Dear Friends in Christ

The liturgy of this Gaudete Sunday bids us to be joyful because the coming of our Saviour is near at hand. This is the underlying mood of Advent; not one of penitence, but one of joyful expectancy as we await the Birth of Jesus. Last week in my Homily I reminded us that Advent has three dimensions: looking backwards (the history of salvation and the Prophets) and looking forward (to the return of Jesus) and living in the present moment. The present is the most important time, as this is the only time we have for certain in which to live holiness of life. As we enter the second half of Advent, we need to try and hear the voice of God more clearly. Doing this in the lead-up to Christmas is very difficult given all of the diversions that we encounter. We have so many things on our mind. If we can but find that desert space - the silence needed - then we will hear the voice of God calling us to reform our lives once again. It is never too late; God’s grace is always more powerful than all our human weaknesses, addictions and attachments.

The most important way that we reform ourselves, especially before the great festivals of the Church, is by a humble and sincere reception of the Sacrament of Penance, Confession. Over the next days there will be very ample opportunities for this Sacrament. Please go to the Sacrament, and if it has been a long time since your last Confession, tell the priest and he will help you. Try not to put-it-off or leave it to the last minute; nothing is ever solved by putting-off what is essential in life and even more so, when it comes to our spiritual lives, the health of our eternal souls.

At 5.30pm and 9.30am Mass next weekend, we invite you to bring the figures of the Infant Jesus which will be blest at the end of Mass ahead of placing them in our Cribs on Christmas Day.

May God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078 
The Sunday Homily is available as a podcast at LourdesLeigh.org