Second Sunday After Christmas

Collect Prayer

Almighty ever-living God, splendour of faithful souls, graciously be pleased to fill the world with your glory, and show yourself to all peoples by the radiance of your light. Through our Lord…

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Readings

Sirach 24:1-2 , 8-12 Psalm 147 Ephesians 1:3 , 15-18

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’” For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only begotten God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Readings Next Sunday (Baptism of the Lord)

 Isiah 42:1-4, 6-7     Psalm 29    Acts 10:34-38   Matthew 3:13-17  

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Celebrations of the week

Tue 6 | Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

We 7 | St. Raymond of Peñafort, priest

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 The Incarnation

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

[461] Taking up St. John's expression, "The Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14), the Church calls "Incarnation" the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.

[463] Belief in the true Incarnation of the Son of God is the distinctive sign of Christian faith: "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God” (1 Jn 4:2). Such is the joyous conviction of the Church from her beginning whenever she sings "the mystery of our religion": “He was manifested in the flesh.” (1 Tim 3:16)

TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN

464] The unique and altogether singular event of the Incarnation of the Son of God does not mean that Jesus Christ is part God and part man, nor does it imply that he is the result of a confused mixture of the divine and the human. He became truly man while remaining truly God. Jesus Christ is true God and true man. During the first centuries, the Church had to defend and clarify this truth of faith against the heresies that falsified it.

[465] The first heresies denied not so much Christ's divinity as his true humanity (Gnostic Docetism). From apostolic times the Christian faith has insisted on the true incarnation of God's Son "come in the flesh” (Cf. 1 Jn 4:2-3; 2 Jn 7).

[466] The Nestorian heresy regarded Christ as a human person joined to the divine person of God's Son. Opposing this heresy, St. Cyril of Alexandria and the third ecumenical council, at Ephesus in 431, confessed "that the Word, uniting to himself in his person the flesh animated by a rational soul, became man.” Christ's humanity has no other subject than the divine person of the Son of God, who assumed it and made it his own, from his conception. For this reason the Council of Ephesus proclaimed in 431 that Mary truly became the Mother of God by the human conception of the Son of God in her womb.

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Weekly News

Solemnity of the Epiphany

6th January

10AM - H. Mass

11AM - H. Mass

12PM - H. Mass

6.15PM - H. Mass (in the town of Polis)

Patronal Feast of the Parish

On Sunday 25th January we will celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. The fraternal lunch will be on Sunday 1st February at 2pm in Palia Ilektriki with Bishop Bruno.

Cemetery's Collection

Next Sunday extra retiring collection for the maintenance of the cemetery.

Caritas St. Paul's

Thank you for your prayers, contributions, food and clothes donations … we can also reuse your shopping bags. If you wish to volunteer, please, contact fr. Alessandro.

Pray For Vocations

The Latin Vicariate of Cyprus is dedicating a Year of Prayer for Vocations to the priesthood, religious, married or consecrated lives. Join us! For more information contact Sister Elizabeth (95983631 / pastoralcareofvocationscyprus@gmail.com)

Parish Community Shop

Refreshments, coffee and tea. Check our religious section for rosaries, Christmas Cards, scapulars, devotionals, etc. Check also our books sections. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet other parishioners and grow as community. All funds will go to the building of the new Church. If you’d like to volunteer, please talk to Fr. Ismael.

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Mass schedule

4 - 11 January

Mon: No Mass;

Tue, Thu, Fri: Masses at 9:00am in Agia Kyriaki

Wed: Mass at 12:00pm in Agia Kyriaki

Saturday: Masses at 4:30pm (AK); 6:15pm (town of Polis)

Sunday: Masses at 10am, 11am & 12pm (AK)

Eucharistic Adoration: Wed 10:50am ; Thu 6pm in Agia Kyriaki

Filipino Mass on last Sunday of the month at 12pm.

Sri-Lankan Mass on 3rd Sunday of the month, 12pm (Presbytery chapel)

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Prayer for Vocations

God our Father, author of life and giver of all gifts, we thank you for the gift of the families to our Church communities. Let them be the foundation of faith, seminary of vocations and model of obedience to your will. Enlighten and guide parents to have a generous spirit to support their children’s decision and choices in life. Help them to encourage their sons and daughters to pursue your call without fear and resistance. Touch the hearts of the children with the desire and longing to know, love and serve you more with great joy wherever you may call them to follow Jesus Your Son our Lord. Teach us to love one another with patience, kindness and forgiveness so that our home may reflect the light of Christ to the world. O Holy Family of Nazareth, model of every Christian family, we entrust all the families to your loving care. Amen.