SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
EVANGELIUM VITAE by Pope John Paul II Part 4
The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground. Present Day threats to human life. "Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him" (Gen 4:8): the roots of violence against life.
7. "God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. For he has created all things that they might exist. God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of his own eternity, but through the devil's envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it" (Wis1:13-14; 2:23-24). The Gospel of life, proclaimed in the beginning when man was created in the image of God for a destiny of full and perfect life (cf. Gen2:7; Wis9:2-3), is contradicted by the painful experience of death which enters the world and casts its shadow of meaninglessness over man's entire existence. Death came into the world as a result of the devil's envy (cf. Gen3:1,4-5) and the sin of our first parents (cf. Gen2:17, 3:17-19). And death entered it in a violent way, through the killing of Abel by his brother Cain: "And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him" (Gen 4:8). This first murder is presented with singular eloquence in a page of the Book of Genesis which has universal significance: it is a page rewritten daily, with inexorable and degrading frequency, in the book of human history. Let us re-read together this biblical account which, despite its archaic structure and its extreme simplicity, has much to teach us. "Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had not regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain? Why are you angry and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it'. "Cain said to Abel his brother? Let us go out to the field'. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain? Where is Abel your brother?' He said? I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?' And the Lord said? What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth'. Cain said to the Lord? My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me this day away from the ground; and from your face I shall be hidden; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will slay me'. Then the Lord said to him? Not so! If anyone slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold'. And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who came upon him should kill him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden" (Gen4:2-16). 8. Cain was "very angry" and his countenance "fell" because "the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering" (Gen 4:4-5). The biblical text does not reveal the reason why God prefers Abel's sacrifice to Cain's. It clearly shows however that God, although preferring Abel's gift, does not interrupt his dialogue with Cain. He admonishes him, reminding him of his freedom in the face of evil: man is in no way predestined to evil. Certainly, like Adam, he is tempted by the malevolent force of sin which, like a wild beast, lies in wait at the door of his heart, ready to leap on its prey. But Cain remains free in the face of sin. He can and must overcome it: "Its desire is for you, but you must master it" (Gen4:7). Envy and anger have the upper hand over the Lord's warning, and so Cain attacks his own brother and kills him. As we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "In the account of Abel's murder by his brother Cain, Scripture reveals the presence of anger and envy in man, consequences of original sin, from the beginning of human history. Man has become the enemy of his fellow man". 10. Brother kills brother. Like the first fratricide, every murder is a violation of the "spiritual" kinship uniting mankind in one great family, 11. in which all share the same fundamental good: equal personal dignity. Not infrequently the kinship "of flesh and blood" is also violated; for example when threats to life arise within the relationship between parents and children, such as happens in abortion or when, in the wider context of family or kinship, euthanasia is encouraged or practised. At the root of every act of violence against one's neighbour there is a concession to the "thinking" of the evil one, the one who "was a murderer from the beginning" (Jn8:44). As the Apostle John reminds us: "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother" (1Jn 3:11-12). Cain's killing of his brother at the very dawn of history is thus a sad witness of how evil spreads with amazing speed: man's revolt against God in the earthly paradise is followed by the deadly combat of man against man. After the crime, God intervenes to avenge the one killed. Before God, who asks him about the fate of Abel, Cain, instead of showing remorse and apologizing, arrogantly eludes the question: "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen4:9). "I do not know": Cain tries to cover up his crime with a lie. This was and still is the case, when all kinds of ideologies try to justify and disguise the most atrocious crimes against human beings. "Am I my brother's keeper?": Cain does not wish to think about his brother and refuses to accept the responsibility which every person has towards others. We cannot but think of today's tendency for people to refuse to accept responsibility for their brothers and sisters. Symptoms of this trend include the lack of solidarity towards society's weakest members-such as the elderly, the infirm, immigrants, children- and the indifference frequently found in relations between the world's peoples even when basic values such as survival, freedom and peace are involved. 9. But God cannot leave the crime unpunished: from the ground on which it has been spilt, the blood of the one murdered demands that God should render justice (cf. Gen 37:26; Is26:21; Ez 24:7-8). From this text the Church has taken the name of the "sins which cry to God for justice", and, first among them, she has included wilful murder. 12. For the Jewish people, as for many peoples of antiquity, blood is the source of life. Indeed "the blood is the life" (Dt12:23), and life, especially human life, belongs only to God: for this reason whoever attacks human life, in some way attacks God himself. Cain is cursed by God and also by the earth, which will deny him its fruit (cf. Gen4:11-12). He is punished: he will live in the wilderness and the desert. Murderous violence profoundly changes man's environment. From being the "garden of Eden" (Gen2:15), a place of plenty, of harmonious interpersonal relationships and of friendship with God, the earth becomes "the land of Nod" (Gen 4:16), a place of scarcity, loneliness and separation from God. Cain will be "a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth" (Gen 4:14): uncertainty and restlessness will follow him forever.
To be continued.
DAY WITH MARY.
A Day With Mary is taking place at St George's Cathedral, Southwark on Saturday 14 December (10.15am to 5.15pm). Mass will be celebrated by the Archbishop of Southwark Diocese, John Wilson. Further information is available at https://www.adaywithmary.org/ or https://eventcatholic.com/
CHARISMATIC RETREAT.
We will be hosting a charismatic retreat on Saturday 14th December in the Church from 12noon till 5pm. All are invited with more information to follow.
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.
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.
ST THOMAS MORE SOCIAL CLUB social evening.
On the 13th December, 8pm till late with music by Annie G. See the poster in the porch for more information.
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.
SCOUT FUNDRAISING Music Bingo event on 14th December in the hall from 6pm.
CONFIRMATION 2025.
Closing date for applications is the 1st December. Application forms can be collected after Mass on the weekend and need to be handed to Fr. Innocent.
There will be a meeting for parents & candidates on the 12th December in the hall at 7.30pm.
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.
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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 funeral will be on the 11th December at 11am.
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.
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Saturday 7th December
W St Ambrose
10.00 a.m. Denis Murphy RIP
SECOND SUNDAY OF
ADVENT C
6 p.m. Daily Rosary
6.30 p.m. Clara D’Souza RIP
Sunday 8th December P
8.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
9.00 a.m. Aadit Pinto TG on her birthday
10.30 a.m. Daily Rosary
11.00 a.m. Helen Gaskin RIP
Monday 9th December
W The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
No Public Mass Today
Tuesday 10th December
P Feria
10.00 a.m. Ann Fanthome RIP
Wednesday 11th December
P Feria
10.00 a.m. Mrs Wright’s Relatives RIP
11am Funeral for Antonio Zachariah Fernandes
Thursday 12th December P Feria
10.00 a.m. Mary Bowler RIP
Friday 13th December
R St Lucy
10.00 a.m. Padraiz Mulkerrin & Annie Mullen
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