Winter lights reflected in Minster Pool late at night last week (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)
Patrick Comerford
I am getting ready – for Christmas, but also for Advent.
Advent begins tomorrow [2 December 2018], and earlier this week I spent the greater part of a day selecting hymns and preparing the readings for December, including the hymns and readings for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
Meanwhile, I am also preparing for my morning reflections in Advent, using the Prayer Diary, ‘Pray With the World Church,’ prepared by the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), and using the Advent Devotional Calendar prepared in Lichfield Cathedral for 2018, which is available HERE.
Lichfield Cathedral suggests using the calendar by lighting your Advent candle each day as you read the Bible and pray.
It suggests trying to lay aside 5-15 minutes every day, and buying or using a special candle to light each day as you read and pray through the suggestions on the calendar.
Each week there is a suggestion to ‘eat simply’ – try going without so many calories or too much rich food, just have enough.
There is a suggestion to donate to a charity working with the homeless. There is encouragement to pray through what you see and notice going on around you in people, the media and nature.
The Lichfield Cathedral calendar begins today [1 December 2018], on the eve of Advent. It suggests reading Luke 21: 34-36, and offers this thought:
Think about the next 24 days. Get ready: tidy a room as if to receive a guest, pray ‘Come Lord Jesus!’
Join me each morning throughout December as I begin each day praying with USPG and Lichfield Cathedral.
Continued tomorrow
01 December 2018
December, Christmas and
Advent in the Rathkeale and
Kilnaughtin Group of Parishes
Asylum Seekers (Carlos A Rodríguez)
Sunday 2 December (Advent 1):
9.30 a.m., Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton, Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2).
11.30 a.m., Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin (Tarbert), Morning Prayer.
Readings: Jeremiah 33: 14-16; Psalm 25: 1-10; I Thessalonians 3: 9-13; Luke 21: 25-36.
Hymns:
652, Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us (CD 37)
126, Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding (CD 8)
509, Your kingdom come, O God (CD 29)
Saturday 8 December:
8 p.m., Tommy Fleming in concert, Holy Trinity Church Rathkeale, in aid of Rathkeale No 2 National School.
Sunday 9 December (Advent 2):
9.30 a.m., Castletown Church, Kilcornan, Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2).
11.30 a.m., Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale, Morning Prayer.
Readings: Baruch 5: 1-9; Canticle Benedictus (Hymn 685, CD 39); Philippians 1: 3-11; Luke 3: 1-6.
Hymns:
119, Come, thou long-expected Jesus (CD 8)
134, Make way, make way, for Christ the King (CD 8)
204, When Jesus came to Jordan (CD 13)
Thursday 13 December:
7 p.m.: Tarbert Carol Service, Saint Brendan’s Church,
followed by refreshments in Tarbert Community Centre.
Sunday 16 December (Advent 3):
No morning service in Askeaton.
11.30 a.m., Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin, Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2).
Readings: Zephaniah 3: 14-20; Canticle Song of Isaiah (CD 43, No 6), Philippians 4: 4-7; Luke 3: 7-18.
Hymns:
281, Rejoice, the Lord is King! (CD 17)
135, O come, O come, Emmanuel (CD 8)
136, On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry (CD 8)
3 p.m., Carol Service in Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton, followed by refreshments in the Rectory.
Friday 21 December:
12 noon: end-of-term School Play and Carol Service, Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale.
Sunday 23 December (Advent 4):
11 a.m., United Group Service (Parish Eucharist, Holy Communion 2), Castletown.
Readings: Micah 5: 2-5a; Canticle Magnificat (Hymn 712, CD 40); Hebrews 10: 5-10; Luke 1: 39-45.
Hymns:
158, God rest you merry, gentlemen (CD 9)
174, O little town of Bethlehem (CD 11)
198, The first Nowell the angel did say (CD 12)
Christmas Eve, Monday 24 December:
8 p.m., Kilnaughtin (Christmas Eucharist, Holy Communion 2).
10 p.m., Castletown (Christmas Eucharist, Holy Communion 2).
Readings: Isaiah 9: 2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2: 11-14; Luke 2: 1-14.
Hymns:
174, O little town of Bethlehem (CD 11)
160, Hark! the herald angels sing (CD 9)
182, Silent night, holy night (CD 11)
Christmas Day, Tuesday 25 December:
9.30 a.m., Askeaton (Christmas Eucharist, Holy Communion 2).
11 a.m., Rathkeale (Christmas Eucharist, Holy Communion 2).
Readings: Isaiah 52: 7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1: 1-4; John 1: 1-18.
Hymns:
177, Once in royal David’s city (CD 11)
184, Unto us is born a Son (CD 11)
172, O come, all ye faithful (CD 10)
Sunday 30 December (Christmas 1):
11 a.m., United Parish Communion, Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin, Tarbert.
Readings: I Samuel 2: 18-20, 26; Psalm 148; Colossians 3: 12-17; Luke 2: 41-52.
