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Advent Wreath Blessing
Today we rejoice as we reach the
halfway stage of our Advent season
and give thanks for John the Bapst
who bore witness to Jesus, the light
of the world. As we light the third
candle of the Advent wreath, let us
pray that we too will spread the light
of Christ in the darkness of our world
so that all may know Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Response: COME LORD JESUS
Lord Jesus, you are the light of the world… Response
You are the light in our darkness … Response
Son of God save us from our sins … Response
Bring hope into the lives of all people… Response
by Fr Michael Tate
The Right Queson
John was languishing in prison, held capve by the local agent of
the Roman Empire. Perhaps he was looking for evidence that
Jesus was the One who would throw o Roman desposm. In
answer to his quesng, Jesus replied that John should rather
look at what was happening on the ground in His healing
ministry and orientaon to the poor. Those are the signs that
the reign of God has begun.
I admire John the Bapst because he was prepared to seek and
accept the answer to the queson which was crucial to him,
even though the answer might upset his preconcepons. He
was a true seeker aer Truth.
All our acvies as a parish in building community, forming
faith, serving the poor, parcipang in the liturgy, should be
undertaken so that a seeker aer Truth might see and hear the
evidence of the presence and mission of the risen Lord Jesus
Christ amongst us.
We could pause for a moment to simply pray in the spirit of
Advent: ‘Come, Lord Jesus’ to sasfy the restlessness of the
quesng heart.
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT — YEAR A 14TH DECEMBER 2025
First Reading: Isaiah 35:1-6, 10
God himself will come and save us.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 145:6-10. R. see Is 35:4
(R.) Lord, come and save us.
It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,
who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners free. (R.)
It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down,
the Lord, who protects the stranger
and upholds the widow and orphan. (R.)
It is the Lord who loves the just
but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever,
Zion’s God, from age to age. (R.)
Second Reading: James 5:7-10
You also must be paent; do not lose heart, the Lord’s coming
will be soon.
Gospel Acclamaon: Isaiah 61:1 (Lk 4:18)
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;
he sent me to bring Good News to the poor.
Alleluia!
Gospel: Mahew 11:2-11
Are you the one who is to come,
or must we wait for someone else?
WWW.MUDGEE.CATHOLIC.ORG.AU
Catholic Parishes of Mudgee, Gulgong and Kandos
MUDGEE ROSTER
Saturday 20th/ Sunday 21st December
Commentator Help Needed A. McLean
First Reader C. Furney W. Bodycote
Second Reader P. Cannon M. Bodycote
EMOC L. Nicholson M. Dunnachie
Altar Server
Welcomer L. Robinson R. McKeown
Oertory M. Dorney Children’s Liturgy
Sacristan I. Browne L. Browne
Counter Mon. 15th Dec E. Goodlet
Commentator Please see the roster at the back
of the church.
If you are available to help with the
Christmas Masses, please add your
name to the roster at the back of
the church.
If you available to help with Masses on
27th/28th December and
On 3rd/4th January, please call the
Parish Oce.
