Parish of the Assumption of Our Lady, Old Harlow, Essex CM17 0HA
THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY
Old Harlow, Essex CM17 0HA
01279 434203
www.catholicchurchoftheassumption.co.uk
email: [email protected]
First Sunday of Advent – Year A
30th November 2025
Old Harlow, Essex CM17 0HA
01279 434203
www.catholicchurchoftheassumption.co.uk
email: [email protected]
First Sunday of Advent – Year A
30th November 2025
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
With the first Sunday of Advent a new liturgical year begins: the people of God begin again on the way to living the mystery of Christ in history. Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. History, instead, changes and requires constant evangelization; it needs to be renewed from within and the only true novelty is Christ: he is its fulfilment, the luminous future of humanity and of the world. Risen from the dead, Jesus is the Lord to whom God subjects all enemies, including death itself. Advent is therefore the propitious time to awaken in our hearts the expectation of he “who is and who was and who is to come” (Rv 1:8).
(Pope Benedict XVI)
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BEREVEMENT – BISHOP THOMAS McMAHON – RIP
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Rt Rev Thomas McMahon, Bishop Emeritus of Brentwood Diocese, who died peacefully at his home in Stock, at 10am Monday morning.
May he rest in peace.
Details of his funeral will follow.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PARISH CHRISTMAS RAFFLE FOR CHURCH FUNDS.
Raffle tickets will be on sale after mass and in the church hall starting Sunday 30/11/25.
Please support this worthy cause.
The winning tickets will be drawn on Sunday 14/12/25 after the 10.00 mass.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ADVENT CAROL SERVICE
Sunday 14th December (3rd Sunday of Advent) at 4pm, we come together to listen to scripture readings chronicling the prophesy and arrival of our Emanuel, ‘God-With-Us’. These will be interspersed with a selection of favourite carols.
We all know we have a ‘Choir of Angels’ to help us with the singing, but it will also be an opportunity for the children of our parish to dress up. We have lots of candidates to be angels. Some may want to come as Mary or Joseph, or as one of the shepherds, or perhaps one of their sheep, or the innkeeper. Some may want to remind us of the story of the Epiphany and come as one of the Wise Men, or who ever else they may want to portray.
Parents may also want to dress up. And who knows, two of the parents may even be brave enough to join together as the donkey!
As for your Parish Priest… I had thought, maybe, I could dress up as the ill-tempered old villain, King Herod? – But no. I think not. I wouldn’t want to be typecast!
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FOOD BANK - CHRISTMAS APPEAL SHOPPING LIST
In the 3 weeks leading up to Christmas, the Food Bank will provide a significant number of food parcels to individuals and families in hardship. Please donate an item or two from the shipping list by 15th December for the last drop off of the year on the 16th. for further info: [email protected]
Tinned Meat - fish - veg - fruit - pasta/pasta sauce - UHT milk - cereals - soup (veg/meat) - fruit juice - baked beans - - tea - coffee - instant mashed potato
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MASS TIMES THIS WEEK
Sunday 30th 10:00 Solemn Mass – First Sunday of Advent – Year A.
Bp.Thomas McMahon - RIP
18:00 Solemn Mass – First Sunday of Advent – Year A People of the Parish
Tuesday 2nd Dec 10:00 No Mass Today
Wednesday 3rd 10:00 No Mass Today
Sunday 7th 10:00 Solemn Mass – Second Sunday of Advent – Year A.
(Ordinariate Use)
18:00 Solemn Mass – Second Sunday of Advent – Year A . People of the Parish
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GOSPEL REFLECTION
« “Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come” »
Today, “For as it was in the days of Noah”, people eat, drink, marry and give in marriage (cf. Mt 24:37-38). But there are also, as in patriarch Noah’s day, saints in the same office and in the same place as the others. And one of them will be taken and the other left, because the Just Judge will come.
We must be awake for “only those who are alert are not taken by surprise” (Benedict XVI). We must be prepared with our love enkindled in our heart, as the torch of the wise virgins. This is precisely what it is all about: there will come the time when we will hear: “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” (Mt 25:6), Jesus Christ!
His arrival is always causing joy to those who carry the torch fastened in their heart. His coming is something like the parent who lives in a faraway country and writes his family: —when you least expect it, I will be there. From that day on, all is joy in that home: Our Dad is coming! Our model, the Saints, lived like this, “waiting for the Lord to come.”
During Advent, we learn to await with peace and love, the Lord who is coming. Nothing of the despair and eagerness typifying the nowadays man. Saint Augustine gives us a good recipe to await: “Live your life as you would like your death to be.” If we await with love, God will satiate our heart and our hopes.
Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come (cf. Mt 24:42). Clean home, pure heart, thoughts and sentiments in Jesus’ style. Benedict XVI explains: “To watch means to follow the Lord, to choose what He has chosen, to love what He has loved, to conform one's own life to His.” Then the Son of Man will come… and the Father will embrace us for resembling his Son.
