Archive for month: January 2018

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH – BALLUTA

PARISH NOTICES – SUNDAY 28th JANUARY 2018

1. TOMORROW at 7.00pm at the Parish Centre, there will be a prayer meeting for all those who the ‘Life in the Spirit Seminars’.

2. ON TUESDAY at 7.15pm, at the Parish Centre there will be a GRUFAN meeting.

3. This week we will be starting home visits and family blessings. On THURSDAY from 5.00pm to 7.00pm. some families in Sacred Heart Street will be visited. These families will be informed of these visits in advance.

Also on THURSDAY, at 7.00pm, at the Parish Centre there will be a meeting with meditations on the coming Sunday’s Gospel.

4. FRIDAY is the feast of Candlemass and the First Friday of the month. At 5.45pm there will be Adoration led by the Divine Mercy Group, and at 6.30pm there will be the blessing of the Candle, procession in chruch, and Candlemas Mass.

5. ON SATURDAY, from 9.30am till noon, there will be a seminar for Liturgy Readers and Animators. of the parishes of Balluta and Sliema. Liturgy Readers and Animators are dutibound to attend. Liturgy Readers are kindly asked to collect a copy of the Roster from the sacristy.

6. Applications for Church Schools Entry from applicants of State Schools and Independent Schools are now being received. Detailed information can be found on www.thechurchinmalta.org. This notice will be on the churches’ notice board.

Lectio Divina – Divine Reading – Every Thursday at 7.00pm at the Parish Centre – Meditations will be on the coming Sunday Gospel.  This is a good occasion to improve our participation in Sunday Mass and to grow in our faith.

The practice of Lectio Divina as a way of praying the Scriptures has been a fruitful source of growing in relationship with Christ for many centuries and in our own day is being rediscovered by many individuals and groups. The Word of God is alive and active and will transform each of us if we open ourselves to receive what God wants to give us.

The first stage is lectio (reading) where we read the Word of God, slowly and reflectively so that it sinks into us. Any passage of Scripture can be used for this way of prayer but the passage should not be too long.

The second stage is meditatio (reflection) where we think about the text we have chosen and ruminate upon it so that we take from it what God wants to give us.

The third stage is oratio (response) where we leave our thinking aside and simply let our hearts speak to God. This response is inspired by our reflection on the Word of God.

The final stage of Lectio Divina is contemplatio (rest) where we let go not only of our own ideas, plans and meditations but also of our holy words and thoughts. We simply rest in the Word of God. We listen at the deepest level of our being to God who speaks within us with a still small voice. As we listen, we are gradually transformed from within. Obviously this transformation will have a profound effect on the way we actually live and the way we live is the test of the authenticity of our prayer. We must take what we read in the Word of God into our daily lives.

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH – BALLUTA

PARISH NOTICES – SUNDAY 21st JANUARY 2018

1. TOMORROW there will be a prayer meeting for all those who wish to understand further the Christian message and let the Lord be the true meaning of life. This meeting will be at 7.00pm at the Parish Centre.

2. ON THURSDAY, at 7.00pm, at the Parish Centre there will be a meeting with meditations on the coming Sunday Gospel which will help us understand the Gospel better.

3. ON FRIDAY there will be a fundraising activity in aid of the Parish Church. Tickets from Doris Mallia or from the Parish Office.

         Also ON FRIDAY, at 8.00pm a Carmel Youths meeting will be held in Fgura Youth Centre. Youths aged 16 and over are welcome to attend.

4. As from this month, the Parish Office time on Mondays has changed and the office will now be open from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. We thank you for your co-operation.  

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH – BALLUTA

PARISH NOTICES – SUNDAY 14th JANUARY 2018

TOMORROW there will be a prayer meeting for all those who attended the Life in the Spirit Seminars. This meeting will be at 7.00pm at the Parish Centre.

On TUESDAY at 6.30pm there will be the Pastoral Council meeting.

ON THURSDAY, at 7.00pm, Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) will be held at the Parish Centre.  Meditations will be on the coming Sunday Gospel.  This is a good occasion to improve our participation in Sunday Mass and to grow in our faith.

ON FRIDAY, at 10.00am at the Parish Centre there will be the meeting for Group 60 Plus.

ON FRIDAY 26th January there will be a fundraising activity in aid of the Parish Church. Tickets from Doris Mallia or from the Parish Office.

Evangelization: Religious Minorities in Asia

That Christians, and other religious minorities in Asian countries, may be able to practise their

faith in full freedom.

Let us pray:

Dear God, may everybody be free to worship God

and practise faith in all parts of the world.

Hands on:

I show interest and try to find out more about different religions so that I overcome any

predjuces that I might have. This will help me respect the good and beautiful in everybody.

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH – BALLUTA

PARISH NOTICES – SUNDAY 7th JANUARY 2018

1. TOMORROW at 10.00am, at the Parish Centre there will be a meeting for members of the Camelite Third Order.

2. Also TOMORROW Lectio Divina, (Divine Reading) will be starting again at the Titus Brandsma Parish Centre at 7.00pm and will contiue to be held every Monday.  This is a good occasion to help improve our participation in Sunday Mass and to grow in our faith.

3. On TUESDAY at 6.00pm there will be the feast of Jesus Our Friend, at the Jesus Our Friend Chapel.

4. On THURSDAY there will be a prayer meeting for all those who attend the Life in the Spirit Seminars. This meeting will be at 7.00pm at the Parish Centre.

5. ON FRIDAY, meetings for Group 60 Plus will start again at 10.00am at the Parish Centre.

6. On MONDAY 15th January there will be a prayer meeting for all those who attend the Life in the Spirit Seminars. This meeting will be at 7.00pm at the Parish Centre.

7. ON FRIDAY 26th January there will be a fundraising activity in aid of the Parish Church. Tickets from Doris Mallia or from the Parish Office.