GOD IS ALWAYS PRESENT
by Keriann Williams
The people of Gordon Town and surrounding communities have been affected severely by the recent persistent rainfall across the Island. Consequently, at least for the immediate future, clergy as well as parishioners must be careful when traversing the terrain since the entire roadway broke away, putting an end to the passage of vehicular traffic. The Parish of St. Martin de Porres’ Mass schedule has been affected, with no Mass for several weeks, the church community is still trying to put the pieces together. Of course, for many Parishioners this is an incredibly stressful time as persons must now dig the deeper within for strength to cope with new uncertainties in addition to those caused by the presence of love of God within our church family and by extension the wider community. the deadly Covid-19. And so, the question is, how often have you contacted your church brothers and sisters to find out how they are doing? How have you been showing the love of God to each other? Are you concerned about only about what you have been going through? The thing is, in the midst of our inconvenience and the disruption to our daily routine, the opportunity exists to reach out, The answer is God is right here with us. In all the chaos, call each other and reassure each other of our love God is present, and this is another situation where we and care. It is a chance to be present and pay attention should pull all our faith in God and appreciate the good to each other. that still exists. We can appreciate life, our friends, our In everything give thanks, our God is always family, and the opportunity to give and to receive and be present. there for each other no matter our circumstance. Our faith has prepared us for this,and it is time to demonstrate But where is God in all this? Could the year 2020 get any worse? Why did this happen? Why this affi happen inna big, big Christmas? All these questions I could hear persons asking on my daily walk to work while hoping that nothing dangerous will happen to anyone using the roadway in its current state.
MASS TIMES DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:
CHRISTMAS EVE:
THURSDAY 24 DECEMBER: 6.00PM
CHRISTMAS DAY:
RENEWAL OF MARRIAGE VOWS: A compact blessing will be provided. Everyone will remain in their seats.
FRIDAY 25 DECEMBER: 7:00AM and 9:00AM
NEW YEARS EVE:
BOXING DAY: Saturday 26 December 8.00 AM ONLY
NEW YEARS DAY:
SUNDAY 27 DECEMBER,THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH: 7.00AM, 9.00AM and 5.00 PM
THURSDAY 31 DECEMBER: 6.00 PM ONLY FRIDAY 1 JANUARY 2021: 8.00AM ONLY
The Psychosocial Effect of COVID-19 on the Elderly in the Parish How can we help our senior citizens, with or without underlying health conditions, to enjoy Christmas 2020? Celebrating Christmas is the main event for families world over. The season includes all ages from newborns to senior citizens. COVID-19 has now made this celebration novel to senior citizens as the usual gathering for this great feast will occur with fewer family members. As the number of pandemic cases and deaths increased over the past nine months, the psychosocial behaviour of most persons, especially our senior citizens in the parish, has been affected.They are no longer “allowed� to attend mass to interact with other parishioners nor are they visited as shut-ins by catechists or lay ministers.
By Suzanne Barton
the necessaries. Methods will have to be developed to assist them with enjoying Christmas at a distance. Remember, not all will have access to the internet as, believe it or not, some rural parishes are still underdeveloped.
The positive approach to this dilemma is to focus on the things that can be controlled by you. Instead of sending short text messages, it would be suitable to communicate by telephone as hearing a human voice can eliminate most of the issues stated above; especially the fear and anxiety of isolation. Our seniors could also be The term psychosocial refers to the impact of COVID- encouraged to go outside to stroll around the house 19 on the psychological and social well-being of our as a form of exercise and enjoy nature, to eat proper senior citizens.Their social interaction has been greatly foods, to reduce sleep deprivation, to arrange for food reduced because they are unable to spend time with and medication to be delivered by a trusted individual their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and or taxi service. Most important of all is to have access other close relatives. This new and strange existence to correct information about COVID-19. can lead to natural responses such as fear, anxiety, depression, uncertainty, isolation and distrust of persons who are not related. They begin to wonder what will happen to them? How can they seek assistance in the event of an emergency? Will they die alone without relatives nearby to assist in their transition? They are also fearful as they do not understand the virus; they are overburdened with news of deaths of older persons; lack of exercise; have poor eating habits; lack of sleep and worry about purchasing
RESOURCES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVvGvoMRUhk WHO/2019-nCoV/MentalHealth/2020.1 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT OF COVID-19: MANAGING YOUR COVID-19 ANXIETY by Dr. Samantha Longman Mills IASC Reference Group on MHPSS in Emergency Settings (Circulated on: 17 March 2020)
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CHRISTMAS CAN NEVER BE CANCELLED!
by Gayle Cunningham
Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift- 2 Corinthians 9:15
Christmas is a time to commune.
