Notices – 31/12/17
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH – BALLUTA
PARISH NOTICES – SUNDAY 17th DECEMBER 2017
- This evening at 6.00pm there will be adoration and at 6.30pm thanksgiving Mass for this year. During this mass there will be a special collection for Dar tal-Providenza.
- NEW YEAR’S DAY, the feast of Mary, Mother of God is a holy day of obligation. Mass times will be as those on Sundays but there won’t be mass at noon
- FRIDAY is the first Friday of the month. At 5.45pm there will be an adoration led by the Divine Mercy Group.
- SATURDAY, is the first Saturday of the month and after the 9.30am Mass there will be the recital of The Rosary.
- ON SUNDAY, the 9.00am Mass which will be with the participation of families and children will be transmitted on TVM. We encourage all families to attend this mass.
Also on Sunday, at 10.00am at the Titus Brandsma Centre there will be a meeting for members of the Third Carmelite Order.
- Being the first Sunday of the month, next SUNDAY the collection will for the funding of the Lift from Scicluna to the Church. We are happy to announce that permits for this lift have been issued, and we now need to have enough funds to enable us to start works. There are still €4700 to be paid for the sound system. Collections and donations during the month of December amounted to €1795. We thank you in advance for your help and generosity.
- Another issue of the FLIMKIEN Magazine is out. Helpers are kindly asked to collect copies from the sacristy.
- Liturgy Readers are kindly requested to collect a copy of the roster from the sacristy.
- We wish you and your families a good year. Happy New Year to all.
Notices – 24/12/17
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH – BALLUTA
PARISH NOTICES – SUNDAY 23rd DECEMBER 2017
- This evening at 6.30pm there will be Christmas Eve Mass. Christmas Vigil will start at 9.30pm with prayers, hymns and procession with Baby Jesus. The traditional Christmas Sermon this year will be delivered by Emma Vella. Night Mass will be at 10.30pm. This Mass will be replacing the Midnight Mass. We encourage you all to join us on this occasion.
- TOMORROW, CHRISTMAS DAY, is a holy day of obligation. Mass times will be as those on Sundays but there won’t be mass at noon.
- On THURSDAY, at 5.00pm at the Parish Centre, there will be the Children’s Party for children from this Parish. Tickets are available from the Parish Office.
- We thank all those who have offered food items for hampers for families in need.
- ON SATURDAY, between 10.00am and noon, we are invited to give our personal greetings to Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna at the Curia in Floriana. Those who would like to jon us can write down his/her name in the sacristy.
- SUNDAY, being the last day of the year there will be adoration at 6.00pm and at 6.30pm thanksgiving Mass for this year. During this mass there will be a special collection for Dar tal-Providenza.
- NEW YEAR’S DAY, the feast of Mary, Mother of God is a holy day of obligation. Mass times will be as those on Sundays but there won’t be mass at noon.
- During these days, at the premises of the Muscial Society ‘Our Lady of Carmel, Balluta’, there is an exhibition of a static crib. We encourage you to visit and appreciate the artistic work of Mr. Adrian Busuttil and his team. Opening hours are daily from 5.00pm to 8.30pm. On Sundays and Feast Days the exhibition opens also from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
- We wish you and your families, a Blessed Christmas with joy and peace. Happy Christmas to all.
Notices – 17/12/17
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH – BALLUTA
PARISH NOTICES – SUNDAY 17th DECEMBER 2017
- On MONDAY the Christmas Novena continues. Every evening at 6.00pm there will be Adoration during which the Evening Prayers are said. There will be a short procession together with the crib characters and the Chaplet of Baby Jesus will be sung. During Mass there will be a short reflection the the day’s Gospel
- On Thursday at 18.30 there will be the Procession with Baby Jesus. The procession will start from outside the ‘Jesus Our Friend’ Chapel in Fr. Mariano Street and proceed through these streets: Camenzuli, Ġafar, Manuel Dimech, St. Helen, St. Henry, Old College, Scicluna and ends at the Pastoral Centre.
- ON SATURDAY, after the 6.30pm Mass, there will be the Christmas Concert by Marie Therese Voice Choir. Everyone is invited. This year this concert will be in aid of the Lift from Scicluna to the Church Project.
