Sunday 18th December 2022 - Fourth Sunday in Advent
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Saturday 17th December
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Advent Mass - O Sapientia (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
O Sapientia: O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence.
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Sunday 18th December
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for The Fourth of Advent - O Adonai
O Adonai and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.
O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
Tuesday 20th December
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
6pm Advent Mass - O Clavis David
O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel; you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house, those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
Wednesday 21st December
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Advent Mass - O Oriens
O Morning Star, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
Thursday 22nd December
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Advent Mass - O Rex Gentium
O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one: Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay.
O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
Friday 23rd December
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
6pm Advent Mass - O Emmanuel
O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Saviour: Come and save us, O Lord our God.
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.
Saturday 24th December
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Advent Mass (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
5pm Carols around the Crib
5:30pm Christmas Eve Mass (Solemnity)
Sunday 25th December - Christmas Day
9:30am Carols around the Crib
10am Christmas Day Mass (Solemnity)
Monday 26th December – Boxing Day
12noon Mass with Blessing of Toys, Saint Stephen, Martyr (Feast)
All children are invited, as a prayer of thanksgiving, to bring their Christmas toys to this Mass and have them blessed.
St. Stephen was the first martyr to shed his blood for Christ, as witness to the newly revealed love of God. '...The love that Christ brought down from heaven to earth, lifted Stephen from earth to heaven.' - The Office of Readings
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (17th December - 24th December), the Sanctuary Lamp is for The Robinson Family.
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£446.88. Thank you for your kind generosity.
A St. Mary's Warm Welcome!
Some parishioners have put forward the excellent idea of having a 'Warm Welcome' twice a month at church on a Tuesday. What is a 'Warm Welcome'? It's the opportunity for a brew, meet up, catch up and sing a long in a warm St. Mary's. We have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on a Tuesday followed by an evening Mass so with the heating already on in church it makes sense to invite people to come along to a warm place, especially in these cold times and as many of you know expensive energy times! Dylan Owen (Saturday Vigil Mass musician) and Anthony Flanagan (Sunday Mass Choir Master) have generously offered their services to facilitate, as part of the 'Warm Welcome', a sing along. Something to make us smile and bring us together in the New Year. Everyone is welcome to come, bring neighbors', friends, family, people you know would love to get out of the house and do something different, parents and carers on their way to pick up children from school – Everyone is Welcome!!!
As always we need help. If you could volunteer to help join in with the brewing up, the extra voice to sing along, the opening up and closing up then please contact Fr. O'Brien at sean.obrien@dioceseofsalford.org.uk or one of the stewards at the weekend Masses. The more the merrier. If good numbers come to the first session then we'll know it's a project worth pursuing.
First St. Mary's Warm Welcome – Tuesday 10th January 1:30pm – 3pm.
Everyone Welcome – Spread the word!
The Season of Advent
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during Advent
Take some time each week to be with Our Lord in Adoration. Sacrifice a few minutes each week to pop into church and simply be in His presence before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. No words are required, no actions are asked but to be simply present to Him. To have that silence in church to listen to Him. During each time of Adoration there will be a table of resources at the back of church to help people in prayer. Please feel free to use and read whatever you find useful.
If Jesus stays with us wherever there is a consecrated Host,
what need is there to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to visit places he lived two
thousand years ago?
If only people visited tabernacles with the same devotion!
Blessed Carlo Acutis
"Know also that you will probably gain more by praying fifteen minutes before the Blessed Sacrament than by all the other spiritual exercises of the day. True, Our Lord hears our prayers anywhere, for He has made the promise, 'Ask, and you shall receive,'
but He has revealed to His servants that those who visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament will obtain a more abundant measure of grace."
St. Alphonsus Liguori
Saturday 17th December 9am – 9:50am
Tuesday 20th December 5pm – 5:50pm
Wednesday 21st December 9:15am – 9:50am
Thursday 22nd December 9:15am – 9:50am
Friday 23rd December 5pm -5:50pm
Saturday 24th December 9am – 9:50am
Confessions
Over the season of Advent there will be extra opportunities for Confession (See weekly timetable above). Many people still become anxious when they hear the term 'Confession', but as we saw in the Gospel, a few Sundays ago with the Good Thief St. Dismus, the words of Our Lord's forgiveness give us such hope and courage to live and live with joy. Jesus' mercy is boundless and I can tell you as a penitent, to receive his forgiveness is the most freeing and peaceful experience you can ever have.
