CHURCH OF DIVINE MERCY Parish Bulletin 16/17 DEC NOV 2017 • VOL. 51 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Divine Mercy Apostolate Neighbourhood Christian Community (NCC) Prayer for the Sick & Dying Funeral and Wake Services Please contact the Parish Office or email [email protected] Weekday 6:30am, 6:15pm Saturday 6.30am, 5:30pm Every 1st Saturday of the month 7.30pm Syro-Malaba Mass (Chapel) Every 3rd Saturday of the month 7.30pm Tagalog Mass Sunday 7am, 9am, 11.30am, 5.30pm Confessions 15 min before Mass. Public Holidays 8am only Divine Mercy Devotion Daily at 6.45pm (Chapel) Saturday at 5.00pm, Sunday at 5.00pm (Main Church) Prayer for Priests Every Thurs 5.15pm followed by 6.15pm mass Parish Priests Fr Johnson Fernandez Tel | 6583 6393 Fr Terence Kesavan Tel | 6583 8789 Mass & Prayer Times Community & Pastoral Care General Office Raymond Tan/Luke Teo/Maria Lim/ Teresa Tan Tel | 6583 3378 • Fax | 6583 1694 Email | [email protected] Opening Hours Mon - Fri |11am- 7pm Closed for lunch | 1pm - 2pm Sat | 12.30pm - 5.30pm Sun | 9am - 1pm Closed on public holidays Parish Secretariat + REFLECTION SUNDAY, 17 DECEMBER • 3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11 Luke 1:46-50,53-54 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, 19-28 “Lord, help me to stay close to you.” Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Without ceasing? That sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Paul doesn’t really mean we should literally pray all day long. He is talking about an attitude. He is asking us to try to be aware of God throughout our days. That still might seem a bit drastic, but think about the Virgin Mary. Try to picture her and what she must have been thinking a few days before Jesus was born. Like every expectant mother, she was probably alert to every movement of the child inside of her. Picture her constantly having to adjust her position when she sat, taking care when she walked, getting enough sleep, and getting her home ready to welcome her baby. Everything was focused on caring for the life growing within her. Just as Mary was alert to the movements of the baby inside her, we can be alert to the movements of the Holy Spirit inside us. Here is one way that you can get better at sensing God’s presence throughout your day. Try to set aside a few times each day when you will stop for a moment and turn to the Lord. Perhaps you can begin your day with a moment of prayer and then try to stop every three hours and pray and then commend yourself to the Lord just before bed. Your prayer doesn’t have to be difficult either. Just say the Lord’s Prayer, thank him for one blessing, and ask his forgiveness if you have any sin on your mind. Over time, you’ll feel closer to the Lord. Who knows? You may even feel him moving in your heart, just as Mary felt him in her womb! Mon Dec 18: Ordinary Weekday Jeremiah 23:5-8 Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 Matthew 1:18-25 Tues Dec 19: Ordinary Weekday Judges 13:2-7, 24-25 Psalm 71:3-6,16-17 Luke 1:5-25 Wed Dec 20: Ordinary Weekday Isaiah 7:10-14 Psalm 24:1-6 Luke 1:26-38 Thurs Dec 21: St Peter Canisius Zephaniah 3:14-18 Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 Luke 1:39-45 Fri Dec 22: Ordinary Weekday 1 Samuel 1:24-28 1 Samuel 2:1,4-8 Luke 1:46-56 Sat Dec 23: St John of Kanty Malachi 3:1-4,23-24 Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14 Luke 1:57-66 Daily Readings To offer feedback, email us at [email protected] Subscribe to our e-bulletin at www.divinemercy.sg Like our Facebook Page www.divinemercy.sg/facebook Tune in to our channel - Church of Divine Mercy @churchofdivinemercy Staying Connected A GENTLE REMINDER Petitions to Divine Mercy All petitions to the Divine Mercy will be offered up on the last Saturday of every month during the 5pm Divine Mercy devotion. Please place your petitions in the Petition Box at the Divine Mercy mosaic inside the main church. Helping Hands Needed We need more hands to clean the church. Just come by every Saturday from 8:00am to 10am at the main Church. All are welcome! For those who have not yet registered as parishioners of CDM, please do so at the Parish Office. Parish Census The Third Sunday of Advent: Peace The Joy of Being Like Others At first sight, joy seems to be connected with being different. When you receive a compliment or win an award, you experience the joy of not being the same as others. You are faster, smarter, more beautiful, and it is that difference that brings you joy. But such joy is very temporary. True joy is hidden where we are the same as other people: fragile and mortal. It is the joy of belonging to the human race. It is the joy of being with others as a friend, a companion, a fellow traveler. This is the joy of Jesus, who is Emmanuel: God-with-us. - Fr Henri Nouwen 19 PASIR RIS ST 72 SINGAPORE 518771 • www.divinemercy.sg We focus on Joy for the third week of Advent. Two purple candles and a rose (pink) candle will be lit on the Advent Wreath. Why does the priest wear rose vestments and light the rose candle this Sunday? The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, the Latin word ‘Gaudete’ means ‘Rejoice’, and rose is the colour of joy. We celebrate, this Sunday, joy and gladness in the promised Redemption through the Lord’s coming. “Always be joyful, then, in the Lord; I repeat, be joyful. Let your good sense be obvious to everybody. The Lord is near.” - Philippians 4:4-5