Fr James Smith Tel. 01875 610232
Parish Priest Email:
St Martin of Tours Catholic Church
High Street, Tranent, EH33 1HJ 3rd December 2017
St Gabriel’s is a parish of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh,
a charity registered in Scotland – number SC008540
First Sunday of Advent (Year B)
Church Services / Mass Times / Intentions
Monday 4th / 10.00am St Gabriel’s
9.00am St Martin’s
/ Eucharistic Service
Eucharistic Service
Tuesday 5th / 10.00am St Gabriel’s
7.00pm St Martin’s Mass
/ Eucharistic Service
Margaret McNeish
Wednesday 6th / 10.00am St Martin’s
7.00pm St Gabriel’s Mass / Eucharistic Service
Eileen Buchanan
Thursday 7th / St Ambrose - Memorial
10.00am St Martin’s Mass
10.00am St Gabriel’s / Special Intention
Eucharistic Service
Friday 8th / The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Solemnity
10.00am St Gabriel’s Mass
10.00am St Martin’s / Michael Martin
Eucharistic Service
Saturday 9th / 10.00am St Gabriel’s
6.00pm St Gabriel’s Vigil Mass / Eucharistic Service
Gino Zanetti.
Sunday 10th / Second Sunday of Advent
9.30 am St Martin’s Mass
11.30 am St Gabriel’s Mass
/ People of the Parish
People of the Parish
There will be confessions in St Gabriel’s before the Saturday Vigil Mass from 5.15pm – 5.45pm
There will also be confessions before Sunday Mass in St Martin’s from 8.45 am - 9.15 am
Parish Announcements
Offertory Collection - £598.71. Many thanks for your kind generosity.
VISITORS TO ST. GABRIEL'S
Whether you come for one visit or many, you are very welcome to worship with us at Mass on Sunday or any of our weekday services in this church. There is a wheelchair in the Sacristy if one is needed. We would be grateful if it could be returned after use. Thank you.
SACRAMENTS - Please give plenty of notice for the
Celebration of Marriage------6 months usually.
Baptism ------3 months.
ALTAR SERVERS/PARISH TRIP – “Cinderella” at the King’s Theatre Edinburgh on 3rd January 2018 @ 2pm
A list is at the back of the Church for names of people wishing to go to the Panto. The group booking price will be £19 per ticket and it is also proposed to put on a coach to take us there (and bring us back) at a cost of maximum £3 per person. Final numbers will be needed this weekend.
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA) – ‘LIFE IN CHRIST’
The group will meet again in the Side Chapel Room on Thursday 7th December at 7pm for the tenth part of their journey in faith. Last Thursday our discussions centred on ‘When we die’. This week the subject is ‘The Communion of Saints’. Please keep the group in your prayers at all times
CHILDREN’S LITURGY - on each Sunday in Advent 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th of December at 11.30am Mass.
OFFERTORY PROCESSION AT VIGIL MASS AND SUNDAY MASS
Please remember to add your name to the ‘GIFTS of BREAD and WINE AT MASS’ sign-up sheet which covers a period of one month. Please print your name on the appropriate date (once per month only). The new sheet for December is now available. Can’t find it? Ask a passkeeper.
FILM SUNDAY- tonight in St Martin’s Hall at 7pm, doors open at 6.30pm.”Going in Style” Lifelong buddies Willie (Morgan Freeman), Joe (Michael Caine) and Albert (Alan Arkin) decide to buck retirement and step off the straight-and-narrow when their pension funds become a corporate casualty. Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the three men risk it all by embarking on a daring adventure to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money. Age 12.
EVENTS TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF THE HALL - When the hall is finally refurbished and the opening takes place, Fr Jim is planning to have a week or two of events; to encourage parishioners to come along and experience what the new hall will have to offer. To this end it is hoped to compile a list of ideas for events to take place in the hall during its first couple of weeks. Parishioners are encouraged, that when creating their idea to take ownership of it. Many of you have had ideas in the past, so here is an opportunity to let your ‘light’ shine brightly for the good of all the community. Having had a couple of weeks to gather your thoughts on the subject, you will find the IDEAS SHEET now available on the table at the back of the church.
CHOIR- We are always looking for more singers. Please come and join us.
TOTE NUMBERS- 24 & 36 – two winners.
CHARITY FILM NIGHT – St Martin’s Hall Tranent - 8th December at 7pm doors opening at 6.30pm when we will be showing the Christmas Classic “White Christmas” Starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kay, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. BYOB and snacks; Dress up (Wee prize for the best fancy dress) Donations and raffle in aid of local charities. Please consider donating a raffle prize if you can. Following the film we’ll have a Christmas party with festive music on a playlist, so a warm welcome to all.
REPOSITORY- Newspapers, books, cards and sacramental gifts are available from the repository. CTS booklets, which help to develop your personal prayer and give more insight to your Faith, are available from the CTS stand inside the repository itself. The Archdiocesan Directory can be purchased from the back of the church. Advent calendars, advent candles, Christmas cards, 2018 calendars, diaries etc are now on sale in the repository.
PRAYING TOGETHER – Next Praying Together' .....is an Advent Reflection .
Itwillbe a quiet contemplative reflection for Advent. Amidst the hectic activities of this season, this quiet time can be a gift to yourself as you prepare for Christmas. We will meeton Tuesday 5th December at 7 pmin the side chapel. If you haven't been before feel free to join us. Refreshments to follow. We will continue to pray for all in the parish and especially those who have asked for prayer.
COMMUNICATION -
1. The Parish Newsletter: available at Mass on Saturday evening/Sunday.
2. The Parish Facebook Page:- www.facebook.com/stgabrielsprestonpans.org.uk
3. The Parish Website:- www.stgabrielschurcprestonpans.btck.co.uk/
4. Noticeboards: at the back of the church and the porch.
THE BOOK FOR YOUR PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION - remains at the back of church. Please feel welcome to use it. Your prayers will be included at Mass on Wednesday evenings.