Saturday 17th December 9am – 9:45am
Tuesday 20th December 5pm – 5:45pm
Friday 23rd December 5pm -5:45pm
Saturday 24th December 9am – 9:45am
Advent Spiritual Reading
Below are a list of book titles that you might find to be interesting reading over Advent and Christmas. All are accessible and are available via the Cathedral Centre Books (Mon – Fri 8:30am – 3:30pm Tel: 0161 817 2208 www.cathedralcentrebooks.com) or www.amazon.co.uk
Jesus of Nazareth, The Infancy Narratives by Pope Benedict XVI
God With Us: Encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew by Edward Sri
Forming Intentional Disciples, The Path to knowing and following Jesus by Sherry A. Weddell
Into His Likeness, Be transformed as a Disciple of Christ by Edward Sri
Habits for Holiness, Small Steps for Making Big Spiritual Progress by Fr. Mark Mary Ames CFR
Befriending Silence, Discovering the Gifts of Cistercian Spirituality by Carl McColman
Toward God, The Ancient Wisdom of Western Prayer by Michael Casey
Journeying with Jonah, The struggle to find yourself by Denis McBride CSsR
Rock Salt & Muscle Power!
Thank you to the generous people who have donated some bags of rock salt to help keep the paths around church safe – as always it is much appreciated. If your passing a garden center, petrol station or anywhere that's selling rock salt/grit and are able to donate a bag to church then it would be gratefully accepted. Any bags can be left outside, at the rear of the church building, by the bins. We all so need that precious gift of peoples time and energy in helping spread and scatter the grit on Icey and frozen days before Masses and liturgies at church so that everyone is kept safe. If you could help or be a contact then please contact Navada Keenan keenannavada@gmail.com or Karen Beard the parish Housekeeper jakey9998@aol.com
Easyfundrasing – Helping our parish when doing your Christmas Shopping
Please remember to use easyfundraising when you do your Christmas online shopping this year, see our parish web site for more information www.saintmarysoswaldtwistle.co.uk/easyfundraising.html.
Over 7,000 brands including eBay, John Lewis & Partners, Argos and M&S will donate to St Mary's Oswaldtwistle Community Care Fund for FREE when you use easyfundraising to shop with them. This means you can raise donations for us when you buy anything from decorations and festive food shopping to gifts like toys, jewelry, tech, experiences and more!
These donations really help us and all you have to do is use easyfundraising when you're ordering the things you'll be buying anyway. Follow this link to sign up.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
If there are any younger members of the parish family who are 12years + and would like to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation or want to know more about it then please see Fr. O'Brien at the end of a weekend Mass. It's a sacrament that is life changing and affirming.
Sacred Heart School
On Wednesday Mrs. Berry invited me to talk to her reception class. I told them the story of Daniel and the Lion's den (with actions!). We are so blessed in our Tradition to have such a rich treasure of stories from the Bible to pass on to others. Harry Potter etc. is great but it's the Word of God that really helps young people when it comes to making informed wholesome choices and nourishing their faith.
St. Mary's School
On Thursday afternoon school had their carol concert at church. With music, singing and scripture readings we were led through the Christmas story. We welcome back Mrs. Pemberton who will be acting headteacher over the next few months and wish Miss Hanson all the best on her new journey and career.
St. Oswald's School
On Wednesday I had time with the older students at school for an Advent meditation. We looked at three images that helped bring home the Advent message of being prepared and ready, not only for the 25th December, but when Jesus will come again. One image was an ancient mosaic of the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, the second was Chagall's painting of the prophet Isaiah and the third was Fra Angelico's The Annunciation. It was a good reminder for me that Christmas has not yet started despite what the outside world says. We are still in Advent, still in that time of prayer and contemplation.
