4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT

4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT

INTRODUCTION

This time of Advent is a time of waiting and searching for God. Sometimes he seems to be very far away from us. There are even people who complain, ‘How can God allow all this misery on earth? If there is a God, let him come down. He should give us a sign that he is really with us. It would be so easy for him to make all the things right. Do we, at times, think the same way? In our celebration today, the name of the redeemer will be proclaimed to us. His name is not ‘God-far-away’ but Emmanuel: ‘God is with us’.

GOSPEL Mathew 1 18 – 24

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT ON THURSDAYS

Will resume on 22 January 2026.

PARISH OFFICE CLOSURE

From 24 December 2025 until 21 January 2026. The office will open on 21 January 2026.

LITURGICAL CALENDERS

They are available at the repository @ R30 each

SPRINGS OF CARMEL BIBLE DIARIES FOR 2026

Now available @ R130 each at
the parish office and the repository

Please be mindful of the designated parking for persons with disabilities. Even if you are late for Mass, please leave the spaces FREE for persons with genuine disabilities

CHRISTMAS SEASON MASS TIMES

Christmas begins with Christ

Loving Father,
Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.
Close the door of hate
and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift
and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing
which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.
May the Christmas morning
make us happy to be thy children,
and Christmas evening bring us to our beds
with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven,
for Jesus’ sake.
Amen.

Robert Louis Stevenson

POPE’S PRAYER INTENTION FOR DECEMBER

For Christians in areas of conflict

Let us pray that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation, and hope.

SICK & ELDERLY

Please pray for the sick & elderly of the parish, family & friends, especially:

Nokuthula Kubheka, Penny Powell, Jean Smith, Dolly Bimbrish, Alvin Govender, Mavis Makhubo, Norman Browne, Khohli Kunene, Barbara Amod, Sebenzile Molefe, Margarida De Franca, Joyce Chetty, Netta Liebenberg, Mthokozisi Mthembu, Avenel Aarons, Siva Naidoo, Francesca Poonsamy.

With Deepest Sympathy

To Francis Michael and family on the loss of his wife and their mother, Anitha. MHSRIP.

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM FR MUSA

“JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD HAS COME”
With these words of a popular Christmas Carol, I send a prayer for joy unlimited in the homes of all parishioners of Regina Pacis and St Jude this Christmas.
May the infant Jesus, whose birth into the world we celebrate, find a dwelling place in all our homes.
A Happy and Blessed Christmas to you all