The Fourth Sunday of Advent – 20th December 2015
Christmas Greeting
I wish to extend Christmas greetings and blessings to you all. I hope Christmas will be a happy and peaceful time for everyone. May the many blessings of Christmas be present in all your homes. I wish to welcome home all the members of your families and your friends who have come to spend Christmas in our parish. I hope that you all enjoy the season of goodwill together. We remember especially in our Christmas prayers any members of your families that may be ill or in hospital at this time. Christmas can be a lonely time for individuals and families who have lost a loved one during the year. You are all very much in our prayers this Christmas, may the peace of Christmas be with you.
Mass Intentions Ballinlough
Sat. 19th Dec. 8pm James Fitzmaurice, Churchboro 7th Anniv.
Fr. Noel Winston, Marystown and South Africa.
Margaret Kerrigan Anniv. and also Bill and William Kerrigan.
Thomas and Nora Winston, Marystown. Anniv.
Ned and Kate Judge, Cloonlough. Anniv.
Patrick & Teresa Connell and decd.members of Connell and Steadman families
John and Mary Kate Carty, Mountain. Anniv.
Matt and Mary Leonard, Tubbercurry. Anniv
Marie Galvin 6th Anniv.
Tues. 22nd Dec. 10am Private Intention
Wed. 23rd Dec. 10am Mass for all the people of the parish.
Thurs. 24th Dec. 8.15pm Christmas Eve.
Fri. 25th Dec 10.30am Christmas Day.
Sat. 26th Dec. 8pm Feast of The Holy Family.
Decd. Members of the Kelly family, Carrick East.
Vincent Kelly, Cloonlough. 4th Anniv.
Martin Byrne and Pakie Greally, Mountain Upper. Anniv.
Tom Reilly, Clydaugh. Anniv.
John Joe Waldron. Anniv wife Kathleen, son Eugene. Clooncrim
Offertory Collection& Saturday & Sunday12th & 13th Dec
Ballinlough: € 395 Granlahan:€505
Eucharistic Ministers Ballinlough Church Readers
Kitty Murphy/Nancy Flynn Christmas Eve. 8.15pm Sarah Flynn/Emer Forde
Mary Finan/Kathleen McLaughlinn Christmas Day. 10.30am Cian Cunningham
Teresa Cunningham/Maria Cregg Saturday 26th Dec. 8pm Roisin Hussey/Róisin Byrne
Granlahan
Maura Caulfield/John Maloney Christmas Eve. 7pm Sean Burke/Kevin Neenan
John Caulfield/Mary Ruane Christmas Day. 11.30am No reader
Mary Birmingham/Angela Keaveney Sun. 27th Dec. 12 noon Ann Bailey
Mass Intentions Granlahan
Sun. 20th Dec. 12 noon Tom and Anne Ronan, Grange
Michael Griffin and his wife Mary and deceased members of the family.
Margaret and Thomas Burke.
John Murray, Granlahan. Anniv.
Patrick Naughton, Grange. Anniv
Teresa Jennings, Kiltullagh. Anniv.
Jim Conroy, Coraslustia and deceased members of the Conroy Family.
John Ruane, Lisnagrobe. 3rd Anniv.
Thurs. 24th Dec. 7pm Christmas Eve
Fri. 25th Dec.11.30amChristmas Day
Sun. 27th Dec. 12 noon Feast of The Holy Family.
Mary Delia Mannion Anniv. her husband Tom, their daughter Mary Jordan and her husband David.
Times of Masses for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Ballinlough: Christmas Eve 8.15pm Christmas Day 10.30am
Granlahan: Christmas Eve 7pm Christmas Day 11.30am
Cloonfad: Christmas Eve 7pm Christmas Day 10.30am
Christmas Confessions: We hope to have the usual Christmas confessions after the week-end masses on 19/20th Dec. Please God many people will avail of this sacrament of God’s mercy. The church’s Year of Mercy has just begun.
Christmas Day Adoration: We hope to have an hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as usual on Christmas Day from 5pm-6pm.
Christmas Collection: The Christmas collection for the support of the priest of the parish will be taken up at all Christmas Masses.
For the Christmas Season, I will visit the sick and the house bound as usual on Thursday 22nd December as follows:
Ballinlough Tues 22nd Dec. 10.30am,
Granlahan 22nd Dec. 11am,
Cloonfad Tues. 22nd Dec 2.30pm
Ballinlough Senior Citizens Christmas party will be held on Sunday 20th December at 2.30pm in Campbells Lounge. All senior citizens welcome
Granlahan Card winners: 1st Mary Birmingham, Kevin Devaney, Stephen Doherty, Gerry Coffey, 2nd Tommy Winston, Tom Finnegan, 3rd Gerald Vizard, Michael Hussey. Raffle winners, Gerald, Maureen Burke, Martin Caulfield, Jarlath Keaveney, Stephen Doherty. Monday night is the last card game of 2015. All welcome. Thank you all for your support.
Prayer before Christmas Dinner
God of all gifts, we thank you for the many ways you have blessed us this day. We are grateful to you for gathering us around this table. We ask you to bless us, and our food and to bless those we love who are not with us today. In our gratitude and love, we remember your humble birth into our world and we pray for those who are without enough to eat. We remember the stable in which you were born and pray for those who have no place to call home. We remember your challenging message of caring and giving, and pray for peace in families and nations throughout the world. We bless you and give you thanks in your Spirit who brings our hearts to life this Christmas Day and forever. Amen