DEVOTIONAL PRAYER FOR DECEMBER
Advent Prayer
Father in heaven, the day draws near when the glory of your Son will make radiant the night of the waiting world. May the lure of greed not impede us from the joy which moves the hearts of those who seek Him. May the darkness not blind us to the vision of wisdom which fills the minds of those who find Him. May we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. This Advent we pray for peace: peace in the world, peace in our homes and peace in our hearts. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.
Entrance Antiphon
O people of Sion, behold, the Lord will come to save the nations, and the Lord will make the glory of his voice heard in the joy of your heart.
1st Reading (Is 40:1-5,9-11)
A reading from the prophet Isaiah.
‘Console my people, console them’ says your God. ‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for, that she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her crimes.’ A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low. Let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley; then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ Go up on a high mountain, joyful messenger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem. Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God.’ Here is the Lord coming with power, his arm subduing all things to him. The prize of his victory is with him, his trophies all go before him. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.
The Word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
2nd Reading (2 Pet 3:8-14)
A reading from the second letter of St. Peter.
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace. I never There is one thing, my friends, that you must never forget: that with the Lord, ‘a day’ can mean a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not being slow to carry out his promises, as anybody else might be called slow; but he is being patient with you all, wanting nobody to be lost and everybody to be brought to change his ways. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then with a roar the sky will vanish, the elements will catch fire and fall apart, the earth and all that it contains will be burnt up. Since everything is coming to an end like this, you should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all people shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!
Gospel (Mk 1:1-8)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Mark.
The beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah: Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way. A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. and so it was that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All Judaea and all the people of Jerusalem made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. John wore a garment of camel-skin, and he lived on locusts and wild honey. In the course of his preaching he said, ‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Communion Antiphon
Jerusalem, arise and stand upon the heights, and behold the joy which comes to you from God.
Next Week’s Readings
Is 61:1-2, 10-11; 1 Thess 5:16-24; Jn 1:6-8, 19-28
Feasts of the Week
Mon, 7 Dec - St. Ambrose
Tue, 8 Dec - Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary
PARISH NEWS
DAILY/WEEKEND MASSES
- No bookings for daily Mass. Attendance is on a “first come first in”
- Weekend Mass bookings are done online via Trybooking.com using the following link https://www.trybooking.com/BNKFG (link will change every week). Bookings via this link will open on a Monday and close on a Friday prior to the weekend.
- Church will open 30 minutes before mass starts. Doors will be shut 5 minutes before mass starts.
- Please bring your ticket, either printed or on the phone, to verify your booking for weekend masses.
- Please do not move from your allocated seat or change position of chairs or pews.
- During Communion, move to the right hand end of your pew and wait there for Communion from the Minister.
- Please keep your mask on while receiving Communion from the Minister. You may remove your mask and consume the Holy Eucharist and then move back to your seat.
- Bulletins are to be taken home and not left on your seat.
- Lighting candles is permitted but do not touch the statues.
- Please use disinfectant wipes provided, to clean your kneelers and seats prior to leaving the church. Bins are located that the back of the church under the EXIT signs on the posts.
- Pews on the left must exit through the door on the left. Pews on the right must exit through the small foyer. No socialising inside church or foyer.
- Please only book weekend Masses once every 2 weekends. The parish office will monitor bookings to ensure all parishioners get an equal opportunity to attend weekend Masses.
- If you are unwell on your allocated day, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS.
LIVE STREAMING OF SUNDAY 10:30AM MASS
Sunday 10:30am Mass will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend Mass at church.
Via Facebook Page https://m.facebook.com/stpetershoppers/
Via our parish Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSEEdWXn-cbXNHoRUAl_V5Q
Via ZOOM Meeting ID: 923 0757 3592, Password: SPhc2020 YouTube, link https://youtu.be/PA3T6wcL4m4
PARISH OFFICE
The Parish Office will be open on Tuesday/Thursday/Friday from 9:00am to 3:30pm. Staff will work from home on Monday and Wednesday. You can contact us on the office phone 9749 4300 or send in your enquiries/prayer requests by email to stpeters@westnet.com.au or hopperscrossing@cam.org.au.
WELCOME TO OUR NEWLY BAPTISED
We welcome into our Church community Nervin Konka and Cameron Vella who are to be baptised this weekend. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the love of Parents, Godparents, family and friends, we pray that these children will lead lives full of happiness, faith and love.
RCIA
The Rite of Acceptance into the order of Catechumens is the first step an enquirer into the Catholic faith makes in preparation for receiving baptism next Easter. On Sunday 6th December at the 10:30am mass, Rajitha Wasala & Lisa Arenas will be accepted as Catechumens by Fr. Vincent. Let us welcome Rajitha and Lisa into our church community.
PIETY STORE
Please note that Columban Calendars are available for $9 each, God’s Word 2021 is available for $19.95. Limited stock available. Kindly contact Margaret Newman from the Piety Store on 0432 044 416 for further details.
VOLUNTEER USHERS NEEDED FOR WEEKEND MASSES
If you are attending a weekend mass and would like to volunteer as an usher could you please contact the parish office on 9749 4300 or meet Fr Vincent before the mass. You will need to be at the church 40 minutes before mass begins. Thank you.
