MERRYLANDS DRIVING SCHOOL

LEARN TO DRIVE SAFELY WITH A SENIOR DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

WITH 27 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE SMALL LATE MODEL AUTO CAR

$50.00 PER HOUR

INSTRUCTOR: VICTOR OLENIK Phone: 9636 6357– Mob:0419 266 479

LESSONS AVAILABLE EVERY DAY Lic No: 11661106

* General Painting

* Wallpaper * All repairs: Timber, gyprock, render & tiles (prior to painting)

www.gebranpainting.com.au

0414 268 603

ST . MARGARET MARY ’S PARISH MERRYLANDS

PARISH INFORMATION

PARISH OFFICE: 1-5 Chetwynd Rd, MERRYLANDS NSW 2160 Postal Address: PO Box 757, Merrylands. Tuesday - Friday: 9am - 3.30pm

Phone: 9637 2526 9637 2014 Fax 9637 2442 Email: parish@stmm.org.au Website: stmm.org.au

PARISH GROUPS CO-ORDINATORS: Office Administrator/Secretary: Patricia Aviet

Finance Committee: Reuben Dias

Parish Council:

Chair: Fr Janusz Pawlicha, OSPPE

Secretary: Cheryl Fortini

Fundraising :

Samantha Tawil - 0424 755 311

Christyna Tawil

Catechists: Sonia Abi-Rached

Music : Kerry van der Linden

Sacraments: Christopher Barnes

Acolytes / RCIA : Peter Carroll

Readers: Gwen D’Silva

Youth groups: Teen S.W.A.T : Fr Peter James/ Rita Jacobson Pauline S.W.A.T: Fr Peter James

Legion of Mary: Merwyn D’Souza –0478 109 569

Playgroup: Maryanne – 0416 116 707

St Vincent de Paul: 1800 606 724

Bus to Berrima –Giovanna– ph 9682 1008

Our Parish is under the Pastoral Care of the Order of St Paul the First Hermit (known as the Pauline Fathers) who for more than 630 years are renowned

Custodians of the Miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Jasna Gora, Poland.

Parish Priest Fr Janusz Pawlicha

Assistant Priest

Fr Peter James Strohmayer

Prayer: Holy Father-Pope Francis’ monthly intention:

DECEMBER The Elderly. That the elderly, sustained by families and Christian communities, may apply their wisdom and experience to spreading the faith and forming the new generations.

First Friday:

11am: Maltese Mass 7.00pm: Holy Mass, Stations of the Cross followed by Exposition

Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament: Thursdays-Eucharistic Adoration: 9.30 am-2.30pm 4th Sunday of the month: 1.00pm - 1.30pm– Divine Mercy Devotions 1st Friday of the month: approx. 8.30pm– midnight

Vespers– Sunday Evenings 5.15 pm - 5.45pm

RCIA sessions– Sunday mornings 9am Mass followed by Session 10 am –11am

Devotions:

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Tuesday: after morning Mass Wednesday: 6.30pm

Veneration of the Holy Face of Jesus:

Tuesday: 7.30pm - 8.30pm

Divine Mercy Devotions 4th Sunday of the month: 1.00pm - 3.00pm, 3.00pm - Holy Mass

Baptisms: 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month

Reconciliation: Tues - Fri 8.30 - 8.55am Sat - 9am - 9.30am and 4.30pm-5.30pm (or by appointment)

Marriages: By appointment only (6 months required)

Sick Calls: 9637 2526– option 3 or 0412 625 187 - any time

THIS WEEK: 24 Dec 2017 - 30 Dec 2017 Counting: Group H Church Cleaning: D Altar & general cleaning– Nada & Volunteers

NEXT WEEK: 31 Dec 2017 - 5 Jan 2018 Counting: Group A Church Cleaning: E Altar & general cleaning– Nada & volunteers

Weekend Masses:

Saturday: Vigil: 6pm Sunday: 7.30am, 9am,10.30am,

6pm

Weekday Masses:

During January –until 30th

Monday 9am

Tuesday 9am

Wednesday 9am

Thursday 9am

Friday 9am

Saturday 8.30am

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

24 th DECEMBER 2017 WEEKEND MASSES: WEEKDAY MASSES:

Saturday: 6:00pm Vigil Monday: 9:15am

Sunday: 7:30am Tuesday: 9:00am & 7:00pm

9:00am Wednesday: 9:00am & 7:00pm

10:30am Thursday: 9:00am

6:00pm Friday: 9:00am & 7:00pm

Saturday: 8:30am

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour.