Mons. José Ignacio ALEMANY Grau, Emeritus Bishop of Chachapoyas(Chachapoyas, Peru)
Courtesy of Evangeli
www.catholicchurchoftheassumption.co.uk
01279 434203
With the first Sunday of Advent a new liturgical year begins: the people of God begin again on the way to living the mystery of Christ in history. Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. History, instead, changes and requires constant evangelization; it needs to be renewed from within and the only true novelty is Christ: he is its fulfilment, the luminous future of humanity and of the world. Risen from the dead, Jesus is the Lord to whom God subjects all enemies, including death itself. Advent is therefore the propitious time to awaken in our hearts the expectation of he “who is and who was and who is to come” (Rv 1:8).
(Pope Benedict XVI)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BEREVEMENT – BISHOP THOMAS McMAHON – RIP
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Rt Rev Thomas McMahon, Bishop Emeritus of Brentwood Diocese, who died peacefully at his home in Stock, at 10am Monday morning.
May he rest in peace.
Details of his funeral will follow.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PARISH CHRISTMAS RAFFLE FOR CHURCH FUNDS.
Raffle tickets will be on sale after mass and in the church hall starting Sunday 30/11/25.
Please support this worthy cause.
The winning tickets will be drawn on Sunday 14/12/25 after the 10.00 mass.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ADVENT CAROL SERVICE
Sunday 14th December (3rd Sunday of Advent) at 4pm, we come together to listen to scripture readings chronicling the prophesy and arrival of our Emanuel, ‘God-With-Us’. These will be interspersed with a selection of favourite carols.
We all know we have a ‘Choir of Angels’ to help us with the singing, but it will also be an opportunity for the children of our parish to dress up. We have lots of candidates to be angels. Some may want to come as Mary or Joseph, or as one of the shepherds, or perhaps one of their sheep, or the innkeeper. Some may want to remind us of the story of the Epiphany and come as one of the Wise Men, or who ever else they may want to portray.
Parents may also want to dress up. And who knows, two of the parents may even be brave enough to join together as the donkey!
As for your Parish Priest… I had thought, maybe, I could dress up as the ill-tempered old villain, King Herod? – But no. I think not. I wouldn’t want to be typecast!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FOOD BANK - CHRISTMAS APPEAL SHOPPING LIST
In the 3 weeks leading up to Christmas, the Food Bank will provide a significant number of food parcels to individuals and families in hardship. Please donate an item or two from the shipping list by 15th December for the last drop off of the year on the 16th. for further info: [email protected]
Tinned Meat - fish - veg - fruit - pasta/pasta sauce - UHT milk - cereals - soup (veg/meat) - fruit juice - baked beans - - tea - coffee - instant mashed potato
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MASS TIMES THIS WEEK
Sunday 30th 10:00 Solemn Mass – First Sunday of Advent – Year A.
Bp.Thomas McMahon - RIP
18:00 Solemn Mass – First Sunday of Advent – Year A People of the Parish
Tuesday 2nd Dec 10:00 No Mass Today
Wednesday 3rd 10:00 No Mass Today
Sunday 7th 10:00 Solemn Mass – Second Sunday of Advent – Year A.
(Ordinariate Use)
18:00 Solemn Mass – Second Sunday of Advent – Year A . People of the Parish
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GOSPEL REFLECTION
« “Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come” »
Today, “For as it was in the days of Noah”, people eat, drink, marry and give in marriage (cf. Mt 24:37-38). But there are also, as in patriarch Noah’s day, saints in the same office and in the same place as the others. And one of them will be taken and the other left, because the Just Judge will come.
We must be awake for “only those who are alert are not taken by surprise” (Benedict XVI). We must be prepared with our love enkindled in our heart, as the torch of the wise virgins. This is precisely what it is all about: there will come the time when we will hear: “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” (Mt 25:6), Jesus Christ!
His arrival is always causing joy to those who carry the torch fastened in their heart. His coming is something like the parent who lives in a faraway country and writes his family: —when you least expect it, I will be there. From that day on, all is joy in that home: Our Dad is coming! Our model, the Saints, lived like this, “waiting for the Lord to come.”
During Advent, we learn to await with peace and love, the Lord who is coming. Nothing of the despair and eagerness typifying the nowadays man. Saint Augustine gives us a good recipe to await: “Live your life as you would like your death to be.” If we await with love, God will satiate our heart and our hopes.
Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come (cf. Mt 24:42). Clean home, pure heart, thoughts and sentiments in Jesus’ style. Benedict XVI explains: “To watch means to follow the Lord, to choose what He has chosen, to love what He has loved, to conform one's own life to His.” Then the Son of Man will come… and the Father will embrace us for resembling his Son.
Mons. José Ignacio ALEMANY Grau, Emeritus Bishop of Chachapoyas(Chachapoyas, Peru)
Courtesy of Evangeli
www.catholicchurchoftheassumption.co.uk
01279 434203
