Sunday 18th December – Advent 4
8am Said Eucharist – Holy Trinity, Tarleton
9:15am Sung Eucharist – St. Mary the Virgin, Rufford
10:45am Sung Eucharist – Holy Trinity, Tarleton
COLLECT FOR ADVENT 4
God our redeemer, who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son: grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour, so we may be ready to greet him when he comes again as our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
FIRST READING: Isaiah 7:10-16
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
PSALM 24:1-6. R./ vs. 7, 10
Response: Let the Lord enter, let the Lord enter! He is the King of glory.
SECOND READING: Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, alleluia alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia alleluia.
Joseph was the husband of Mary; of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia alleluia.
GOSPEL: Matthew 1:18-end
Hear the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
INTERCESSIONS Pray for:
🙏🏼The Sick: Zena Ashcroft, Margaret Baxter, Val Huddart, Wayne Jackett, Maureen Karr, Winnie Turner, Mary Sephton, Lavinia Sephton, Amanda Soady & Brian Soady.
🙏🏼Year’s Mind: Philip James Stubbs, Fanny Gregson, Robert Ashcroft Chadwick, Kathleen Caunce, Alice Martland, Joseph Molyneux, Gwyneth Townsley, Margaret Golifer, Gwenda Mary Marsden, Inez Lillian Pearce, Sian Rowland, Alice Howard, Annie Susannah Bromilow, Hilda May Botel, Ethel Ashcroft, Marjorie Gibbons & Gilbert Marsden
Calendar, readings & prayers
Monday 19th December – O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse)
✝️6pm Rufford Village Carols – St. Mary the Virgin, Rufford
Judges 13:2-7, 24-end; Ps. 71:3-8 & Luke 1:5-25
🙏🏼Please pray that God will deliver the oppressed
Tuesday 20th December – O Clavis David (O Key of David)
Isaiah 7:10-14; Ps. 24:1-6 & Luke 1:26-38
🙏🏼Please pray that God will relieve the suffering of all near death.
Wednesday 21st December – O Oriens (O Morning Star)
✝️10am Eucharist – Holy Trinity, Tarleton
10am-2pm – Rufford Church open with Christmas music provided by musicians from the benefice.
Zephaniah 3:14-18; Ps. 33:1-4, 11-12, 20-end & Luke 1:39- 45
🙏🏼Please pray that God will deliver those who live in the darkness of fear.
Thursday 22nd December – O Rex gentium (O King of the gentiles)
✝️7pm Eucharist – St. Mary the Virgin, Rufford
1 Samuel 1:24-end; Ps. 113 & Luke 1:46-56
🙏🏼Please pray that the Good News will reach all nations and peoples.
Friday 23rd December – O Emmanuel
10-12noon Coffee & Chat – Holy Trinity Church & Rufford Cricket club
Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8; Ps. 67 & John 5:33-36
🙏🏼Pray for all who will preach the Good News this Christmas.
Saturday 24th December – Christmas Eve
✝️3:15pm Christingle – St Mary’s, Rufford
✝️4:30pm Christingle – Holy Trinity, Tarleton
✝️8:30pm Bethlehem Mass – St Mary’s Rufford
✝️11:30pm Midnight Mass of the Nativity – Holy Trinity, Tarleton
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-11, 16; Ps. 89:2, 19-27 & Luke 1:67-79
🙏🏼Please pray for all who will be alone this Christmas, all who will be in any kind of need, the bereaved and for those who have died recently.
Sunday 25th December – Christmas Day
✝️9:15am Sung Eucharist – St Mary’s, Rufford
✝️10:45am Sung Eucharist – Holy Trinity, Tarleton
CONTACTS
Rector: The Rev’d Canon Mark Soady SSC
Rest Day: Monday
Tel: (01772) 814431/07968 753978 E-Mail: rector@rsmtht.church
Curate: The Rev’d Fr. Tristan Meares
Rest Day: Tuesday
Tel: (01772) 590803/07547 973527 Email: curate@rsmtht.church
Ordinand: Danny Abraham
Rest Day: Saturday. Study Days: Monday, Tuesday & Friday.
