Advent 2024 | church

THE 2024 ADVENT SEASON AT LAWSON

(1) HOUSES to HOMES gift project. As in the past, a ANGEL TREE will display an angel symbol indicating age and gender of an anonymous family member - parent or child - who is temporarily being sheltered from Domestic Violence. Your generosity in the past has been magnificent. It will be necessary for the Angel Symbol to be clearly attached to the gift you purchase. An alternative is to provide a food hamper for a family if you missed out on an Angel Symbol.

(2) LITURGY PARTICIPATION.

*The ADVENT WREATH is an essential symbol of Advent liturgies. Advent Candles complete the wreath, each candle representing a particular THEME. One candle will be processed each week to the wreath for blessing and prayer. At the commencement of Mass, the congregation will be asked, in addition to reflect upon the particular theme that each candle represents, to consider an intention you wish others to pray for.

(3) ADVENT REFLECTION BOOKLET

Your are invited to avail yourself of an Advent Booklet - LIGHTING OUR WAY ($5) - to make the journey through this special season. The booklet will give you the Gospel of each Sunday & pertinent questions to contemplate, along with snippets of scripture from the weekday liturgies to guide you through the week.

If you would like to journey with others using the booklet, a group reflection will take place on FOUR Wednesday MORNINGS (10am) & EVENINGS (7pm), starting November 27, each session serving as a preparation for the forthcoming Sunday liturgy.

Of course, you may prefer to make the journey in your own personal way.

Either way, you are encouraged to come to the FIRST SESSION to collect your booklet as an orientation for the journey ahead.

Let us pray in support to enhance our spiritual experience of Advent.

VENUE: Good Samaritan Chapel. Facilitator: Leonard Blahut

(4) Advent Post Homily Reflections

Reflection 1st Sunday of Advent Sr Maree Nash

I remember as a child longing for Christmas Day. Waiting to see what gifts I’d receive.

There was the joy and surprise of opening the presents. As an adult living and working with our Sisters in Japan I longed for a white Christmas. Finally, I had that experience and was very excited! I wasn’t prepared though. I didn’t have any film for my camera. No digital camera at that time. Still the picture remains in my mind and the feeling of happiness in my heart.

Longing is what is at the heart of Advent. Jeremiah refers to “fulfilling the promise I made to the house of Israel?” And the coming of one who shall “execute justice and righteousness in the land!”

Jesus clearly tells us: “Your redemption is at hand.” The days that Jeremiah said were coming are now about to dawn, and we are called to read the signs of their dawning. The prophet described these days as days of peace and fulfillment, of justice and security. This is certainly a very encouraging picture. The gospel paints a very different scene. It tells us that there will be suffering before these days really appear. Suffering because we must be transformed. Paul prays for our transformation. He prays that we will abound in love, that our hearts will be strengthened, that we will be blameless in holiness, that we will conduct ourselves to please God. There is a cost of such transformation. It may be letting go of things like anger, revenge, fear, deception or anxiety.

We know the days of our redemption have already dawned with the coming of Jesus, as our own transformation is always ongoing. Advent is set aside to commemorate Jesus’ coming in the flesh as well as his final coming in glory, but it is also a time for us to open ourselves to the Lord’s coming into our lives and our world today. To do this, we must read the “signs of the times”.

Evident today are times of war, acts of terror, starvation, poverty, suspicions of people of other races or religious beliefs. There’s betrayal of public officials we put our trust in. The sinfulness of our church. However, these are not the only signs. In the face of all this dismay, we see there are people in government, in the church, in our parish, in our neighbourhoods, and in our families who are committed to justice and peace. I see the people of our parish giving generously, for example, to Vinnies and the Angel Tree. Giving over and over again. Your lives and so many other people’s lives testify that the reign of God has indeed taken hold. Advent reminds us that we too can be transformed into that kingdom and calls us all to: “Stand erect and raise our heads because our redemption is at hand."

Advent is, therefore, personal. It is about preparing our hearts to welcome the longed for one. If our hearts are weary or drowsy, our preparation for the celebration of the Christ, who has already been born as one of us, can spark our love once again, not only toward the One who came as a child in our midst, but also to all God’s beloved children.

Advent is not looking for and longing for some extraordinary devastating event. The writer Paul D’Arcy says, “God comes to us disguised as our lives!” So, over these Advent weeks, let’s not focus only on shopping for food and gifts, but ready our hearts through prayer so that our eyes and hearts change. Then, at Christmas, we will see that same Emmanuel all around and within us.

(Source “The Word for Every Season” by Dianne Bergant, CSA & “Hope Reigns” Archdiocese of Brisbane)

Reflection 2nd Sunday of Advent

John Leaney

PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD

The candle for this week is Peace. That through Jesus there may finally be Peace on earth.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord

What has been my experience of the world and peace?

I grew up in relative peace in Australia.

Not living in USA with nuclear bombers flying to Russia every few hours.

Not living in the post Second World War challenges of Europe.

Living with the damage my Father suffered, by being a Naval Lieutenant on a minesweeper in WWII.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord

My children have to deal with a world of authoritarians again.

And worse, climate change, which is even worse for my grandchildren.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord

What does this phrase mean to me?

Can it be Peace? Can one even think about Peace without last week’s candle of Hope?

Prepare ye the way of the Lord

What does it mean, now, to me?

To make straight (to consciously make knowing God simple for everyone, inclusive, easy. .. for all to know, as Jesus says “my yoke is easy and my burden is light”

That together the whole world shall rest in God. Not rivalry, Peace.

Yes that is it. For me.

To quote Andrew Marr, “Valleys and mountains make for beautiful scenery. God doesn’t destroy the landscapes God has made.

What God wants is for things that separate us from each other should be brought down.”

Peace. Hope. Hope. Peace.