Please use the Parish Webpage (http://stsimonlikas.wordpress.com) to see latest bulletin for information on Services Schedule etc.

ANNUAL PRIESTLY VOCATION SEMI-

NAR to be held in Bun-du Tuhan from 13-15 January 2017. Young

men who are interested to join please collect a form from the parish

office, which need to be filled, signed also by the parish priest, and sent to the Vocation Team be-

fore 31st Dec 2016.

ARCHBISHOP’S CHRISTMAS OPEN

HOUSE Archbishop John Wong will be having an open

house at the Sacred Heart Parish Centre on Dec 25 (Sunday) from 2.30pm to

5pm.

NO 6.30PM MASS ON THU (29 DEC 2016) All priests around KK will be attending Fr Alex Sipanul’s 40th priestly celebration at Mensiang at 6pm on this day. There will be no 6.30pm

Mass on that day at St Simon.

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD MASS on Jan 1,

2017 at 8.30am and 5pm.

MASS AND HOLY HOUR BEGINNING AT 7.30PM RESUMES THU

(5 JANUARY 2017).

6pm INSTEAD OF 6.30pm MASS ON TUE (27 DEC 2016). This is the actual

date of Fr Cosmas’ ordination. Since Fr Cos-mas has to attend an official dinner at 7pm, Mass will begin at 6pm instead of 6.30pm

on that day. Parishioners please take note!!!!

St Simon Catholic

Church Likas

Bulletin edition: 24th Dec, 2016

CHRISTMAS VIGIL-24 DEC

R1: Is 62: 1-5; R2: Ac 13: 16-17; 22-25 Gospel: Mt 1: 1-25

Resp. Psalm: Today a savior has been born to us, he is Christ the Lord.

CHRISTMAS DAY-25 DEC

R1: Is 52:7-10; R2: Hebr 1:1-16 Gospel: Jn 1: 1-18

Resp. Psalm: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

SOLEMNITY OF MARY-01 JAN 2017

R1: Num 6: 22-27 52:7-10; R2: Gal 4: 4-7 Gospel: Lk 2: 16-21

Resp. Psalm: O God, be gracious and bless us.

Donations

11 Dec Black Bag RM6,934.25

Red Bag RM5,804.55

18 Dec Black Bag RM6,356.60

Red Bag RM5,387.20

Address Jln Punat Tanah, Off Jln Tuaran, Mile 3.5 (KM6), 88400

Kota Kinabalu

Contact 088-212713 (Tel) / 088-288713 (Fax)

E-mail SSCCL010608@gmail.com

Webpage http://stsimonlikas.wordpress.com

Office

Hours

Mon-Fri: 9am-1pm; 2pm-5pm

Sat: 9am-1pm

Rector Rev Cosmas Lee

Sunday

Services

Masses (Eng) - 8.30am & 5pm; Rosary:

5pm; Confession: 8.15am & 4.45pm

Weekday

Services

(Chapel)

Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri: 6.30pm

Thurs: Holy Hour - 7.30pm, followed by Mass at 8.30pm

Weekly Inter-

cessory

Prayers

Every Tuesday after the weekday Mass

Chapel opens 7am-9pm

Wishing all parishioners a blessed Christmas and happy new year 2017!

Correction: Donation figures for 20th Nov (Sun) should read RM3,496.95 (black bag); RM2,896.75 (red bag) and not as previously stated.

We regret the error.

P HEW! Time passes so quickly that even now tomorrow seems gone! This is already our 9th

Christmas together as a parish at St Si-mon. But first thing first: It’s Christmas! Whatever our reason or excuse, every-thing else must give way! For had not God come in our flesh, where would we be? The magic that is Christmas has been and will always be right. We must pay attention to that magic and be part of it. We need to celebrate and forget about the zillions of troubles and anxieties of life, for a Saviour has been born for us, he is Christ the Lord! Let us turn away a bit from the immediate nativity scene of Christ, and look at a very important consequence of the mystery of God becoming human. In the gospel read-ing for Christmas Day Mass, writing on the eternal Word made flesh, St John tells us: “But to all who did receive him he gave power to become children of God…” (Jn 1:12). The birth of Jesus Christ, God’s humani-zation, has become the great mystery of our divinization! Human beings (whom God created from the lowly dust of earth) who receive him as the only Begotten Son of the Father would receive power from the Almighty and made into God’s very own children. Through Jesus’ Death, and Resurrection, which would never be possi-ble without his Birth as man, we have now a share in God’s own divine life. Because of Christmas, we have been made divine! At the home caroling this year, we have asked all to proclaim our wondrous divini-zation: “Rejoice, Children of God, Re-joice! Christ is Born!”

