The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Normal service is now resumed around The Presbytery and Parish . . . . . . With the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord last weekend Christmastide came to an end, the crib, wreath, tree, and decorations were removed and packed away until next year, and the Church entered into the first section of what is called Ordinary Time. During Ordinary Time green is the prevailing colour of the season up until Ash Wednesday which this year falls on 18th February - slightly earlier than last year. On Tuesday, having celebrated Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition, Fr D was off down to Crawley in the car ‘on a mission’ to prepare another judgement for next month. When he came back home in the late afternoon he was preparing for the launch meeting, with parents, of this year’s First Eucharist Programme. Having celebrated their First Reconciliation at the beginning of Advent our candidates and their parents are now embarking on preparations for the reception of the Eucharist (on June 14th this year). After Morning Prayer and Mass on Wednesday Fr D was dealing with some letters and then started work on this week’s newsletter before going off for lunch with Fr Ruslan (Walton-onThames). They do this once a month generally as a support to one another. When he got back in the afternoon Fr D was able to catch up on some reading that he has got behind on, before going upstairs for an early night. Thursday morning, after celebrating Morning Prayer and Mass, Fr D was back down to the diocesan offices at Crawley once more where he had a few queries to answer before continuing to finish one of his judgements for next month and doing the reading before beginning another. On the way home Fr D stopped off at one of the nursing homes in the Parish where he was able to anoint a parishioner. In the evening he finished ‘his parts’ of the newsletter so that Sarah could have them in the Parish Office on Friday morning to complete ‘her parts!’  Getting up a little earlier on Friday Fr D started the Notices and Universal Prayers for the weekend Masses before he had his breakfast. After celebrating Morning Prayer and Mass he went back to these to finish them and hand them over to Sarah to complete and print off along with the newsletter . . . . .

24th January, 11.00-16.00 at St Michael’s Church, Worthing, BN13 3AL. Led by Bishop Richard and Catherine Christmas (diocesan Liturgy & Music Adviser) this day will include talks on the Scriptures, the Lectionary and its use in the Liturgy, the Liturgy of the Word, and preparing to minister as a reader. Register your free place: https://abdiocese.churchsuite.com/events/

Trying to understand the true significance of an event like Christmas can not be done in a single day. Much like the epic natural beauty of the Grand Canyon, or the Baroque majesty and splendour of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, we need multiple visits to take the whole thing in. So it is with the mystery of the Nativity. For Catholics, Christmas is not just over and done with on December 25th. It’s only just begun! At a time when many are taking down their decorations and throwing their Christmas Trees to the kerbside, Catholics should still be celebrating. Christmastide is the name given to the Christmas season in the liturgical calendar. This begins with the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve and ends on the Sunday celebrating the Baptism of the Lord (11th January). This usually results in a Christmas season of around twenty days or so. Of special note is that the Christmas season licks off with a gift - seven special days other than December 25th, designed to extend our focus on the mystery of Christ’s birth. During these days, we’re to take in all the joys and graces associated with such a momentous event. These days are called the ‘Octave of Christmas,’ and you can remember their timing because the Octave starts and ends with a solemnity - the Nativity of the Lord on December 25th, and Mary, Mother of God on January 1st . At one time there were actually fifteen feast days in the Church that included Octaves, but since 1969, only Christmas and Easter are extended by these special days of celebration.  Ultimately, while all these details of the season can get a little confusing at times, the major conclusion to draw is this: our Christmas celebrations are often way too short, and end far too early! So do not miss out on the opportunity to stay in a holy, holiday spirit, by celebrating for the entire Christmas season this year

Epiphany means manifestation. so, as we honour this moment in time when the Christ Child was made manifest to the world, we should look into our own hearts. It is there, we discover Christ’s ongoing manifestation to us so that we can worship the One who has also chosen to be born within our hearts. We ought to diligently seek out this manifestation of God within us and respond to it in the same ways that the Magi responded. Firstly, the Magi determined when they saw a sign from the heavens that pointed to a new King, they stopped everything and departed in haste to find Him. When God speaks to you and manifests Himself to you in some way, nothing could be more important than to be attentive to His voice. The Magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. God was honoured and glorified by the giving of these gifts. God created gold to manifest His beauty and dignity. It was a gift that symbolised kingship. When we ponder the natural gift of gold given to the Christ Child, we are inspired to give Him our own gift of symbolic gold, prayerfully acknowledging Him as our own King to whom we pledge our complete submission.  Made from the sap of trees frankincense and myrrh are also fruits of God’s creation. Used in worship to symbolise prayers rising to heaven, frankincense symbolises the Christ Child’s divinity. We offer frankincense to Christ when we acknowledge His divine nature, since He is God in the flesh. Often used in burial, myrrh honours the Christ Child Who came to give His life as a sacrifice for many. We offer myrrh to profess our belief in the saving power of Christ’s death on the Cross and our need for that gift of salvation.

