Morena – Good morning
During Advent, we are reminded of the essential themes that guide our faith and personal growth: patience, hope, joy, and love. Patience teaches us to wait with purpose; hope inspires us to wish the best for others and to meet their needs with care. Joy arises from this process, transforming our hearts and allowing us to experience unconditional love.
Personally, I find that embracing these themes not only deepens my faith but also enriches my daily interactions. There are moments when patience is tested, or hope feels distant, yet I am continually encouraged by the assurance of God’s presence and love.
Let us continue to trust in God’s infinite patience and love, accepting forgiveness and striving to share the best of ourselves with others. In doing so, we embody Emmanuel—God with us.
As scripture reminds us:
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
****Please bring along a donation in an envelope or appropriate food for Vinnies on Sunday.
Merry Christmas – Meri Kirihimete
God go with you,
Warm regards,
Paul
Fourth Sunday of Advent – Theme is LOVE (The Angel’s Candle)
The fourth candle of Advent represents Love, the ultimate love of God that He might send His only Son for us. Called the “Angel’s Candle,” the fourth candle of Advent is lit the Sunday before Christmas, and it is the colour purple, leading us to eagerly await the new Kingdom of God on earth.
https://youtu.be/ukI9xAltlR0?si=UZj77QXX7ZPFEjsj : I believe by Russell Watson
Scripture reflection: Fourth Sunday of Advent Year A, 21 December 2025
Let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection.
LECTIONARY READINGS
First reading: Isaiah 7:10-14
Responsorial psalm: Ps 23(24):1-6
Second reading: Romans 1:1-7
Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24
Link to readings – click here
Advent, a time of waiting, of patience, is drawing to a close, and the readings reveal our excitement. The time to welcome our Saviour is drawing near. In our First Reading we have the prophecy of Isaiah. Weary of the kings of Israel, Isaiah foretells the child who is to be born of a virgin and named ‘God with us’. The Psalm speaks of the all-powerful God, who created the earth. Those who follow him will receive blessings from the One who comes to save us. St Paul (Second Reading), proclaims Jesus, descended from David in the flesh, but Son of God in the power of the Spirit and the resurrection.
In the Gospel, we hear Isaiah’s prophecy again. It is through Joseph’s trust in God, and his obedience, that God’s plan is fulfilled with the birth of Jesus, Son of Mary, Son of God. As Pilgrims of Hope, we rejoice in this season of hope and the coming of the Light of the World. As the Jubilee year draws to a close, we might consider how, despite the often tragic state of our world, we can still place our trust in Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Formation: These days have been concluded for 2025. Thank you to all those parishes who participated and shared food, conversation, faith and friendship.
NB: There will be Formations offered in 2026. If you have a preference for when this could be in your parish or region please advise as soon as possible.
Safeguarding: “Working Together for a Safe Church”
Any complaints should be directed through the National Office of Professional Standards (NOPS) or report directly to the New Zealand Police or Oranga Tamariki.
Phone: 03 365 1993 or 0800 114 622
Email: prof.standards@nzcbc.org.nz
www.safeguarding.catholic.org.nz
Five Ways to Well Being
Reminder: 5 Aims and Goals of Passionist Family Groups. 
- share & celebrate life & faith
- support one another (especially in need)
- reaching out to & include others
- build community/extended family
- show and give Christian example to children
Article Noosa District Parish – Queensland
This article is shared thanks to the Australian National PFG Newsletter – Summer Edition December 2025 – Some of the thoughts and messages expressed in this very good article will resonate with many of our own PFG’s here in Aotearoa. What can we add or what can we learn from them?
How warm welcomes are growing our Parish Family in a diverse parish with churches and their communities located from the hinterland to the beaches across the Noosa district.
Recently, as part of our Parish’s Discipleship Pathway Vision, we’ve been leaning into what it truly means to be a Welcoming Community. A key part of that focus has been growing and supporting faithful young families. But like many others, we found ourselves asking: Why aren’t more new families joining our Family Groups?
We’d done all the right things — or so we thought. We advertised in the bulletin (even added lovely photos!), made announcements at Mass, and even had our Parish Priest personally encourage participation. But somehow, it still wasn’t quite working.
So, we stepped back and asked ourselves a new question: What does it look like through the eyes of someone new? Someone walking in for the first time — maybe juggling toddlers — possibly unsure if this is a place where they’d belong. And we realised that while our efforts were visible, they weren’t personal enough.
That’s when we partnered with one of our greatest assets: Beryl, our warm-hearted Greeter. If you’ve ever walked through our church doors on a Sunday morning, chances are you’ve been welcomed by Beryl. She doesn’t just say hello — she remembers names, notices new faces, and brings joy to that simple moment of arrival.
We asked Beryl if she could think of any young families who might be open to joining a Family Group.
Without hesitation, she gave us four or five names — people she’d chatted with or smiled at regularly but hadn’t had time for long conversations with. So, we made a plan.