Christmas season is the best season of the year. A time full of love, giving, family, food, midnight mass and presents. For lots of us it is also the one time of the year that we get to see certain friends and family face to face. And who doesn’t love all that food that is shared around. My children look forward to the macaroni pie from the Christmas dinner that their cousin makes every year. It is the best.
Nevertheless, we are in the time of Corona and communing is a no-no. Does this mean that Christmas is cancelled? The cry from most people is that, “Christmas nah keep!” It is easy to be swayed into thinking this way but a lot of what most people think is the best part of Christmas is not it. The reason that there is Christmas at all is because it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. God blessed us with his only son. Now the very first Christmas celebrated was in 336 AD by the Romans who had celebrated a Mass for Jesus Christ or Christ - Mas. The ‘Christ-Mass’ service was the only one that could take place after sunset (and before sunrise the next day), so it was held at Midnight! A service alone was the perfect celebration for our Christ. So during this time when for our own safety and that of our community we need to take a page from the Romans and turn the focus completely back to the why we celebrate and not so much on the how it is celebrated. It is indeed a blessing that through the wonders of technology and our talented communications team we can all attend the virtual celebration if we can’t do it physically. Let our focus for this Christmas be on Jesus and his birth and what it means to us as Christians and how we can work on being better Christians for Christmas and always.
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“ FAITH FOR EARTH MANY RELIGIONS ONE GOAL.”
by Marsha James
This Christmas will be a novel one with pandemic imposed restrictions. While we may not be able to gather with friends and family, we can explore other ways
to show the spirit of Christmas.The pandemic has stimulated us to think outside of our communities and engage on a global scale. One gift for this Christmas is to contribute to the improvement of our lives and that of future generations by using our faith to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
By addressing global challenges such as poverty; inequality; justice; peace; climate change and environmental degradation the 14 UN SDGs for 2030 are a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” The convergence of these goals with faith and religion in November 2017 gave rise to the UN Environment Programme aptly named “Faith for Earth”. Iyad Abumoghli, the director of the Faith for Earth Initiative shared that: Our challenge is not that we don’t know what to do — it’s how quickly we can do it. … We’re calling on everyone — countries, cities, the private sector, individuals, and faith-based organizations to become part of the flourishing global interfaith movement that is increasingly bringing people together to protect and sustain life on Earth. As Roman Catholics, we can heed the call and join this project that evokes our faith and beliefs. He adds that greed and the thirst for power can be conquered by “by the power of love, science, and faith” because constant greed and lust for power has landed us in the mess we are in today. This underscores our need to transition from the commercialism of Christmas to the true meaning which is the blessed gift of our Saviour Jesus Christ. In July 2019, the 4th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the second encyclical of Pope Francis, was celebrated with an international conference in Nairobi. The conference was entitled Laudato Si Generation: Young People Caring for our Common Home and brought together over 300 participants from 50 countries who represented diverse religions and faiths. They were united to address the urgent environmental challenges, needs and opportunities by networking and collaborating to provide solutions, drive innovation and advocacy; especially in the youth. One highlight of the conference was the opening prayer by school children who beseeched God’s guidance for older generations to sustain the earth that they will inherit. There are many passages of scripture that Christianity and the environment which we should remember during our devotions and reflections. In Corinthians 4:2, our roles as stewards is reaffirmed and Revelations 7:3 reminds us that the earth should not be harmed. In Jeremiah 33:2, the Lord offers us hope when we call upon him and promises to reveal great and mighty things. In October 2020, the UN and Faith Based Organizations (FBO) published a book, Faith for Earth: A Call for Action. The book is a beautiful compilation of hymns, texts and prayers that reflect the unity of different religions and the common goal to improve human relationships with the environment. Gift this the book to yourself, friends and family so that we can collectively use our beliefs, morals and faith to meaningfully contribute to this initiative. Let us celebrate a Novel Christmas during this time by being faithful stewards.