THE NEW ‘ST. PETER YOUNG ADULTS (SPYA) MAGAZINE’, RELEASING ON 13TH DECEMBER
The purpose of the SPYA magazine is to engage and encourage the young adults of the community to share, testify and learn more about the great work of our God. We are planning to regularly share new articles, testimonies and stories relating to the work of God in our lives and what drives us as Young Adults. The SPYA magazine will be released online to the SP Young Adults, St. Peter Apostle Mission Parish Facebook page, attached to the weekly email that contains the Bulletin and can be found on the parish website! We welcome anyone to join and participate in the magazine to inspire the young community around us. Please feel free to email us at spyoungadults18@gmail.com.
25TH YEAR DAWN MASS NOVENA – SIMBANG GABI
This year, St Peter Apostle Mission Parish celebrates its 25th Year of the 9-Days Dawn Mass Novena, starting at 5:00am on Wednesday, 16th December and finishing after the 5:00am Mass on Thursday 24th December 2020. Masses are held at 5:00am daily. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, BOOKINGS WILL BE VIA ONLINE TRYBOOKING ONLY. There will be NO FELLOWSHIP OR BREAKFAST after Mass. For those who are unable to attend, Masses will be livestreamed via the Parish Facebook Page, via ZOOM and via YouTube. More information about booking Masses will be available next weekend.
GIVING TREE
A reminder about our support the St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal via the "Giving Tree” to continue our Christmas tradition of assisting the needy in our community by preparing hampers to brighten their Christmas. Please take a tag from the Tree when you attend mass. In case you cannot attend mass, you can choose to buy the following items for the hampers: 1)Christmas cake, 2) Long life Custard, 3) Christmas Pudding, 4) Tins of Ham, 5) Fruit Mince Pies, 6) Tins of Fruit, 7) Lollies, 8) Nuts, 9) Chocolates, 10) Biscuits. Kindly return the item(s) to the baskets under the tree or leave it at the Presbytery Door latest by December 13. Please return the tags which can be re-used next year. For further enquiries please call Kitty Stuttard on 9749 4215.
ZOOM LINKS TO WEEKLY SERVICES
Bible Study Ministry
Focus on Gospel of John, Chapter 16
https://zoom.us/j/91984220776?pwd=M1RzcWMwbWk0Tm43MEZ6cEZnditldz09
Meeting ID: 91984220776 Password: 899140
St. Anthony’s Novena
Every Tuesday at 7:00pm, followed by Rosary
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82338237597?pwd=dlZyKzFCOERFNDBDMCs5cDBkUnFOdz09
Meeting ID: 823 3823 7597, Password: 524250
Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Novena
Every Wednesday at 7:00pm, followed by Rosary
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83632685197?pwd=Y0FaL21LeXI2L2pWRnJlYlFmWmNTZz09
Meeting ID: 836 3268 5197 Password: novena
MELBOURNE OVERSEAS MISSION APPEAL 12/13 DECEMBER
In a year like no other in living memory, the work of Melbourne Overseas Missions (MOM) has continued to support those in need. Our Holy Father Pope Francis reminds us of the many challenges our brothers and sisters face daily. MOM has continued to embrace opportunities to change the lives of those who struggle to survive harsh living conditions and extreme poverty especially in this difficult year. Your continued support for Melbourne Overseas Missions Annual Appeal is greatly appreciated. Due to the current restrictions the Melbourne Overseas Missions Appeal of December 2020 will primarily be held online at the following link https://bit.ly/CDFpayMOM.
RECENTLY DECEASED
We pray for Leo Dsilva, Loreta Sotelo, Felicitas San Diego, Bienvenido Limson, Lourdes Oceate, Edna MacGowan, Devasia Sebastian, Lourdes Morris, Italo Inserra, Fr Joy Vallomkunnel, Patricia McCavanagh, Leo Linehan and all who have died due to COVID-19 and all who have passed away recently.
DEATH ANNIVERSARIES
We pray for Stan Farrugia, Edgar Montaut, Hamilton Lazaro, Princess Jaye De Leon, Leslie Paul Fernando, Peter Paul Fernando, Franky D’Lima and all whose anniversaries occur at this time.
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
We pray for Gary Spotswood, Sean Donaldson, Kath Meddings, Jean Cameron, Gordon Newman, Denis Webber, Monique Hoaster, Wilfredo Villareal, Rolando Navarro, Francis Goonting, Anne Deluca, Hellen Bonnici, Filippo Sciglitano, Anthony Hanford, James Barwick, Gerry Akein, Carmelina Costanzo, Alki Christopoulos, Charlotte Mary, Paul Burton, Aloysius Silva, Norma Medina, Christine Hall, Esther Uwase, Steven Smith, Justin Worsley, Calum Jones, Paul Thomas, John Murray, Andrew Crowley, Vincent Margaret, Christian Lindsay, Anne Marie Toole, Bishop Peter Elliott, Liss Corado, Michael Buttigieg, Elvie de Torres, Helen Smith and all who are ill in our Parish.