Reflection

Kindness and truth, justice and peace have met; they have become incarnate in the child born of Mary in Bethlehem. That child is the Son of God; he is God appearing in history. His birth is a flowering of new life for all humanity. May every land become a good earth which receives and brings forth kindness and truth, justice and peace. Benedict XVI, Urbi et Orbi

1. ✤This is our Faith syllabus for schools RE issued in Advent throughout Scotland to wide acclaim.
   

2. ✤Parish Mission during the fourth week of Lent led by the Redemptorist priests, Fr. O’Mahony and Fr. Keegan.
   

3. ✤Training and spiritual formation of five parishioners, soon to be six, to lead Liturgies of the Word with distribution of Holy Communion.

In the Herald newspaper this week the Secular Society of Scotland declared in a debate in the Letters Page on the persistence of Faith that Faith only exists because of the indoctrination of children by parents and faith schools

How does that statement make you feel?  Do you think that your faith is based on indoctrination by your parents and while at school or do you think it is a mature, adult awareness of God in the reality of your life situation? 

The response we offer is that Faith persists because in many experiences of our life we have a deep sense of encounter with God. Faith is more about relationship with God, not so much with the practice of religion. “Faith is not a problem to be solved but a gift to be discovered.” Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, London.

“We will have an opportunity to profess our faith in the risen Lord in the cathedrals and in the churches of the whole world, in our homes and among our families, so that everyone may feel a strong need to know better and to transmit to future generations of the faith of all times.” Pope Benedict XVI. 

IDEALS ON THE JOURNEY THROUGH PORTA FIDEI 

Greeting

Canon Ryan, Deacon John McGarry and Fr. Ness join together to wish everyone in the Parish and our associate parishioners every happiness in the coming year and a sense of God’s presence in all that will unfold for them in his Providence.

1. ✤Training of other parishioners to lead Holy Hour adoration and concluding Evening Prayer  in the absence of both priest and deacon - to be developed in 2013.
   

2. ✤Canon Ryan continues with the celebration of Mass in his room with presence of and participation by parishioners.
   

3. ✤Development of the Thursday celebration of Mass in the Centre followed by our Coffee Morning. 100+ now present.

1. ✤The RCIA programme has two persons exploring faith with us. Last year five persons benefitted from their participation by completing the Sacraments of Initiation in our Parish.
   

2. ✤Convening the first meeting of the Liturgy Consultation Group on  Epiphany Sunday [6th January] at 3pm to begin this important process between priest and parishioners.
   

3. ✤Ongoing preparation for the celebration of the Sacraments of Confirmation, First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion by our children, beginning with their registration with the Parish and participation in the liturgies which operate each Sunday for children during Advent into Christmas then Lent and into Easter and on to Pentecost.
   

4. ✤Continuing support for the Caritas programme by providing participating students with positive, fruitful and fulfilling experience of pastoral and spiritual ministry.
   

5. ✤Ash Wednesday is 13th February 2011, when we will have another opportunity to give something of ourselves to God during the Season of Lent.

1. ✤A weekend pilgrimage is planned to Oban and onto Iona for this special anniversary of the founding of the Christian community there. An opportunity also for other parishioners to join the Pilgrimage on Iona for one day if numbers justify the hire of a separate coach for round day trip to Iona.
   

2. ✤Continuing development of our knowledge of our Faith through the Catholic Media which is readily available each week at the Entrance to the Church and a continuing emphasis on Sacred Scripture by maintaining the use by many of My Day by Day scripture texts at morning mass.
   

3. ✤Encouraging families, by invitation, especially to young families, through the schools and otherwise too, to see in participation in parish life here with us a goodness which is an element of human happiness. Registration of all children with us for their Sacraments is one element of this invitation.
   

4. ✤An understanding through reading Sacred Scripture of the Pope’s words: there is nothing more beautiful than being surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter there with Jesus Christ.

1. ✤Has it moved forward from the level of children taught in Primary School into a sense of personal encounter with God?
   

2. ✤Do we come willingly and/or fruitfully to the celebration of the Sacraments at least once per week or is there a sense of God standing at the door of the Church with a check list to mark each one present or absent, or is there no sense that it matters one way or the other.
   

3. ✤Some people leave Church immediately on receiving Holy Communion, or leave before Mass is ended, no matter the length of time Mass takes. This is a matter between each person and God, but does it reveal any sense of encounter or communion with God through the Eucharist.
   

4. ✤Some families bring their children to Church for the Sacraments of Initiation  -  Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation with no thought of participating regularly, if ever, in the life of the Church. Does this suggest any sense of encounter with God through Jesus Christ.

TURNING THEN TO OUR KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF OUR FAITH IN THIS PARISH