Partners in Faith 25 Cork Street, Dublin 8. Tel: 453 5348 Email: [email protected]Website: www.partnersinfaith.ie Making Space for Trust Fourth Sunday of Advent 2016 7. Closing Prayer May the God who became human in Jesus shine forth in your humanity. May the God of gentleness walk with you wherever you go. May the God of stories give you a new story to tell and may the God of peace and joy settle softly on your life this Christmas. Celtic Blessing The light of the Christmas star to you The warmth of home and hearth to you The cheer and goodwill of friends to you The hope of a childlike heart to you The joy of a thousand angels to you The love of the Son and God’s peace to you. Irish Blessing Partners in Faith 25 Cork Street, Dublin 8. Tel: 453 5348 Email: [email protected]Website: www.partnersinfaith.ie LOVE TENDERLY A C T J U S T L Y W A L K H U M B L Y Meaning of the Advent Wreath: l The 1st purple candle is lit on the 1st Sunday in Advent, Nov 27th, and is the candle of HOPE. l The 2nd purple candle is lit on the 2nd Sunday in Advent, Dec 4th, and is the candle of PEACE. l The 3rd pink candle is lit on the 3rd Sunday in Advent, Dec 11th, also known as Gaudete Sunday, and is the candle of JOY. l The 4th purple candle is lit on the 4th Sunday in Advent, Dec 18th, and is the candle of LOVE. l The central white candle is lit on Christmas Day as the light of Christ enters the world when Jesus is born. l The wreath is evergreen symbolising everlasting life, and in the shape of a circle because a circle has no beginning and no end. It goes on forever, just like God’s love for us.
Making Space for TrustFourth Sunday of Advent 2016
7. Closing Prayer
May the Godwho became human in Jesusshine forth in your humanity.May the God of gentlenesswalk with you wherever you go.May the God of storiesgive you a new story to telland may the God of peace and joysettle softly on your life this Christmas.
Celtic Blessing
The light of the Christmas star to youThe warmth of home and hearth to youThe cheer and goodwill of friends to youThe hope of a childlike heart to youThe joy of a thousand angels to youThe love of the Son andGod’s peace to you.
The Parish Office, Church of St Thérèse, The Rise, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co Dublin,
on or before Sunday 7th Dec 2014.
Meaning of the Advent Wreath:
l The 1st purple candle is lit on the 1st Sunday inAdvent, Nov 27th, and is the candle of HOPE.
l The 2nd purple candle is lit on the 2nd Sundayin Advent, Dec 4th, and is the candle of PEACE.
l The 3rd pink candle is lit on the 3rd Sunday inAdvent, Dec 11th, also known as GaudeteSunday, and is the candle of JOY.
l The 4th purple candle is lit on the 4th Sundayin Advent, Dec 18th, and is the candle of LOVE.
l The central white candle is lit on Christmas Dayas the light of Christ enters the world whenJesus is born.
l The wreath is evergreen symbolising everlastinglife, and in the shape of a circle because a circlehas no beginning and no end. It goes onforever, just like God’s love for us.
Loving God, you know our frail heartsand our frayed history. Give us courage tostep onto new ground, eyes young again withenergy and dreams. To You we sing a newsong: a song of compassion inclusion,engagement; A song of listening, social justiceand respect for all. A song of unity, diversity,equality and peace; A song of Cead MileFailte and of care for our environment. Withyou, O Lord, we long to sing this new song ina spirit of true freedom.
Together, on this island, we have achieved anew peace. We want to cherish that peace aswe want to cherish all the children of thisisland equally. We pray for all those who havesuffered in the Troubles of the past centuryand we hope for peace and reconciliation inthe century that stretches before us.
Look kindly on us, Lord and be gracious tous.
(from prayer of remembrance recited by Head Chaplain, at GPO, Easter Sunday 2016)
2. Gospel text: Matthew 1:18-24
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ cameabout. His mother Mary was pledged to bemarried to Joseph, but before they cametogether, she was found to be with childthrough the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph herhusband was a righteous man and did notwant to expose her to public disgrace, he hadin mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel ofthe Lord appeared to him in a dream andsaid: ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid
to take Mary home as your wife, becausewhat is conceived in her is from the HolySpirit. She will give birth to a son, and youare to give him the name Jesus, because hewill save the people from their sins.’
All this took place to fulfil what the Lord hadsaid through the prophet: “The virgin will bewith child and will give birth to a son, andthey will call him Emmanuel” – which means,“God with us”.
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angelof the Lord had commanded him and tookMary home as his wife.
3. Quiet Moment
People can read over the text for themselvesand pick out words or short phrases thatstrike them and say them out loud. Wheneveryone has had a chance to say theirword/phrase, they can then reflect silentlyfor a moment or two and then briefly saywhy such a word/phrase struck them – in relation to themselves or their communityor the world.
4. Questions
Reflection questions for Matthew 1:18-25
1. Joseph ‘took Mary Home’ – what does home signify to you?
2. When have you broken the law in favour of life?
3. As 2016 draws to a close, what is your dream for our country?
5. Prayers
Mentioning the people and situations we want to pray for.
6. Background Notes for Matthew 1:18-25
Betrothal was a serious stage in the marriageprocess. The fiancé was already calledhusband and could release himself fromgoing forward only by an act of repudiation –disawowing the engagement promise. Josephwants to satisfy the Law by giving Mary theprescribed document privately. He plans toplay safe within the rules but treat Mary asgently as possible, protecting her from publicshame and punishment.
But the angel’s dream turns everything on itshead. Something new, undreamt of, isbeginning. The Holy Spirit – God’s life-givingpower – is taking over; and Joseph is caughtup in it.The law and systems can hold nosway. A new chapter is opening in God’sunstoppable love for humankind.
Again, writing for Christians who had beenJews, Matthew is careful to refer to Joseph asson of David, in this way inserting Mary intothe Davidic line and giving these events aproper place in salvation history. Joseph’s keyrole will be to be a father to this new humanbeing: he will initiate this role by giving it thename God had already chosen.
According to scholars the words: ‘and tookMary home as his wife’ do not tell usanything about Mary’s life as Joseph’s wifeafter the birth of Jesus. We don’t know how itwas.
