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mcoleman117@hotmail.co.uk http://maristway.org
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Dear Friends
In a recent issue of ‘Pastoral Review’ (Nov\Dec 2009) Una Agnew SSL wrote, in an article on Advent: “How can I gain the Christmas spirit? Any guidelines towards preparing for and celebrating Christmas involve time to reposition ourselves imaginatively into the circumstances of Christ’s historical birth. Like Kavanagh, poet of ‘Advent’, we live in perennial anticipation that a certain newness may be born in us to counter the staleness that routine inevitably breeds. This challenge stretches us further to hear again and retell the Incarnation story in more and more innovative ways, coupled with the expectation that Christ born sacramentally again and again may make: ‘O marvellous, new Nazareth in us’. What a difference a birth makes! Bethlehem can relocate itself in our midst so that the newly born Christ is etched on our fields, our hedgerows, our streets, our skies. Christ, who turns history around into a newly Christened era may convert us more fully into Anno Domini – God time. He continues to seek a place to be alive today, to replenish wonder, to strengthen fidelity to the story of a birth that transforms our darkness and makes the rising sun to visit us once more.
“Almighty God and Father of light, your eternal Word leaped down from heaven in the silent watches of the night. Open our hearts to receive his life and increase our vision with the rising dawn, that our lives may be filled with his glory and his peace.” (Prayer based on Jh. 1. 1-18 by Don Schwager)
YOUR CHARITABLE PRAYERS Are requested for the repose of Nellie Moore, a long-standing member of the Marist Way Group in Goldthorpe died on 16th October in her 92nd year. May she and all the faithful departed of the Marist Way rest in peace. Amen.
MARIST PILGRIMAGES Next May seems a long time away but it is surprising how quickly time passes. The Marist Lourdes Pilgrimage will depart by coach on Saturday 29th May and return Saturday 5th June. The cost will be around £10 more than last year, which were – Hotel Padoue £510.00 and Hotel Esplanade £380.00. This includes coach travel, full board and travel insurance. Booking forms now available.
SWANWICK CONFERENCE Please make a note in your diary – Friday 17th / Sunday 19th September 2010, Sr Monica SM, former General of the Marist Sisters, will be the keynote speaker for the conference “Fr Jean-Claude Colin SM – ‘A Message for Today’”. Cost will be around £150.00 per person. Booking forms will be available early in the New Year (so that they don’t get lost in the Christmas post)shortly and it will be important that we have some idea of actual numbers by the end of January 2010. This will be a very important occasion and we will need your support.
Marist Liturgical Calendar and Mass Intentions 2009
M. Coleman SM Marist Way Region of England Animator
Recently I was very taken by the message of Paul to the Romans: “This news is about the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took, was a descendant of David: it is about Jesus Christ our Lord, who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was in him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead. Through him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of his name. You are one of these nations, and by his call belong to Jesus Christ. To you all then, who are God’s beloved in Rome, called to be saints, may God out Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send grace and peace. (Ch1. vv 2-7).
May the peace of Christ be with you at Christmas.
may 2010 A.D. “Anno Domini” Be A “Year of the Lord”
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