PARISH OF ST. THERESE, DENISTONE
Presbytery and Office
8 Inkerman Rd, Denistone 2114 Tel: 9809 2925, Fax 9809 5546
Website: www.sttherese.org.au
Parish Priest: Fr Roberto Castillo
Parish Secretary: Gayle White [email protected]
Office hours Tues-Fri 9am-3pm St Therese’s School
448 Blaxland Rd, Denistone 2114 (02) 9874 0412
School Principal: Mr Adam Nolan
MASS TIMES:
SATURDAY VIGIL: 6:00 pm
SUNDAY: 8:00 am and 9:30 am
MONDAY No Mass
TUESDAY 8am Mass
WEDNESDAY through to SATURDAY 9.00 am Mass.
FRIDAY: 9.00 am Mass.
Exposition & Benediction every Friday after Mass
RECONCILIATION Saturday 5pm – 5.45pm or by appointment.
Baptism: Every Sunday at 11am or 11.30am. Please contact Parish Office.
Marriage: By appointment.
Anointing of the sick: Please give names to Father Roberto Castillo
CHRISTMAS 24
th / 25
th December 2016
Welcome to our Christmas Masses
Wishing you all a joyful Christmas!
GOSPEL: Masses in the Night Lk 2: 1-14
A reading from the holy Gospel according to
Luke
Today a Saviour has been born for you.
Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of
the whole world to be taken. This census - the
first - took place while Quirinius was governor of
Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be
registered. So Joseph set out from the town of
Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to
the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was
of David's House and line, in order to be
registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who
was with child. While they were there the time
came for her to have her child, and she gave birth
to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger
because there was no room for them at the inn. In
the countryside close by there were shepherds
who lived in the fields and took it in turns to
watch their flocks during the night. The angel of
the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the
Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but
the angel said, 'Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring
you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the
whole people. Today in the town of David a
saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the
Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a
baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a
manger.' And suddenly with the angel there was a
great throng of the heavenly host, praising God
and singing:
'God to God in the highest heaven,
and peace to men who enjoy his favour'.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
GOSPEL: Masses of the Day Jn 1: 1-5, 9-14
A reading from the holy Gospel according to
John
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among
us, and we saw his glory.
In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with
God and the Word was God. He was with God in
the beginning. Through him all things came to be,
not one thing had its being but through him. All
that came to be had life in him and that life was the
light of men, a light that shines in the dark, a light
that darkness could not overpower.
The Word was the true light that enlightens all
men; and he was coming into the world. He was in
the world that had its being through him, and the
world did not know him. He came to his own
domain and his own people did not accept him.
But to all who did accept him he gave power to
become children of God, to all who believe in the
name of him who was born not out of human stock
or urge of the flesh or will of man but of God
himself.
The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and
we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only
Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
READINGS FOR NEXT WEEK:
Num 6: 22-27;
Gal 4: 4-7;
Lk 2: 16-21.
31 DEC 2016 / 1 JANUARY 2017
MARY, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD SATURDAY 6.00PM SUNDAY 8.00AM SUNDAY 9.30AM
Acolyte D D'MELLO D ELLIS
T DABBAH
Minister of HC J KEYSER K PERERA (M&H)
P CRONIN
Minister of HC J KWONG J PERERA
Reader V PERERA A STANTON VOLUNTEER
Wardens L SEETO N MORRIS VOLUNTEER
Offertory DABBAH FAMILY VOLUNTEER FAMILY VOLUNTEERS
Projection A. SHEEKA NIL P. TREACY
Altar Servers GROUP 1: Robert Morfuni
Natasha Vithana No rostered group
GROUP 5: Brittany and Jessica Khoury, Rebecca
Dearing Katherine Spencer
Welcomers S CHAMISA D BRENNAN
Counters Group 7: P TREACY S DIMICHIEL M PEARCE
Altar Flowers J KEYSER JANUARY ALTAR LINEN: MAUREEN PEARCE
PARISH NEWS & NOTICES: Please remember in your prayers all who have recently died especially Dr John GEORGE (the doctor from Ryde Hospital who use to come to 8am Sunday Masses) and Michael
CAMILLERI. We also pray for all who have anniversaries at this time especially Jan FLATON.
Last weekend Yongjoong IM (known as John) was
welcomed into the Church when he was baptised,
received his first communion and was confirmed at
the Vigil Mass. We congratulate John, his fiancée
Sophia and his family.
Christmas Message from the Parish Priest
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In the Gospels there is a verse that is usually read on Christmas Midnight Mass. “The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” These mysterious
words were written approximately 800 years BC by the Prophet Isaiah who Gregory of Nyssa described as the
prophet who “knew more perfectly than all others the mystery of the religion of the Gospel.” What Gregory said
about the prophet, I believe, was confirmed at the nativity of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Because Jesus himself later
on will declare “I am the Light of the World.” Yes, brothers and sisters, Our Lord Jesus whose birth we celebrate
once again this Christmas day, reminds us that He is the ‘Great Light,’ that was announced by Isaiah. And this, in
spite of everything that we hear about Christmas, is the most powerful and it’s most accurate meaning. Yes, our
fragile world is still enveloped in shadows, there is an extensive darkness everywhere, as we hear it in the news.
But today as it happened more than 2000 years ago, the Lord is born again in our time and in the wonderful
celebration of the Eucharist, the Great Light of God shines again, bringing new hope to all especially to the poor,
the dispossessed, the unloved, the hopeless and to those who mourn. Christ is here; his light penetrates the thickest
darkness of the human heart and human conflicts. It is only through him and with him that we can come to know
peace and reach the light of heaven. Christmas is a day of joy and hope for you and your families. Even though
there are shadows within families, with Christ we know that his light is still shining bright and if we follow that
light we will also see light, and all darkness will disappear. It is still through him that the world can be saved. So
rejoice and celebrate with your families the birth of a new dawn, the beginning of eternal life.
I take this opportunity to say thank you to all who helped during this Season and I wish you all a Happy, holy and
peaceful Christmas. God bless you all, Father Roberto.
O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL John Wade
O Come All Ye Faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet thee
Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to thee be all glory giv’n;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord
ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH
French Traditional
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echo back their joyous strains.
Refrain: Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be
which inspire your heav’nly song? REFRAIN
Come to Bethlehem and see
him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King. REFRAIN
In Public Domain
THE FIRST NOEL
The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel.
And by the light of that same star
Three Wise men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel.
In Public Domain
JOY TO THE WORLD I Watts & L Masonl
Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room,
And Heav’n and nature sing,
And Heav’n and nature sing,
And Heav’n and Heav’n and nature sing.
Joy to the World, the Saviour reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders, wonders, of his love.