At the Archdiocesan Synod (Pax As-sembly) in November last year, many of us discovered that the ultimate strength or weakness in our response to the pressing and challenging issues (6 were identified) faced by the Church today depends on our sense of Identity or lack of it. We must realize that through baptism each of us has been raised to an infinite dignity, to a status way beyond being just son/daughter of some human so-and-so, but that of be-ing adopted sons and daughters of God Himself. If that is who we are, why are we so wavering and apprehensive about having to face the challenges in our age? If we don’t believe we are God’s own children, then no political, social, and economic skills and efforts can help us overcome the many challenges we face. Even in the world, children of noble birth (Kings and heads of peoples) carry themselves in super dignity and confi-dence. They know they are not com-mon; they have been born to rule. From birth they have been taught who they are and to become worthy of their lofty mission and destiny. How infinitely more confident should we be when we know and believe that we are not just children of kings and heads but God’s very own children! Born in baptism, we have been bred by God’s Word and Sacraments, taught by the wisdom and power of God’s Holy Spirit to grow

Rejoice, Children of God

Rejoice! Christ is born!At the Archdiocesan Synod (Pax As-

many of us discovered that the ultimate strength or weakness in our response to the pressing and challenging issues (6 were identified) faced by the Church

Identity or lack of it. We must realize that

been raised to an infinite dignity, to a status way beyond being just son/daughter of

so, but that of be-ing adopted sons and daughters of God Himself. If that is who we are, why are we so wavering and apprehensive about having to face the challenges in our

t believe we are God’s own children, then no political, social, and economic skills and efforts can help us overcome the many challenges we

Even in the world, children of noble birth (Kings and heads of peoples) carry themselves in super dignity and confi-dence. They know they are not com-mon; they have been born to rule. From birth they have been taught who they are and to become worthy of their lofty mission and destiny. How infinitely more confident should we be when we know and believe that we are not just children of kings and heads but God’s very own children! Born in baptism, we

s Word and Sacraments, taught by the wisdom and

s Holy Spirit to grow

Children of God,

Rejoice! Christ is born!

NEWS AND FORTHCOMING EVENTS

into the image of his beloved Son Jesus, the mighty Lord who has conquered sin and death. What challenges on this earth can we not overwhelm as children of the Almighty God!? Because of Christmas, we’ve got to know who we really are, and take up the mission of building the Kingdom of God in faith, hope and love, like the Son of God, our Saviour, born in Bethlehem. Many people, who are over-conscious of and unable to be liberated from the negative influence of a lowly back-ground, suffer grievously from inferiority complex. Tormented by poor self-esteem and timidity, they are withdrawn and ac-complish little in life. Not only would they not come forth as leaders but are poor followers. When we think we are nobody, we become nobody. With Christmas we know we are somebody, we will become somebody. As we, the children of God, celebrate Christmas, and as we look at the Infant Jesus in the crib, our heart should throb with a deep sense of pure joy and an un-shakable sense of confidence. In the same crib where the infant Jesus lies, there lie we too as his brothers and sisters. We know this is true for the Spirit of God in us moves us and makes us cry out to God: “Abba, Father!” Blessed Christmas, Children of God!

SUNDAY

SCHOOL 2017

The Sunday School and Sun-day Canteen closed on 04 Dec

2016, and will resume on 08 Jan 2017.

However, classes for RCIA and

RCIC continue as usu-al. Parents please take note.

New Intake for

2017 Sunday School Registration forms for new stu-dents will be available for par-

ents of children from age 7 years to 15 years and who

are residing within the St Si-mon Likas parish boundary.

Forms are available after the

morning Mass on 18 Dec 2016, at the counter set up in front of

the Parish office.

Registration forms for the new students can also be obtained

from the Parish office be-tween 19-30 Dec 2016, during

office hours.

Registration form must be re-turned to the Parish office by 04

Jan 2017.