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Advent Rorate Masses: An explanation...

The Rorate Caeli Mass is a traditional Advent devotion wherein we celebrate the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Advent.

The interplay of light and darkness speak to the meaning of Advent and the coming of the Light of the world. The Mass takes its title, Rorate Caeli, from the first words of the Introit, which are from Isaiah 45:8: “Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant justum, aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.”

“Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Saviour.”

The Rorate Mass is lit only by candlelight. Because it is a votive Mass in Mary’s honour, white vestments are worn instead of the normal Advent violet. In the dimly lit setting, priests and faithful prepare to honour the Light of the world, Who is soon to be born, and offer praise to God for the gift of Our Lady. The readings and prayers of the Mass foretell the prophecy of the Virgin who would bear a Son called Emmanuel, and call on all to raise the gates of their hearts and their societies to let Christ the King enter; asking for the grace to receive eternal life by the merits of the Incarnation and saving Resurrection of Our Lord. It is my intention to offer these Rorate Masses as additional Masses on the Tuesday evenings of Advent, namely: 11th, and 18th of December. The Masses will all be celebrated only in candlelight, as explained above, and, whilst celebrated in the vernacular according to the Ordinary Form, Mass will be celebrated facing liturgical east - ad orientem - as was the traditional practice.

In the present Ordinary Form of the Mass with priest and people facing each other there is an emphasis on gathering together around the altar of the Lord, symbolic, in a sense, of the communal gathering at the Last Supper. In ad orientem worship, which has been the norm for the greatest part of the life of the Church, the priest and

people face in the same direction, towards the east, towards the direction of the Resurrection and the Second Coming of the Lord, where the sun rises, and together they stand as a pilgrim people, expectantly awaiting the advent of the Saviour - the priest shepherding his flock, walking with them on their journey of faith.

As I wrote in last week’s newsletter, it is always good for us, as Catholics, to experience the richness and diversity of the Church’s faith and liturgical practice and to draw upon the treasures of our tradition to help us grow in our faith and understanding of who we are as God’s people. For some this will be a new experience, for others it may be slightly reminiscent of the Extraordinary Form, while still preserving the prayers of the Mass in our own mother tongue. I know of a number of priests both in our Diocese and in other Scottish dioceses who for many years now have been celebrating these

beautiful Masses every Advent and will be this year too - often inviting guest preachers. This is something new for me, and it may be a new experience for many of you here in St. James’ and St. Matthew’s, but I assure you that it will be something that will help us to raise our hearts and minds even more to our dear God, looking forward in company with Our Blessed Lady to the birth of Our Saviour and her Son.

I will celebrate the Masses at 8.00p.m. on the Tuesdays mentioned above (they will last the standard time of a weekday Mass) and I would encourage you all to attend. After each Mass there will be hot chocolate

and biscuits/cakes in the church hall. God bless, Fr. Martin

If anyone would like to donate toys/gifts for needy children in our area

they can be brought to Mass next weekend in order to ensure prompt

distribution for Christmas. Thank you, as always, for your great

generosity in supporting those less fortunate. God bless you!

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St. James’, Kinross &

St. Matthew’s, Auchtermuchty

In the Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld

Scottish Charity Number: SC001810

Parish Priest: Fr. Martin Pletts

Postal Address for both churches: 5 High Street, Kinross, KY13 8AW

St. Matthew’s Address: 4 Back Dykes, Auchtermuchty, KY14 7AB

Parish email address: stjames@dunkelddiocese.org.uk

Landline: 01577 863329 Mobile: 07540534480

Parish Website: https://catholickinross.com

Diocese of Dunkeld Website: www.dunkelddiocese.co.uk

Last Week’s Collections:

St. James’ Sunday Collection: (02/12/18) £ 642.95

St. Matthew’s Sunday Collection: (02/12/18) £ 124.00

SVdP Door Collection (St. James’): £ 71.87 (St. Matthew’s): £ 5.72

Thank you, as always for your generosity. Please consider Gift Aid if you are a taxpayer, for every pound given we can claim back 25p. (The figures above do not include payments made directly into the parish account).

Mass attendance:

St. James’ Vigil Mass: (01/12/18): 43

St. James’ 9.30a.m. Mass: (02/12/18): 72

St. Matthew’s 11.30a.m. Mass: (02/12/18): 24

Sanctuary Lamp Intentions: St. James’ - Irene Hughes R.I.P. . St. Matthew’s - For all families separated by discord

A DONATION OF £5.00 IS SUGGESTED FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE THE SANCTUARY LAMP TO BURN FOR A PARTICULAR INTENTION

Sunday 9th December, 2018

2nd Sunday of Advent - Year C.

Divine Office - Volume I, Psalter week II

Please pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

2nd Collection for the Poor Mission Fund - this weekend

2 Times of Holy Mass & Confessions etc.

St. James’ Kinross (KY13 8AW)

Mon. 10th Dec. Funeral Mass of Barbara Buda R.I.P. Holy Mass at 10.00a.m.

Prayer Group 8.00-10.00p.m.

Tues. 11th Dec. 2nd Week of Advent Rorate Caeli Mass at 8.00p.m.

Wed. 12th Dec. 2nd Week of Advent Holy Mass at 10.00a.m.

Thurs. 13th Dec. NO MASS

Fri. 14th Dec. NO MASS

Sat. 15th Dec. Confessions 5.30-5.50p.m.

