This Tuesday (6th) is the Solemnity of the Epiphany and is a Holy Day of Obligation when ALL Roman Catholics are expect to attend and assist at Mass. Attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation is an important part of the practice of our faith for all members of the Catholic Church and wilful failure to do so is a serious matter. Masses in the Parish will be at the normal Holy Day times of 09.30 and 19.30 on the day

It is a traditional practice for Catholics (especially families) to make a visit to the Christmas Crib over Christmastide (25th December - 11th January), to pray especially for those persons/families who do not have the great gift of spending Christmas as we do. The Catholic Children’s Society (C.C.S.) is helping local disadvantaged families facing severe hardship through the Arundel and Brighton Family Crisis Fund, providing quick, practical support to families in need. Recently the C.C.S. helped a young mother who had given up work to care for her five-year-old daughter who had been diagnosed with cancer. Here daughter often felt cold, so the mother would keep the heating on to help the child feel warm and comfortable. The family could just afford their rent and food but had no way to address their rising energy bills. C.C.S. provided a one-off grant to help the family through the winter. The mother said: ‘I felt so helpless and scared. All I wanted to do was look after my daughter, but I couldn’t stop worrying about how I would pay our bills. You have taken that worry away and now I can focus on caring for my child. Thank you.” There are many more vulnerable families in need of support and our Parish will be donating our Crib Offerings to support this important work. Every penny donated will be give out via the C.C.S.’s Arundel and Brighton Crisis Fund to support local families in need. You can donate using the box at the Crib; if you are a registered Gift Aid member please complete and use the special envelopes by the Crib to make your donation tax efficient.

Trying to understand the true significance of an event like Christmas can not be done in a single day. Much like the epic natural beauty of the Grand Canyon, or the Baroque majesty and splendour of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, we need multiple visits to take the whole thing in. So it is with the mystery of the Nativity. For Catholics, Christmas is not just over and done with on December 25th. It’s only just begun! At a time when many are taking down their decorations and throwing their Christmas Trees to the kerbside, Catholics should still be celebrating. Christmastide is the name given to the Christmas season in the liturgical calendar. This begins with the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve and ends on the Sunday celebrating the Baptism of the Lord (11th January). This usually results in a Christmas season of around twenty days or so. Of special note is that the Christmas season licks off with a gift - seven special days other than December 25th, designed to extend our focus on the mystery of Christ’s birth. During these days, we’re to take in all the joys and graces associated with such a momentous event. These days are called the ‘Octave of Christmas,’ and you can remember their timing because the Octave starts and ends with a solemnity - the Nativity of the Lord on December 25th, and Mary, Mother of God on January 1st . At one time there were actually fifteen feast days in the Church that included Octaves, but since 1969, only Christmas and Easter are extended by these special days of celebration.  Ultimately, while all these details of the season can get a little confusing at times, the major conclusion to draw is this: our Christmas celebrations are often way too short, and end far too early! So do not miss out on the opportunity to stay in a holy, holiday spirit, by celebrating for the entire Christmas season this year

Epiphany means manifestation. so, as we honour this moment in time when the Christ Child was made manifest to the world, we should look into our own hearts. It is there, we discover Christ’s ongoing manifestation to us so that we can worship the One who has also chosen to be born within our hearts. We ought to diligently seek out this manifestation of God within us and respond to it in the same ways that the Magi responded. Firstly, the Magi determined when they saw a sign from the heavens that pointed to a new King, they stopped everything and departed in haste to find Him. When God speaks to you and manifests Himself to you in some way, nothing could be more important than to be attentive to His voice. The Magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. God was honoured and glorified by the giving of these gifts. God created gold to manifest His beauty and dignity. It was a gift that symbolised kingship. When we ponder the natural gift of gold given to the Christ Child, we are inspired to give Him our own gift of symbolic gold, prayerfully acknowledging Him as our own King to whom we pledge our complete submission.  Made from the sap of trees frankincense and myrrh are also fruits of God’s creation. Used in worship to symbolise prayers rising to heaven, frankincense symbolises the Christ Child’s divinity. We offer frankincense to Christ when we acknowledge His divine nature, since He is God in the flesh. Often used in burial, myrrh honours the Christ Child Who came to give His life as a sacrifice for many. We offer myrrh to profess our belief in the saving power of Christ’s death on the Cross and our need for that gift of salvation.

