am 10.00am 6:30pm 7:00pm | St. Patrick’s St. Thomas St. Mary’s St. Mary’s St. Mary’s St. Mary’s | Holy Mass Holy Mass Holy Rosary Martin Scully – RIP, DA Holy Rosary Ancy Simmy – RIP, DA Ken Towe – RIP | Val Scully Simmy & Family S & D Dilkes |
| Tuesday 15th | 9.15am 9.15am 9.30am 10.00am | St. Patrick’s St. Thomas St. Mary’s St. Mary’s | Holy Mass & Adoration Holy Mass Holy Rosary Ashley McKillop – H Tony Callaghan – RIP | Hilary Jean Gribble |
| Wednesday 16th Novena for Christmas Day 1 | 9.15am 9.15am 6:00pm 7:00pm | St. Patrick’s St. Thomas St. Mary’s St. Mary’s | Holy Mass Holy Mass Adoration for Vocations Tony Callaghan – RIP | D & M Powell |
| Thursday 17th Novena for Christmas Day 2 | 9.15am 9.15am 9.30am 10:00am | St. Patrick’s St. Thomas St. Mary’s St. Mary’s | Holy Mass & Adoration Holy Mass Holy Rosary Tony Callaghan – RIP | M Kenealey |
| Friday 18th Novena for Christmas Day 3 | 9.15am 9.15am 6:15pm 6.30pm 7:00pm | St. Patrick’s St. Thomas St. Mary’s St. Mary’s St. Mary’s | Holy Mass Holy Mass Confession Holy Rosary Holy Mass | |
| Saturday 19th Novena for Christmas Day 4 | 10:00am 10:30am 5:30pm 6.30pm 6.30pm | St. Mary’s St. Mary’s St. Mary’s St. Patrick’s St. Thomas | Holy Mass Advent Retreat Margaret Heavin – RIP, DA Holy Mass Holy Mass | John Heavin |
| Sunday 20th Fourth Sunday of Advent Novena for Christmas Day 5 | 9:00am 10.00am 10.00am 11:00am 7.00pm | St. Mary’s St. Patrick’s St. Thomas St. Mary’s St. Patrick’s | Tony Callaghan – RIP Holy Mass Holy Mass Zara & Michael – RIP Peter Joseph Fenlon Holy Mass | Pat Horton Annie Johnson V Fenlon |
Let us pray for those who are sick:
Lorraine Darby, Mavourneen Smith, Marie Hornblower, Judith Dunthorne, Patricia Davies, Angela Gonsalves, Margaret Powell, Matthew McGill, Dr. Petroc Willey, Lee Chit Wei, Margaret Abbot, Susan Naughton, Mrs K Carter, Carol Callaghan, Jo Baker, Mrs Small, Peter Corrigan, Josie Kelleher, Gilbert Wilkes, Doris White.
Newsletter-13th-December-2020