Christmastide ends today (The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord)

and we’d like you to come on our Look-Back over

THE ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS JOURNEY 2014

it all began with austere colours in Church

and the Advent Wreath …

each Sunday the Liturgy began

with a Litany of Joyful Expectation

sung in Procession

On Advent Sunday we also became an ongoing

Food Bank Collection Point  

and we are busy filling those boxes every week!

On the Third (Gaudete) Sunday

we celebrated the Light of Christ

at our Christingle Mass

On Friday 19 December, we prepared for Christmas at the Carol Service

and the next morning, we brought the Good News of Christmas to the Streets of the Parish

singing Carols, greeting and distributing leaflets to everyone

some whom we met even asked Fr to pray with them and give them a Blessing …

ON CHRISTMAS EVE at the 4pm Crib Service 

we became a ‘Living Crib’ as we told the Story of Christmas

with the help of many young friends and their families ….

while some found the excitement of their first Christmas ….

just a little overwhelming ……..

At 9pm on the Night of Christmas

the darkened Church filled with silent worshippers as we awaited

The Christmas Proclamation,

then ‘Adeste Fideles’ ….

and the First Mass of the Nativity began …

The Festivities continued throughout Christmastide

with many adding their intentions and thoughts

to our Christmas Prayer Tree

At Epiphany, we blessed Chalk

so we can inscribe God’s blessing with prayer on our homes

and on the Entrance Door to Church

in this form

20+C+M+B+15

and then three of our own Wise Men

brought the Magi

in Procession to the Altar for the Nativity Scene

After Mass

we collected our Chalk

and enjoyed a chat over a glass of wine to celebrate

And today, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Mass began with the Blessing of the Waters

and then, in renewal of our Baptismal Vows,

we each received Sprinkling with this Holy Water

After Mass, we fetched some for our own devotional use at home

before heading to share some fellowship and friendship over Coffee

______________________________________________________

God has greatly blessed us throughout the weeks of Advent and Christmastide

and, giving Him all glory and praise,

we trust the Lord for all that lies ahead for you who are reading this

…. and from all of us at SS Julius and Aaron

THANK YOU for being part of our ‘Church without Walls’ and

a final message from Christmastide to bring with you into 2015