18 December 2016
4th Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 7: 10-14
Psalm 23: 1-6
Romans 1: 1-7
The Gospel of Matthew 1: 18-24
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.
Saint Joseph the Guardian
In giving Joseph to Mary as her spouse, God gave her not only a companion for her life, a witness of her virginity, a guardian of her honor, but also someone she could share her sublime dignity with.
Similarly, Joseph stands out amongst all for his august dignity, because he was, by God’s will, the guardian of the Son of God, looked upon by men as his father. This is also the reason why it is said that the Word of God was humbly submitted to Joseph, that he would obey to him and do all the duties children are asked to by their parents.
From this double dignity followed the responsibilities that nature imposes on fathers: Joseph was the guardian, the administrator and the legitimate and natural defender of the divine house, of which he was the head…Now, the divine house that Joseph governed with the authority of a father contained the beginnings of the newborn Church…These are the reasons why the blessed Patriarch looks over the Church since the multitude of Christians have been entrusted to him.
Pope Leo XIII
Saints of the week
Wed 21 Saint Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor
Fri 23 Saint John of Kęty, Priest
Psalter week IV
The Nativity of the Lord
Mass during the day
Isaiah 52: 7-10
Psalm 97: 1-6
Hebrews 1: 1-6
John 1: 1-1
Let us rejoice in the day of our salvation!
Like Mary, the Church shows to everyone the “sign” of God: the Child whom she bore in her womb and to whom she gave birth, yet who is the Son of the Most High, since he “is of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1:20). He is truly the Saviour, for he is the Lamb of God who takes upon himself the sin of the world (cf. Jn 1:29). With the shepherds, let us bow down before the Lamb, let us worship God’s goodness made flesh, and let us allow tears of repentance to fill our eyes and cleanse our hearts.
He alone, he alone can save us. Only God’s mercy can free humanity from the many forms of evil, at times monstrous evil, which selfishness spawns in our midst. The grace of God can convert hearts and offer mankind a way out of humanly insoluble situations.
Where God is born, hope is born. Where God is born, peace is born. And where peace is born, there is no longer room for hatred and for war.
His Holiness, Pope Francis,
Urbi et Orbi Christmas Blessing 2015.
NEWS
Schedule for Christmas Masses:
Sat 24
4pm at the Latin Parish Hall (Vigil Mass)
10 pm Christmas carols followed by Holy Mass at Agia Kyriaki. 10 pm Mass in Polis. (Midnight Mass)
Sun 25
Agia Kyriaki:
10am Latin,
11am Polish (Fr. George Kraj),
12pm English.
Christmas Gifts: We need non-wrapped gifts for the poor. Ages 0-15 (Colouring books, educational material, warm clothes, etc.) Please Call Mary Penny 96 398641.
CARITAS PAPHOS: We need non-perishable food to be distributed to the poor in the Paphos area. Prayers and Donations help too!
Please contact Wendy Burdon: 99 040294.
Archangel Michael Hospice: We need volunteers in reception, nursing assistants and cafeteria. Contact Mona 99 494140.
Fatima’s 100 Year Anniversary: A pilgrimage to Fatima and Santiago de Compostela towards the end of March 2017 is being organized. Several CY parishes will participate. More details to come.
Mass Times HERE