SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (C)
READINGS FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (C)
First Reading – (Baruch 5:1-9) – Jerusalem is told that she can forget the sufferings of the past. She will know the joy of seeing her exiled children restored to her. God will level out a highway to facilitate their return.
Responsorial Psalm – What great deeds the Lord worked for us! Indeed, we were glad.
Second Reading – (Philippians 1:3-6, 8-11) – The central message of this reading is a call for unity, perseverance and unwavering witness to Christ and the Gospel. At the same time St. Paul’s love for his fellow Christians shines through.
Gospel Reading – (Luke 3: 1-6) – This reading tells about the appearance on the scene of John the Baptist. The heart of John’s message is that God is coming to save his people. The people are urged to prepare a way for him through repentance.
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PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
INTROUCTION: Dear brothers and sisters, ‘Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight’ is a call to each one of us to a change of heart. Seeking to return to the Lord, let us now present our prayers to God the Father with a humble heart.
The response is… Lord graciously hear us.
╬ We pray for all who spread the Gospel: that they may preach with zeal and integrity of John the Baptist, speaking truth to all who need to hear their voice. Lord, hear us; Lord graciously hear us.
╬ We pray for our young parishioners from St. Cadoc’s Primary who will be confirmed by the gift of the Spirit on Tuesday of this week: that, planted in faith and grounded in love, they may bear witness to Christ the Lord by their way of life. Lord, hear us; Lord graciously hear us.
╬ We pray for our families: that, as they spend more time together during the coming weeks, the real message of Advent and Christmas may fill them with joy, hope and love. Lord, hear us; Lord graciously hear us.
╬ We pray for each one of us here present: that we may prepare ourselves spiritually as well as we can for the coming of the Christ Child. Lord, hear us; Lord graciously hear us.
╬ We pray for all the sick of our families and our parish, those in hospital, in hospice or nursing home and those for whom we are asked to pray: that God may give them strength and fortitude, and bless those who care for them. Lord, hear us; Lord graciously hear us.
╬ We pray for the souls of all those whose anniversaries, months mind and birthday remembrances we are asked to recall, as well as those who have recently died: that they may receive the reward of their faith and enjoy the happiness of heaven. Lord, hear us; Lord graciously hear us.
CONCLUSION: God our Father, just as John the Baptist urged us to prepare for the coming of your Son at Christmas, so we offer you our prayers, knowing that, as we turn our hearts towards you, you hear even our unspoken words. We make this prayer and all our prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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PLEASE REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE
IN YOUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK
SICK – Rona McPhee, Ann McKenna, Mary McKenna, Rose Gallagher, Robert Kielty, Thérèse McKeand, Mary McCafferty, Edward McCafferty, Stuart Mason, Martin McGuire, David O’Hare & James Hannaway.
I also ask your prayers for the sick and housebound
– those at home in our parish community, those in hospital,
and those in local nursing and care homes in Cambuslang, Halfway
& Blantyre and elsewhere. Our prayers for them
not only help in their suffering and pain but also reassure them
that they are not forgotten by our community of faith.
Our prayers help relieve their feelings of isolation and loneliness.
To be remembered before the Altar of God
brings them comfort and consolation.
Almighty and Eternal God, you are the everlasting health
of those who believe in you.
Hear us for your sick servants
for whom we implore the aid of your tender mercy,
that being restored to bodily health,
they may give thanks to you in your Church.
Through Christ our Lord.
Our Lady, Help of the Sick, pray for them.
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RECENTLY DEAD – Ann Hannaway, Leslie Karen McWilliams, Jim Wilson, Ms Dorrans & Pat McNulty.
MONTHS MIND – Andrew Harkin & John Hegarty.
ANNIVERSARIES – Patrick Innes (50th Anniversary), Baby Adam Downing, James Connelly (First Anniversary), James Coyle, Bella Connor (Thirtieth Anniversary), Norah & John Doyle, Nellie & Jimmy McPhillips, Findlay Marr, Mary & James Mitchell, May Carey, Mary Harkin, Thomas Burke, Stephen Docherty, Kathleen Maguire & Tommy McNulty.
BIRTHDAY REMEMBRANCE – Elizabeth Gregson.
Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let Perpetual Light shine upon them.
May they Rest in Peace. Amen.
