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St. Margaret Mary’s Church

A Time for PeaceVolume 13 Dec 2015

(reference : http://www.josemariaescriva.info)

1 Holy Mary is the Queen of peace, and thus the Church invokes her. So when your soul or your family are troubled, or things go wrong at work, in society or between nations, cry out to her without ceasing. Call to her by this title: Regina pacis, ora pro nobis — Queen of peace, pray for us.’’ Have you at least tried it when you have lost your calm? You will be surprised at its immediate effect. (Furrow, 874)2 In your heart and soul, in your intelligence and in your will, implant a spirit of trust and abandonment to the loving Will of your heavenly Father. From this will arise the interior peace you desire. (Furrow, 850)3 There is a remedy for those anxieties of yours. Be patient, have rectitude of intention and look at things with a supernatural perspective. (Furrow, 853)4 God is with you: so cast far away from you that fear and spiritual agitation. They are reactions to avoid in the first place, for they only serve to multiply temptations and increase the danger. (Furrow, 854)5 Everything may collapse and fail. Events may turn out contrary to what was expected and great adversity may come. But nothing is to be gained by being perturbed. Furthermore, remember the confident prayer of the prophet: ``The Lord is our judge, the Lord gives us our laws, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.’’ Say it devoutly every day, so that your behaviour may agree with the designs of Providence, which governs us for our own good. (Furrow, 855)6 If you fix your sight on God and thus know how to keep calm in the face of worries; if you can forget petty things, jealousies and envies, you will save a lot of energy, which you need if you are to work effectively in the service of men. (Furrow, 856)7 As soon as you truly abandon yourself in the Lord, you will know how to be content with whatever happens. You will not lose your peace if your undertakings do not turn out the way you hoped, even if you have put everything into them, and used all the means necessary. For they will have turned out the way God wants them to. (Furrow, 860)8 When darkness surrounds us and our soul is blind and restless, we have to go to the Light, like Bartimaeus. Repeat, shout, cry out ever more strongly, Domine, ut videam! — Lord, that I may see. And daylight will dawn upon you, and you will be able to enjoy the brightness He grants you. (Furrow, 862)9 The task for a Christian is to drown evil in an abundance of good. It is not a question of negative campaigns, or of being anti anything. On the contrary, we should live positively, full of optimism, with youthfulness, joy and peace. We should be understanding with everybody, with the followers of Christ and with those who abandon him, or do not know him at all. But understanding does not mean holding back, or remaining indifferent, but being active. (Furrow, 864)But understanding does not mean holding back, or remaining indifferent, but being active. (Furrow, 864)10 A paradox: I have had fewer worries on my mind every day since I decided to follow the advice of the psalm: ``Cast your cares upon the Lord, and he will sustain you.’’ And at the same time, once we have done whatever needs doing, everything can be solved more easily. (Furrow, 873)May God grant you a blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with joy, hope and peace!

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom his favour rests!” (Luke 2:14). Christmas is a time when we recall the very night in which the God of all glories

who took the flesh of man entered the world, reconciling all things to Himself through Christ our Lord. It is a time of reconciliation and peace. The following are words from Saint Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, on finding peace:

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From the Holy See

Wo r d s f r o m G o s p e l r e a d i n g s i n D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5

Pope Urges Faithful to Be Embraced by God’s Mercy Which Pardons Everything

During Angelus (8th December), Pope Francis Also Prays Mary’s Intercession Transforms Our Lives; Calls for Special Shout Out to Pope Benedict XVI

“Let’s not be afraid: let us allow ourselves to be embraced by the mercy of God that waits for us and pardons everything. Nothing is sweeter than His mercy. Let’s let ourselves be caressed by God: He is so good, the Lord, and He pardons everything.”

Departing from his scripted remarks, Pope Francis gave this exhortation at noon to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square during his Angelus Address. Earlier on the morning on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis opened the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy with a Mass in the Square with the Pope Emeritus Benedict also in attendance.

In the Immaculate Conception of Mary, he noted, all faithful are invited to recognize the dawn of the new world, transformed by the saving work of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the dawn of the new creation wrought by Divine Mercy. Therefore, the Virgin Mary never contaminated by sin and always full of God, is Mother of a new humanity. She is mother of a recreated world.

To celebrate this feast, Francis explained, implies two things: to receive God fully and His merciful grace in our life; and to become architects of mercy through a genuine evangelical journey. Therefore, this holy day, he said, truly becomes a feast for all of us if in saying ‘yes’ daily to the Lord, “we are able to overcome our egoism and to render the lives of our brothers happier, to give them hope, drying tears and giving a bit of joy.”

In imitation of Mary, he exhorted, we are called to become bearers of Christ and witnesses of His love, looking first of all at those who are the privileged ones in Jesus’ eyes: the poor and marginalized.

The feast of the Immaculate Conception has a specific message to communicate to us, Francis said. “It reminds us that in our life everything is gift, everything is mercy.”

The Holy Father prayed that Mary helps all faithful us to rediscover always more divine mercy as ‘the distinguishing mark’ of a Christian.

The Pontiff noted that mercy is the fundamental feature of Christ’s face, which one sees in how He went out to encounter all, cure the sick, dine with sinners, and “especially when, nailed to the cross, He forgave.” Here, the Pontiff pointed out, “We see there the face of Divine Mercy.”

Before reciting the midday pray, the Pope prayed that through Mary’s intercession, mercy take possession of our hearts and transform our whole life.

