Lectio Divina: every Monday from 8 pm to 9 pm at Presentation Convent 'Nothing is impossible to God' (Luke 1) a miracle happened when few were ready. Expect the unexpected - God is the God of surprises -.

MINISTERS OF THE WORD the St. Paul Sunday missal for 2010 is available in the Sacristy this weekend.  It would be appreciated if Ministers would collect them as soon as possible.  Aswell as being available at the week-end.the Sacristy is open Monday to Friday after 9.3 0 mass until I I am.

WEST CORK SIMON ladies fundraising lunch on the 9th Jan 2010 at the Inchydoney Lodge & Spa.  Contact Adrienne Crowley 086 6031181, Options Boutique 023 8834738, Collette Twomey 087 6271700, Ann Lehane 023 8833865.  Please consider as a Christmas gift.

BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL the Chapel will close on Wednesday 23rd December at lopm and will reopen at 10am on Monday 28th December.  It will close on Wednesday 3 Oth December at I Opm and will reopen on Monday 4th Jan 20 1 0.

VISITATION OF SICK AND HOUSEBOUNI) for Christmas and New Year next Wednesday 23rd December at the usual morning times.

CAROLS IN THIIS CHURCH this Sunday evening.  Our annual service of carols, readings and drama in preparation from Christmas, will be held here in St. Patricks Church on this Sunday evening 20th December at 5pm.  This carol service, first held in 1977, gets to the heart of Christmas and makes for a perfect start to the Holiday Season.  So come along - and sing along

BANDON OPINION The January issue is out on Saturday 19th of December.

Christmas is a great spiritual feast for Christian people and a feast of great hope.  We remember and recall the birth of Jesus in the most humblest of settings at the stable in Bethlehem.  It was a really hard and most challenging experience for Joseph and Mary as they set out and made theirj'oumey to Bethlehem to participate in the census decreed by the emperor Caesar Augustus.

The past year has also been really difficult for so many people, as they face the insecurity of their employment, the recovery from the flooding in the town and its consequences.  Many who are out of work find the struggle of life very hard.  It has also been a very difficult year for the Irish Church with the publication of the statutory Murphy and Ryan reports.  If Joseph and Mary looked for new hope and lighting the road to and in Bethlehem - and we know they did- this Christmas and approaching New Year we too search for that very same hope and new light.  The generosity of Mary and Joseph opening their door to the zeal of the neighboun'ng shepherds demonstrates and validates the generosity of so many people among us reaching out and responding in our own time to the light of the new bom child Jesus and the times we live in.

As you 'oin us in the Christmas Masses, may the peace and love of the infant Jesus find a home in your heart and enrich your life this Christmas and throughout the coming year.