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His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI – Christmas 2012 Blessing & Message

25-12-2012, 14:27Permalink

His Holiness Benedict XVI – Christmas Blessing & Message

URBI ET ORBI Blessing And Message

May the birth of the Prince of Peace remind the world where its true happiness lies; and may your hearts be filled with hope and joy, for the Saviour has been born for us.

Anonymous

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Pope Benedict's Christmas Homily

25-12-2012, 08:45Adult Education, Children, Organisation, Parish, Prayers, Sacraments, WitnessPermalink

MIDNIGHT MASS

SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Saint Peter's Basilica
Monday, 24 December 2012

[Video] Spoken in Italian

Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Again and again the beauty of this Gospel touches our hearts: a beauty that is the splendour of truth. Again and again it astonishes us that God makes himself a child so that we may love him, so that we may dare to love him, and as a child trustingly lets himself be taken into our arms. It is as if God were saying: I know that my glory frightens you, and that you are trying to assert yourself in the face of my grandeur. So now I am coming to you as a child, so that you can accept me and love me.
I am also repeatedly struck by the Gospel writer’s almost casual remark that there was no room for them at the inn. Inevitably the question arises, what would happen if Mary and Joseph were to knock at my door. Would there be room for them? And then it occurs to us that Saint John takes up this seemingly chance comment about the lack of room at the inn, which drove the Holy Family into the stable; he explores it more deeply and arrives at the heart of the matter when he writes: “he came to his own home, and his own people received him not” (Jn 1:11). The great moral question of our attitude towards the homeless, towards refugees and migrants, takes on a deeper dimension: do we really have room for God when he seeks to enter under our roof? Do we have time and space for him? Do we not actually turn away God himself? We begin to do so when we have no time for God. The faster we can move, the more efficient our time-saving appliances become, the less time we have. And God? The question of God never seems urgent. Our time is already completely full. But matters go deeper still. Does God actually have a place in our thinking? Our process of thinking is structured in such a way that he simply ought not to exist. Even if he seems to knock at the door of our thinking, he has to be explained away. If thinking is to be taken seriously, it must be structured in such a way that the “God hypothesis” becomes superfluous. There is no room for him. Not even in our feelings and desires is there any room for him. We want ourselves. We want what we can seize hold of, we want happiness that is within our reach, we want our plans and purposes to succeed. We are so “full” of ourselves that there is no room left for God. And that means there is no room for others either, for children, for the poor, for the stranger. By reflecting on that one simple saying about the lack of room at the inn, we have come to see how much we need to listen to Saint Paul’s exhortation: “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom 12:2). Paul speaks of renewal, the opening up of our intellect (nous), of the whole way we view the world and ourselves. The conversion that we need must truly reach into the depths of our relationship with reality. Let us ask the Lord that we may become vigilant for his presence, that we may hear how softly yet insistently he knocks at the door of our being and willing. Let us ask that we may make room for him within ourselves, that we may recognize him also in those through whom he speaks to us: children, the suffering, the abandoned, those who are excluded and the poor of this world.
There is another verse from the Christmas story on which I should like to reflect with you – the angels’ hymn of praise, which they sing out following the announcement of the new-born Saviour: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.” God is glorious. God is pure light, the radiance of truth and love. He is good. He is true goodness, goodness par excellence. The angels surrounding him begin by simply proclaiming the joy of seeing God’s glory. Their song radiates the joy that fills them. In their words, it is as if we were hearing the sounds of heaven. There is no question of attempting to understand the meaning of it all, but simply the overflowing happiness of seeing the pure splendour of God’s truth and love. We want to let this joy reach out and touch us: truth exists, pure goodness exists, pure light exists. God is good, and he is the supreme power above all powers. All this should simply make us joyful tonight, together with the angels and the shepherds.
