ST MARGARET’S PAGE

Fourth Sunday of Advent (A) 18 December 2016

Mass Times Vigil 6.30pm (Sat). Sunday 8.30am, 10.30am & 6.30pm Mon. Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat.10.00am Adoration Wednesdays 8-9.15pm

Confessions Saturdays 10.30-11.00am Sundays 10.00-10.20am

St Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church, 130 St Margaret’s Road, Twickenham TW1 1RL Tel: 020 8892 3902

E-mail: stmargaretsonthames@rcdow.org.uk

for ‘THE PAGE’ on line contact Westminster Diocesan Website : parish.rcdow.org.uk/stmargaretsonthames

Parish Priest: Canon Peter Newby. Parish Administrator, Jean McGinley; Catechetical Co-ordinator: Therese Teevan; Bookkeeper: Ann Edes

Fr Peter writes…...

During this season of Primary School Nativity Plays I am re-

minded of the scene in the film ‘Love Actually’ when a child

appears as an octopus ready to be taken to his own School

Nativity Play. Obviously in this modern age the cast has is ex-

panded to cater for a class of thirty pupils. Such an embellish-

ment matters little so long as the main characters are present

because the account of the birth of Jesus stills holds pride of

place in most peoples’ understanding of Christianity. At the

other extreme the account of the birth at Bethlehem can even

stand the de-mythologised crib of ox and ass, made famous

by the 1970s seminarians of the Pontifical Biblical Institute.

They were making the point that to demystify the account of

the birth of Jesus Christ, a fashionable enterprise in those

years, was only to point as to who was absent, the Holy Fami-

ly and Shepherds, and the intimate human involvement that

are at the heart of the account of Jesus’ birth.

This folk creativity may be grasped as a legitimate develop-

ment stemming from the differing accounts of the birth of

Jesus found in both Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospel. The seam-

less robe of Angels, Bethlehem, Shepherds, Wise men, and

Herod is an amalgam of both Gospels. This combined account

domesticates the much starker account found in St Matthew’s

Infancy narrative. The Gospel of St Matthew begins with the

genealogy of Jesus, tracing His origin back to Abraham before

launching straight into the circumstances prior to Jesus’ birth,

a combination of the Holy Spirit’s unique action and the an-

gel’s message to St Joseph through a dream. There is nothing

about the tenderness of Jesus’ relatives nor any description of

the physical circumstances of the birth, nor about the shep-

herds; the Gospel reading of Midnight Mass.

The focus of the account is on St Joseph and not the Virgin

Mary as in St Luke’s Gospel. St Joseph is described as a just

man, and so was identified with the major figures of the Old

Testament. The just person delights in the Law of the Lord,

and their conduct derives from a living relationship with God

through prayer, charity and moral life. This relationship made

it possible for him to accept the angel’s message only because

he had previously chosen the merciful option to divorce Mary

informally.

Entrance Antiphon: Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; and let earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour

Response to the Psalm Let the Lord enter! He is the King of glory.

To step beyond this, and to take home of Mary would have

been unthinkable in normal circumstances, all the more be-

cause of the obscure origins of her pregnancy. Hence the angel

says, ‘Do not be afraid’ the same words as expressed to the

Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel. The choice of St Joseph

is explained as fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah given over seven

hundred years earlier in a time of national crisis, and one

which would initiate a new relationship between God and hu-

manity through Jesus Christ. St Joseph’s role was essential be-

cause by taking the Virgin Mary into his home he legitimised

Jesus as Son of David, thus allowing the Messiah to be Son of

David.

The invocation, ‘Do not be afraid’ is addressed to every Chris-

tian, because the prophecy of Isaiah is addressed to all human-

ity. The birth of the child from a virgin, is more than just fact,

but the archetype of human hope, that burst forth in every

family. Virgil, the Roman poet, in his Fourth Eclogue predicts

the birth of such a child. This Christmas we too are invited to

participate in this silent dream of humanity by being the just

man and women filled with joy who can discern the

promptings of God within their own lives. Through our lives we

make the Holy Spirit tangible and so embody the hope that the

birth of this child, Jesus, brings to the world

PLEASE PRAY FOR: The Sick: Rose Lorden, William Hamilton, Ethan Knott,

Caroline Horsbrugh, Colin Bertram, Gerry McEntee, Rose Williams, Brian Winter, Peter Coughlan, Carol Samba, Cesar Juan Urrutigoity, Mary English, Maureen Tanner, Mary Arnolda, Florence Clements, Carmen Bourne, Simon Barber, Amanda Lonergan , Mary Ethel Arnolda and Gerda Kerrigan.

Anniversaries: Janina Jascia, Stanislaus Leszczynski, Mary Kelly, David Matthewson, Bridget O’Connor, Helen Colsey, Charles Bendy, Marje Kensit, Alice Bendy, Sr Carol Manning, Thomas Goulds, Timothy Exley, Mary Sharratt, Ida Verbruggen and Margaret Ottman

Deanery Intentions for Fr Nigel Griffin and the

parishioners of the St Edmunds Whitton.