Third Sunday of Advent - Year - C. Vigil Mass at 6.00p.m.

Sun. 16th Dec. Third Sunday of Advent - Year - C. Holy Mass at 9.30a.m.

Refreshments, as always, in the hall after the 9.30a.m. Mass - all are welcome to join us!

St. Matthew’s, Auchtermuchty (KY14 7AB)

NO WEDNESDAY EVENING MASS OR NOVENA UNTIL THE NEW YEAR

Sun. 16th Dec. Third Sunday of Advent - Year - C. Holy Mass at 11.30a.m.

Confessions after Mass

Kilgraston School, Bridge of Earn (PH2 9BQ)

Sun. 16th Dec. Third Sunday of Advent - Year - C. Holy Mass at 5.15p.m.

Prayer Intentions: Please remember in your prayers all who are sick or suffering at this time, as well as those who care for

them, may God grant them healing and strength, especially: Mayra & Neil Scully, John & Agnes Kenny, Tiziana Hetherington,

Regina Irvine, Andrew Kierney, Joanne McAtear, Dominic Law, Mary Joyce, Eva Clarke, Joan Paterson, Anne McGinley,

William Pletts. Please pray, too, for those who have died recently and those whose anniversaries occur around this time,

especially: Dennis Gilmartin, Sean McCaffrey, Barbara Buda, Alec Duncan, Anne Judge, Sonny McAvoy, Eileen Hegarty, John

Bell. Matthew Edgson, John D. Brady, Kathleen Ward, Anna Ferrie, Michael Scully, Pat Reay, Catherine Kenny, Ernest

Gowland, Sadie Ganley, Ron Mackay, Patrick Reilly, and John Namyslo, Christine Rundle, Patrick Hampsey (Jnr.), Bernard Sherry, Isobel Easton (née Sherry), Jimmy Easton, Richard Scott, and Vera Gowland. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace.

Please note the new parish e-mail address, now in accordance with GDPR Parish related e-mails should now be sent to this address only and not to the previous e-mail address.

Second Collection this weekend for the Poor Mission Fund - helping to support those parishes in need.

Each year the church 100 Club raises a lot of valuable income for the parish. Last year we managed to clear in excess of

£2,800, which is amazing. Subscription notes for next year’s fees are now ready to be issued. These are available from Aileen Sorbie

or Christine Beveridge, or alternatively if we are not there, they are in the 100 club ‘shoe box’ in the porch (St. James’). If you do not

wish to renew your subscription, then please let me know as soon as possible so that I can allocate your number to anyone new

wishing to join. Aileen’s number is 01577 861477. There are currently 4 numbers already vacant, so anyone wishing to join, could

you either please see myself or Christine, or alternatively put your name and contact details on the sheet in the porch and I will get

in touch with you. Subscriptions are £52 for the year, which can be paid quarterly, 6 monthly or annually. Each month we have a

£50 prize and 4 X £10 prizes, with 2 large £500 draws at Easter and at Christmas. Please could I ask that when paying your subs that

you pay me the correct fee as it makes the administration of the subscriptions much easier. I appreciate that no time is a good time

to put out a subs note, but if members could at least try to pay me before the draw at the end of January it would be most

appreciated. Payment can be cash or cheque, and Fr Martin is also willing to collect subs on my behalf and pass it on to me.

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A reading from the prophet Baruch 5:1-9

God means to show your splendour to every nation.

Psalm 125.R/.v.3

Response: What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad..

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 1:3-6.8-11

Be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Prepare a way for the Lord,

make His paths straight.

And all mankind shall see the salvation of God.

Alleluia!

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 3:1-6

All mankind shall see the salvation of God.

This Sunday’s readings from the Sacred Scriptures:

Parish Advent Project - 2018 - Please support us!

Believe it or not, Advent is here! As in years past we will be engaging this year in a Parish Advent Project to help support a worthy cause, and this year, encouraged by one of our parishioners, I would like to suggest to you that we support Br. Antony OSB, a Benedictine monk of Kristo Buase in Ghana, who is training for the priesthood. Kristo Buase has strong connections with our own Benedictine Abbey of Pluscarden, and the current Prior is Fr. Bede OSB who only recently moved from Pluscarden

to take on this responsibility as Prior. Prior Bede has visited and celebrated Mass several times at St. James’ in Kinross, and I believe it would be wonderful if we could help with the formation of another monk and priest—part of our own missionary activity. In future they may also consider building a more permanent church for Kristo Buase and I hope that we might also be able to help with that work too. Ursula Humphrey who is an oblate of Pluscarden came up with this excellent idea of doing something to assist Br. Antony who needs assistance to buy books for his studies and help to return home to see his family. Please keep Br. Antony in your prayers and think if there is anything that you would like to do in particular to help support him, any fundraising ideas or events. I include some

more photographs below. I HOPE THAT WE CAN DO THIS IN A SIMILAR WAY TO OUR COLLECTION WITH THE SMARTIE TUBES, ASKING EVERYONE TO TAKE EITHER AN OLD SANCTUARY LAMP HOLDER (PROVIDED) OR A JAM JAR AND FILL THEM WITH YOUR LOOSE CHANGE, HANDING THESE BACK IN TO THE PARISH BY CHRISTMAS AT THE LATEST - THANK YOU!

Brother Anthony is

pictured with Prior Bede on the left and

with the Archbishop of Trinidad on

the right.