CHRISTMAS DAY:
WEDNESDAY

FR. PHIL’S CHRISTMAS GREETING

"I pray that peace will reign in our homes and in our attitudes towards others, that peace may reign in the world."

THIS SUNDAY'S MISSALETTE & ADVENT PODCASTS

Fourth Sunday of Advent - Missalette

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First Sunday of Advent -Podcast

Second Sunday of Advent - Podcast

Third Sunday of Advent - Podcast

Fourth Sunday of Advent - Podcast

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Christmas Day Podcast

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WARM FOOD HUB.
On 25th December 2024 from 12 noon till 3.00pm at 72 Yorkshire Street, Oldham, OL1 1SR. Places must be booked in advance using the following link: www.ukeff.org/christmas24/
The organisers will provide snacks, hot drinks, and a hot Christmas Dinner for those who are struggling and will benefit from support and assistance. This year will be the 11th year the organisers have supported people with a wide range of problems over Christmas, including (but not limited to):

• financial hardship, 
• loneliness, 
• domestic abuse, 
• homelessness - particularly families in hotels with no cooking facilities

CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME FOR 2025
Fr. Callum, who organises this programme, has informed us that it is being carried out this year in both Newman College and St. Damian’s High School. The programme will begin on Monday 17th February at 3.30pm-5pm (Newman College) or on Tuesday 18th February at 3.30-5pm (St. Damian’s). If there are young people who don’t go to either of these schools who want to be on the programme, it is planned to do a further series of meetings. There will be seven sessions in all, the last one being a reconciliation service. The confirmations will take place at 7pm on 4th June at St. Mary’s Failsworth, or a 7pm. 5th June at St. Edward’s, Lees. The Bishop will carry out the confirmations in both churches. Young people of Year 8 age group and older can register. Forms for registering will be available after Christmas.

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
Today’s first reading was written over 600 years before the birth of Jesus and it predicts the birthplace of the Lord, who would shepherd his flock. These words are important because the title “the Lord” (Adonai) is often used to replace the Hebrew word for God, which would never be spoken. And, from the 23rd psalm, you know that God is also referred to as both “the Lord” and as a “shepherd”. So, Micah seems to be predicting the birth of God in our world.
He also suggests that God often works through people or places that have no prestige. Bethlehem, we are told, was too “little”, or too insignificant a place, and yet it was chosen as the place where God would become incarnate.
The other focus provided by the readings is that of both the Annunciation and the Visitation. It might not, at first, seem obvious that the Annunciation is a focus; the Gospel simply tells the story of the Visitation. It’s the second reading, however, which reminds us of the Annunciation, the story often told on this Sunday. There we read the words, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” These are an echo of the words uttered by Mary after she heard that she was to give birth. She simply said, “Let what you have said be done to me.” It was that obedience to God’s will that enabled the conception of Jesus. It is our giving way to God’s will that enables the birth of Jesus once more in our world.
Some of you may have seen, during the sports personality of the year awards, the Helen Rollason award being given to a Dr. Mark Prince, a former boxing champion. He had achieved so much despite losing his son to knife crime and was honoured for his work with the Kiyan Prince Foundation (named after his son), which keeps young people away from knife crime through boxing. He spoke powerfully of using the pain of loss, not to become bitter but to become better. I’m not suggesting that the killing of his son was the will of God, but that what he did with his pain was a submission to the will of God.
In the story of the Visitation, Luke expertly makes a link between the pregnancy of Mary and the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem at the time of King David. If you remember the story, David had moved his headquarters from Shiloh to Jerusalem and, when the Ark of the Covenant arrived in Jerusalem, he danced wildly with joy. As Mary visits her relative, Elizabeth, who was further on in her pregnancy, we hear how the child in Elizabeth’s womb danced for joy. Mary had travelled from Nazareth, in the north, to a place a few miles to the West of Jerusalem; Zechariah would have lived close to Jerusalem to carry out his priestly duties. So, we see, once more, God present in Zion.

DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES 2025
We are delighted to announce that our diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes will be taking place once again in 2025 between 31st July and 6th August. You can register your interest now by visiting www.salfordlourdes.co.uk or by calling 0161 817 2209.

A very Merry Christmas from the webteam -
Steve, Juice, Debbie and, of course, Father Phil.