First Reader
Second Reader
EMOC
Altar Server
Welcomer
Oertory
Sacristan
Counter
Bells Mon - E. Goodlet
Tue - Help Needed
Wed - J. Cooper
Thu - I. Browne
Fri/Sat - I. Browne
Sun -Help Needed
DAY BY DAY
Mon, 15/12 Third Week of Advent
Oce opens at 10am
9.15am Mass—Gulgong—All Hallows
10.30am Mass—Mudgee—St Mahews
2.00pm Funeral—Kandos—Terence Ryan
Tue, 16/12 Third Week of Advent
9.30am Mass—Mudgee
6.00pm 2nd Rite of Reconciliaon—Gulgong
Wed, 17/12 Third Week of Advent
12.30pm St. Mary’s Cra and Friendship Group Lunch
5.15pm Reconciliaon—Mudgee
5.45pm Mass—Mudgee
Thu, 18/12 Third Week of Advent
9.30am Mass—Mudgee
6.00pm 2nd Rite of Reconciliaon—Kandos
Fri, 19/12 Third Week of Advent
10.30am Kanandah Nursing Home Mass
11.30am Exposion of the Blessed Sacrament
12 noon Angelus and Rosary
12.30pm Mass —Mudgee
7.00pm Remembrance Liturgy—Mudgee
Sat, 20/12 Third Week of Advent
5.30pm Reconciliaon—Mudgee
6.00pm Vigil Mass—Mudgee
Sun, 14/12 FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT (YEAR A)
8.30am Rosary
9.00am Mass—Mudgee
10.30am Communion Service—Gulgong
11.00am Rylstone—Kandos
6.00pm Word and Faith Group Mudgee Parish Centre
PARISH NEWS
Gulgong
Thank You
The Gulgong Catholic Women's Group wish to thank everyone
who came to help with the Church cleaning last Tuesday.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the group over the
past year and we wish everyone a Happy and Holy Christmas
and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Mudgee
Christmas Vigil and Christmas Day Ministry sheet is at the back
of the church. If you are available due this me, please write
you name next to the ministry you would like to help with.
ALPHA
27TH JANUARY 2026
6PM
AT ST MARY’S PARISH
To register: Call the Parish Oce
on 6372-2122 or online at
www.alpha.org.au/try
Try
Alpha
www.alpha.org.au/try
MINISTRIES 2026
We are currently arranging the rosters for next year.
We are encouraging everyone to recommit to a ministry OR to
sign up for a new ministry
OR BOTH.
If you have help with a ministry over the last twelve months,
we thank you. We will not assume that you would like to
connue in that same ministry. Please ll in a new Ministry
form if you would like to connue.
The Ministry Form can be found at the back of the Church or
online hps: //forms.gle/gcDYacx2av5cpw3p8
How can you help your Parish in 2026?
Donaons gratefully received
(Phone with details for a receipt)
Mudgee CCCC Luncheon
BSB: 032653 Account: 358452
GULGONG ROSTER
Date Commentator Reader Sacristan Leader
21st Dec P. Leoa B. Toole C. Gaudry P. Leoa
25th Dec C. Gaudry C. Leoa TBA
28th Dec D. Kelly P. Leoa M & E Carney
Jesus is e reason
f e season!
WWW.MUDGEE.CATHOLIC.ORG.AU
If you have any Safeguarding concerns, please contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Ocer on (02) 6334 6440 or
email safeguarding@cdob.org.au
MASSES AND PRAYERS REQUESTED
For the recently deceased especially:
Ron Muscat, Terence Ryan, Ronald Clayton.
We remember the anniversaries of:
Margaret Melinz, Norah Babbage, Jack Babbage, Alan Nicholson,
Benjamin Rayner, Eileen Csuba, Drois O’Brien, Jozef Tot,
Je O’Brien, Clarice Hyde, Melba Roberts, Douglas Richardson.
For the deceased:
Ronald Clayton, Anne West (Bribbaree), Neville O’Brien,
Yvonne Burke, Shirley Boyd.
For the Sick, Special Intenons and Thanksgiving:
Bey Clark, Mary Morton, Terry Ryan, Eleni Roberts, Tony Spina,
Keiran Micallef, Elizabeth Donelly, Lynne Daly and all those in our
Nursing Homes.
Due to privacy legislaon, names of the sick can only be put on
the bullen with permission of the immediate family.
BAPTISM: We welcome to the Mudgee Parish:
Alfredo John Medina Yome
Son of Cristobal and Codey
REFLECTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
by Lisa-Marie Calderone-Stewart
More than any other season of the year, the weeks before
Christmas are a me when young people learn paence and
hope. Imaginaons run wild with visions of holidays and presents,
and the weeks seem to take forever.
Who is the most paent and hopeful person you know? What is
she or he like? How does her or his paence and sense of hope
aect others? How can you try to be like that person?