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Hopefully everyone has enjoyed a wonderful Christmas amongst their friends, family, and loved ones. This year, due to the timing of Christmas Day, we have a Second Sunday of the Christmas season before we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany on Tuesday (Masses at the Sacred Heart 09.30 and 19.30). It may surprise some people to discover that we are still celebrating Christmas. Although some are still conscious of the tradition of taking down decorations on ‘Twelfth Night,’ for so many others Christmas more or less ends on Boxing Day, and in the shops Christmas decorations disappear rapidly after the 25th to make way for the sales posters. It can seem strange that the nativity scene is such a relatively small element of such displays, but in fact it illustrates an important point: ‘The Word became flesh and lived among us.’ The term translated in most bibles as ‘lived’ – or ‘dwelt’ in some older versions – has the literal meaning ‘pitched tent,’ or perhaps ‘encamped.’ ‘The Word became flesh and encamped among us!’ This reminds us of the tent which the Israelites carried with them in the wilderness, the tent in which the Lord dwelt; but there is a difference too. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, the tent was at the centre of the community. It was also quite a ‘dangerous’ place, which only the ritually pure could enter. However, in our Christmas story the place where the Word chooses to enter and live among us is almost inconsequential; an animal shelter in a small town. One where lowly shepherds are welcome to enter, indeed are the first to witness this event. Yet though it may seem inconsequential, without it no crib scene would have any significance. The Holy Family in the stable may appear to be a small element, but in fact it is the reason for all the rest of the scene. The image of the tent also suggests the image of a journey. We’ve already mentioned the echoes of the journey of the Israelites in the wilderness, but we might also think of the travels of the Holy Family from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then to Egypt, and then back again to Nazareth. Journeys marked by worry and danger. Saint Luke’s account of the journey to Bethlehem places the Holy Family in a land controlled by an oppressive occupying force. Saint Matthew’s account of the flight into Egypt reminds us perhaps of the plight of contemporary refugees fleeing persecution.  The Word became flesh and encamped among us . . . . .

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (S.P.U.C.) will be holding its annual appeal next weekend . SPUC fights for a world in which abortion is something unthinkable, and raises awareness of the widespread problem of abortion. According to an independent poll, 87% of GP’s are concerned that the government’s continued ‘pills by post’ scheme leaves women vulnerable to coerced abortion. SPUC calls upon the Prime Minister to condemn this abhorrent tragedy. Please be as generous as you can to help SPUC to defend unborn children and their mothers through highlighting this urgent crisis. Every year hundreds of churches across Britain take part in the SPUC ‘White Flower Appeal,’ making it one of our largest and most important educational and fundraising events of the year.  SPUC supporters come from many backgrounds and walks of life. The success of the ‘White Flower Appeal’ is founded upon the compassion and generosity of faithful churchgoers in parishes across the United Kingdom. SPUC is most grateful for the unapologetic defence of unborn children and vulnerable mothers that the teaching of the Catholic Church provides.

The Christmas Season began with the Christmas Vigil Mass (24 th Dec. 18.00) and lasts until the 11.00 Mass on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (11th Jan.). Between these two dates it is customary for parishioners (particularly families) to pay visits to the Crib to pray for their own families and also for those throughout the world who do not have the advantages of a family life like our own

Many, many thanks for all the Christmas wishes, thoughts, and cards received over the past couple of weeks - they are very much appreciated. Every good gift comes from the Father of light. May he grant you all his grace and every blessing, and keep you safe throughout the coming year. May he grant you all unwavering faith, constant hope, and love that endures to the end. May he order your days and works in his peace, hear your every prayer, and lead you to everlasting life and joy. Fr Daryl

Mary’s motherhood broadens our Christmas spotlight. Mary has an important role to play in the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. She consents to the invitation conveyed by the angel. Elizabeth proclaims: “Most blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Mary’s role as mother of God places her in a unique position in God’s redemptive plan. Without naming Mary, St Paul asserts that “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” Paul further states that “God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out ‘Abba, Father!’” helps us realise that Mary is mother to all the brothers and sisters of Jesus. Some theologians also insist that her motherhood of Jesus is an important element in God’s creative plan. God’s “first” thought in creating was Jesus. Jesus, the incarnate Word, is the one who could give God perfect love and worship on behalf of creation. As Jesus was “first” in God’s mind, Our Lady was “second” insofar as she was chosen from all eternity to be his mother.  The Council of Ephesus in 431 insisted that the holy Fathers were right in calling the holy virgin Theotokos. In its chapter on Mary’s role in the Church, Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church calls her “Mother of God” twelve times.