Each Sunday, we positioned ourselves near Beryl so she could introduce us when the time was right. If there was time, she’d ask someone if they were open to having a chat about Family Groups — or simply introduce them to us after Mass or at morning tea. We’d then follow up, sharing not just the details, but the blessings these groups had brought to our own lives. And with that simple, personal invitation: Come and see — things began to change.
In just 3 or 4 weeks, we personally invited 9 families — and 7 of them said yes on the spot! As the word spread and more connections formed, our group grew to 9 young families, with only one family not continuing past the first step. Not a bad start!
At our most recent Family Group event, we asked some of the newer members two simple questions. Their answers were thoughtful and, honestly, very telling.
1. Had you considered joining before, and what held you back?
“We saw the notices at church but just never followed through.”
“We weren’t sure if there’d be other families like ours, or how big the commitment was.”
2. What made you say yes, this time?
“Talking to someone helped. It eased our concerns.”
“Getting a personal invite — just being asked to ‘come along’ — made it easy.”
“Seeing other families with kids joining in made it feel fun and familiar.”
It all started with a warm welcome. With learning names. With noticing.
And then — the most powerful thing of all — a personal invitation. A notice in the newsletter is helpful. A pulpit announcement might pique curiosity. But neither is an invitation unless it’s personal.
We’ve learned that the path to building a truly welcoming, vibrant parish family isn’t paved with flyers and features — it’s paved with relationships. So, next time you see a young family at the back of the church or grabbing a cuppa at morning tea — say hello. Learn their names. And maybe, just maybe, invite them to something that could bless their lives, just as it has blessed yours.
– Shana Tucker, Ministry Lead – Noosa District Parish
Please remember in your thoughts and prayer:
- We pray for Pope Leo X1V and confirm his prayer intention for the month of December, which is for “Christians living in areas of conflict.” He invites all Christians to pray “that we may never grow indifferent to the suffering of other Christians, but rather that we may be builders of unity.”
- We pray for Pope Leo XIV and his continued catechesis on the theme of hope – “to hope in life, means to have a foretaste of the goal, to believe as certain what we do not yet see and touch, to trust and entrust ourselves to the love of a father who created us because He willed us in love and wants us to be happy.”
- We pray for all leaders, political and other that they lead with wisdom, honesty and integrity.
- We remember that God calls on us, as people of faith, to offer our voices to help those who have none.
- Keep in mind all those who continue to struggle with mental health challenges, and their families who support them in their daily lives.
- Please keep in your minds and hearts the Jewish community in Bondi after the terrorist attack. Our mind need to be focussed on healing and peace.
- Please remember Preston and Jenny Epplett, their daughter Amy and grandson Thomas who had an accident on a farm resulting in head injuries
- Please remember Elizabeth Walsh and husband Tim
- Please keep Bev Postmaa in your prayer and thoughts
- Please remember Ollie Schmanski and his parents Brad and Charlotte
- Please keep Jill Graves and family in your prayer. Also pray for her daughter in law who is in hospital and whose mum died recently.
- Please keep in your prayer Billy Uasiki – also Jocelyn and Family
- Please remember Dee and Peter Costello’s grandson and parents Katelyn and Reuben. The recent news is positive but the prayers will assist.
- Please remember Barry Straight his wife Viv and all the family and extended family.
- Please remember Clare,Daryl Pritchard and family
- Please remember Jocelyn Bryant, Kev and family in your prayer.
- Pease keep Di Buckley in your prayer
- Please remember, Pat Carson; Graeme Matthews; Adrian van de Pas and her son Robert ; Graeme and Margaret Armstrong, Tim Bartells & family, Linda Darbyshire and family in your prayer, Christine Geoghegan’s daughter Kate and extended families, Pauline Prendergast, Robyn Burns (Hill,) Sean and Ann Mulcahy, Dot and Neill Wilson (Invercargill) Paul Davenport, Clair and Ray Hague; Terry Nelson’s family;. Brian and Eleanor McFlynn ; Bryan Davidson; Richard and Sue Gibbs; Martin and Sally van der Wetering; Phil and Anne Drew .
- Keep in mind all those who are struggling with various aspects of mental health;
- Keep people in Gaza and Israel in your prayer along with the people of the people of Ukraine: Keep in prayer the people of Sudan and Syria.
- Pray for peace and sensible and just decisions by leaders across the planet.
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- Your own intentions
Humour:
- What do you call a priest that becomes a lawyer? A father-in-law.
- What do you give a scientist with bad breath? Experi-mints.
- What did Benjamin Franklin say when he discovered electricity? Nothing. He was too shocked.
- What do you call a medieval lamp? A knight light.
- What did one hat say to the other? You go on ahead.
- Why did the frog take the bus to work? His car got toad.
- What does an evil hen lay? Deviled eggs.
- How can you tell the difference between a dog and tree? By their bark.
- Why do dragons sleep during the day? Because they like to fight knights.
- Why did the scarecrow win an award? It was outstanding in its field.
“We Are a “Family for All”