- On SUNDAY, Christmas Eve Mass times will be as usual, including the 6.30pm Mass. Christmas Vigil will start at 9.30pm and the Night Mass will be at 10.30pm. The 10.30pm Mass will be replacing the Midnight Mass. On Christmas Day and on New Year’s Day there won’t be mass at noon.
- On THURSDAY 28th December, at 5.00pm at the Parish Centre, there will be the Children’s Party for children from this Parish. Tickets are available from the Parish Office.
- At present, at the side corrider of the church, there is a Christmas Bazaar which opens daily from 5.00pm to 7.00pm, till the 17th December. On Sunday the Bazaar also opens from 9.00am to 1.00pm.
Poems for Christmastime
If I Am…
Author Unknown
If I am a king,
my crown I will give to him.
If I am a caroler,
I’ll sing to Him the best hymns.
If I am a shepherd,
the best lamb I’ll bring
If I am an angel, I’d give Him my wings.
If I am the wise man,
I’d give my wealth away.
If I am a soldier,
I’ll die for Him all the way.
But I’m just a poor little boy,
with nothing much to give,
but to offer my little hands
and my little feet.
To glorify the one in the manger that was born,
the hope and light of this mixed-up world.
I give my heart to the one that was born to die,
and brings freedom to all mankind.
I am just a little boy today,
I’ll do bigger things for Him one day.
I’d give my life, my all, to the One who calls me.
Jesus Christ was born to set me free,
and this is what Christmas means to me.
If You Look for Me at Christmas…
Author Unknown
If you look for me at Christmas,
you won’t need a special star;
I’m no longer just in Bethlehem,
I’m right there where you are.
You may not be aware of Me
amid the celebrations.
You’ll have to look beyond the stores
and all the decorations.
But if you take a moment
from your list of things to do,
and listen to your heart, you’ll find
I’m waiting there for you.
You’re the one I want to be with,
you’re the reason that I came,
and you’ll find Me in the stillness,
as I’m whispering your name.
Love, Jesus
Notices – 10/12/17
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH – BALLUTA
PARISH NOTICES – SUNDAY 10th DECEMBER 2017
- ON TUESDAY at 7.15pm at the Parish Centre there will be a GRUFAN meeting.
- FRIDAY is the first day of the Christmas Novena. Throughout the Novena, every evening at 6.00pm there will be Adoration during which the Evening Prayers are said. There will be a short procession together with the crib characters and the Chaplet of Baby Jesus will be sung.
- Also on FRIDAY, at 6.30pm there will be the Vestiture of the Altar Boys that serve in this Parish Church. Whilst thanking them for their commitment, we pray for them to carry out their duties with dedication and love.
- ON SUNDAY, the 10.00am Mass will be with the participation of children and families. During this Mass there will be the Blessings of the Bay Jesuses which the children will bring along with them.
- We remind you that on Christmas Eve there will be Christmas Eve Mass at 6.30pm. This year, the Christmas Vigil will start at 9.30pm and the Night Mass will be at 10.30pm. On Christmas Day and on New Year’s Day there won’t be mass at noon.
- At the foot of the altar we have placed two baskets in which one can donate food items as an act of charity for Advent time. These items will later be distributed by the Diocesan Commission to those in need.
- THURSDAY 28th December, at 5.00pm at the Parish Centre, there will be the Children’s Party for children from this Parish. Tickets are available from the Parish Office.
- We thank all the helpers and members of the Carmelite Community who on Saturday and Sunday helped out in the Census held in church. We also thank all those who helped in the organisation.
- At present, at the side corrider of the church, there is a Christmas Bazaar which opens daily from 5.00pm to 7.00pm, till the 17th December. On Sunday the Bazaar also opens from 9.00am to 1.00pm.
Christmas Bazaar
Thoughts for Christmas
GIVE THE FOLLOWING GIFTS:
To your enemy . . .forgiveness,
To your opponent . . .tolerance.
To a friend . . . your heart.
To a customer . . . service.
To all men . . .charity.
To every child . . . a good example
To yourself . . .respect
Author unknown
PEACE IS . . .
~ gazing at the stars with the knowledge
that you know their Creator.
~ closing your eyes in sleep without fear
of tomorrow.
~ the stillness in your heart when trouble swirls
around you.
~ a quiet mind in a raging world.
