No. 307

St Matthew’s Church Sunday 20th December 2015

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

SUNDAY MASSES - 7pm Vigil & 12 noon (with Children’s Liturgy)

Fr Aidan Keenan – 90 457 626: Fax 90 452 456

Parish Office Email: stmatthews@downandconnor.orgWebsite: www.stmatthewsparish.org

St Matthew’s Primary School – 90 457 885

LAST SUNDAY’S COLLECTIONSWeekly offering £ 927Loose plate £ 12Shrines/Candles £ 137

-For all of these I return my sincere thanks-

PRIEST’S COLLECTIONWill be taken up at both Christmas Masses

NON STOP DRAWCongratulations to the following

£100 winners:

Mary Morgan

Dessie McCabe (senior)

Emma McArt

Caroline Dornan

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK(All anniversaries unless otherwise stated)

Saturday 7.00pm Charles Reid: The Donaldson family:Sunday 12noon Maureen Curran: Mary Stewart - Month’s Mind.Monday 10.00am People of the Parish:Tuesday 10.00am Special Intention:Wednesday 7.30pm Geraldine Rooney:Thursday 7.00pm CHRISTMAS VIGIL:Friday 11.00am CHRISTMAS DAY:Saturday (26th) 7.00pm Rose Reid: Betty Smyth:Sunday (27th) 12noon Eddie Brady:

I WISH YOU ALL A HOLY & HAPPY CHRISTMAS.

ADMISSION TO ST. MATTHEW’S PRIMARY SCHOOL

PRIMARY 1

Children who have their 4th birthday on or before 1st July 2012must start Primary School in September 2016. (Children born

between 2nd July 2011 and 1st July 2012)

Application forms are available from the Nursery or Main School Office.

ST. MATTHEW’S NURSERY

If your child was born between 2nd July 2012 and 1st July 2013. Applications for the Nursery are available from the Nursery or Main School Office.

Completed application forms must be returned to the school by 12 noon on Wednesday 13th January 2016 – FOR BOTH THE NURSERY AND FOR PRIMARY 1.

Thank You.Miss Aileen Browne. Principal.

New Diocesan Directories £3 each. Available at the Church Shop.

Monday St Peter Canisius 10.00amTuesday 10.00amWednesday Novena 7.30pmThursday CHRISTMAS VIGIL

CHRISTMAS DAY7.00pm

Friday 11.00am

REST IN ETERNAL PEACEOur prayers are asked especially for Patsy O’Neill of 13 Vulcan Street whose funeral was on Thursday, for Breige Meighan who died recently and for Mary Martin and Margaret Stewart whose Month’s Minds occur at this time.

For those whose anniversaries occur at this time:Maureen Curran, Gerry and Lily Donaghy, Donaldson family, Margaret Gorman, Barney and May Mc Larnon, Charles Reid, Geraldine Rooney and Helen Smith (formerly Munster). “O you whom I have loved so much on earth, pray for me and live in such a manner that we may be reunited forever in blessed eternity” St Francis of Assisi 1182 – 1226

Fourth Sunday of Advent 20th December 2015THE ANGELUS

In this prayer we recall the great mystery of the incarnation by which God took human flesh and became one of us through the power of the Holy Spirit and the consent of Our Blessed Lady.We commemorate the angel’s announcement to Mary revealing to her the unique part which she was destined to play in the history of salvation.

The prayer is said in the morning, at noon and in the evening.

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.    Hail Mary.....

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.    Hail Mary.....

V. And the Word was made Flesh.R. And dwelt among us.    Hail Mary....

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAYPour forth; we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Our church bell here in St Matthew’s rings the Angelus at 12noon and 6pm.

CHRISTMAS ARRANGEMENTSChristmas Eve Vigil at 7pm: (Reader – John Doherty)

Christmas Day, 11 o’clock in the morning: (Reader – Tony Dougan)SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION

Monday and Tuesday: after 10am Mass.

Wednesday: 6.30pm to 7.15pm. Thursday: 10am to 10.30am.Next Saturday 6pm to 6.45pm.

NEXT SUNDAY 27th DECEMBERFeast of the Holy Family

Readers: 7pm Vigil – Agnes McGinley: 12noon – Ella McMahon:

PARISH OFFICE HOURSThe Parish Office will close at 2pm on Wednesday 23 rd December and will re-open on Tuesday 5th January at 10am when anniversary Masses etc. can be arranged.

As next Sunday’s bulletin will be typed early this week we need to have any anniversary names you want included by tomorrow (Monday) morning. All notices and names for the bulletin on Sunday 3rd January can be dropped through the letterbox at the front of my house or preferably emailed to st.matthews@downandconnor.org

QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASKQuestion: Do we know for certain that Jesus was born on 25 December?

Answer: We have no way of knowing the actual date. Two reasons are given for the selection of this date. It took over from the Roman feast of the Unconquered Sun at the winter solstice. Christians decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus as the light of God who came to conquer the darkness of sin.

The second reason is that it is nine months after the feast of the Annunciation and the conception of Jesus. The Annunciation was an older feast than Christmas. It was celebrated on 25 March to connect with the Jewish tradition that this was the first day of creation and the day when Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Thus the conception of Jesus was linked with creation and sacrificial death. Email silvesteroflynn80@gmail.comQUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK

Question: Easter is supposed to be the high point of the Church’s year. How is it that Christmas seems to mean more to people?