FIRST READING 2 Sam 7:1-5,8-12,14,16

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken; to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison; to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord. ‘I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity, like a bridegroom wearing his wreath, like a bride adorned in her jewels. ‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow, as a garden makes seeds spring up, so will the Lord make both integrity and praise spring up in the sight of the na-tions.’

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

(R.) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

1. I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth. Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens. (R.)

2. ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will establish your dynasty for ever and set up your throne through all ages.’ (R.)

3. He will say to me: ‘You are my father, my God, the rock who saves me.’ I will keep my love for him always; for him my covenant shall endure. (R.)

SECOND READING Rom 16:25-27

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans

Glory to him who is able to give you the strength to live according to the Good News I preach, and in which I proclaim Jesus Christ, the revelation of a mystery kept secret for endless ages, but now so clear that it must be broadcast to pagans everywhere to bring them to the obedience of faith. This is only what scripture has predicted, and it is all part of the way the eternal God wants things to be. He alone is wisdom; give glory therefore to him through Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

MEDITATION PRAYER

"Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified 'yes' to your will and plan for my life."

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Alleluia, alleluia! I am the servant of the Lord: may his will for me be done. Alleluia!

GOSPEL Lk 1:26-38

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Naza-

reth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply

disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and

you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will

have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its

shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her

sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON: Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son; and his name will be called Emmanuel.

The scriptural quotations are taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Co Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. The English translation of the Psalm Responses, the Alleluia and Gospel Verses, and the Lenten Gospel Acclamations, and the Titles, Summaries, and Conclusion of the Readings, from the Lectionary for Mass © 1997, 1981, 1968, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.

MEDITATION: When God made a covenant with David as King over Israel he made a promise to David and to his descendants that David's dynasty would endure forever through the coming of the Messiah King (2 Samuel 7:16). This King would establish an everlasting kingdom of peace and security for his people. The peace which the Messiah brings cancels the debt of sin and restores our broken rela-tionship with God our heavenly Father. We see the fulfillment of God's unfolding plan of redemption in the events lead-ing up to the Incarnation, the birth of the Messiah King. The new era of salvation begins with the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary. The angel repeats to Mary, the daughter of the house of David, the promise made to King David: "The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end" (2 Samuel 7:12-16, Isaiah 9:6-

7, Luke 1:32-33). How does Mary respond to the word of God delivered by the angel Gabriel? She knows she is hearing something beyond human capability. It will surely take a miracle which surpasses all that God has done previously. Her question, "how shall this be, since I have no husband" is not prompted by doubt or scepticism, but by wonderment! She is a true hearer of the Word and she immediately re-sponds with faith and trust. Mary's prompt response of "yes" to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers. Mary believed God's promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do God's will, even if it seemed diffi-cult or costly. Mary is the "mother of God" because God becomes incarnate when he takes on flesh in her womb. When we pray the Nicene Creed we state our confession of faith in this great mystery: "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incar-nate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man". What is the key that unlocks the power and grace of God’s kingdom in our per-sonal lives? Faith and obedience for sure! God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willing obedience and heartfelt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives the help and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in God's promises and do you yield to his grace?

Exert from Daily Scripture-Servants of the Word

NEXT WEEK’S READINGS 31st December 2017

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph

Gen 15:1-16, 21:1-3 or Sirach 3:2-6,12-14; Heb 11:8,11-12,17-19 or Col 3:12-21;

Lk 2:22-40

Please remember to switch off your mobile phone

PRAYER REQUESTS

Sam, Charly & Samira Hasham

Cecil Rebeiro

Reshna Jordan

Tony Ralph

Joshua Dehan

Kartia Grace Russell

Doris & Michael Falzon

Peter Newman

Katrina Smith

Tony Ostojic

Lucita De Los Reyes

Hanna & Adam Kmita

Frank Grapa

Marie Smith

Mary Casey

Ludivina Green

John & Victoria Pjetraj

Mario & Christian Pjetraj

Alice Said

Willie & Tereza Cutajar

Gabrielle Wehbe

Diamond Pacheco

Katarina Lana

Stan Schwebel

Ann Stephenson

Carmella Bonello

Shelly Barnes

Shirley Forno

Elsie Patricia Turnbull

Fiona Khoury

Annie Ingram

Teresa Saad

June Lewis

Anthony Hanna

George & Mary Spiteri

Tony Sowmi

Christopher Oldham

Jack Pickering

Jocelyn Santos

Therese Taouil

Nour & baby Tannous

Hervé Nicolas

Claudine D’ Costa

Therese Nicolas

Phillip Axiak

Luca Jerkovic

Stefania Zielinska

Jaime

FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK

Saint Stephen, The First Martyr Feast Day -26 December

Saint John, The Apostle Feast Day -27 December The Holy Innocents, Martyrs Feast Day - 28 December The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph Feast Day - 31 December