THE SICK AND THE HOUSEBOUND
Please provide the contact details of any family member or friend, who is sick or housebound and
who has requested a visit from a Eucharistic Minister, to bring them Holy Communion at home. Forms have been placed on the table at the back of the church for this purpose.
We pray for the sick and those who care for them:Peter Aitken; Fred Carson; Jackie Fitzgerald; Aileen Lothian; Emily McNichol; Nicholas Morrison; Rose Paxton. Jane Scott.
We remember…and we pray for all who have recently died and for those who mourn.
Also those, whose anniversaries occurred last week: Anastasia Valente 27th (1990); Ellen Archibald 30th ( - ); Andrew Shelley 30th ( - ); May McKeown 30th (1960); Johann Czech -- (1945); Janet Cormack 1st (1987); Jean Baxter 1st (2003); Charles Porter 1st (2013)
and for those, whose anniversaries occur this week : John Elliot 3rd (1970); Robert Halliday 3rd (1973); Simon Elliot 3rd (1985); Bridget McCluskey-Burt 4th(----); Mary Stewart 4th (1929); Andrew Gillan 4th (1999); John Connachan 5th (----); Thomas Nisbett 5th (1989); Matthew Cormack 6th (2012); John Coyle 6th (2013); Johnie Cook 7th (1985); William Galloway 7th (1999); Catherine Carroll 8th (1972); Bridget Coull 8th (2006) .
+Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them O Lord+
MARY’S MEALS CHRISTMAS RAFFLE - The tickets will be on sale on Saturday 2nd& Sunday 3rd of December and again on Saturday 9th& Sunday 10th of December.
1st Prize is a Christmas Hamper and there are lots of other great prizes.
The MARY’S MEALS vision is that every child no matter how poor receives one daily meal in their place of education. The cost of feeding a child for a whole school year is £13.90.
As all the prizes have been donated all the money collected will go directly to MARY’S MEALS.
Every ticket sold will help to feed a child.
MEDICAL MISSIONARIES OF MARY- Please cut used stamps from the envelopes, leaving a small, paper border around the stamp and place them in the box on the table at the back of the church. When sold in bulk, the proceeds will go to the Medical Missionaries of Mary to provide aid for the work that they do.
JUSTICE AND PEACE
This week, in giving thought to theInternational Day for the Abolition of Slavery[December 2nd] we are reminded of our obligations not only under the Human Rights Act, but also, to the Seventh Commandment and what our own catechism at paragraph 2414 draws to our attention:
“The 7th Commandment forbids acts or enterprises that for any reason – selfish or ideological, commercial or totalitarian – lead to the enslavement of human beings,
to their being bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity. It is a sin against the dignity of persons and their fundamental
rights to reduce them by violence to their productive source or to a source of profit.”
1.) We have received a request form East Lothian Aid to Refugees [ELAR] for any garden tools which are no longer in use, which could help refugee families who have come to East Lothian, to grow their own produce. Fiona Cesari at ELAR is happy to arrange to collect these, and indeed any other items which you may have which could be of use to them. Her contact number is07977 443073.
2.) Parishioners will be pleased to see that this week’sEast Lothian Courierhas on page 16 given a glowing account of the activities in St Gabriel’s parish and at the school, in collecting for the Shoebox Appeal and Mary’s Meals. It is good that the public will see that we, too, are involved in the wider community’s efforts to alleviate the distress among the underprivileged.
3.) The next meeting of the Justice & Peace Group, to which all are very welcome to attend, will be onWednesday December 6thafter Mass at 7.30 pm.
THE FOOD BANK - The following letter is an appeal from the Food Bank.
“During December 2016, East Lothian Foodbank provided 175 3-day emergency food parcels to those in crisis across East Lothian, feeding 473 people, 204 of whom were children.
Christmas is a particularly hard time of year for those who are struggling financially, and are struggling to feed themselves and their families and we know that the number of referrals we receive generally go up duringthe wintermonths, with a significant increase in the two weeks just before Christmas.
In addition to the standard food parcels we give out, at this time of year we have always tried to supplement with some seasonal extras e.g mince pies, Christmas puddings, chocolates and biscuits. This year we would like to take this one step further and provide all those who are referred to us in the run up to Christmas with a "jingle bag".
We hope our Jingle Bags containing everything needed for Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, and delivered to their door will bring some Christmas cheer to families experiencing food poverty at Christmas.
Items to beincluded.
chicken/turkey/tinned Chistmas pudding
potatoes(tinned or packet mash)custard
carrots(tinned)mince pies
sweet corn(tinned)biscuits
gravy(packet)chocolates/selection pack
bread sauce(packet) Christmas snacks
stuffing(packet/box)Christmas crackers
As jingle bags will be given out from December 1st all items will be non-perishable which will allow us to give them out throughout December without fear of the contents "going off". Please help to feed a family at Christmas by placing your donations in the box marked Food Bank at the back of the Church.
Reflection
It is said that while there is life there is hope.
This has an even deeper meaning in reverse: while there is hope there is life.
Hope is strength.
Hope sheds light into despairing hearts.
It inspires the will to live.
It is the doctor’s most powerful ally.
It is a shield against defeat and failure.
It revives ideals and renews dreams.
As long as there is hope, no situation is impossible.
Advent summons us to wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
In the final analysis, he is our hope.
Joke of the week
The religious education teacher was telling the little children about the Advent wreath. After explaining the meaning of the purple candles, she asked, “Can anyone tell me what the pink one means?”
Little Johnnie’s hand shot up and he said, knowingly: “Sure! They’re expecting a girl.”