Fourth Sunday of Advent

Collections
First: Gift Aid £824.00, Non-Gift Aid £782.66
Monthly Standing Orders: £2,823.00
Education: Gift Aid £5.00
Building Fund: Gift Aid £29.00
St Anthony’s Box: £40.27
                                                                 
Rorate Masses in Advent in St John’s
The last Rorate Mass will be this Tuesday 22nd Dec at 7:30am.  
 
Pre-Christmas Confessions
There will be Confessions on Sat 19th Dec from 10:30am-11:00am in St John’s/St Thomas and 3:15pm-3:45pm in St John’s. There will also be Confessions this Wednesday the 23rd Dec in St John’s from 7pm until 8pm.
 
Christmas Masses
Thursday 24th December: Vigil 4pm, 6pm, Midnight
Friday 25th December: Christmas Morning  8am, 10am, 11:30am
Booking opens 12 noon on Sunday 20th December. Book here > 
 
Celebrating Christmas Day over the Christmas Octave
For Catholics Christmas is not just 25 December but the Church’s liturgy extends it over an Octave of eight days that prolong the solemnity of Christmas Day. The Christmas Octave lasts from Christmas Day until 1 January when we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.  Every day within the octave is treated the same as the original feast day of the Nativity of our Lord with the Gloria repeated.  This is because the great feasts of our redemption cannot be grasped in a single celebration and need a full week to consider the mystery.  In Scriptures the number eight represents perfection and rest.  So, we would encourage you during Covid restrictions to book to come to Mass on any of those days, knowing that you are truly still celebrating Christmas Day.
 
Bishop’s Christmas Message and Blessing
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I want to assure you of my closeness to you in prayers and daily Masses in these days, and to wish you all the peace and joy of the Infant King of Bethlehem in this Christmas which is like no other.  I pray in hope for you to enjoy a blessed Christmas filled with the consolations of faith and the affection of family and loved ones all around.  May the angels, who watched over the Holy Family of Jesus, Our Lady and Saint Joseph as they gathered around the manger, keep you safe in mind and body.  May the New Year beckon fresh optimism for the virus to be checked and sure hope in the LORD to deliver our world from all evils.  May Our Lady’s prayers fill you with the wonder of the season and may the Year of Saint Joseph bring you growing confidence in Our Heavenly Father’s good providence to restore to us in abundance the human touch we have lost a while and now more than ever cherish. 
With prayers and blessings always,
+John
 
Diocesan Virtual Carol Service
Join Bishop John in a virtual carol service on Tuesday 29th December at 2:30pm. Words for the carols will be provided for download. Sing along together and celebrate Christmas week. The zoom link is https://zoom.us/j/7247466974  
 
Funerals this week
Tues 22nd Dec: Francis Blake 10am (St John’s)
Wed 23rd Dec: Agnes Collins 9:30am (St Thomas)
Wed 23rd Dec: Jane Balmer 12 Noon (Fr Joe’s mother) (St John’s)
 
St. Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society – Virtual Crib
Catholic Adoption Agency, St Margaret's Children and Family Care Society, which supports some of Scotland's most vulnerable children, is hosting a 'Virtual Crib' this Advent. Due to congregation sizes being limited due to Covid19 restrictions the charity could lose out on up to £100k in donations made each year by the Catholic community to its Crib Appeal collection boxes. St Margaret’s Virtual Crib is a peaceful, animated crib scene accompanied by a full Christmas Carol Concert from the St Andrew's Cathedral Choir. St Margaret's Virtual Crib will be live until the Feast of the Epiphany on their website at stmargaretsadoption.org.uk. Donations can be made via the St Margaret’s website or by cheque posted to the charity’s office at 26 Newton Place, Glasgow, G3 7PY.
 
Postponement of Diocesan Lourdes and Youth to Lourdes Pilgrimages to 2022
Unfortunately, due to present circumstances and the uncertainty facing us, the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes and Youth to Lourdes has been postponed to June-July 2022.If you already have a place on the Pilgrimage carried over from this year on Joe Walsh tours, their representatives will be contacting you in writing in the New Year to confirm our decision to reschedule and to explain how your booking can be carried forward.
 
The Legion of Mary Wayside Club, 32 Midland Street, Glasgow G1 4PR: ‘Reaching out since 1932’
The Wayside Club provides a daily evening meal to the homeless of Glasgow, prior to COVID this would have been a shared meal with the opportunity for social connection and spiritual support from a member of the Legion of Mary with an opportunity to join in evening prayer. During COVID we have continued to provide take-away food and support and advice about accessing other agencies. We are keen to promote our service amongst Catholics who could help us by becoming legionaries to provide practical and spiritual support to our clients. We also want to encourage Auxiliary members   who would be prepared to support us in prayer. We would, appreciate any promotion in your parish of our work and need for volunteers. You would be very welcome to visit us or contact us to find out more about the work we do.
Rev. John Fletcher. Permanent Deacon, Spiritual Director, Our Lady of the Wayside Praesidium. John.Fletcher@rcag.org.uk Mob: 07767122295 Home: 01360 771116
 
We pray for those who have died recently especially
Jane Balmer, Francis Blake, Ian Burdeyron Dyster, Agnes Collins, Michael Duffy, Mary Farrell, John Hannigan, Bridgit Turner
6 Months Mind of
Isobel Mc Lean
and the Anniversaries of
Gerard Barr, Carol Ann Burns, Madge Burns, Andy Divers, Thomas Guthrie, Anne Hannigan, Patrick Hannigan, Roseann Hannigan, Vincent Hannigan, Archibald Hughes,  Bridget Kane, Jimmy, Ella & Hugh Logue, Charlie Lucas, Elizabeth Mooney, Kenny McCartney, Harry Mc Gilloway, Maureen McGuire, John Ramsay, Kelly Ann Sanders, Emmanuel Saliba, Mary & Johnny Sproul, Sam Wiseman.
 
Happy Christmas and New Year of 2021
Fr Joe & Fr Jonathan wish you and all your loved ones a Holy & Happy Christmas and every grace and blessing for 2021. Fr Joe/Jonathan will be on call this week 20th-27th December so keep us in your prayers as we attend the sick in the RAH.
 
Feasts in Christmastide
Holy Family 27th Dec
Holy Innocents 28th Dec
Mary Mother of God 1st Jan,
Epiphany 3rd Jan
Baptism of the Lord 10th Jan
 
The E-Bulletin will resume on the weekend 9th/10th January.