CLERGY ANNIVERSARIES - DECEMBER
Bishop Francis Thomson 06/12/1987
Rev. Hugh Macdonald 28/12/1950
Rev. John McLaughlin 03/12/1951
Rev. Daniel Colvin 08/12/1951
Rev. William Flanagan 23/12/1958
Rt. Rev. Monsignor Thomas N. Canon Taylor 01/12/1963
Rev. John Cusick 07/12/1965
Very Rev Thomas P. Canon Kelly 07/12/1969
Very Rev. Thomas J. Canon O’Neill 19/12/1975
Rev. James Fisher 04/12/1977
Rev. Ian McLaughlin 03/12/1981
Rev. John C. Brady 08/12/1982
Rev. Angus Mackellaig 11/12/1992
Rev. James Gerard Higgins 17/12/2006
Rev. John Taylor 10/12/2011
Rev. Michael Cunnane 05/12/2014
Rev. Deacon John Ferguson 31/12/2014
Rev. James Naughton 09/12/2016
Rev. Michael O’Leary 03/11/2017
Rev. John Doherty 08/12/2019
Rev. Martin O’Keefe 27/12/2019
Rev. John Breslin 29/12/2019Rev. Patrick Walsh 20/12/2020
May the Lord who chose them to serve him as priests,
number them among his chosen in heaven.
Requiescant in Pace.
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CONFIRMATIONS
The Sacrament of Confirmation will be conferred on the upper-Primary young people from St. Cadoc’s Primary School by Bishop Joseph Toal on Tuesday 10th December 2024 at 7pm in St. Cadoc’s Parish Church. Please pray that our young people, strengthened by the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Confirmation, will be true witnesses of Christ to others. May they spread and defend the faith by word and deed.
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MANY THANKS
Thank you for supporting your parish while I was away home. It was great to have been able to see my family and friends once again. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible through their time, hard work, support and commitment.
Thank you also to Fr. Eugenio Montesi & Fr. Jim Clarke, Xaverian Missionary priests, for their time and help over the past three weeks. Their assistance and dedication was very much appreciated. In addition, my sincere thanks to all others who contributed in any way whatsoever, during my time away home. Finally, I am most grateful to all parishioners and well-wishers who have been making their contributions regularly during my time away. As ever, thank you, once again, for your support and prayers.
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SECOND COLLECTION FOR CHURCH BUILDING
& MAINTENANCE FUND
This will be the last weekend if you would like to contribute to our normal Church Building and Maintenance Fund Collection for the month of December.
A box meant for the church building & maintenance fund collection is situated at the back of the church. Please be generous towards our second collection as this greatly helps pay for essentials such as continued maintenance and much needed repairs to our parish buildings and existing facilities.
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CHILDREN’S LITURGY
Children will have their Christmas tea party after 10am Mass in the church house on Sunday 15th December 2024. An open invitation is extended to all the children attending the children’s liturgy and other children who may not be part of it, their parents, guardians and all our volunteers who prepare, deliver and supervise it on a weekly basis and to all our altar servers and their parents and guardians. Donations of home baking will be gratefully received. I look forward to welcoming you on that day.
We finish the Children’s Liturgy for the Christmas holiday on Sunday 22nd December 2024 with a practice for the Christingle Service after 10am Mass.
A big “thank you” to the Children’s Liturgy helpers for their valued support during the year. Thanks also to the parents, guardians and carers who bring their children to the church to participate in our children’s liturgy.
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CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMASS 2024
CHRISTMAS EVE (Tuesday Afternoon/Evening)
(The beginning of the Christmas Season)
+THE VIGIL MASS OF CHRISTMAS (4pm)
with Christingle Service (for children of all ages) at 3.30pm
+ CHRISTMAS MASS DURING THE NIGHT
with the Blessing of the Crib (6pm) with Carols at 5.45pm
CHRISTMAS DAY (Wednesday)
+THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
Day Masses of Christmas 10am
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CALENDAR
Monday is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. We celebrate our belief that Mary was free from sin from the moment of her conception. The idea of Mary’s complete sinlessness was first expressed in the earliest Christian centuries and in 1854 Pope Pius IX proclaimed it a Dogma of Faith. Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8. However, this year, the Solemnity falls on a Sunday, and therefore is moved to Monday, December 9, 2019. It is not a Holy Day of Obligation. Pope St. Damasus (+386), honoured on Wednesday encouraged St. Jerome to translate the Bible into Latin for the first time, and restored the tombs of martyrs in the catacombs. Thursday is the optional memorial of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to whom there is a widespread devotion, centred on an allegedly miraculous image of Our Lady, in Central America. On Friday we recall St. Lucy, who died at Syracuse in Sicily in Diocletian’s persecution early in the 4th Century. There is a picturesque legend attached to her name, and since ‘Lucia’ suggests the Latin word for ‘light’ she is invoked against afflictions of the eyes. On Saturday we remember the Spanish Carmelite mystic and poet, St. John of the Cross, associated with St. Teresa of Avila in the reform of their order and inspiration of Dali’s ‘Christ of St. John of the Cross’ which hangs in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery. Saturday we also celebrate the Dedication of our own Cathedral of Our Lady of Good Aid in Motherwell. From Tuesday 17th Advent Masses follow the date, rather than the day of the week.
