Times and intentions for Holy Mass
(E)= Evesham (B)= Broadway
Sat 4th 4.00pm(B) Bernard(Brian) Hardiman
Sun 5th 8.00am(E) People of the Parish
10.00am(E) Francesco Scimeca
Mon 6th 10.00am(E) Fr George Grynowski
Tues 7th 10.00am(B) Peter Duffill & Family
St Ambrose
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Wed 8th 10.00am(E) Michael Joseph O,Neill
Thur 9th 10.00am(B) Maureen McCann
Fri 10th 10.00am(E) Doreen Springett
Sat 11th 10.00am(E) Gennaro Di Franco
Third (Gaudete)Sunday of Advent
Sat 11th 4.00pm(B) People of the Parish
Sun 12th 8.00am(E) Fr Richard Kabore
10.00am(E) Nicolo Barone
Private Prayer in Broadway:
Sunday Wednesday Friday 10;00-11.00am
Confessions: Each day after Mass except Wednesday and on Saturday in Evesham from 9.00am to 9.45am
Eucharistic Adoration. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for Adoration after Mass in Evesham on Monday and Friday until 11.00am and on Wednesday before Mass from 9.15am until Mass at 10.00am
Volunteers for greeting and sanitising the church.
Those wishing to volunteer for the ongoing work with greeting and sanitising should. Contact Dominique in Broadway or in Evesham email your contact details to:
Evesham Food Bank
Please phone 07721559387 to discover how and when to take any contributions
Catechism points and themes
Advent 2 (numbers indicate paragraph number)
CCC 522, 711-716, 722: the prophets and the expectation of the Messiah
CCC 523, 717-720: the mission of John the Baptist
CCC 710: Israel’s exile foreshadowed the Passion
CCC 2532, 2636: Paul’s solicitude
Please pray
For the sick and housebound of our parishes
Of your charity
Pray for, the repose of the souls of all who have died in recent days and Patricia Hodgetts Selena Higgs Edward De Franco Robert William Armstrong Walter Martin
Joseph Hurst Gennaro Di Franco whose anniversary of death falls at about this time.
From Fr Christopher
John the Baptist proclaimed: “Make ready the way of the Lord, clear him a straight path.” In other words, the Saving Lord is coming, the desired of all nations, so hearts must be prepared for the coming of God as man, what we call the Incarnation.
The question is: are we ready and open to the Lord coming into our life each day?
Though the Lord is present, we might easily miss the fact in our daily life. Especially at this time of year we can be easily so caught up in the “Christmas rush” of preparing food or planning trips, purchasing gifts or sending Christmas cards, that God, who stands quietly knocking at the door of our hearts, can be missed entirely.
For most people today, God is far away. But the God who is presented to us by the Church and on this Sunday in the words of the prophet Baruch, is a God of tenderness and very near, who shows patience to all people, desiring that no one be lost, but that all turn to God and live!
“Take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendour of glory from God forever. God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice for company.”
Where love is found, as well as generosity of spirit, patience and repentance, there we meet the living God, present and active by the power of the Holy Spirit moving among believers who are open to hearing and experiencing God in their midst. The presence of Christ surrounds us in the world we inhabit, even in its brokenness, and in the families or communities to which we belong, in our friendships, as well as in those who strive for a more just and equitable world. God is in our midst, promoting goodness and love, to which we are called to pursue each day.
How do we meet our God? We discover God present in our midst by living in contact with God in prayer, by participating in the Sacraments of the Church, and in God’s Word in Scripture, as well as in one another. Discovering the Lord also means manifesting God to others, by lives of love and self-sacrifice, in imitation of Christ.
As God has so loved us, so we must love one another. Jesus taught this to his first followers, and it is our call as well. This is a challenging task, but one to which we are called and which goes on throughout our earthly existence.
It is true to say that God needs us as instruments of love in the world today. When we see so much that is negative and disheartening, we can become discouraged and want to give up trying. The call as followers of Jesus is otherwise. Living “in Christ,” as Saint Paul calls it, we learn that where there is sincere and faithful love, God is present. Only where love is absent where there is insistence on sin and alienation from God, is God’s grace hindered. However,God cannot be defeated when love ultimately triumphs.
