Arrivals are one of those things that we get excited about. Big or small; a letter from a loved one, that parcel you have been waiting for, or the amazing longed for gift of birth of a child. Arrivals have always been important in our lives. This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the first day of the church’s year. So happy new year to you all. During this time we see things are a little different around us. Like during Lent, there are no flowers in the church, there is no Gloria at Sunday Mass, and the vestments are purple. Why is this? Advent is not Lent, though it resembles it in some ways. Some describe it as a “Little Lent”. We are not asked to sacrifice things as in Lent, but we are invited to slow down a little, even to press the pause button on life as much as we can, and to pay attention to one of the key moments of our salvation and the history of the universe – the birth of Our Lord and Saviour. One of the great things about the church’s calendar are our festivals. Every year our festivals call into the present moment key events in the history of our salvation. This is more than recalling something; for example every time we celebrate the Mass together we literally bring into the present moment the moment when Jesus gave us his very self to help and sustain us. Each year Easter brings literally into the present moment the resurrection of Jesus and shows us, if we are faithful and do our best to stay close to him, that eternal life is our destiny too. So what of Advent? Advent is a version of the Latin word Adventus which means coming or arrival. At the time of Jesus the Jewish people had waited centuries for the "adventus" of their promised Messiah. They had a sense from whom he would be descended, King David, and where he would be born, Bethlehem. In practical terms that was about it. They expected a political leader who would fix things on earth. And yet the prophets of the Old Testament, though the guidance of the Holy Spirit, somehow sensed that the Messiah would be so much more than a politician or a war leader. The Messiah would be the saviour of all nations who would destroy the very implements of war. This must have been a difficult message for the Jewish nation. Their Messiah was not just their saviour but everyone’s, including you are me. This act of limitless generosity on the part of God must have been deeply upsetting for some and perhaps still is. So what are you waiting for this Advent? Jesus has arrived in his church and lives among us. He gives us his very self in the Eucharist, and he comes to us each and every one of us through in word and the other sacraments too. But what about you? Are you ready for the "adventus", the arrival, of Jesus in your heart and soul? At the moment which will be your own end time on earth, are you ready to be stand confidence before him and to be with him forever? Day to day do others experience the the arrival of Jesus through us or do we block the way? During Advent purple is worn; we are entering a mini Lent with God’s help let is take a step back from things around us perhaps we need a one word prayer, Maranatha (an Aramaic prayer probably familiar to Jesus himself) – “Come O Lord”. As always, be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions. God bless and keep you. Fr Chris

This Sunday is the last Sunday of the church's liturgical year, the feast of Christ the King of the Universe. Do you remember as children dressing up as queens or princesses, kings or princes? As a child one year, out of a Christmas cracker, there fell a ring with a red stone, that, with a piece of curtain tied over my shoulders, and a flourishing a bamboo cane as a sword, I guess that I saw myself as some kind of knight or prince. It’s still a great pastime for children, and seeing all of the the costumes available for children these days there is a lot of royalty out there! Society also still reinforces a way of looking at royalty as something associated with being rich and powerful, deference, uniforms, jewels, and grand ceremonies. Even republics have their ceremonies and trappings of power. It seems to be something we need in some way. Yet all of this is the palest imitation of the kingdom, the splendour of a King, the one and only King. The full splendour of this kingdom is something that no eye has seen nor ear has heard – the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Of course there is something great and glorious beyond us in this life, but we have already encountered our King. We have an opportunity to encounter him every day. We encounter him in his word. We encounter him through the sacraments he has provided for us which are comprised of things that we can see, taste and smell (bread, wine, oil) which also remind us that he is the first principle of every created thing in the world, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth. Other manifestations of his kingdom are also around us in creation. Despite our weaknesses the kingdom lives in our hearts and souls through the gift to us of the Holy Spirit. A gift that makes it is possible for us join the saints and with them to inherit eternal light. Our King, Jesus the Christ, is the one who saves, the anointed one. Jesus he will come again. When he comes there will be no more sacraments, because, if we are faithful to his kingdom here and now on earth, we will not need them, we will see and experience Jesus himself in both his humanity and divinity. God willing we will be one with Him, the Father in the Holy Spirit in an embrace of joy, light and love. However in Sunday's gospel things are very different. Our King is at his most vulnerable. He is pinned to the cross. He is immobile, mocked and derided. Maybe he is literally naked on the cross, which was a common humiliation at the time. Then people often turned up for public executions as a form of sport or pastime and today is no exception. The soldiers mock his kingship by not offering him fine wine but vinegar. The throne is the cross, the crown is of thorns. I invite you to take a moment to think about who you are in this scene. Maybe you are one of his followers in the crowd too terrified to do anything but to be there, perhaps you are one of the leaders who finally feel safe to jeer at him, perhaps you are the thief who wants Jesus to save you but you really do not believe that he can do it. Perhaps there are times when in some way we are all of these. Personally, I think that a good prayer for the feast day is “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom”, the answer of Jesus and his promise of eternal life to the person hanging beside him is meant for us too, hear it in your soul today. Jesus always keeps his promises. Thank you Jesus. Thank you my King. Your kingdom come. As always, be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions. God bless and keep you. Fr Chris