THE WISE MEN SPEAK WITH MARY
The oldest of the Wise men is speaking:
«In the meantime, here is the gold which befits a king to possess, here is the incense which befits a God, and here, Mother, here is the myrrh because Your Child is a Man as well as God and He will experience the bitterness of the flesh and of human life as well as the inevitable law of death.
«Our souls, full as they are of love, would prefer not to utter those words and we would rather think that His flesh is also eternal as His Spirit. But, Woman, if our writings and above all our souls are right, He is Your Son, the Saviour, the Christ of God and consequently, to save the world, He will have to take upon Himself the evil of the world, of which one of the punishments is death. This myrrh is for that hour. That His holy flesh may not be subject to the rot of putrefaction, but may preserve its integrity until its resurrection. And on account of this gift, may He remember us and save His servants by allowing them to enter His Kingdom.
«In the meantime, that we may be sanctified, will You, Mother, trust Your Little One to our love. That His heavenly blessing may descend upon us, while we kiss His feet. »
Mary, who has overcome the fright caused by the words of the Wise Man, and has hidden with a smile the sadness of the doleful allusion, offers the Child.
She lays Him in the arms of the oldest one, who kisses Him and receives His caress, and he then hands Him over to the other two. Jesus smiles and plays with the little chains and fringes of the robes of the three Magi…
They then hand the Child back to Mary and they stand up. Mary also gets up. They bow to one another, after the youngest has given an order to the servant, who goes out. The three Men carry on speaking for a little while. They cannot make up their minds to depart from the house. Tears shine in their eyes. At last they move towards the door, accompanied by Mary and Joseph…
[Valtorta M., The Poem of the Man-God (2014ed.) Vol.1 p.212-213,]
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
*John Williamson RIP Funeral Prayers 1pm Monday 9th January at St Mary’s, Corowa.
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FATHER PAUL HART’S FAREWELL
MASS OF THANKSGIVING
Fr Paul will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving in St Mary’s on
Friday 27th at 5.30pm.
(preceding the Dinner)
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*Father Paul Hart’s Farewell Dinner – Change of Venue
Now at RSL Club, Betterment Parade, Corowa.
Friday 27th January 6.00 for 6.30pm
Two Course Dinner $30/hd
(Children 14 and under $13/hd)
Confirm your attendance with payment after Mass at Back of Church on weekends of 7th-8th, 14th-15th, and 21st-22nd January.
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*Sun 29th 9.30am Federation Festival Ecumenical Service at ‘the Mound’ Bangarang Park. [St Mary’s to lead]
*Tue 31st Schools return.
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Rosaries at usual times and places. Thanks.
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Remember in Prayer
John Williamson, Dinny Carroll, Leo Hanrahan, Maureen King, John Kingston, Chris Erickson, Lillian Donald, Stefan Svarc, Frank Murphy, Frank Tuck, Doris Robinson
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MASS INTENTIONS 7TH – 14th JAN 2017
Sat 7th Jan
6.30pm (Sheridan & Haddrick fms; Jenny K & John Hanrahan)
Sun 8th EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
9.00am Mass (All Parishioners)
Mon 9th BAPTISM OF THE LORD
9am M (Joan Sandral, Maureen King)
Tue 10th (Beginning of Ordinary Time)
9am M (Jegadeesh fm; Brian Nagle; Frank Murphy)
Wed 11th
9am M (Kevin Denis; Ruth Hickey; John & Lillian Donald)
Thurs 12th
11.40 Nov. & M. (Patsy & Kevin Regan; Howard Fitzgibbon)
Fri 13th
No 9am Mass
Sat 14th
No 9.00am Mass
6.30pm (Shane Clohessy, Imelda Gauci, Agnes Gannon)
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LIT. ROSTER for 14th – 15th Jan 2017
Gifts:
6.30pm P Culhane M Macqueen
9.00am CWL
Lectors:
6.30pm R Packer C Knight
9.00am B & E Christy
Special Minister:
6.30pm I Brooks J Lowden
9.00am B Christy R Taylor
Altar: M Fitzgibbon
Welcomers:
6.30pm P Dwyer F Brooks
9.00am C O’Shea
Altar Servers:
6.30pm
9.00am
Collection: J Taylor
Counters: A & M Campbell
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