Advent: A Season of Hope and Anticipation

On this Sunday, Christian Churches all over the world will mark the season of Advent – the beginning of the Church's new year - a time that lends itself to hope and anticipation as we prepare for the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ.



The Advent Wreath will play an important part in ceremonies, as different candles on it are lit over the four Sundays before Christmas. The wreath - a garland of evergreen branches representing eternity, holds four candles (3 purple, and 1 rose colour), with a fifth (white) placed in the centre.

On the First Sunday of Advent, a purple candle is lit, symbolising HOPE .
On the Second Sunday, another purple candle, symbolises LOVE.
The Third Sunday sees the rose candle, symbolising JOY.
On the Fourth Sunday, the last purple candle is lit, symbolising PEACE.

The fifth candle is the white Christmas Candle, and will be lit on Christmas Day – Christ's Birthday!

So, this Sunday, we light the candle inspiring HOPE!
There is a popular saying: "We live in hope!" It is this hope which enables us to see the light at the end of the tunnel, though for many people in these times, the end of the tunnel is a great distance off. Some are simply terrified that they'll never see that light!

Over the next few weeks, many charities eg St. Vincent de Paul, will be making their annual Christmas Appeal, – here in Lucan, the Lions Club do their bit, also in St. Mary's, the Justice and Peace Group will be launching the Giving Tree, with proceeds going to Focus Ireland and Alone, and several other groups will be raising funds through Carol Singing and Christmas Fairs etc.

Give what you can, and God bless you! If you can't contribute, may God bless you too with a new-found hope, that will lead to better days.

M.M.

Church Social Teaching - Editorial Lucan Newsletter

          The Catholic Church’s social teaching has often been called the “best kept secret” of the Church.  Few are aware of its teaching on wealth and poverty, injustice in economic and political structures, its critique of capitalism and globalisation, and its views on private property. 

The Church’s Social Teaching is a very radical teaching.   To those who view the Church (often with good reason) as conservative and supporting the status quo, this Social Teaching will come as a surprise – a welcome surprise to those who yearn for a better world, a very unwelcome surprise to those who fear the consequences of change for themselves and their lives.

          Based on the fundamental Gospel principle of the dignity and equality of each and every human being as a child of God, the Church’s social teaching tries to apply that principle to the varied situations in which people find themselves socially excluded, powerless and in poverty.   It spells out how, and in what way, the Gospel message applies to the concrete, but changing, circumstances of our societies and world. 

Unfortunately, the sins of the Church are often the biggest obstacle to the promotion of the Church’s social teaching.   Sexual abuse of children by clergy and religious is a horrendous denial of the very dignity which the Church’s social teaching is trying to defend.  The marginalisation of women within the structure of the Church makes it very difficult to hear the call for equality. 

          Nevertheless, the Church’s social teaching expresses the ‘mind’ of the Church as it reflects on the implications of the Gospel for the problems which arise at different times and places in our world, even if it often fails, in its own life and structures, to implement the values it professes.  

          Don’t come to the four talks over the next few weeks unless you are prepared to be challenged.  Some might be shocked, others enthused.   But I think we can promise that you will be surprised. 

Peter McVerry