NOTICES FOR PARISH BULLETIN
In order to facilitate printing we ask that all notices
and anniversaries for the parish bulletin are either
given to the sacristan or left at the parish office
by Wednesday morning at the latest.
ADVENT: THE MEANING
Lord, our God,
help us to prepare
for the coming of Christ your Son.
May he find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer.
From the Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Prayer, Monday
of the First Week of Advent.
The tone of Advent is described in
the short prayer above taken from the Liturgy of the
Hours of the second day of Advent. Prepare . . . wait
. . . eagerly . . . joyfully . . . the coming of Christ!
All the memorial acclamations at
the heart of the Eucharistic Prayer express the threefold
sense of Christ's coming: past, present, and future.
Dying you destroyed our death, / rising you restored
our life. / Lord Jesus, come in glory. Advent celebrated
all three: Jesus' birth in Bethlehem in the past,
his ongoing coming in our hearts through grace, his
glorious return at the end of time. Advent is both
a beginning and an ending. It embraces the end of
the secular calendar and the beginning of the Church's
sacred cycle, eliciting a contemplation of the past,
of the present, and of the future. Strikingly, the
chronological flow is reversed, starting with remembering
the future.
In the language of Advent - the scriptures
and prayers, customs and colours, psalms and songs
- we savour the sounds of our longing, while reveling
that Christ is already in our midst. Pious poetry
is not enough. It is more than the baby in Bethlehem,
for the manger beckons us to the foot of the cross.
In the hush of silence we hold our breath in expectation.
Near the open tomb, the angels, too, wait, for soon
they will sing of the glory of God and of the Lord
coming in glory. No wonder it takes four weeks of
Advent to enter into the threshold of mystery!
While many decry the excessive commercialisation
of the period before Christmas, we might nevertheless
be awed by the generous serving and giving that mark
this season: donations of food, toys, and clothing
to those less fortunate. That generous spirit is one
of the gifts of the Advent season that should be appreciated.
Human hoping acquires a public face, and for a while
we become the hands and feet of Jesus. Our wanting
can be transformed into a desire for peace, equal
distribution of goods and care, more for those who
have less, an end to violence. Swords become plowshares
and the lion welcomes the lamb. We are called to be
as counter-cultural as John the Baptist was.
Among our icons of Advent stand the
messengers: Mary, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Isaiah
even. Icons and statues of such as these could be
highlighted or displayed. The central images of Advent
remind us that we live in an "in-between time"
when the kingdom is present but not yet fulfilled.
ANNIVERSARIES
Kathleen King, Jim Murray
Catherine Hannigan, James McHugh
Leo McHugh, Paddy Mullan
Johnny Mullan, Dan Doherty
Mary Harley, Sheila Tourish
Charles McCunnie, Sheila Duffy
Annie Hegarty, Annie Duddy.
PRAYER GROUP
The contemplative prayer group will
meet on Monday at 8.15pm in the Parochial House. Everyone
welcome.
PRAY FOR PRIESTS
The diocese published a prayer
card with the names of all the Derry diocesan priests.
This week we ask you to pray
for:
Fr. Noel McDermott CC, Faughanvale,
29 November
Fr. Eamon McDevitt PP, Dunamanagh, 30 November
Fr. John McDevitt CC, Omagh, 1 December
Fr. Michael McEldowney, Retired, 2 December
Fr. Kevin McElhennon CC, Cappagh, 3 December
Fr. Brendan McGinn, Deceased, 4 December
Fr. Dermot McGirr CC, The Three Patrons, 5 December
PADRE PIO MASS
The Padre Pio Mass will take place
in the Church on
Wednesday 2 December at 7.00pm. Rosary
at 6.45pm.
EUCHARISTIC HEALING SERVICE
There will be Eucharistic Healing Service in the Church
every Sunday during Advent at 6.00pm. Everyone welcome.
PARISH CHRISTMAS CARDS
Our Novena of Masses Christmas Cards are now on sale
at £1.00 each. Cards can be purchased after
all Masses at the back of the Church.
PARISH DRAW
The Draw for the month of December will take place
in the parish office on Thursday 10 December at 2.30pm.
There will also be an extra Draw for fully paid members
so promoters are asked to make their returns to the
parish office at their earliest convenience.
CHURCH ROOF
We gratefully acknowledge the following donations
towards the repair of the church roof.
£225.00 £200.00 £160.00 £40.00
£40.00 £30.00 €50.00. Many thanks.