Tell your children about it, and let your children tell their children, and their children the next generation (Joel 1.3) 5
A Catholic Education
by Loreen Walker
What is special about a Catholic education? It is special because it is education for the whole person – mind, body and soul. Francis M Crowley in an article entitled The Catholic Approach to Education states that “[T]he Catholic theory is that the effects of original sin – weakness of will and disorderly inclinations – must be corrected and good habits must be developed. This cannot be done by relying solely on the powers of human nature. The mind must be enlightened, and the will strengthened by supernatural truth and the grace of God.” According to Pope Benedict XVI, Catholic educational institutions should have three goals. These have been identified by Christiaan Alting Von Geusau and Philip Booth in an article entitled The Purpose of Catholic Education … as (1) to provide an environment in which students are enabled to build and deepen their relationship with God; (2) to foster an academic culture aimed at the pursuit of truth; and (3) to actively promote growth in virtue. I know without a doubt that my Catholic educational institutions achieved these goals. I credit them, my Catholic faith and of course my parents for my formation into the person who I am. All our people should be educated with these principles to: (a) try to treat everyone with dignity; (b) try to help others; (c) try to do what is right in the sight of God; (d) try to do the best job possible in all spheres. “Try” is the operative word because we are all works in progress. But with the pandemic forcing our educational institutions online is inculcating these ideals possible?
From Christmas 2019
Silent Night: A Christmas Carol of Peace
by Robin Rattray
Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright ‘Round yon virgin Mother and Child Holy infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace We all know and love this popular Christmas carol, but how much do we know about its origin? The words to Silent Night were penned over 200 years ago in 1816 by Joseph Mohr, a 23 year old Austrian priest. Mohr was born on December 11 1792, in Salzburg, out of wedlock to Anna Schoiber a seamstress and Franz Mohr a mercenary. His father left his mother before Joseph’s birth. As a youngster he sang and played violin at church and went on to study at Kremsmünster Abbey before joining the seminary in 1811. As an “illegitimate” child he had to get special dispensation to do this and was ordained on August 21, 1815; again with special permission since he was under the age of 25. It is said that on December 23, 1818, Father Mohr attended a re-enactment of the birth of Christ by a group of itinerant actors at a private home in the tiny Austrian village of Oberndorf. The re-enactment should have been held at St. Nicholas Church where he was assistant priest, but the organ was not working. While he was walking home, he stopped to admire the peaceful snow-covered countryside and reflected on the words of a poem that he had written two years before. At that time, the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) had just ended with Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, and Europe was reeling from up to 6.5 million military and civilian deaths. Peace was on his mind. Mohr thought that the poem would be a good candidate for a Christmas carol, but he had no score, or an organ to play it on! He consulted his organist Franz Xaver Gruber (who wrote the melody in a few hours) and the carol was performed for the first time the next day as “Stille Nacht Heilige Nacht” sung by both Mohr and Gruber at Christmas Eve Mass in 1818 at St Nicholas Church. In the absence of the organ Mohr played his guitar. Mohr was known as the “Priest of the Poor” because of his dedication to the less fortunate. He didn’t live to see how popular his carol became and died at age 56 on December 4, 1848 of lung problems. “Silent Night” was translated into English in 1863 and is now sung around the world in over 300 different languages. Silent Night played a memorable role in the “Christmas Truce” of 1914 during World War I along the Western Front. It is reported that on Christmas Eve, German soldiers started singing carols, including “Stille Nacht”. Allied troops recognized the melody and responded in a temporary ceasefire, exchange of carols, gifts and pleasantries. The symbolism of that moment of peace, sparked by a beloved carol, is remembered and celebrated even today by all who hope to see an end to war. The Silent Night (Franz Xaver Gruber) Museum in Hallein and the Joseph Mohr School in Wagrain, both in Austria, were established as a tribute to these two creators of perhaps the best loved and most appropriate Christmas carol ever written. 7
Copy Editor Haidee Heron Proofreader Elizabeth McGregor Contributors Suzanne Barton Gayle Cunningham Marsha James Robin Rattray Loreen Walker Kerrian Williams Photography Andrew Chin Please send your feedback & comments to: stspeterandpaulchurch@stsppja.com
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