The short season of Advent is given to us in the Church that we might live our daily lives under God’s watchful care and in God’s guiding light for our path. God became human in Jesus Christ so that we might go to God and partake of divine life. There could be no greater “exchange of gifts” than this..
We await a new heavens and a new earth where the justice of God might reign and endure forever. In the second reading for Mass this Sunday, Saint Paul exhorts the Church of Philippi to learn the value of things that really matter, right up to the coming of Christ. Saint Paul expresses it in terms of love for one another abounding more and more, day by day, year by year.
From this day forward may we strive to give testimony to Christ’s message of justice and love in the world. How best to do so? By words and deeds of deep and lasting faith, hope and love.
We pray and sing joyously because the Lord is with us, never abandoning us, but guiding us along the way of peace and the perfect fulfilment that God desires us all to possess for eternity.
Walk with me
The booklets are available on each bench (or at the door in Broadway.) Please take one today.
Parish Christmas cards
These should be available next Sunday
Being Catholic
I once asked an old friend if he regarded himself as a practicing Catholic, He wasn’t sure how to respond. I will seek to address this matter over the next few Sundays in my evening chat on the You tube channel titled Christopher Draycott
Red Mission Boxes Please return your red Mission Boxes as soon as possible. Leave them in the altar servers sacristy
Sacramental Preparation I am still unable to begin this preparation until after the forthcoming surgery.
Holy Mass at Christmas
Evesham
Christmas Eve
Mass of the Vigil: 6.00pm
Mass during the Night: 11.30pm
Christmas Day
Mass of the Dawn: 8.00am
Mass of the Day: 10.00am
Broadway
Christmas Eve
Mass during the Night 8.00pm
Christmas day.
Mass of the dawn 9.00am
Feast of the Holy Family Sunday 26th December
Evesham
Holy Mass at 8.00am & 10.00am
Broadway
Holy Mass at 9.00am
Masks and face Coverings
The Conference of Bishops strongly encourage the wearing of masks by all who come to Mass (unless exempt)
Evesham Information
Second Collection
This Sunday: Parish development
Next Sunday: Poor Parishes
Craft Fair
Sunday 28th November In the parish centre 8.00am until 2.00pm Refreshments available.
Offertory Collection
The collections will take place in the traditional manner from the First Sunday of Advent. The collectors will retain the bags and walk down the middle of the nave and then the side aisles. This will remove the need to pass the bags from person to person It is hoped that the devices for giving electronically (with the use of debit cards etc will soon be available
Broadway Information
Use of the School Carpark
Parishioners can use the school car park when attending the 4.00pm Vigil Mass on Saturday.
Christmas Hamper Appeal (CTIB)
In these difficult times families are faced with needing to put food on the table and keeping their home warm. Please help by donating (Cash) to our campaign which will provide food. This will make a real difference to the lives of families and others in Broadway this coming Christmas. Over the years this has been a joint effort among the Christians associated with the different communities. It is not only an act of witness but also a visible and important work of mercy. Many will benefit from this act of kindness which will make a real difference in the homes of the parish. In order to organise these matters properly please note that we need any contributions by 10th December.
Major work in Broadway
Some major work will need to be carried out on the church in Broadway-about which more in due course. Some recent inspections and tests regarding electricity, fire health and safety and legionella have resulted in the need to bring our building in line to comply with legal requirements. All this work will require considerable financial commitment. The future of our parishes and churches depends on the commitment of the people who use them.
Second Collection
Next Sunday: Poor Parishes
Christmas Church cleaning & Brasses
Friday 17th December 10.00am- 12.00noon
Some major work will need to be carried out on the church in Broadway-about which more in due course. Some recent inspections and tests regarding electricity, fire health and safety and legionella have resulted in the need to bring our building in line to comply with legal requirements. All this work will require considerable financial commitment. The future of our parishes and churches depends on the commitment of the people who use them.
Second Collection
Next Sunday: Poor Parishes
Christmas Church cleaning & Brasses
Friday 17th December 10.00am- 12.00noon