John the Baptist in prison seeks an answer from Jesus.

While in prison, John the Baptist sends messengers to Jesus with a rather curious question: “Are you the one who is to come or shall we wait for another?”

When doubt, difficulty, and the many perplexities of life assail us, remember that it isn’t because God has suddenly become absent. Rather, it is his way revealing a more profound presence—one that invites us to “follow him” to an even deeper understanding of ourselves, our life, and our very relationship with Him.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Living God who refuses to be “possessed” and “tamed” is the same God who has given us the greatest gift possible—the gift of freedom, and the possibility of liberation from every chain and prison that oppresses us, including those that we ourselves have created.

[www.catholicwebphilosopher.com/                 Catholic Priest of Florida USA. Abridged.]

Jesus told the disciples of John to go back to him in prison and tell him:

As we cope with the pressures of life – that seem to imprison us and challenge our faith in God and in Jesus – can we embrace and relish these words of Jesus in our hearts?

He is the fulfilment of all the prophecies. He is the long-awaited Messiah. He, our Saviour, has come. He is Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, born in a stable beside Bethlehem. We do not need to ‘wait for another’.

Advent is a time of listening deeply to the words of Scripture as we hear them each Sunday. They invite us to enter the profound message of God becoming Man, born as a tiny infant in poverty.

This challenges our faith. But, if we believe, our hearts will rejoice with the angels: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace to people of good will.’

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

*Sun 11^th Dec 7pm Combined Churches Carols Service at Corowa Uniting Church.

*Mon 12^th Dec. 6.30pm School Graduation Mass in St Mary’s church. All welcome.

*Wed 14^th Dec. 5.00pm Parish Finance Committee meet at O’Shea’s.

*Wed 14^th Dec. 7pm Parish Reconciliation evening in St Mary’s to close the Jubilee Year of Mercy for our parish. Visiting priests to help

DATE CLAIMER: FAREWELL DINNER FOR FATHER HART

Fri 27^th Jan. 6pm at St Mary’s School Hall

Fr Paul Hart will retire as Parish priest at the end of January and move to Wagga. From there he hopes to travel in his retirement and occasionally fill in as a “locum” or supply priest. The dinner will celebrate his 20 years as Parish priest at Corowa, and just over 46 years as a priest in the Wagga Diocese.

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Remember in Prayer

Maureen King, John Kingston, Sr Therese Anne, Chris Erickson, Lillian Donald, Stefan Svarc, Frank Murphy,  Frank Tuck, Doris Robinson,

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MASS INTENTIONS 10^th – 17^th Dec.

Sat 10^th  6.30pm (Michelle Hogan; Chris Erickson; John Kingston)

Sun 11^th Dec. ADVENT 3

9.00am Mass (All Parishioners)

Mon 12^th  Our Lady of Guadalupe

9am M (Mary & Leo Cuddon, Chic, O’Donoghue & King fms)

Tue 13^th

9am M (Marj Peck, E&F, H&P Percival; Brianna A, Colleen B, Frank D, Kay & S Peck)

Wed 14^th St John of the Cross

9am M (Frances & Chris, Hanrahan & Norman fms; Keith & Maude & Jane, Dolly Day)

Thurs 15^th

11.40 Nov. & M. (Deceased CWL members; Souls in Purgatory)

Fri 16^th

10am Anointing Mass in Hall (Sick; All Souls – unnamed)

Sat 17^th

9am M (Jegadeesh fm; Maureen King; Frank Tuck)

6.30pm (Steve Svarc; Gauci; Donald; Elmore fms)

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LITURGY ROSTER for Dec 17-18

Gifts:

6.30pm Salmon Fm

9.00am Svarc Fm

Lectors:

6.30pm R Packer A Norman

9.00am M Kelly

Special Minister:

6.30pm I Brooks J Lowden

9.00am B Christy R Taylor

Altar: N Warhust

Welcomers:

6.30pm Sandral Fm

9.00am C Sutcliffe

Altar Servers:

6.30pm

9.00am S & O Aitkin

Collection: J Taylor

Counters:  A & M Campbell

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PLEASE CHECK CHRISTMAS LITURGY ROSTER

 If you cannot be present, please contact Nicole in the office 6033 1927, or Fr Hart.

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Dec 24-25 CHRISTMAS LITURGY ROSTER

Ushers:

6.30pm Schnelle fm

9.00am B & C O’Shea

Gifts:

6.30pm Sandral fm

9.00am Drum fm

Lectors:

6.30pm J McLean, D Forge

9.00am A Campbell,M Milthorpe

Special Minister:

6.30pm I Brooks, T Drum

9.00am A Pilgrim, K Roberts

Altar: N Warhurst

Welcomers:

6.30pm M Skehan, P Dwyer

9.00am K King, C Sutcliffe

Altar Servers:

6.30pm

9.00am

Collection:

6.30pm Sandral fm

9.00am T Moroney

Counters:  (29^th Dec): L & N Hughes

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This week on The Journey

This week on The Journey, we welcome back Fr Graham Schmitzer (Unanderra, NSW) to reflect on the Gospel of Matthew for the first Sunday of Advent, we hear from Sr Hilda Scott OSB about looking for patterns in everyday life, and more! Pete Gilmore shares with us, the Pirolas are with us with Smart Loving, Bruce Downes The Catholic Guy joins us, and Sam Clear tells us a story from his Walk4One. And of course, there’s fantastic music! Visit www.jcr.org.au or www.itunes.jcr.org.au where you can listen anytime and subscribe to weekly shows by email. Got friends or family who you’d like to hear this show ever week? All you’ve got to do is send them this email and they can subscribe by clicking here. The Journey is a weekly program developed by the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong and is the only Catholic radio program in Australia aired on general Christian radio. ………………..