After greeting those gathered, the Pope reminded the faithful in the square that on that afternoon he, as has been the custom of the Popes since the 19th century, would go to Piazza di Spagna to pray at the foot of the monument to the Immaculate Conception, and added that afterward he would go to Santa Maria Maggiore. “I ask you to join me spiritually in this pilgrimage, which is an act of filial devotion to Mary, Mother of Mercy. I will entrust to her the Church and the whole of humanity, particularly the city of Rome,” he said.

“Today,” he went on to say, “also Pope Benedict crossed the Door of Mercy. Let’s send him a salute from here, everyone, to Pope Benedict!”

Pope Francis concluded, wishing all those gathered a happy feast and a Holy Year rich in fruits, with the guidance and intercession of our Mother, “a year full of mercy for all of you, and from you, toward others.” As has become his custom, he reminded the faithful to pray for him, saying he has a great need for the prayers, and wished them a good day.

(source : www.zenit.org)

Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” John told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

Tercer Domingo de Adviento San Lucas 3:10-18

Third Sunday of Advent Luke 3:10-18

—Y nosotros, ¿qué debemos hacer? —le preguntaron unos soldados. —No extorsionen a nadie ni hagan denuncias falsas; más bien confórmense con lo que les pagan.

Cuarto Domingo de Adviento San Lucas 1:39-45

Fourth Sunday of Advent Luke 1:39-45

Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Entonces Elisabet, llena del Espíritu Santo, exclamó: —¡Dichosa tú que has creído, porque lo que el Señor te ha dicho se cumplirá!

Christmas Eve Matthew 1:1-25

Nochebuena San Mateo 1:1-25

The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “You are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Se le apareció en sueños un ángel del Señor y le dijo: «Le pondrás por nombre Jesús, porque él salvará a su pueblo de sus pecados.»

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Luke 2:41-52

Fiesta de la Sagrada Familia San Lucas 2:41-52Así que Jesús bajó con sus padres a Nazaret y vivió sujeto a ellos. Pero su madre conservaba todas estas cosas en el corazón. Jesús siguió creciendo en sabiduría y estatura, y cada vez más gozaba del favor de Dios y de toda la gente.

Jesus went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

The Nativity of the Lord – Christmas Day John 1:1-18

La Navidad Juan 1:1-18

Y el Verbo se hizo hombre y habitó entre nosotros. Y hemos contemplado su gloria, la gloria que corresponde al Hijo unigénito del Padre, lleno de gracia y de verdad.

And the Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.

Segundo Domingo de Adviento San Lucas 3:1-6“Preparen el camino del Señor, háganle sendas derechas. Todo valle será rellenado, toda montaña y colina será allanada. Los caminos torcidos se enderezarán, las sendas escabrosas quedarán llanas.

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Second Sunday of Advent Luke 3:1-6

Thanksgiving Mass (New Year’s Eve) Luke 12:22-31

Misa de Acción de Gracias San Lucas 12:22-31

Jesus said to his disciples, “Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them.”

Luego dijo Jesús a sus discípulos: «Fíjense cómo crecen los lirios. No trabajan ni hilan; sin embargo, les digo que ni siquiera Salomón, con todo su esplendor, se vestía como uno de ellos.»

Shout out to Pope Benedict

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St. Margaret’s Church2A, Broadwood Rd., Happy Valley

Liturgical Schedule for Christmas Season 2015

Date Event Time Place

29/11/2015 1st Sunday of Advent 12:30 SMC*

06/12/2015 2nd Sunday of Advent 12:30 SMC**

08/12/2015 Solemnity of Immaculate Conception 19:30 SMC***

13/12/2015 3rd Sunday of Advent 12:30 SMC

18/12/2015 Confessions for Christmas 19:00 SMC

20/12/2015 4th Sunday of Advent 12:30 SMC

24/12/2015 CHRISTMAS VIGIL 0:00 SMC

25/12/2015 NATIVITY OF THE LORD 12:30 SMC

27/12/2015 FEAST OF HOLY FAMILY 12:30 SMC

01/01/2016 MARY, MOTHER OF GOD 12:30 SMC

03/01/2016 EPIPHANY 12:30 SMC

10/01/2016 BAPTISM OF THE LORD 12:30 SMCOpen Parish Meeting for English 14:00 SMCCommunities

1. *On all Sundays, there are also English Masses at 10:30 a.m. at both Rosaryhill School and Wah Yan College; and at 11:30 a.m. at Christ the King Chapel at St. Paul’s Convent, Causeway Bay.

2. **Confessions are heard for 30 minutes before Sunday Masses at SMC3. ***Mass for Immaculate Conception in 1st floor chapel SMC.

Article Contributions Welcome

The newsletter is in many ways a ‘family letter’, facilitating the communication and sharing of ideas between different groups in our parish. Therefore you will be most welcome to share with us your spiritual life and insights, parish activities and pilgrimage experience, etc.

Text should be close to a full-A4 page length or half of it, with high resolution photos for print quality where relevant. We also welcome a simpler photo journal format with titles for the photos and

may be a few lines to describe an event you have participated; it would be great to see different members of our family. Please send your contributions by email if possible; in case of handwritten manuscripts, please give it to the counter staff at the amenities building next to St. Margaret’s Church. Originals will not be returned so please make copies if necessary.

By post: St. Margaret’s Church (Newsletter) 2A Broadwood Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong.

Tel: 25762801 Fax: 25769764 Email: smc@catholic.org.hk

Advent & New Year Schedule