All Saints Parish Newsletter
Thursday 20 December 2012 at 23:34
Advent IV
Dear Friends,
When the French author, Louis-Marie Grignon de Montford (1673-1716) in his work “True Devotions to Mary” penned: "Totus Tuus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt, O Virgo, super omnia benedicta", he articulated to our world a worthy devotion in thanksgiving to Our Lady. She herself had made her devotion to God, now was another opportunity to give thanks and praise. Translated it reads, "I am all yours; and all that is mine is yours, O Virgin, blessed above all". One cannot make such pronouncements and allow it to end there. Through her participation in God’s life, through her and with her we give our all to God, for when we offer up our hearts, our bodies and our minds to God, we, like Our Lady must be open to where that might take us. Mary was the first Christian. She said “Yes” to God, wholly and completely irrespective of where that might take her and what that might demand of her. I can hear her even now proclaim, “I am all yours; and all that is mine is yours…”
She surrendered her own interest in order to bring to the world, through God’s Grace, His real presence. She was original with God, a child with no side, no selfish ambition, apart from a desire to nurture and be part of the Good News of God, which is the Christ who we celebrate again in just a short number of days. Yet, forgive me, but it seems most odd, that out of the many who are so piously devoted to Our Lady, there is a great number who most readily to say “No” to the possibility of God taking them to a fuller understanding of communion with him, and an unexpected experience of relationship with Him.
Will we ever learn to err on the side of generosity, and welcome the Christ Child and his influence, wherever that might lead? Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. "Lord, I am all yours; and all that is mine is yours".
Yours in Christ,
Fr. John
Perhaps you would enjoy this setting by Gorecki – Click on the Link and turn up the volume…
Please pray for Fr. Neil Shave, Christopher Ryan, Fr. David Jowitt, Michael Harris, Linda Orme, Mary Barnet, Jackie Ferriter, Joshua Levy, Audrey Patterson, Celia Shore, Michael Sullivan, Rachel Clayton, Heather Walker, Richard Tann, Brian Sparkes, John Rogers, Mason Jacobson, Barbara Laws, Marguerite Crill, David Day, Timothy Montgomery, Timothy Harding, Andrew Tillyard, Stephen Finch, Jonathan Jennings, Geoffrey Oakeshott, Jasmine Cullingford, Sophia Culllingford, Caroline Chartres, Melanie, Angela Thompson
The Recently Departed: Valerie Oram, Nicholas Assheton, Polly Rafter, Jacintha Saldhana, The Very Reverend Richard Eyre, Dunbar Bryan at the anniversary of their death: Harold Pobjoy (Priest), Anne Elizabeth Scott, Cynthia Tucker, Miriam Smith, Augustus Thompson, Paul De Fortis (Priest), Doreen Forde, Hugh St John Percy Warren (Priest), Lennox Randall Francis Berkeley, Desmond Berk, Kenneth Bond, Percy Flemine, Richard Gwyn Williams, Paul Drake, Ernest James Thomas Gaskell, Gordon Symes, The Reverend Katherine Mundy, Brian Lee.
O Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
TODAY Friday 21st December 12:30pm Lunchtime Carol Service (followed by mince pies and mulled wine)
Monday 24th December
Christmas Eve
11:00pm Midnight Mass
Preacher – Fr. Alan
Tuesday 25th
December – Christmas Day
9:00am low mass
11:00am High Mass Preacher – Fr. John