Linked to God’s glory on high is peace on earth among men. Where God is not glorified, where he is forgotten or even denied, there is no peace either. Nowadays, though, widespread currents of thought assert the exact opposite: they say that religions, especially monotheism, are the cause of the violence and the wars in the world. If there is to be peace, humanity must first be liberated from them. Monotheism, belief in one God, is said to be arrogance, a cause of intolerance, because by its nature, with its claim to possess the sole truth, it seeks to impose itself on everyone. Now it is true that in the course of history, monotheism has served as a pretext for intolerance and violence. It is true that religion can become corrupted and hence opposed to its deepest essence, when people think they have to take God’s cause into their own hands, making God into their private property. We must be on the lookout for these distortions of the sacred. While there is no denying a certain misuse of religion in history, yet it is not true that denial of God would lead to peace. If God’s light is extinguished, man’s divine dignity is also extinguished. Then the human creature would cease to be God’s image, to which we must pay honour in every person, in the weak, in the stranger, in the poor. Then we would no longer all be brothers and sisters, children of the one Father, who belong to one another on account of that one Father. The kind of arrogant violence that then arises, the way man then despises and tramples upon man: we saw this in all its cruelty in the last century. Only if God’s light shines over man and within him, only if every single person is desired, known and loved by God is his dignity inviolable, however wretched his situation may be. On this Holy Night, God himself became man; as Isaiah prophesied, the child born here is “Emmanuel”, God with us (Is 7:14). And down the centuries, while there has been misuse of religion, it is also true that forces of reconciliation and goodness have constantly sprung up from faith in the God who became man. Into the darkness of sin and violence, this faith has shone a bright ray of peace and goodness, which continues to shine.
So Christ is our peace, and he proclaimed peace to those far away and to those near at hand (cf. Eph 2:14, 17). How could we now do other than pray to him: Yes, Lord, proclaim peace today to us too, whether we are far away or near at hand. Grant also to us today that swords may be turned into ploughshares (Is 2:4), that instead of weapons for warfare, practical aid may be given to the suffering. Enlighten those who think they have to practise violence in your name, so that they may see the senselessness of violence and learn to recognize your true face. Help us to become people “with whom you are pleased” – people according to your image and thus people of peace.
Once the angels departed, the shepherds said to one another: Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened for us (cf. Lk 2:15). The shepherds went with haste to Bethlehem, the Evangelist tells us (cf. 2:16). A holy curiosity impelled them to see this child in a manger, who the angel had said was the Saviour, Christ the Lord. The great joy of which the angel spoke had touched their hearts and given them wings.
Let us go over to Bethlehem, says the Church’s liturgy to us today. Trans-eamus is what the Latin Bible says: let us go “across”, daring to step beyond, to make the “transition” by which we step outside our habits of thought and habits of life, across the purely material world into the real one, across to the God who in his turn has come across to us. Let us ask the Lord to grant that we may overcome our limits, our world, to help us to encounter him, especially at the moment when he places himself into our hands and into our heart in the Holy Eucharist.
Let us go over to Bethlehem: as we say these words to one another, along with the shepherds, we should not only think of the great “crossing over” to the living God, but also of the actual town of Bethlehem and all those places where the Lord lived, ministered and suffered. Let us pray at this time for the people who live and suffer there today. Let us pray that there may be peace in that land. Let us pray that Israelis and Palestinians may be able to live their lives in the peace of the one God and in freedom. Let us also pray for the countries of the region, for Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and their neighbours: that there may be peace there, that Christians in those lands where our faith was born may be able to continue living there, that Christians and Muslims may build up their countries side by side in God’s peace.
The shepherds made haste. Holy curiosity and holy joy impelled them. In our case, it is probably not very often that we make haste for the things of God. God does not feature among the things that require haste. The things of God can wait, we think and we say. And yet he is the most important thing, ultimately the one truly important thing. Why should we not also be moved by curiosity to see more closely and to know what God has said to us? At this hour, let us ask him to touch our hearts with the holy curiosity and the holy joy of the shepherds, and thus let us go over joyfully to Bethlehem, to the Lord who today once more comes to meet us. Amen.

