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Parish Christmas Soup Lunches.

Kind parish volunteers have offered to organise 2 Advent Soup Lunches on Friday 3rd and Friday 10th December for those who are interested.

They will offer a simple soup lunch with bread and refreshments served from 1pm in the parish hall.

A chance to get together safely after so long apart!

We can host limited numbers in the hall as we wish to keep as COVID safe as possible for everyone.

So please contact Petra Jordan at petramjordan@gmail.com

if you would like to book a place, stating

*which date you would like to come &

*if you have any dietary requirements,

so they will be able to cater accordingly and make sure our numbers are within the safe limits.

All donations on the day will go to our Parish Projects.

If you know of someone who doesn't have internet access who would like to go, please reply on their behalf to Petra.

Hands up who has enjoyed the St Augustine's BBT's group over the years?

What a wonderful group it is!

Please share your stories with us of Friday morning storytime, the 'toast table', the As New Sales, 'tidy up time' with songs, the Early Learning Centre birthday cake, Recipe Books, the American suppers, the Christmas parties and nights out etc....

Well, after pausing due to COVID they now NEED NEW MEMBERS to help create a new organising team/committee in order to restart the group (with support from the outgoing team) & to keep the group going into the future.

For more info on the group and to sign up, contact the current leader, Katy, via the BBT’s Facebook page (@StAugustineofCanterburyBBT)

or email the parish office bristol.staugustine@cliftondiocese.com

Please help to spread the word about our wonderful 'BBTs' group as it would be so sad if it had to fold after so many years of offering friendly support to local families. Many of us will have been part of BBT's and had a wonderful social life and gained supportive friends from it.

They currently have a few members who would like to attend when it restarts but need more in order to create a little team of leaders who will help to run the group - it is not an onerous task but it is essential to have leaders to make it run smoothly.

Please contact Katy or the parish office if you can help or wish to join the group.

Thanks, as ever, to Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

1st Reading from the Prophet Daniel 12: 1-3.

This book is named after its’ hero, who has several different stories attached to him. The dates attributed commence with the Jewish Exile in Babylon, about the sixth century BC, but the final section, most scholars date at 165 BC during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes whilst he was trying to enforce Hellenization upon the Jews. This section encouraging the Jews to resist this enforcement, even at the risk of their lives. The section selected for our reading is dealing with the developing idea that our life here on earth cannot just end at death. God does not throw away his creation, so we see Michael the Archangel, the guardian of Israel, who shall call those who are in affliction at the great destruction, both living and dead to judgement, reward or punishment depending upon their loyalty to God. We catch an early glimpse of the resurrection and God’s victory. No matter how bad things become God is in charge, we need to keep faith and he will reward that loyalty with his wonderful eternal presence full of joy and light.

Psalm 15: 5, 8-11.

This is a quiet song of faith in the face of death. God is always with us and will not abandon us to destruction but raise us up to be with him. We need never fear death for it brings us into company with Him, whom we have followed, very imperfectly maybe, but he perfects everything for us. Let us keep faith with Him, for he is always loyal.

2nd Reading from the letter to the Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18.

This section continues with the theme that Jesus as High Priest is so much more efficacious than the High Priests of the Old Covenant, who offer sacrifices other than themselves in atonement for their own sins as well as those of the Community, whilst Christ who is sinless offers himself, body and blood for the forgiveness of all of us. Jesus is the Real High Priest of his new and eternal covenant. He has really saved us, we can rejoice and be glad in him. Thanks be to God his Father, and through God’s Holy Spirit are fired with love of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Gospel according to Mark 13: 24-32.

This alarming and dramatic description of the destruction of the Temple, continues the mysterious discomfort we have experienced throughout this Gospel of Mark. His closest friends ask him when all this will come about, but Jesus will not tell them, except to say it will be hard, but keep faith and do not be led astray. He quotes Isaiah 13: 10 and 34: 4, to indicate just how dreadful it will be. Everything will seem to be collapsing, and all those things that they had relied upon before, will be gone. Watch for the signs and keep faith; God will be with them, stay true to the Gospel; as brothers and sisters of Jesus “All will be well, all things will be well.” It is a passage for our time as all we hear are predictions of disaster and destruction due to global warming. We need to remember that Jesus will always be those who stay close to his Gospel Way.

God Bless you all, and Stay Safe.

Deacon Vincent