A Message From Fr. Toby
Christmas Message 2023 from Parish of Kanturk & Lismire lights, our homes take on a new character and oftentimes it is the youngest who gets to put the Angel Christmas is almost upon us again. up there on top of the tree. You might say that it has slipped And it might be easy to forget in up us, caught us unaware, almost. all of the ordinary excitements of It seems to come around faster the day that that same angel with every year. Yet it is true to say that his angelic choir sings first and it is the most welcome and the foremost a wish for peace: most lovely time of the year. Glory to God in the highest, Nothing fills us with more and peace on earth to people of excitement than the anticipation goodwill. we feel when we see the God gets his glory, of course, in Christmas lights being put up on all the positive excitements and the streets, all the shop windows in the joy and the happiness that filling up the toys and presents, comes with the season; all the all of the Christmas decorations goodness that is shared around. starting to appear in our local God, who is love, is at the heart of stores. all joy and gets glory from having There is a great sense of the expression of his love so anticipation about Christmas. widely shared among us. It becomes a special day when Now as for the peace on earth we are surrounded by family to people of goodwill, that’s the and friends with lots of goodwill place where we falter. It is a sad and cheer and the opening of fact of this Christmas that we do Christmas presents. Add to not have peace in many parts of that the turkey, the ham, the the world. We are only too well Christmas pudding, and that bit of aware that the land of Jesus’s own overindulgence that we all allow birth is torn by war and conflict, by ourselves. Diets never start until displacement and suffering. the new year! We know only too well that All of this is wonderful of peace is lacking in Ukraine. course: the tinsel, the glamour, Yet, it is good to know that, the sparkling of lights, and the remembering Joseph and Mary decorated Christmas trees. With who found no room at the inn on colourful bubbles and twinkling that first Christmas night, it is good to know that we here in our own country have opened our doors and welcomed people from that particular conflict. There are many other conflicts throughout the world which are Dan Dinan & Noreen O’Connor cut the cake at the Castlemagner Sinsir Christmas Party with Fr Toby Bluitt never the focus of our own news
By FR. TOBY BLUITT
headlines: parts of Africa, Asia, South America all have conflicts that we don’t readily hear about but are a reality all the same. People are people, all created in the image of God, whatever their race or their nationality or their colour. In our own joy and in our own prayers this Christmas and, especially when we gather together for our Christmas Mass, let our fervent prayer be that the wishes of the angels on that first Christmas night be fulfilled that there be peace on earth among all people of goodwill. As always I want to share with you the blessings of the season. With Fr. John and Deacon James, we together, hope that you will have a lovely Christmas and a happy one and, especially, a peaceful one.
Christmas Schedule 202 Confessions
Immaculate Conception Church Kanturk Friday 22nd 10.30am. to 11.30am Saturday 23rd 12 noon to 1.00pm
Sunday 24th Christmas Eve Immaculate Conception Church Kanturk Children and Family Mass at 4.00pm. Night Mass at 8.00pm. St. Joseph’s Church Lismire 5.00pm. St. Mary’s Castlemagner 7.00pm.
Monday 25th Christmas Day St. Mary’s Castlemagner 9.00am Immaculate Conception Church Kanturk 10.00am and 12 noon St. Joseph Church Lismire 11.00am.
P.P., at Springfort Hall, Mallow.
Issue 104 December 22nd, 2023
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