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NEW LECTIONARY FOR MASS
The Lectionary is a book (divided over four volumes) of Scripture readings which are used on weekdays and Sundays and other particular occasions throughout the Church’s liturgical year to proclaim the Word of God. From the First Sunday of Advent 2024, the translation of the Lectionary changed to the English Standard Version – Catholic Edition (ESV-CE) of the Bible. The new Lectionaries have incorporated readings for the feasts of saints added to the calendar since 1981 when the previous (Jerusalem Bible) Lectionary was published. The present Lectionaries, now over 40 years old, are in a deteriorating condition. The choice of the ESV-CE translation incorporates modern biblical scholarship. We have already bought the new set of lectionaries at the cost of £695.00. This is a significant cost to be borne by the parish. Should anyone wish to contribute towards the cost of these Lectionaries, you may please place your donation in the offering plate over the next few weeks. Enclosed please find in today’s bulletin a copy of the letter from the Bishop Toal on the introduction of the new lectionary.
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WELSPRING RENEWAL PROJECT
As part of this renewal project, children from St. Cadoc’s Primary School will be bringing the offertory gifts in procession today at 10 am Mass (second Sunday of the month). I thank Mrs Faloon, the head teacher, and other staff members of St. Cadoc’s Primary School for taking this initiative and for her commitment to get pupils more involved in the life of the parish. Thank you also to the parents, guardians and carers for making the efforts for their presence at Mass and for bringing their children to our Sunday Mass on regular basis.
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FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP WITH RISING ENERGY BILLS (GAS & ELECTRICITY)
We are well into the cold season now. Keeping warm over the winter months is vital for our well-being and also to protect the fabric of the building from both surface and interstitial condensation, no matter how full the pews. And that means high heating bills.
Since the aftermath of Covid-19, the cost of living, from buying groceries to heating our church and presbytery, has been on the rise sharply every day. Overall, our expenditures have increased faster than income. Our parish relies entirely on your contributions to pay our bills. I kindly appeal to your generosity to add an extra pound or two to your weekly contributions to help defray, in particular this winter, the high costs of energy bills.
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parking in the streets
surrounding the church
Unfortunately, parishioners of St. Cadocs’ who drive to church are in a situation where there is no private parking within the church grounds. The streets surrounding the church therefore invariably become congested with parked cars especially at weekend Mass times. Whilst acknowledging the limitations of parking in relation to the church, I would ask those drivers attending services to consider the needs of local residents to have unimpeded access to their properties when choosing where to responsibly park. You can also use our car park which is situated behind the church. It can accommodate 6 cars.
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RIGHT TO LIFE UK: PRAYING FOR THE UNBORN
AND WOMEN FACING CRISIS PREGNANCIES
8th December 2024: “Tomorrow, we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, God has lovingly and especially prepared a mission for each of us. Let us pray that all unborn children would be welcomed and cherished so that they, too, may set out to fulfil the mission the Lord has planned for them.”
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an act of spiritual communion
(St. Alphonsus Liguori)
(This is a simple and loving act of Spiritual Communion we are called to make in these times,
while we are unable to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist)
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the
Most Holy Sacrament.
I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already there
and unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.
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prayer to st. michael
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in the day of battle.
Be our safeguard against the wickedness
and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Hosts,
by the power of God, cast into Hell Satan, and all the evil spirits
who prowl the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
Holy mary, mother of god,
st. Joseph,
st. Michael and holy angels,
ST. CADOC,
Pray for us