Cost-of-Living Crisis Guidance
Parishes in our diocese have been reaching out and seeking ways to support members of their community through the cost-of-living crisis, and Caritas Salford has created a guidance webpage to signpost a number of ways both parishes and individuals can navigate through the crisis and support others. The information can be viewed here: Cost of Living - Caritas Diocese of Salford (caritassalford.org.uk) and you can also contact Matthew Yates at Caritas on m.yates@caritassalford.org.uk for more information.
Christmas Tree Recycling Project
Do you have a real Christmas tree to dispose of this year? The JustHelping Christmas tree recycling project is a convenient way to dispose of your tree while making a difference to our planet and raising funds for local charities. To find out more about the project or other collection points across Greater Manchester and Lancashire, head to https://just-helping.org.uk/register-tree
Ecological Gardening Course
Our Laudato Si' Centre has teamed up with the Northern School of Permaculture and Ecospheres Design to create a fascinating training course on Ecological Gardening. Ecological gardens are self-regulating green havens, designed to re-vegetate the Earth, capture carbon, nurture biodiversity and mitigate climate change. This programme was developed to bridge the knowledge gap between conventional landscaping, gardening and horticulture, and designing resilient eco-gardens and re-wilding projects. Find out more at https://laudatosicentre.org.uk/general/eco-gardening-training/
Missio Red Box Missions
The Calendars and books are now ready for collection from the Red Box Missions Cupboard at the back of Church.
Thank you to all the collectors for their continued help and support throughout 2022.
Jean Partington
Job Vacancies
Gardener and Well-being Co-ordinator (Replacement Role)
Appointment Type: Full-time, permanent
Working hours: 35 hours per week, Mon-Fri though some evening and weekend work will be required.
Location: Wardley Hall, Wardley Hall Road, Worsley, Manchester, M28 2ND.
Salary and benefits: £22,660 – £27,855 per annum dependent on skills and experience, 25 holidays, plus statutory bank holidays and 5 Diocesan closure days.
About: The Diocese of Salford seeking to recruit a Gardener and Wellbeing Coordinator to tend to the grounds of the Hall, including the Laudato Si' Centre (in accordance with seasonal needs), and support horticulture, well-being school, and community programmes.
For further information and to apply, please visit www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
Parish Property Maintenance Manager
Appointment Type: Full-time, permanent
Working hours: 35 hours per week, Mon - Fri, flexible working will be required including evenings and weekends.
Location: Cathedral Centre, Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP - though will be deployed to locations around the Diocese as the role requires.
Salary and benefits: £41,200 – £50,645
About: The Diocese of Salford is seeking to recruit a skilled, qualified tradesperson and highly motivated individual to lead the important work of maintaining and developing a wide and diverse array of properties and estates. These include churches, presbyteries and residential accommodation, social centres/parish facilities and other associated buildings.
Closing date: 12 noon Monday 19th December 2022
For further information and to apply, please visit www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
Pilgrimage Officer Administrator (Events)
Appointment Type: Full-time, permanent
Working hours: 35 hours per week, Mon - Fri, flexible working will be required.
Location: Cathedral Centre, Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP
Salary and benefits: £22,660 – £27,855
About: The Diocese of Salford is seeking to recruit a skilled, and experienced individual to provide first class administrative and operational support to Pilgrimage Leaders. The successful candidate will play an important role in ensuring the effective administration and smooth running of the pilgrimage office and also provide support to pilgrimage leads whilst on pilgrimage.
Closing date: 12 noon Monday 19th December 2022
For further information and to apply, please visit www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
Refugee Entrepreneurship Programme Officer
Appointment Type: Full-time, fixed term contract until 31 March 2023
Working hours: 37.5 hours per week
Location: Caritas House, M4 7FA, with some opportunity to work flexibly
Salary and benefits: £31,340
About: The post holder will provide practical support to refugee entrepreneurs who wish to start their own business. If you have experience of working with refugees in a one-to-one setting, giving advice on business startups, have experience of creating business and training opportunities in the North West of England then we would love to hear from you!
Closing date: 9am Friday 13 January 2023.
For further information and to apply, please visit www.caritassalford.org.uk
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O'Brien