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Hopefully everyone has enjoyed a wonderful Christmas amongst their friends, family, and loved ones. This year, due to the timing of Christmas Day, we have a Second Sunday of the Christmas season before we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany on Tuesday (Masses at the Sacred Heart 09.30 and 19.30). It may surprise some people to discover that we are still celebrating Christmas. Although some are still conscious of the tradition of taking down decorations on ‘Twelfth Night,’ for so many others Christmas more or less ends on Boxing Day, and in the shops Christmas decorations disappear rapidly after the 25th to make way for the sales posters. It can seem strange that the nativity scene is such a relatively small element of such displays, but in fact it illustrates an important point: ‘The Word became flesh and lived among us.’ The term translated in most bibles as ‘lived’ – or ‘dwelt’ in some older versions – has the literal meaning ‘pitched tent,’ or perhaps ‘encamped.’ ‘The Word became flesh and encamped among us!’ This reminds us of the tent which the Israelites carried with them in the wilderness, the tent in which the Lord dwelt; but there is a difference too. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, the tent was at the centre of the community. It was also quite a ‘dangerous’ place, which only the ritually pure could enter. However, in our Christmas story the place where the Word chooses to enter and live among us is almost inconsequential; an animal shelter in a small town. One where lowly shepherds are welcome to enter, indeed are the first to witness this event. Yet though it may seem inconsequential, without it no crib scene would have any significance. The Holy Family in the stable may appear to be a small element, but in fact it is the reason for all the rest of the scene. The image of the tent also suggests the image of a journey. We’ve already mentioned the echoes of the journey of the Israelites in the wilderness, but we might also think of the travels of the Holy Family from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then to Egypt, and then back again to Nazareth. Journeys marked by worry and danger. Saint Luke’s account of the journey to Bethlehem places the Holy Family in a land controlled by an oppressive occupying force. Saint Matthew’s account of the flight into Egypt reminds us perhaps of the plight of contemporary refugees fleeing persecution.  The Word became flesh and encamped among us . . . . .

On Tuesday this week we celebrate the Epiphany a Holy Day of Obligation. The story of the Magi following the star to Bethlehem to find the baby Jesus is one of the most heartwarming parts of the Christmas story. The Greek word for the foreign visitors is best translated “magi” although in popular understanding they are sometimes called the “Three Kings” or the “Three Wise Men.” Whoever they were, they are an example to us of great courage and trust. They willingly left their home countries to travel for an unknown distance in search of a new born child they knew nothing about. They had packed expensive gifts (a dangerous even courageous act when traveling overland in those days) and met with the most powerful man in the country, King Herod, on their quest to find the baby.  When they found the baby in an unassuming little town in an ordinary family, their hearts told them they were in the right place and they were overjoyed. The humble surroundings didn’t stop them from worshiping the little child and then offering their lavish gifts to him. After that, they dared to listen to their dreams and defy the King, thereby protecting the vulnerable child. Probably none of what they did seemed rational to those around them, but because they followed an inner guidance, we still celebrate their journey today. Questions of the week  Do you know someone who has done something to follow his/her heart which seemed completely irrational at the time but turned out for good? Please share.  When have you followed your intuition or inner guidance or Holy Spirit even though it went against cultural or family norms? How did it bear fruit?

