Friday 25th December 2021
Christmas Eve
Dear brothers and
sisters,
Picture an ‘old fashioned’
television. The kind before digital, sky plus and satellites. The kind that had
the flimsy metal aerial attached to the box similar to the one in the picture
below.
It may look dated now but many families scrimped and saved to have these new entertainment machines in the corner of their living rooms. The aerial and its position were crucial to the quality of picture and sound that came through. If the aerial was tilted the wrong way or there was outside interference from the weather then all you could see was a black and white fuzz with loud static crackling noise. The adjustment of the T.V aerial required skill and a great deal of patient perseverance!
There are times in life when our own spiritual aerials have not been pointing in the right direction.
Rather than receiving God and being able to focus on our relationship with Jesus Christ the picture that has emerged is one of patchy faith and blurry hope. Over the 18 months we have all been living through uncertain and frustrating times, even now the new year of 2022 is still unclear and fuzzy. Many people have been plagued with understandable worries and genuine concerns. All this ‘interference’ has caused static and crackling in our lives of faith which in turn has made it difficult to clearly see and hear the Lord. What do we do? How do we resume normal service?
The best spiritual T.V repairman that I can recommend is Saint Peter Julian Eymard. He was a 19th century French priest who established the Blessed Sacrament Fathers and whose words of wisdom are still in print today. Over the last few months I’ve found myself turning to this saint and asking for his intercession. Saint Peter Julian has repaired and redirected my spiritual aerial back towards Jesus Christ especially in the mystery of the Blessed Sacrament. The following words he penned are perfect for this moment in time with Christmas looming.
‘We must keep in mind that the Holy Eucharist
is Jesus Christ, past, present, and future; that the Eucharist is the last
development of the Incarnation and mortal life of our Saviour; that in the
Eucharist Jesus Christ gives us every grace; that all truths tend to and end in
the Eucharist; and that there is nothing more to be added when we have said,
“The Eucharist,” since it is Jesus Christ...It is not difficult to find a
relation between the birth of Jesus in the stable and His sacramental birth on
the altar and in our hearts...Who does not see that the hidden life of Nazareth
is continued in the Divine Host of the tabernacle, and that the passion of the
Man-God on Calvary is renewed in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at every moment
of the day and night, and all over the world?’
(‘The Real Presence’, Saint Pierre Julian Eymard)
Whenever he was on his travels or he could not pray before the Blessed Sacrament, Saint Peter Julian would close his eyes and picture the tabernacle in his own church. This simple practice reminded him of the reality of Jesus’ true and substantial Presence in the world. It was the Blessed Sacrament contained within the tabernacle the reaffirmed Peter Julian Eymard’s faith that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, was not in the clouds above but dwelling amongst his people on earth. Throughout his life Fr. Eymard faced many trials and challenges but it was the love of Christ found in the Eucharist that helped him to have a clear picture of Heaven.
As we approach these
days of Christmastide and look towards the New Year I invite you, brothers and
sisters, to imitate the prayer of Saint Peter Julian Eymard. Close your eyes
and think of the Tabernacle here at St. Mary’s. Picture the red lit sanctuary
lamp whose flickering flame reminds us of the Lord’s Presence in our midst.
Once you have that visual image talk to Him, the Good Shepherd. Adore Him, give
Him Thanks, talk to Him about your worries and concerns and petition Him for
your friends and family.
Happy Christmas and have a Blessed and Peaceful New Year!
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Friday 24th December
5:30pm Carols around the Crib
6pm Christmas Eve Mass (Family Mass)
8pm Christmas Eve Mass (Simple, quiet
& reflective Mass)
9:30am Carols around the Crib
10am Christmas Day Mass (Family Mass)
Sunday 26th December
10am Mass, Feast of the Holy Family
Tuesday 28th December
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament & Confession
6pm Mass, The Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Feast)
Wednesday 29th December
10am Mass, Saint Thomas Beckett, Bishop
& Martyr (Feast)
10am Christmas Mass
11am Funeral Service of Natalina Yates RIP
Saturday 1st January 2022
6pm The Holy Rosary
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Second Sunday of
Christmas
9:30am The Holy Rosary
10am Mass for the Second Sunday of
Christmas
Thank you for continuing to make St. Mary’s a safe and prayerful place for the Glory of God.
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (25th Dec - 1st Jan 2022) the Sanctuary Lamp is burning in prayer for Wilfrid Parr RIP.
Thank you
Thank you to everyone
who has made Christmas unique and prayerful as always at St. Mary’s. My
personal thanks for all the cards and gifts that have arrived at the front door
and sacristy. They are much appreciated.
God Bless and keep
praying.
Our Lady of
Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray
for us.
Fr. O’Brien