"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh..."
A message from our friends in the Ukrainian Church.
Dear friends!
Please come and enjoy the magic of Xmas and support Ukraine at our theatrical performance "Christmas Night" this Sunday 11th January.
We look forward to welcoming you at 17:00 in St Augustine's Church, Downend.
Come and share in the magic - a night of joy, music, and togetherness.
Because miracles do happen. Especially on Christmas Night.
Encounter Revive Day - Clifton Cathedral , 17th January 2026 – 9.30am to 4 pm.
Begin 2026 in the fire of the Holy Spirit by joining us for a Day of Encounter with guest speaker Ros Powell. Let us start the New Year “awake and alert” 1 Thess 5:6.
This is a day to renew heart, hope and mission.
For more information about the day, email Encounter@cliftondiocese.com
or contact Ann on 07815 751556.
PARISH PROJECT VOTING
It is time for us to choose new Parish Projects to support in 2026.
There have been 2 charities nominated for the International Project so it is time to vote for who you would like the Parish to raise money for this year, to help overseas.
Please complete a voting slip at Mass this weekend and all votes will be counted at the end of the day on Sunday 11th Jan.
Thank you!
Reflections for Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A from Deacon Vincent
1st Reading from the Prophet Isaiah 49: 3, 5-6.
This is a selection from Isaiah’s Second Song of the
Suffering Servant, and it is very significant for the “I will make you a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” God is commissioning the people of Israel to take out his message of salvation to the world and for the early Christians this was embodied in Jesus Christ’s message. In Luke’s Gospel 2: 30-31, Simeon applies this quote to Jesus, and in John’s
Gospel 1: 4-9, Jesus is presented as the “Light of the world.” Isaiah’s verse is again quoted in the Acts of the Apostles !3: 47, in defence of the move to preaching to the Gentiles rather than the Jews. Matthew’s Gospel 28: 19, ends with what Christians call the “great commission, “Make disciples of all nations”. We begin to see how Isaiah’s “Suffering Servant songs were very important in establishing exactly who Christ was for the early Christians.
Psalm 40(39): 2, 4, 7-10.
A song of “Thanksgiving” and “Help”. “You delight not in sacrifice and sin offering, but in an open ear.” God is always looking for us to listen to what is asked of us. We always should be guided by the
Commandments and the Beatitudes. If we trust these, then peace and harmony will follow us.
2nd Reading from the beginning of the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 1: 1-3.
In the ancient world as in the modern world, the opening lines of a letter can often be mere formality, but Paul makes the opening of his letters work for him. He is called to be an Apostle through the will of
God. This is not a task he has chosen for himself but one for which he has a divine vocation. Paul is not working alone but with fellow Christians. Jesus is mentioned four times in just this brief opening. It seems that Paul can hardly write a sentence without mentioning his beloved. He reminds the Corinthians that their gifts of holiness are not due to their merit but are gifts from God’s generous action. He reminds the Corinthians that Jesus does not belong just to them but to all who call upon him. He is not their private property. Finally, he wishes “grace and peace” upon them from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. God is Father of All, and the Lord Jesus Christ is inexorably linked to that universality.
The Holy Gospel according to John 1: 29-34.
This is an amazing revelation given to John. He came baptising with water, seeking the one who would bring the Holy Spirit. Now John gives Jesus a title, “Lamb of God”, a sure signal that he would be the
sacrificial lamb to take away our sins. This title appears nowhere else in the New Testament except in the Book of Revelation. We cannot be precisely sure of its’ force, but evidently it found its’ way into the Christian Eucharistic liturgy, evoking the sacrificial “Passover Lamb”, and the scapegoat is suggested
by the idea that this “Lamb”, “takes away the sins of the world.” John then exclaims “This is the Son of God”. John was thinking aloud and two of his disciples hearing him, will leave him and become followers of Jesus. One of the followers was Andrew the brother of Peter. This is a very important part of the launch of Jesus having followers that would flourish and become the foundations of the Church. It is extraordinary how God makes things work. God’s Will be Done!!
God grace us to always carry out your Will. Deacon Vincent