Author unknown
He’s Seen In The Smiles
He’s seen in the smiles
the whole world is sharing…
He’s found where there’s friendship
and loving and caring…
He’s felt in warm handshakes
when people are meeting…
He’s heard in the cheer
of a Christmastime greeting…
His spirit’s behind
all the gifts we receive…
Author unknown
December 2017
Prayer of Pope Saint John Paul II for the elderly:
Grant, O Lord of life…that we may savor every season of our lives as a gift filled with promise for the future. Grant that we may lovingly accept your will, and place ourselves each day in your merciful hands. And when the moment of our definitive “passage” comes, grant that we may face it with serenity, without regret for what we shall leave behind. For in meeting you, after having sought you for so long, we shall find once more every authentic good which we have known here on earth, in the company of all who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and hope. Mary, Mother of pilgrim humanity, pray for us “now and at the hour of our death”. Keep us ever close to Jesus, your beloved Son and our brother, the Lord of life and glory. Amen!
That the elderly,sustained by families and Christian communities, may apply their wisdom and experience to spreading the faith and forming the new generations.
[…] When I was in the Philippines, the Filipino people greeted me saying “Lolo Kiko” — meaning Grandpa Francis — “Lolo Kiko”, they said! The first important thing to stress: it is true that society tends to discard us, but the Lord definitely does not! The Lord never discards us. He calls us to follow Him in every age of life, and old age has a grace and a mission too, a true vocation from the Lord. Old age is a vocation. It is not yet time to “pull in the oars”. This period of life is different from those before, there is no doubt; we even have to somewhat “invent it ourselves”, because our societies are not ready, spiritually and morally, to appreciate the true value of this stage of life. Indeed, it once was not so normal to have time available; it is much more so today. Christian spirituality has also been caught somewhat by surprise, with regard to outlining a kind of spirituality of the elderly. But thanks be to God there is no shortage of the testimony of elderly saints, both men and women!
I was really moved by the “Day dedicated to the elderly” that we had here in St Peter’s Square last year, the Square was full. I listened to the stories of elderly people who devote themselves to others, and to stories of married couples, who said: “We are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary, we are celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary”. It is important to present this to young people who tire so easily; the testimony of the elderly in fidelity is important. There were so many in this Square that day. It is a reflection to continue, in both the ecclesial and civil spheres. The Gospel comes to meet us with a really moving and encouraging image. It is the image of Simeon and Anna, whom are spoken of in the Gospel of Jesus’ childhood, composed by St Luke. There were certainly elderly, the “old man”, Simeon, and the “prophetess”, Anna, who was 84 years old. This woman did not hide her age. The Gospel says that they awaited the coming of God every day, with great trust, for many years. They truly wanted to see Him that day, to grasp the signs, to understand the origin. By then, they were also perhaps more resigned to die first: that long wait, however, continued to occupy their whole life, having no commitments more important than this: to await the Lord and pray. So, when Mary and Joseph went to the temple to fulfil the provisions of the Law, Simeon and Anna moved quickly, inspired by the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 2:27). The burden of age and waiting disappeared in an instant. They recognized the Child, and discovered new strength, for a new task: to give thanks for and bear witness to this Sign from God. Simeon improvised a beautiful hymn of jubilation (cf. Lk 2:29-32) — in that moment he was a poet — and Anna became the first woman to preach of Jesus: she “spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:38).
Dear grandparents, dear elderly, let us follow in the footsteps of these extraordinary elders! Let us too become like poets of prayer: let us develop a taste for finding our own words, let us once again grasp those which teach us the Word of God. The prayer of grandparents and of the elderly is a great gift for the Church! The prayer of grandparents and of the elderly is a great gift for the Church, it is a treasure! A great injection of wisdom for the whole of human society: above all for one which is too busy, too taken, too distracted. Someone should also sing, for them too, sing of the signs of God, proclaim the signs of God, pray for them! Let us look to Benedict XVI, who chose to spend the final span of his life in prayer and listening to God! This is beautiful! A great believer of the last century, of the Orthodox tradition, Olivier Clément, said: “A civilization which has no place for prayer is a civilization in which old age has lost all meaning. And this is terrifying. For, above all, we need old people who pray; prayer is the purpose of old age”. We need old people who pray because this is the very purpose of old age. The prayer of the elderly is a beautiful thing.