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

The Nativity of our Lord is the Central mystery of our faith. On that first Christmas Day, God came down to us and gave us the best He had: His

very own self. At Christmas, we feel that God is very close to us and very loving towards us. As the same time, we feel closeness to one another. All this happens because God’s Son became one of us.

So Christmas is a celebration of joy, hope and peace. With glad-ness and happiness, we should tell everyone that the Saviour is born and good news is announced and newness is proclaimed.

The joy of Jesus, the joy of Christmas can only be ours to the ex-tent that we work with Jesus to bring joy into the lives of others. Let us remember that Christmas is not complete unless we show real generosity to those who have nothing to give us in return.

Let us bring the true light of Christ to illumine the lives of all these brothers and sisters during this CHRISTMAS season and through our sharing love, overflowing mercy, unconditional forgiveness and humble service.

In Jesus, God tells us and keeps spelling it out: no matter who you are, no matter how little you are counted in this world, I love you– I wish to be with you, I stand at your side as your everlasting friend. Emmanuel, says St Matthew, a word which means “God-with-us”. God loves us so much and he wants to share himself with us. He does not want to merely exist alongside us but wants to be part of everything we are. TO BRING JOY TO CHRISTMAS, WE REALLY HAVE TO BRING

THEM CHRIST.

I wish everyone a Christ-filled season . May our celebration be a true encounter with Christ who is the reason for the season. A Blessed and Merry Christmas to each one ! May God bless each of you and your families this Christmas day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !! Father Janusz

CHURCH NOTICES:

As the celebration of The Nativity Of the Lord is approaching;

We ask all parishioners to remember the following:

We ask for your cooperation and patience when using both carparks as we are expecting many visitors.

Please also respect our Church: The House of the Lord by assisting in taking all rubbish with you and tidying up especially when using the children’s room at the back of the church.

We ask you please to supervise children whilst they are in the church during Christmas time and ensure that they respect all the Christmas decorations around the church and on the Sanctuary area.

Also please ensure that there is adequate supervision for all children using our Parish toilet facilities.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR COOPERATION

MASS TIMETABLE DECEMBER 2017–JANUARY 2018

Masses from 26

th December – 31

st December 2017

will be held as per usual – see front of the bulletin

WEEKDAY morning Masses during the month of January

2nd January 2018 until 31st January 2018

9.00 am ONLY

NO EVENING MASSES /DEVOTIONS

THANK YOU

The Saint Vincent De Paul Society would like to sin-cerely thank all parishioners and especially to St Mar-

garet Mary’s Primary School who donated during the recent Christmas appeal. Thanks to your generosity a total of $5,766.85 was raised. All funds raised will go towards helping the less fortunate in our community at Christmastime.

May God bless you for your generosity

INTERNATIONAL CAROLS “Christmas around the World”

THANK YOU

We would like to sincerely thank all who helped to make our International Carols evening such a success.

Thank you to all members of our Fundraising committee under the direction of Samantha and Saada who worked tire-lessly to ensure that the evening ran smoothly.

Thank you to all who helped to prepare and serve the sausage sizzle & snacks and the many volunteers who also helped with the cooking and selling on the night, setting up and all who helped with the clean up duties.

A special thank you to Rebecca Sahyoun who coordinated the evening’s entertainment.

Thank you to all the singers & choirs from each country and their coordinators who gave their time and talent to sing a Christmas song and to share how Christmas is celebrated in their countries.

The following nations were represented with their group coordi-nators:

Vietnam– Elvis Latin America/Spain-Deana Africa– Franklin Tonga-Lisa Croatia-Nada Lebanon– Rania Harb Malta– Maryanne Philippines– Jun Australia—Fr PJ and the SWAT youth group

We hope to see many more nations represented in 2018.

Finally a very big thank you to all the families & friends who attended on the night. Without your at-tendance and support this evening would not be possi-ble.

May God Bless you all ! Father Janusz