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This weekend marks the end of the Church’s year and the beginning of a new one! Is your inner self, your soul, beginning to wonder what new resolution to take up, to mark this new year in the life of the Church? Is your soul nagging you, longing to make contact with its brother and sister souls in the people of the parish around you? Do you sometimes feel an unsettled, burning sensation within you? This may well be your inner self, your soul, the Holy Spirit, communicating with you to say that it longs to put your gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit into action! ‘Turning Concern into Action’ is the global motto of the SVP, and joining your local SVP Team may be one way of responding to your soul. We are always in need of new members and you will be guaranteed to make some new friends!! Just get in touch if this fits the bill for you!!

If you browse the Saint Vincent de Paul headquarters website, you’ll read the words ‘compassion’ and ‘care.’ Putting these words into physical action was at the heart of Blessed Frédéric Ozanam’s vision for the society, which he founded in 1833. It is noteworthy that these two words rarely feature in reports from the trouble spots of our world today.

As we now begin preparations to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, Christ our Lord, let us reclaim and take personal ownership of these two words of peace. Let’s introduce them, and associated actions, into our daily vocabulary and interactions with our friends and communities. Then, just let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

The SVP Team supports the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) by visiting our brothers being held in the Harmondsworth and Colnbrook detention centres, in our borough. To prevent these brothers of ours becoming homeless when they are released into the community, the JRS have recently set up Amani House. They now need to turn this house into a home, though, and are appealing for all sorts of items. If you are having a clear-out, why not check what is needed! And, if helping the JRS is something you’d like to get involved with, then just get in contact with your SVP Team and we’ll explain what we do for them. It is incredibly rewarding.

With the evenings now drawing in, it is a timely reminder to all of us to keep an eye on our elderly or housebound neighbours. Loneliness remains a sad part of our society and addressing it is one of the cornerstones of the SVP. Why not check in on someone new this winter. That little bit of contact might make all the difference!

In the run-up to Christmas we will be opening our Gifted shop a bit more often, so please keep an eye out for it next weekend and just let us know if there is anything in particular you’d like us to order for you.

The sharp-minded amongst you will have realised that our Gifted shop is open this weekend, even though it is not the first Sunday of the month! We have opened one week early so that we can all focus on the Holy Days of Obligation coming up this week and in to next weekend. We are very grateful for the support you continue to give to the Gifted shop. If you are looking for anything in particular, just ask one of us at the table.