We are able to thank the Lord for the benefits received, and fill the emptiness of ingratitude that surrounds us. We are able to intercede for the expectations of younger generations and give dignity to the memory and sacrifices of past generations. We are able to remind ambitious young people that a life without love is a barren life. We are able say to young people who are afraid that anxiety about the future can be overcome. We are able to teach the young who are overly self-absorbed that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. Grandfathers and grandmothers form the enduring “chorus” of a great spiritual sanctuary, where prayers of supplication and songs of praise sustain the community which toils and struggles in the field of life.
Last, Prayer unceasingly purifies the heart. Praise and supplication to God prevents the heart from becoming hardened by resentment and selfishness. How awful is the cynicism of an elderly person who has lost the meaning of his testimony, who scorns the young and does not communicate the wisdom of life! How beautiful, however, is the encouragement an elderly person manages to pass on to a young person who is seeking the meaning of faith and of life! It is truly the mission of grandparents, the vocation of the elderly. The words of grandparents have special value for the young. And the young know it. I still carry with me, always, in my breviary, the words my grandmother consigned to me in writing on the day of my priestly ordination. I read them often and they do me good.
How I would like a Church that challenges the throw-away culture with the overflowing joy of a new embrace between young and old! This is what I ask of the Lord today, this embrace!
GENERAL AUDIENCE
FRANCIS
11 March 2015
December Reflection – The Elderly
That the elderly, sustained by families and Christian communities, may apply their wisdom and experience to spreading the faith and forming the new generations.
Mature experienced members of our families, parishes and societies have much to offer to the formation of young people today. Experience matters. The elderly are a treasure who inform our minds and spirits with lessons of the past so that we might better approach our future.
In the medical field, risk-taking among the young is seen as a great risk factor for injury or unhealthy behavior. Because the young have energy and ideals, they can accomplish much in the arenas of family, social and work life. On the other hand, without experience, the young tend to take risks not cautioned by the school of hard knocks. Here is where our elders can be of great help in spiritual and personal formation.
Pope Francis, in a radio address in 2016, proclaimed: “The Church regards the elderly with affection, gratitude, and high esteem. They are an essential part of the Christian community and of society: in particular they represent the roots and the memory of a people… Your maturity and wisdom, accumulated over the years, can help younger people in search of their own way, supporting them on the path of growth and openness to the future.”
It is a duty, an honor, and a privilege to share our holy faith with those who come behind us. It is likewise a duty, honor, and privilege to learn from those who have gone before us. How many of us have experienced firsthand the lessons of wisdom from a grandmother, grandfather, or elder among our acquaintances? All of us must lower our pride and open our hearts to listen to our elders: elders at the same time, can learn from listening to the young.
Reflections
Consider yourself kneeling before Christ on His Cross. Ask yourself: How have I shared the faith with young people? How am I sharing the faith? How ought I to share the faith? (Conversely, younger people might ask how they share the faith with their elders.)
Scripture
Mt 19:13-14 – Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Notices – 03/12/17
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH – BALLUTA
PARISH NOTICES – SUNDAY 3rd DECEMBER 2017
- THIS MORNING AND TOMORROW MORNING, at 10.00am, at the Parish Centre, there will be a meeting for members of the Carmelite Third Order
- ON THURSDAY, LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINARS will continue at 7.15pm at the Titus Brandsma Centre. All those who wish to grow in their faith are invited to attend these meetings.
- FRIDAY is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mass times will be as those on weekdays. We will do well to bless this they by hearing Mass.
Also on FRIDAY, at 3.30pm at the Titus Brandsma Centre, there will be the second talk about healthy eating. These talks are being delivered by a professional nutritionist.
On FRIDAY too, from 4.30pm onwards, at the side corrider of the church, there will be a Christmas Bazaar which will open daily from 5.00pm to 7.00pm, till the 17th December.
On FRIDAY at 7.15 there will be the recital of the Holy Rosary at the Independence Gardens.
- 4. We would like to inform you that on Christmas Eve there will be Christmas Eve Mass at 6.30pm. This year, the Christmas Vigil will start at 9.30pm and the Night Mass will be at 10.30pm. On Christmas Day and on New Year’s Day there won’t be mass at noon.
- Two baskets have been placed at the foot of the altar in which one can donate food items as an act of charity for Advent time. These items will later be distributed by the Diocesan Commission to those in need.