Anonymous

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From Father Richard's Desk

21-12-2012, 06:34WitnessPermalink

Sometimes ‘our breath is taken away’ by a beautiful view, an encounter with someone or even an event. This year our breaths have been taken away by the Olympics, the Paralympics and sport in general. When we fall in love, our breaths are taken away. When man landed on the moon, our breaths were taken away. May you be breathless this Christmas when the penny drops and the full realisation of what it means that God became man, and pitched his tent among us.

If your Christmas isn’t breathless, may it nonetheless be happy.

Fr. Richard

St Peter's Parish, Biggleswade

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Christmas Mass & Confessions Times

17-12-2012, 19:15Permalink

Anonymous

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Biggleswade Chronicle Village News

15-12-2012, 18:44Fund-raising, Organisation, Parish, Sacraments, SocialPermalink

St Peters Catholic Church, Biggleswade.

Last Sunday’s gospel Luke 3: 1-6 tells us about repentance, repentance being a door that opens to allow God to visit any soul. Luke goes on to tell us how in the Kingdom of Heaven God tells us that He has throne in the highest heaven, surrounded by majesty, glory and splendour, but His dwelling on earth is in the perfect humble and contrite heart.

Chrtistmas Bazaar-A huge thank you to all those who supported the Christmas Bazaar with a few totals yet to be added we can announce that we raised a huge amount £1,870.

Christmas Mass & Services- Volunteers are needed to help with these please see the forms in the porch. First Holy Communion, forms in church porch, please complete and hand into Parish Office by 16^th December. Classes commence Sunday 13^th January 2013.

Sacrament of Confirmation, if you wish to be considered please complete forms in the church porch and return to Parish Office.

Anonymous

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From Father Richard's Desk

15-12-2012, 12:43WitnessPermalink

The people said to John the Baptist. What must we do? Like a true Cork’man John said ’Do this, that and the other…’ Very unlike his cousin Jesus, the Kerry’man. There is room for us all in the Kingdom, Jew, Greek, Cork’man, Kerry’man, English, Dutch, and even a few Americans.

Have a nice week.

Fr. Richard.

St Peter's Parish, Biggleswade

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Jesus's Love

12-12-2012, 06:07WitnessPermalink

I read this in yesterday's (Tuesday's) Daily Reflection in Bible Alive ©, after reading the Gospel from Matthew 18:12-14, a parable of lost sheep. I found it inspiring and calming.

Perhaps we may ask the Lord this Advent to give us deeper insight into his burning love for us. Let us put our trust in the depth of his compassion and forgiveness.

Me Lord? Canst thou misspend
One word, misplace one look on me?
Call’st me thy love, thy Friend?
Canst this poor soul the object be
Of these love-glances, those life-kindling eyes?
What? I the centre of the arms’ embraces?
Of all thy labour I the prize?
Love never mocks, truth never lies.
Oh how I quake: hope fear, fear hope displaces:
I would but cannot hope: such wondrous love amazes.
(Phineas Fletcher, ‘The Divine Lover’)

Chris

St Peter's Parish, Biggleswade

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Biggleswade Chronicle Village News

09-12-2012, 17:13Children, Fund-raising, Sacraments, SocialPermalink

St Peters Catholic Church Biggleswade. Last Sunday saw the first reading of the Church’s new year (Luke 21:25-28, 34-36);Year C in the Liturgical calendar. It was also the first Sunday of Advent. As humans our wisdom is limited in comprehending the divine mysteries. In the hearts of every man and woman bids questions about the end of their own lives and that of the end of the world. These may seem strange thoughts as we enter Advent and start to celebrate the becoming of Jesus. During the past two weeks we saw how humans were powerless against disasters of nature in our own country through heavy rains that caused floods ruining homes and taking lives. In biblical times it was thought that Jesus would return within their life time. It was in Luke’s community some decades after Christ’s crucifixion that they realized that the second coming of Jesus was not just around the corner as they had expected. From Luke’s perspective the sufferings of the present may well be a prelude to a new experience of the presence of God in the world. Perhaps Jesus is reminding us to be vigilant during this time of Advent and pray to prepare ourselves and try to live our lives as He would have done.