Hymns:
166, Joy to the world, the Lord is come! (CD 10)
162, Infant holy, infant lowly (CD 9)
152, Come and join the celebration (CD 9)
Saint Nicholas … a mosaic in the north aisle of Westminster Cathedral (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)
Saints’ Days in December:
6 December: Saint Nicholas.
26 December: Saint Stephen.
27 December: Saint John the Evangelist.
28 December: The Holy Innocents.
Sunday 6 January 2019 (The Epiphany):
9.30 a.m., Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton, Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2).
11.30 a.m., Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin (Tarbert), Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2).
Readings: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3: 1-12; Matthew 2: 1-12.
Hymns:
202, What child is this, who laid to rest (CD 13)
201, We three kings of Orient are (CD 13)
189, As with gladness men of old (CD 12)
Danish Christmas cards with an Ethiopian icon of the Visitation of the Magi (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)
Sunday 2 December (Advent 1):
9.30 a.m., Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton, Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2).
11.30 a.m., Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin (Tarbert), Morning Prayer.
Readings: Jeremiah 33: 14-16; Psalm 25: 1-10; I Thessalonians 3: 9-13; Luke 21: 25-36.
Hymns:
652, Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us (CD 37)
126, Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding (CD 8)
509, Your kingdom come, O God (CD 29)
Saturday 8 December:
8 p.m., Tommy Fleming in concert, Holy Trinity Church Rathkeale, in aid of Rathkeale No 2 National School.
Sunday 9 December (Advent 2):
9.30 a.m., Castletown Church, Kilcornan, Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2).
11.30 a.m., Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale, Morning Prayer.
Readings: Baruch 5: 1-9; Canticle Benedictus (Hymn 685, CD 39); Philippians 1: 3-11; Luke 3: 1-6.
Hymns:
119, Come, thou long-expected Jesus (CD 8)
134, Make way, make way, for Christ the King (CD 8)
204, When Jesus came to Jordan (CD 13)
Thursday 13 December:
7 p.m.: Tarbert Carol Service, Saint Brendan’s Church,
followed by refreshments in Tarbert Community Centre.
Sunday 16 December (Advent 3):
No morning service in Askeaton.
11.30 a.m., Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin, Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2).
Readings: Zephaniah 3: 14-20; Canticle Song of Isaiah (CD 43, No 6), Philippians 4: 4-7; Luke 3: 7-18.
Hymns:
281, Rejoice, the Lord is King! (CD 17)
135, O come, O come, Emmanuel (CD 8)
136, On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry (CD 8)
3 p.m., Carol Service in Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton, followed by refreshments in the Rectory.
Friday 21 December:
12 noon: end-of-term School Play and Carol Service, Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale.
Sunday 23 December (Advent 4):
11 a.m., United Group Service (Parish Eucharist, Holy Communion 2), Castletown.
Readings: Micah 5: 2-5a; Canticle Magnificat (Hymn 712, CD 40); Hebrews 10: 5-10; Luke 1: 39-45.
Hymns:
158, God rest you merry, gentlemen (CD 9)
174, O little town of Bethlehem (CD 11)
198, The first Nowell the angel did say (CD 12)
Christmas Eve, Monday 24 December:
8 p.m., Kilnaughtin (Christmas Eucharist, Holy Communion 2).
10 p.m., Castletown (Christmas Eucharist, Holy Communion 2).
Readings: Isaiah 9: 2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2: 11-14; Luke 2: 1-14.
Hymns:
174, O little town of Bethlehem (CD 11)
160, Hark! the herald angels sing (CD 9)
182, Silent night, holy night (CD 11)
Christmas Day, Tuesday 25 December:
9.30 a.m., Askeaton (Christmas Eucharist, Holy Communion 2).
11 a.m., Rathkeale (Christmas Eucharist, Holy Communion 2).
Readings: Isaiah 52: 7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1: 1-4; John 1: 1-18.
Hymns:
177, Once in royal David’s city (CD 11)
184, Unto us is born a Son (CD 11)
172, O come, all ye faithful (CD 10)
Sunday 30 December (Christmas 1):
11 a.m., United Parish Communion, Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin, Tarbert.
Readings: I Samuel 2: 18-20, 26; Psalm 148; Colossians 3: 12-17; Luke 2: 41-52.
Hymns:
166, Joy to the world, the Lord is come! (CD 10)
162, Infant holy, infant lowly (CD 9)
152, Come and join the celebration (CD 9)
Saint Nicholas … a mosaic in the north aisle of Westminster Cathedral (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)
Saints’ Days in December:
6 December: Saint Nicholas.
26 December: Saint Stephen.
27 December: Saint John the Evangelist.
28 December: The Holy Innocents.
Sunday 6 January 2019 (The Epiphany):
9.30 a.m., Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton, Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2).
11.30 a.m., Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin (Tarbert), Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2).
Readings: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3: 1-12; Matthew 2: 1-12.
Hymns:
202, What child is this, who laid to rest (CD 13)
201, We three kings of Orient are (CD 13)
189, As with gladness men of old (CD 12)
Danish Christmas cards with an Ethiopian icon of the Visitation of the Magi (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)
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