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (S.P.U.C.) will be holding its annual appeal next weekend . SPUC fights for a world in which abortion is something unthinkable, and raises awareness of the widespread problem of abortion. According to an independent poll, 87% of GP’s are concerned that the government’s continued ‘pills by post’ scheme leaves women vulnerable to coerced abortion. SPUC calls upon the Prime Minister to condemn this abhorrent tragedy. Please be as generous as you can to help SPUC to defend unborn children and their mothers through highlighting this urgent crisis. Every year hundreds of churches across Britain take part in the SPUC ‘White Flower Appeal,’ making it one of our largest and most important educational and fundraising events of the year.  SPUC supporters come from many backgrounds and walks of life. The success of the ‘White Flower Appeal’ is founded upon the compassion and generosity of faithful churchgoers in parishes across the United Kingdom. SPUC is most grateful for the unapologetic defence of unborn children and vulnerable mothers that the teaching of the Catholic Church provides.

With the story of Jesus’ birth still fresh in our minds on this first Sunday after Christmas, the church uses the opportunity to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family with all of the readings focused on families. The Gospel readings are from Matthew this year, so the focus this week is on Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph. (When we read from the Gospel of Luke, the focus is on his mother, Mary.) If the story of Jesus’ birth warmed our hearts with its tale of the star over Bethlehem and the magi who travelled long distances to worship and bring him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the story today takes a terrible turn. Mary and Joseph have no time to savour his birth or let the wonder of the magi’s visit sink in because suddenly their baby’s life is in danger. Like millions of refugees throughout history, they must flee their home country on short notice with just a vague sense of a distant destination. Because they trust the guidance the angel gave Joseph in a dream, they save their son’s life.  Tragically, however, many families lost sons to Herod’s cruelty when he ordered all baby boys killed in his efforts to kill Jesus. (These verses are omitted from the Gospel passage today.) So the Feast of the Holy Family is not “The Feast of the Perfect Family in a Perfect World.” The Church celebrates this family today because of Mary and Joseph’s willingness to say “yes” to raising God’s son, even though it brought them great fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and even anguish because of the evil one man, Herod, wreaked on so many families. They were a holy family, but they did not escape any challenges of being a human family. Questions of the week  Does it change anything for you to think about Jesus’ family in terms of being a refugee family like so many millions today and throughout history? How so?  Mary and Joseph changed course unexpectedly when they needed to in order to protect Jesus’ life. When have you had to change direction suddenly? Can you see the hand of God at work in that change?

Arundel & Brighton Family Crisis Fund - We operate a Crisis Fund which provides immediate financial support for families facing a crisis in their lives. This support can make a huge difference to families in desperate situations when they have nowhere else to turn. “We’ve had a difficult year and your help, support and kindness means a great deal to us. Just knowing there are people who care gives me strength to carry on.” Widowed mother, with two young children Why this is needed - Many families find themselves in traumatic situations completely outside of their control. One diagnosis/fire/redundancy/death can cause their whole world to unravel. Without appropriate support these families can face serious hardship and find themselves in a downward spiral. “I have spoken to mum who broke down in tears – I think you have restored her faith in humankind… you have really helped to make a difference to one of my families today” Headteacher How we help - Our Crisis Fund provides immediate financial support for families where a relatively small amount of one-off funding can make a lasting difference. Examples of families we have helped include: • A seven year old girl was sleeping huddled in blankets with her younger sister on the floor because the family were destitute. We helped the family buy bunk beds, mattresses and bedding ensuring these two young children now have a comfortable and warm place to sleep. • Two teenage girls lost their mother in a traffic accident. The school reported that the siblings were “finding coping with both grief and organising their mother’s funeral with no money unbearable.” As they were both in full time education they didn’t qualify for any statutory assistance. The Crisis Fund enabled these siblings to hold a basic funeral and bury their mother with dignity. • A mother and her three young children fled domestic violence and needed help getting a deposit to rent a new flat. Our Crisis Fund provided the family with the immediate one-off support they needed to have a safe place to call home. “The family have been through such a difficult time and I know that your donation will go a long way to helping them get back on their feet. Thank you.” Head of School