THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
EVANGELIUM VITAE by Pope John Paul II Part 5
And yet God, who is always merciful even when he punishes, "put a mark on Cain, lest any who came upon him should kill him" (Gen 4:15). He thus gave him a distinctive sign, not to condemn him to the hatred of others, but to protect and defend him from those wishing to kill him, even out of a desire to avenge Abel's death. Not even a murderer loses his personal dignity, and God himself pledges to guarantee this. And it is pre- cisely here that the paradoxical mystery of the merciful justice of God is shown forth. As Saint Ambrose writes: "Once the crime is admitted at the very inception of this sinful act of parricide, then the divine law of God's mercy should be immediately extended. If punishment is forthwith inflicted on the accused, then men in the exercise of justice would in no way observe patience and moderation, but would straightaway condemn the defendant to punishment. ... God drove Cain out of his presence and sent him into exile far away from his native land, so that he passed from a life of human kindness to one which was more akin to the rude existence of a wild beast. God, who preferred the correction rather than the death of a sinner, did not desire that a homicide be punished by the exaction of another act of homicide".13
"What have you done?" (Gen 4:10): the eclipse of the value of life
10. The Lord said to Cain: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground" (Gen 4:10).The voice of the blood shed by men continues to cry out, from generation to generation, in ever new and different ways.
The Lord's question: "What have you done?", which Cain cannot escape, is addressed also to the people of today, to make them realize the extent and gravity of the attacks against life which continue to mark human history; to make them discover what causes these attacks and feeds them; and to make them ponder seriously the consequences which derive from these attacks for the existence of individuals and peoples.
Some threats come from nature itself, but they are made worse by the culpable indifference and negligence of those who could in some cases remedy them. Others are the result of situations of violence, hatred and conflicting interests, which lead people to attack others through murder, war, slaughter and genocide.
And how can we fail to consider the violence against life done to millions of human beings, especially children, who are forced into poverty, malnutrition and hunger because of an unjust distribution of resources between peoples and between social classes? And what of the violence inherent not only in wars as such but in the scandalous arms trade, which spawns the many armed conflicts which stain our world with blood? What of the spreading of death caused by reckless tampering with the world's ecological balance, by the criminal spread of drugs, or by the promotion of certain kinds of sexual activity which, besides being morally unacceptable, also involve grave risks to life? It is impossible to catalogue completely the vast array of threats to human life, so many are the forms, whether explicit or hidden, in which they appear today!
11. Here though we shall concentrate particular attention on another category of attacks, affecting life in its earliest and in its final stages, attacks which present new characteristics with respect to the past and which raise questions of extraordinary seriousness. It is not only that in generalized opinion these attacks tend no longer to be considered as "crimes"; paradoxically they assume the nature of "rights", to the point that the State is called upon to give them legal recognition and to make them available through the free services of health-care personnel. Such attacks strike human life at the time of its greatest frailty, when it lacks any means of self-defence. Even more serious is the fact that, most often, those attacks are carried out in the very heart of and with the complicity of the family-the family which by its nature is called to be the "sanctuary of life".
To be continued.
PARISH CHRISTMAS CARD
Please collect your copy of the parish Christmas card from the porch which details all the Mass times and events until the New Year.
CHRISTMAS TOY APPEAL
Christ the King Sixth Forms has teamed up with the EKC Group in Kent and will be collecting donations of toys, Christmas presents, or donations to ensure that those in need still get to experience the joy of receiving something special this Christmas. Please see the poster in the porch for more details or you can donate towards gifts by following the link https://www.gofundme.com/f/make-christmas-special-for-a-less-fortunate-young-person
LIVE STREAMING. This has now started and you will see notices in the church to guide you on filming areas. Please remember that all readers, altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, sacristan’s and anyone who needs to enter the sanctuary must complete a consent form, which are in the porch, and given to Fr. Innocent or placed in the box in the porch. We cannot be held responsible if you knowingly appear on camera and have chosen to not sign a consent form. Please speak to Fr. Innocent for more information.
PARISH MASS BOOKS.
The Lectionary, which is the book that contains the Scripture readings for Mass and the Sacraments, has now changed. Due to this change, the Mass books that we have will need to be changed which comes at a large cost to the parish. We have purchased part 1 of cycle C but we still need donations for the remaining 6 books which will cover all 3 cycles. We have received £860.00 so far and donations can be made in the usual ways.
SOCIAL CLUB NEW YEAR’S EVE DISCO
Tuesday 31st December in the hall from 8pm till 12.30am.
Social event for all the family. Please see the poster in the porch for more information.
LUNCH CLUB.
There will be no more lunch club meetings this year. The next meeting will be on the 9th January 2025 at 12.30pm.
SOUTHWARK ARCHDIOCESE ROSARY PRAYER PROJECT.
Everyone is warmly invited to join this Archdiocese-wide prayer initiative, praying a decade of the Rosary each day for priests and parishes in their deanery. For details see the poster on the noticeboard, pick up an invitation leaflet at the back of church or email southwarkrenewal@gmail.com.
Save the date: Building a Better Marriage
This day, held at St Stephen’s parish hall, Welling, on the 25th Januray 2025, starting at 9.30am until 4.30pm, is a day in which married couples can privately explore their relationship more deeply and gain valuable insights into the communication and the call of the Church to the married. There is no charge for this course. Booking is essential - please contact Carole on mflkent@rcaos.org.uk or phone 07983 524 727
Refreshments will be provided but please bring a packed lunch.
FOOD BANK.
Donations can be made in the crate in the Church Porch and they are taken to the Bexley Food Bank on a Monday morning.
NEW WAYS TO DONATE TO THE PARISH.
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DEATHS
Please pray for the souls of:
Mario Carrasco who died recently, his funeral will be on the 30th December at St Peter’s Church, Woolwich.
Antonio Zachariah Fernandes who was a parishioner for many years. His was on the 11th December.
Carol James who sadly died recently. Carol was a long standing parishioner who regularly attended the Saturday evening mass.
Her funeral will be on the 19th December at 11:30am.
Muriel D’Souza whose funeral was on 27th November.
May they rest in peace.
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Saturday 14th December
W St John of the Cross
10.00 a.m. Robert, PJ, Patrick & Annie McDonagh
THIRD SUNDAY OF
ADVENT C
6 p.m. Daily Rosary
6.30 p.m. Tracey D’Souza TG
Sunday 15th December P
8.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
9.00 a.m. Deceased members of the Ferrao Family
10.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
11.00 a.m. Holy Souls in Purgatory
Monday 16th December
P Feria
No Public Mass Today
Tuesday 17th December
P Feria
10.00 a.m. Carol James RIP
Wednesday 18th December
P Feria
10.00 a.m. Deceased members of the De Cunha Family
Thursday 19th December
P Feria
10.00 a.m. Molly Fuller RIP
11am Funeral for Carol James
Friday 20th December
P Feria
10.00 a.m. Denis Murphy RIP
Saturday 21st December
P Feria
10.00 a.m. Muriel D’Souza RIP
FOURTH SUNDAY OF
ADVENT C
6 p.m. Daily Rosary
6.30 p.m. Joachim D’Souza RIP
Sunday 22nd December P
8.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
9.00 a.m. Percy Burke for healing & strength
10.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
11.00 a.m. Delia Deady