Mass Intentions Sat. 17 6.30pm Julie Thompson (Ban Lavery)

Sun. 18 8.30am Intention of Moya Cosgrove (McGinley)

10.30am Intention of Sylvia Skelton (Friel)

6.30pm Deceased members of Evenhuis Family

(Evenhuis)

Mon. 19 10.00am Intention of Maureen Davis (Davis)

Tues. 20 10.00am Intentions of Patricia & George (Davis)

Wed. 21 10.00am Sr Carol Manning RIP (Burman)

Thur. 22 10.00am For all Prisoners and their Families

Fri. 23 10.00am Intention of Lauri Watson (Ban Lavery)

Sat. 24 10.00am Intention of the Shaw Family (Shaw)

Vigil 6.00pm Childrens’ Mass For Families everywhere

11.15pm Carols and Readings

12.00am Midnight Mass For our Parishioners

Sun.25 Nativity of the Lord

8.30am Intention of Irene Starzecki

10.30amEdward Preston Anniversary (Byrne)

(There will be no evening Mass)

for all the gifts

and all the help that YOU

have given the Angel Tree project his year.

Thanks to you, many people, less fortunate than

ourselves in our local community will receive a

gift this Christmas. Special thanks to those who

sorted the gifts (you know who you are): To

those who helped with preparations and

wrapping all the angel gifts and finally to our

drivers who delivered the parcels to Social

Services on your behalf.

Your kindness and generosity of time

and effort are greatly appreciated.

18 December 4th Sunday of Advent Isaiah 7:10-14 Psalm 23 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-24

25 December The Nativity of the Lord Isaiah 62:11-12 Psalm 96 Titus 3:4-7 Luke 2:15-20

Please remember in your Prayers

especially at Christmas

The Sick, The Lonely,

The Housebound and

Prisonersand their Families

Fr Peter will be holding

Open Mornings

for

Signing School

Forms

Tuesday 20 December 2016

11-12.30pm

Saturday 14 January 2017

11.00am—1.00pm (in the Parish Library (upstairs)

Angel Tree

Mass Times for the Christmas Season Please collect a leaflet from the narthex

Fr Peter

is very happy to

visit our

Sick & Housebound

Parishioners

If you would like to receive Holy Communion or celebrate

the Sacrament of Reconciliation, please contact the

Parish Office 020 8892 3902 between 8-1.00pm weekdays.

Certainly one for the Diary! Men’s Breakfast - Saturday 4th March 2017

Come and enjoy a hot cooked breakfast, it’s a great opportunity to chat and share time with like-minded chaps.

Paul Valler is our the speaker of the day – a really interesting guy, formerly Finance and Operations Director of Hewlett-Packard Ltd, Paul is Chair of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity and a regular conference and seminar s peaker. He has written a book ‘Get a Life – Winning Choices for Working People’ and his seminar Inte-grating Work and Life has run in over 50 locations nationally and in Europe. You may have heard him interviewed on Premier Christian Radio

CAR PARKING FOR THE DISABLED

Would parishioners please leave the two parking bays (near the church doors) free for those who need them most.

Thank you Fr Peter

Music for Midnight Mass

There will be practices after 10.30am Mass on Sunday 18 December.

Our regular singers and any

others who wish to join are invited to attend.

Bernard Winter 07769 721 975

mazbern1@sky.com

Additional House Meeting

Sunday 15 January 2017 12noon—1.00pm

In the Parish Library

Please sign up on the List provided

at the back of the Church

Important Dates for your Diary

Talk & Discussion

on Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium

as a blue print for the 21st century

Missionary Parishes.

Wednesday 25 January 2017 &

Friday 3rd February .

8.00pm -9.30pm In the Parish Library.

Diocese of Westminster

Pilgrimage to Fatima

Centenary Year of the Apparitions

Led BY: Cardinal Vincent Nichols

Monday 24-Thursday 27 April 2017

Price £530.00 per person

Single Rooms £50 per person

Price includes flights with Air Portugal from

London Heathrow.

Travel Insurance £26 per person

Package includes 3 nights full board

accommodation at Hotel Steyler.

A full itinerary including a visit to Lisbon on day

of arrival, daily Mass 2x1/2 day excursions

Details: The Pilgrimage Office

46 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QN

Tel: 0207 798 9173

Marriage Course Days

at St Margarets of Scotland

Saturday 18 February 2017

& Saturday 13 May 2017

9.45am Registration

10.00am –5.00pm Course

Lunch provided.

£70.00 per couple.

Please contact the Parish Office on 020 8892 3902

(between 8.00-1.00pm weekdays

Would you like to become an Altar Server?

Have you made your First Holy Communion? If so, we welcome you to join the Altar Servers. This is the last opportunity to join this academic year, next in-take will be September.

Becoming a server is to have the honour of assisting the priest in the celebration of the Mass and other

ceremonies.

Any new servers are required to attend a training session on 22nd January before 10:30 Mass and then serve for the first time at that Mass.

If you would like to join, or have any questions, please email Andrew Polland (andrewpolland@gmail.com) with your name, email address and the Mass(es) you would like to regularly serve at.

We look forward to welcoming you to the team.

CURRENT VACANCIES Diocese of Westminster

Riona Scannell | Senior HR Advisor |

Diocese of Westminster (maternity cover for Julie Dauncey)

Vaughan House | 46 Francis Street | London SW1P 1QN

Tel: (020) 7798 9167 | Fax: (020) 7798 9012

Job title Dept Hours per week Closing date

Locum Night Concierge

Caritas Bakhita House as required 31/01/2017

SPEC Re-treat Leader SPEC 40 hours per week 16/01/2017

The December 100 Club Draw has been drawn early this month

Congratulations to the following winners

First Prize No. 5 Bernard Winter £100.00

Second Prize No 78 Joseph Estorninho £50.00.

Your Prizes will be forwarded to your home addresses this week.

Congratulations To all the children who made their First Reconciliation

yesterday. The First Holy Communion sessions will

begin on 8th January at the same time in the hall

(9.15am). You will not need to bring your purple books

but will receive a new book on the first session.