St Simon Stock Catholic Church

Brookfield Road, South Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU

28th DECEMBER 2008
Tel: 01233 622399
Parish Priest: Fr John Boyle THE HOLY FAMILY
JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH
Saint Simon of England RC Primary School,
Noakes Meadow, Ashford, TN23 2RB. Tel: 01233 623199 YEAR B
Head teacher: Mrs Elizabeth Willis

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS TODAY’S MASS TEXTS

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Sunday 28 Entrance Antiphon: Luke 2:16
The Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph (B) The shepherds hastened to Bethlehem, where they found
10.00am Mass (For the people of the parish) Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
6.00pm Mass (Private Intention) First Reading: Genesis 15:1-6. 21:1-3
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Monday 29 Your heir shall be your own flesh and blood.
St Thomas of Canterbury, bishop and martyr, feast
9.00am Mass (Deceased family & friends of Mr. & Mrs. R. Responsorial Psalm: Ps 104: 1-6.8-9. R. vv.7.8
R: He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers his covenant for
Webb & all souls in purgatory)
Tuesday 30
th ever.
Sixth day of the Christmas Octave Give thanks to the Lord, tell his name,
9.00am Mass (Sid, Jeanette, parents, relatives, friends, make known his deeds among the peoples.
Dinan, Kennedy & Hogan families and all Holy Souls O sing to him sing his praise;
RIP) followed by Divine Mercy Chaplet & Exposition tell all his wonderful works. (R)
of the Blessed Sacrament until 10.00 Be proud of his holy name,
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Wednesday 31 let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
Seventh day of the Christmas Octave Consider the Lord and his strength;
9.00am Mass (Deceased members of Conn, Hansell & constantly seek his face. (R)
Demuth families and friends RIP) Remember the wonders he has done,
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Thursday 1 January his miracles, the judgements he spoke.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God O children of Abraham, his servant,
10.00am Mass (Donald & Margaret Swaffer; Ellen & Steven O sons of the Jacob he chose. (R)
Foreman RIP)
12.00noon Low Mass (in Latin, 1962 Missal) He remembers his covenant for ever,
(Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord) his promise for a thousand generations,
Friday 2
nd the covenant he made with Abraham,
SS Basil and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the the oath he swore to Isaac.
Church Second Reading: Hebrews 11:8.11-12.17-19
9.00am Mass (Ray Hook RIP) The faith of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac.
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Saturday 3 Gospel Acclamation: Heb 1:1-2
The Most Holy Name of Jesus Alleluia, alleluia! At various times in the past and in various
9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the
10.00am Mass (For the homeless – Mother‟s Group) prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken
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Sunday 4 to us through his Son. Alleluia!
The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ
10.00am Mass (Deceased members of the Shanny family RIP) Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
6.00pm Mass (For the people of the parish) The child grew, filled with wisdom.
Preface of Christmas 3, Eucharistic Prayer I
CONFESSIONS/CONSULTATIONS
Communion Antiphon: Baruch 3:38
Saturday: 10.30am, Sunday 9.30am, 5.30pm.
Our God has appeared on earth, and lived among men.
Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request.
CHURCH CLEANING PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
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January 2 Bridie; 9 Sheila; 16 Sue; 23 Sue; 30 Tara Please keep in your prayers Janet Dorey who has been admitted
COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY to hospital again, Jean Boruki and all our sick parishioners. If you
Offertory: £347.13, (Gift Aid: £165.85, loose plate: £181.28) + know of anyone who needs our prayers at the present time,
£99 approx by standing order. To contribute by a regular please place their names in the box in the Church foyer.
standing order please ask for a form. If you are a tax payer and
are not already using the Gift Aid scheme, please ask for a Gift MONTHLY PRAYER FOR PRIESTS CALENDAR
Aid form. Second collection: Parish Maintenance & Calendars for January and February are now available in the
Development Fund: £100.69. Thank you. Second collection church foyer. Do take one and offer prayers at home each day
today and next Sunday: Parish Maintenance & Development for clergy serving in our diocese.
Fund. CRIB OFFERINGS
REPOSITORY The Crib will remain on display throughout the Christmas season
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There are still calendars and diaries available in the repository. and up to 2 February, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord
(Candlemas). Your kind donations to the Crib will go to the Good
FUNERAL OF TONY SHANNY Counsel Network to support their work in reaching more
Tony‟s body will be received into the church at 4.45pm on abortion-minded women to change their hearts.
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Monday 12 January with his funeral Mass at 10.00 am Tuesday CHRISTMAS CARD REMINDER
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13 January. Please remember his family in your prayers. The Please remember to check the Christmas card rack in case
delay in celebrating the Funeral Mass due to the Christmas someone has put a card there for you. There are many
break can be a difficult experience for families. unclaimed. If you have put a card for someone, do ensure it has

Email: parish@stsimon.org.uk; Web: www.stsimon.org.uk;

Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/; diocesan website: www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
 FROM FATHER JOHN’S DESKTOP
This week it seems appropriate simply to reflect on our parish celebration on Christmas Day.
We came to do the most solemn thing we ever do in our lives: celebrate Holy Mass. We know the Mass, we are
familiar with it, the Mass is, basically, always the same. Yet the Mass is always new! The Church‟s liturgy never lacks the
power to renew and restore us as our minds and hearts are raised to God. Christmas would not be Christmas without the
Mass. As we resist the removal of „Christ‟ from Christmas, so could we never remove the „Mass‟ from Christmas.
Joy was the all-pervading sentiment amongst those who participated in the various Masses. Many visitors had
come to join us and members of their families. Their presence always enhances the joy and happiness of this Christmas
season, both at home and with us in Church. Among those present were some who were grieving the recent death of a
beloved family member. Perhaps there were others too whom I didn‟t know about. There are parishioners who are very
sick, some of whom were unable to be with us. There are families who have had to cut back on expenses, or people
dealing with crises in their professional or working lives. Hopefully the joy of Christmas gives them renewed hope and
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trust in God whose revelation of love we recognise in Christ. (Cf. 2 Preface of Christmas)
Our Midnight Mass was the principal Mass and it was gratifying to see a full church, people having to stand for lack
of sufficient seating. The Polish Mass was, predictably, a packed house and they, too, celebrated the birth of Christ with
great joy. The other Masses, were all well attended and everyone appeared to be filled with the happiness of the feast.
Many, many people commented on how beautiful the Church looked. I would like to thank all who make it thus:
those who clean, arrange flowers, and the parishioner – who wants no credit – who made the new frontal for the altar. We
had a full complement of young servers at the midnight Mass, with a couple at the Vigil, one at the Day Mass and three at
the Polish Mass, in addition to our parish MC who served at all Masses. Our servers‟ standard of service has often been
noted by parishioners and I would like to thank and encourage them all. Our choir and organists are heroically generous
in the time they give for rehearsals, and this paid off with beautiful music for our Midnight Mass. They deserve our special
thanks – and a little break! There are others who are deserving of thanks: our readers, the extraordinary ministers of Holy
Communion who help at Mass and/or take Communion to the sick and housebound throughout the year, those who
promote the social life of the parish, maintain the church hall, run the repository, take and count the collections, etc.
On a personal note, I have been uplifted by the love that has been shown to me in so many ways: gifts received
(plenty of liquid!), the Christmas offerings, cards, words, gestures… and above all the support you offer by holding me in
your prayers. I depend very much on these. There is nothing I pray more about and for than the wellbeing of my
parishioners. You are the reason I am here and why I am a parish priest. I love each and every one of you and, like my
patron the Apostle John, want your joy to be complete. (Cf. 1 Jn 4) I know that not everyone agrees with all I do, and
some have decided to attend Mass elsewhere. This is a cause of sadness and sorrow for me. All I would ask is that
everyone unites around our wonderful faith in the God Who became Man. May nothing prevent us from being „caught up
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in the love of the God we cannot see.‟ (1 Preface of Christmas)
On this feast of the Holy Family, may Jesus, Mary and Joseph be at the heart of your families that they too may be
holy. And if you feel you have no family, may the Holy Family – and the Church – be your family. With my renewed
blessings for a Happy and Holy Christmastide and new year. Fr John
been taken. The rack will be removed next Sunday and any celebration of his birth takes us to the heart of the meaning of
remaining cards discarded. Christmas. And yet Christmas is always different because the
context in which we celebrate it and the vantage point from
REGULAR EVENTS
which we remember it are always changing.
DIVINE MERCY PRAYER GROUP This year we celebrate Christmas during a world financial
after the 9.00am Mass on Tuesday. Prayers of crisis which is a source of fear and anxiety for us all. The cycle of
intercession for various needs and silent human suffering is a constant in life but the focus of that
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament till 10am. suffering can shift and change. This year once again we grieve
WEEKLY MUSIC PRACTICE TUESDAYS 7.30 for the suffering in the Middle East and not least in the land of
Newcomers always welcome (not necessarily to Christ‟s birth. We think too of the continent of Africa, so beset by
join the choir, maybe just to learn something poverty, sickness, and violence. And we have the threat of
new). environmental disaster which threatens all life on our planet. In
BIBLE STUDY Thursdays 7.30pm the diocese we have also been deeply affected by the violence
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Next meeting: 8 January. that tragically has become part of the life of London.
EVANGELIUM – CATHOLIC FAITH ENQUIRY What is crucial is that these concerns do not distract us
For all, Catholic or not, who would like to deepen their from our focus on the child born in the manger. Only in
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knowledge of the Catholic faith. Next meeting: 9 January. contemplation of the Christ child can we find perspective and
Topic: The Incarnation. hope. There is nowhere else to look. As we visit the crib this
Christmas and as we celebrate Christmas Mass let us bring in
ARCHBISHOP KEVIN’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE our hearts both our own troubles and the troubles of the world in
It is a simple fact which we live. Let us ask for the grace to be able to join with the
of experience that angels in singing with joy and conviction “Glory to God in the
some things highest and peace to his people on earth.”
change and some I pray that you, your
things stay the families and those whom
same. At one level you love will receive every
Christmas always blessing and happiness this
remains the same: Christmas and throughout
its meaning is 2009.
perennial. Jesus
Christ, the Son of
God became man Archbishop of Southwark
for our sake. He is
our saviour and
our annual