20 December 2009

Welcome to  St Alban’s Anglican Church      

Today's Scripture: Micah 5:2-5a           Hebrews 10: 5-10                    S. Luke 1: 39-47

Today: 8.35 a.m. Matins; 9.00 a.m. Church School; 9.30 a.m. Holy Eucharist; 6.00 p.m. EP;

6.30 p.m. Carolling at Pines & Hospital. This Week: Mon S. Thomas’ Day: 12.30 p.m HC; Tues – Wed: 12.30 pm Midday Prayers.  Thurs (Christmas Eve) 7.30 p.m. Lessons and Carols at Grand Cayman Beach Suites. Fri (CHRISTMAS DAY) 9 a.m. Matins; 9.30 a.m. CHRISTMAS EUCHARIST; Sat S. Stephen’s Day: 12.30 p.m. HC.

4^th Sunday in Advent

O Lord, raise up (we pray thee) thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory, world without end.

 

FAITH IN FOCUS: LEAPING FOR JOY

As soon as Mary found out that her cousin Elizabeth was expecting a baby she set out to go and visit her in the hill country. And we know that as Mary greeted Elizabeth the child in Elizabeth’s womb, the future John the Baptist, leapt for joy.

Bringing a child into the world at any time is beset with challenges, but for the two pregnant women in Judah there was much more at stake. Mary had already had to come to terms with the fact that her child was not Joseph’s son, and Elizabeth’s husband Zachary had been struck dumb for not believing that his child would be special. Yet the words Elizabeth chooses to use of Mary are not words of sympathy but of joy and praise: “Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

Mary and Elizabeth were open to the future and were able to trust in God’s providence for them both, come what may. They saw the birth of their children as an opportunity to praise God for what he promised for their future.

When we think of Christmas we don’t remain in the past; we call God here and now into our lives and ask him to lead us in all the future adventures of life, for Christmas celebrates life itself. The manger scene is nice and comforting, but our liturgy today challenges us to go much further: to let the Christ-child be born in each of us and to bring good news to our waiting world.

Are we ready to go beyond the mistletoe and tinsel, to become pregnant with God’s word, to bear Christ to others? Do we approach Christmas with fear and trembling or do we leap for joy?

WORD OF GOD

Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. (Luke 1:42)

 

WORD FOR TODAY

Being a Christian means bringing Christ to others, just as Mary in a strange way brought Jesus to Elizabeth even before his birth. When people see us do they just see another human being or do they see someone who brings another dimension to every situation?

 

GRIEF CAN TAKE CARE OF ITSELF, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with. (Mark Twain)

 

MARY ALSO ANTICIPATED, in the mystery of the incarnation, the Church’s Eucharistic faith. When, at the Visitation, she bore in her womb the Word made flesh, she became in some way a “tabernacle” the first tabernacle in history in which the Son of God, still invisible to our human gaze, allowed himself to be adored by Elizabeth, radiating his light as it were through the eyes and the voice of Mary. (Pope John Paul II)

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS 

S. THOMAS, Ap: Hab 2: 1–4, Eph 2: 19–end, John 20: 24-29

Tues: Mal 2: 1-16, Matt 19: 13–15, 2 Pet  1:16 – 2:3

Wed: Mal 2:17 – 3:12, Matt 19: 16-end, 2 Pet 2: 4-end

CHRISTMAS EVE: Mal 3:13 – 4:end, Matt 23: 1–12, Rev 1: 1-8

CHRISTMAS : Isa 52: 7–10, Heb 1: 1-12, Jn 1: 1-14

S. STEPHEN : 2 Chron 24: 20-22, Acts 7: 51-end, Matt 10: 17-22

NEXT SUNDAY (S.JOHN, Ap) : Exodus 33: 7-11a, 1 John 1,  S. John 21: 19b-end