Tangiwai, by artist Julia B Lynch, Copyright from
Nga Whaea Atawhai of Aotearoa Sisters of Mercy New Zealand.
WelCom December 2016:
Advent and Christmas
Advent heralds the new liturgical year for the Church. It is about time – the season before Christmas as a time of preparation of ourselves to celebrate the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. It can be a time of deliberately slowing down and reflecting internally in an otherwise external rush towards the end of the year. It can be a season to reflect and become more aware of God’s precious gift of time. Advent greetings on these pages are from parishioners and leaders of organisations in our dioceses.
Te Aweneti – He Kupu Taurangi mō ngā Āhuatanga Hou e tū mai rā
Rīkona Danny Karatea-Goddard
Ko te haerenga mai o te Ariki te pūtake o te Aweneti hei whakamaumaharatanga ki tōna whānautanga mai me tōna hokinga mai hei nga rā whakamutunga. Ko ia te wā hoki kia rite tāua mō te wā ka noho te Karaiti ki a tātou, ā māna tātou e arahi ki te Karaiti i ā ia e noho ana ki tēnei ao. He kupu maumaharatanga, he kupu taurangi mō ngā āhuatanga hou e tū mai rā. Mā te ngākau pūaroha o te Aweneti ō tātou pūmahara pai e whakaoho, māna anō hoki ngā kūwaha o te tūmanako e huaki.
Advent – The Promise of New Things to Come
Advent is preparation for the coming of the Lord both in commemoration of his nativity and his coming again at the end of time. It is the time to make ready for Christ to live with us, it leads to Christ’s life in time on earth. It is a time of memory and a promise of new things to come. It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope.
Mikaele Teofilo
Lay Pastoral Leader, Samoan Chaplaincy Team
Ua tatou savalia le Atevetu o lenei fo’i tausaga ma toe o se āna ona tatou feiloa’i atu lea i le Kilisimasi. ‘Auā ua fa’apea lava ona alofa mai o le Atua ile lalolagi, ua ia aumai ai lona Atali’i e to’atasi’…Ioane 3:16. Ia tatou sauniuni e toe fa’afeiloa’i Keriso i o tatou loto. Ia maua e tatou le malamalama’aga i le alofa ma le agalelei o le Atua ua fa’aalia mai iā i tatou e ala mai lea iā Iesu. Ia tatou ona fa’apenā, tu’u atu i tatou iā te ia ma savavali fa’atasi ma ia i le Malamalama o Keriso. Ia ta’ita’iina ma puipui i tatou e lona alofa i le tausaga fou 2017. Ia maua pea se Atevetu filemū ma se Kilisimasi manuia fa’apea se Tausaga Fou fiafia iā te outou uma.
Alofa’aga mai le Samoan Chaplaincy Team.
Another Advent and Christmas are upon us.
‘God so loved the World, that he sent His only Son’….Jn 3:16. Let us prepare to once again welcome Christ into our hearts. May we try and understand God’s Love and Mercy revealed to us through Jesus. Let us re-dedicate ourselves to Him and walk in the Light of Christ. May His Love guide us and Keep us safe throughout 2017.
Fr Patrick Bridgman
Parish priest, Catholic Parish of Te Awakairangi
The Advent wreaths will soon burn brightly, and Jesse Trees will fill with reminders of our history of Salvation. My prayer is that we all become enlightened again by Christ as we prepare to receive him each day, at times end, and at the remembrance of his birth. Blessed Advent!
John Kennedy Good
President St Vincent de Paul Society, Wellington Area
Mary and Joseph were homeless as they made their way to Bethlehem to register for the census. They were sleeping rough as were the 40,658 Kiwis registered as homeless at our last census in 2013.
Our joyful expectation of the birth of Christ should be tempered by compassion, mercy and hope for those, who like the Holy Family, are experiencing homelessness.
Sr Margaret Anne Mills dolc
Sisters of Compassion, Island Bay
Thank you for your kindness and support to the Sisters of Compassion, our staff and volunteers throughout the year. Christmas is a time for giving. Our founder Suzanne Aubert wrote ‘… be kind and we will give happiness, for nothing gives more happiness than kindness.’
May you receive and give kindness this Christmas.
Christine Kelly of Wellington South Parish
Christmas Blessing
So
In the season
Of great paradox
The invitation
Of the Christ child
Remains
Where there is pain
May
You bravely entrust
To the wise and gracious Spirit
That place in your heart
Least defended
May your
Most sacred vulnerability
Stay the course
For you
May Christmas
Hold essential truth
And be a place
Of the most imperfect
And exquisite
Tenderness