Christmas Bazaar (held on December 1^st ) A huge thank you to all those Parishioners who freely gave their time to make this a great success. We will be able to confirm the amount raised next week.

Catecheses- We are looking for Catecheses to run our confirmation program, if you would be interested please contact the Parish Office

First Holy Communion, forms in church porch, please complete and hand into Parish Office by 16^th December. Classes commence Sunday 13^th January 2013. Sacrament of Confirmation, if you wish to be considered please complete forms in the church porch and return to Parish Office.

Anonymous

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From Father Richard's Desk

07-12-2012, 17:44WitnessPermalink

In the readings from the Old Testament for Advent, we are presented with Isaiah – the prophet who predicted the birth of a Messiah. Today we are introduced to John the Baptist…another person preparing the way of the Lord. He said ‘I must decrease, that He (Jesus) may increase.’

That message is for all. If we would have growth in our spiritual lives, we would want to make way for the Lord. We must decrease that He may increase.

Fr. Richard.

St Peter's Parish, Biggleswade

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Biggleswade Chronicle Village News

02-12-2012, 17:36Permalink

St Peters Catholic Church, Station Road. Biggleswade.

Last Sunday was the feast of Christ the King, from John’s gospel 18:33-37 in this scripture Jesus stands before Pontius Pilate. Here there are two different people Jesus is the ideal we are all looking to be like and Pilate represents the kind of leadership we are anxious to get away from. During their encounter Jesus is held prisoner yet it is He who was totally self-confident, while Pilate was afraid and anxious to set Jesus free, but Jesus was not afraid. Jesus knew what kind of leadership he was offering and how different it was from that of Pilate. It is a meeting between two people who know what kind of leadership they are about. Maybe sometimes we act like Pilate and we judge others in our presence then it is them who question us. Jesus had a different style from that of the other leaders He chose it with no reference to what others said or taught He is the kind of leader we all want to be, the kind of leader we want for ourselves and for others; Jesus has a special kind of leadership one that separates us from the rest of humanity today. Last Sunday was the final Sunday in the Liturgical Year of ‘B’. There are three Liturgical years – A, B & C. The first Sunday of the new liturgical year begins with the first Sunday in Advent. During the year A cycle, the Gospel of Matthew is the primary Gospel that is used for the readings. In year B, Mark is the primary Gospel. In year C Luke is the primary Gospel. The Gospel of John is proclaimed on particular Sundays in each of the years.

First Holy Communion, forms in church porch, please complete and hand into Parish Office by 16^th December. Classes commence Sunday 13^th January 2013.

Sacrament of Confirmation, if you wish to be considered please complete forms in the church porch and return to Parish Office.

Christmas Bazaar to be held this Saturday 1st December at St.Peters’ Roman Catholic Church, Station Road. Biggleswade From 11am to 2pm. An ideal opportunity to find Christmas gifts from many stalls including crafts, toys, novelties, bottle tombola, delicious home baking, raffle, opens at 11am.

Anonymous

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Parish Blog

thoughts, prayers, notices . . .

This blog is for the use of the whole parish; please let me know if you'd like to contribute.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI – Christmas 2012 Blessing & Message

Pope Benedict's Christmas Homily

From Father Richard's Desk

Christmas Mass & Confessions Times

Biggleswade Chronicle Village News

From Father Richard's Desk

Jesus's Love

Biggleswade Chronicle Village News

From Father Richard's Desk

Biggleswade Chronicle Village News