SACRED HEART MESSENGER
Subscribers please note the price increase of the
Sacred Heart Messenger magazine. From January 2010
the magazine will be £1.00 per edition.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL COLLECTION
The annual St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Collection
will be taken up at all Masses next weekend, 5 &
6 December. We take this opportunity to thank everyone
for their continuing support.
CARMELITE RETREAT CENTRE
The monthly devotions in honour of Our Lady, will
take place in the Carmelite Retreat Centre, Termonbacca,
Derry on Tuesday 1 December starting with confessions
at 7.30pm followed by Rosary and Mass, finishing around
10.00pm. All are welcome.
Advent Weekend Retreat. Registration Friday 11 December
at 7.30pm to Sunday 13 December. A quiet residential
weekend, which will be a spiritual preparation for
the feast of Christmas, will be conducted by the Carmelite
Fathers in Termonbacca, Carmelite Retreat Centre,
Derry. Tel: 71262512.
Marriage Preparation Workshops will
take place on the following dates in the Thornhill
Centre, Derry: 29/30 January 2010, 26/27 February
2010, 26/27 March 2010. Fridays 7.00pm - 10.00pm,
Saturdays 10.00am - 4.00pm. Booking forms available
from The Pastoral Centre, 164 Bishop Street, Derry
BT48 6UJ. Telephone 028 71362475.
ADOPTION
Could you make a child happy again
after a difficult start in life? Family Care Society
is presently seeking adoptive families who would be
interested in parenting children aged between 2 –
6 years and who need the love and attention of a caring
and understanding family. Could this be you? Please
contact Family Care Society on Belfast 02890691133
or Derry 02871368592.
CHRISTMAS YOUTH 2000 RETREAT
A National Youth 2000 Retreat for Young People aged
16-35 takes place at Newbridge College, Newbridge,
Co. Kildare from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 December.
An opportunity not to be missed to experience the
Catholic faith and meet many new friends! Contact
Youth 2000 office 0035316753690 or 07521708876 for
information. No charge - donation only. Buses available
from some locations. See www.youth2000.ie
PICTORIAL DVD
'A Year in the Life
of Camus Parish'
A pictorial DVD entitled 'A Year
in the Life of Camus Parish' is now available to buy.
You can get your DVD at the parochial house, the Church
or from St. Vincent de Paul. Price £10.00.
STRABANE PARISH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS
1000 DRAW
1st Prize £1000.00
2nd Prize 1000 litres of petrol
3rd Prize 1000 litres of oil
4th Prize 1000 20p's
Draw will take place at the Parish Bazaar on Sunday
6 December. Tickets £10.00 each.
ST. ANNE'S PRIMARY SCHOOL
Application forms for children starting
P.1 in September 2010 are now available from the office
in St. Anne's Primary School. Closing date for applications
is 20 January 2010.
We gratefully acknowledge the proceeds of the recent
ceili in St. Patrick's Hall. The sum of £225.00
has been donated to parish funds. Many thanks.
SIGERSONS GAA
The annual Mass for deceased Club members will take
place on Tuesday 1 December at 7.30pm in the Oratory
of Holy Cross College.
FAMILY SPORTS DAY AND BARN DANCE
Due to the magnificent support of these two events,
we are happy to let you know the financial outcome.
£500.00 to Parkinsons Disease, cheque presented
to John James McCrossan. £500.00 to Multiple
Sclerosis, cheque presented to John Harper. £500.00
to Evish Primary School, cheque presented to Mrs McQuillan.
£2000.00 presented to the Parish of Camus. In
total, the magnificent sum of £3500.00 was raised.
WELL DONE TO ALL!!
ST. PATRICK’S HALL
Bingo and Lucky 4 Draw as usual this Thursday.
All our patrons are very welcome.
Bingo Snowball £2500.00
PRAYER CORNER
A BLESSING OF ANGELS
May the Angels in their beauty bless
you.
May they turn towards you streams of blessing.
May the Angel of Awakening stir your heart
To come alive to the eternal within you,
To all the invitations that quietly surround you.
May the Angel of Healing turn your wounds
Into sources of refreshment.
May the Angel of the Imagination enable you
To stand on the true thresholds;
At ease with your ambivalence
And drawn in new directions
Through the glow of your contradictions.
May the Angel of Compassion open your eyes
To the unseen suffering around you.
May the Angel of Wildness disturb the places
Where your life is domesticated and safe,
Take you to the territories of true otherness
Where all that is awkward in you
Can fall into its own rhythm.
