THE SEASON OF ADVENT:
A penitential season in which the Church calls us to conversion of mind and heart as we begin to focus our thoughts upon the humble birth of our Lord in Bethlehem. So, like the season of Lent, the liturgical colour is purple, reminding us that prayer, fasting, abstinence and the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession, should be part of our preparation for the of the birth of our Lord. Just as we might clean and tidy our homes, investigate the Christmas decorations so we should make the spiritual preparation to celebrate the great feast of the Incarnation. It is a celebration which reminds us that ‘God sent His Son into the world so that everyone who believes in him, may not be lost, but may have eternal life.’ (Cf. Jn 3:16)
So, for all of us then, to make the effort to have a penitential season, with prayer, fasting, abstinence and almsgiving, our self-denial, saying ‘no’ to self for the sake of Christ, offering our penance so as to be more conformed to the person of Christ and for the conversion the world, then we will be truly able to rejoice in the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ Jesus, our Lord and God become a man like us in all things but sin.
To help us in our spiritual preparation we will have a Penitential Services on Sunday 21st December at 3.00 pm. Additionally, there will be Penitential Services on16th Dec at Epsom at 7:30 pm;19th Dec in Cobham at 7:30 pm.
We should remember and be reminded that in this Sacrament, it is the grace and mercy of our Lord which is being offered, and that it is through His priests, both worthy and unworthy, that He chooses to minister to us.