What is something you are hoping for? What is something you
are expecng, something that makes it hard to be paent?
© St Mary's Press
The Bishop’s Christmas Appeal
This December, as the light of Christmas draws
near, your compassion can restore the future
for resilient children in Vanuatu. We appeal to
you to support the Bishop’s Christmas Appeal, a
vital eort to rebuild the severely damaged
classrooms of St. Michel Primary School in
Luganville.
The challenges for these students began in 2017 when they were
displaced from Lone Primary School on Ambae Island following a
volcanic erupon.
The situaon worsened in 2020 when Tropical Cyclone Harold, a
Category 5 storm, severely damaged parts of the school,
destroying several classrooms and facilies.
For too long, these children have been forced to learn in
makeshi condions—studying under tents provided by
humanitarian organizaons. Imagine the challenge of trying to
concentrate when, as 10-year-old Esma explains, classes are
cancelled because the classroom “is all wet with water when it
rains”.
Despite these hardships, these teachers and students remain
commied to learning and have shown remarkable resilience.
This Advent and Christmas, your generous gi to the Bishop’s
Christmas Appeal will construct cyclone-resistant classrooms,
restoring stability to the lives of these displaced students. 10-
year-old Madeleine dreams of a “new classroom to school in“.
Your donaon is a tangible act of Chrisan love.
Please open your heart this December and especially on
Christmas Day. Give the gi of a safe future.
ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT
YOUNG PEOPLE HEARING THE
GOOD NEWS OF JESUS?
Be a part of the
Cudgegong Valley
Scripture Associaon
We are looking for Chrisans from churches
across the Cudgegong Valley to be part of a
team commied to prayerfully and praccally
support High School Scripture in Gulgong,
Mudgee and Kandos.
GET IN TOUCH
Call Josh Taylor on 0401 242 734
To get involved
WWW.MUDGEE.CATHOLIC.ORG.AU
Catholic Parishes of Mudgee, Gulgong and Kandos
Readings for next Sunday: THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT (YEAR A)
Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 Ps 145:6-10. R. James 5:7-10 Mahew 11:2-11
Parish Penitenal Service
During this coming Advent season, Bishop
Michael has requested that each parish
across the diocese hold a Penitenal Service. This Penitenal
Service will iniate a new journey of renewal, Rebuild My Church,
a diocesan wide process leading to a Parish Assembly in 2026.
Walking together in faith and mission, the iniave invites every
parishioner to take part in renewing the life of the Church
through parcipaon, communion, mission. As we commence
this signicant journey, parishioners are warmly invited to aend
our Advent Penitenal Service to be held on:
St John the Bapst, Gulgong
Tuesday, 16th December at 6.00pm
St Dominic’s, Kandos
Thursday, 18th December at 6.00pm
St Mary’s, Mudgee
Monday 22nd December at 6.00pm
Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree illustrates the genealogy of Jesus, starng from
Creaon, and highlights ancestors of Jesus and signicant events.
December 13 - Solomon – Kings 3:5-14
Solomon is honoured in Scripture as the wisest monarch. Though
he used a real sword to make his point, he used his wisdom, the
sword of jusce, to divide truth from lies. God foretold that
David's son and heir, Solomon, would be the one to build a temple
to the Lord God. Solomon did, in fact, complete the construcon
of the Temple in Jerusalem during his reign.
December 14—Joseph – Mahew 1:18-25
Jesus' earthly father was St. Joseph, the Carpenter. He was part of
the line of King David, as the prophecy of Isaiah.
December 15 – Mary – Mahew 1:18-25
Mary said yes to God. “The maiden is with child and will soon give
birth to a so”.
December 16 - John the Bapst – Mark 1:1-18
St. John the Bapst was the son of Mary's cousin Elizabeth and
Zechariah. He was the last of the prophets and the precursor of
Christ. He is also the cousin of Jesus. He bapzed Jesus in the
Jordan, and was beheaded by King Herod.
December 17 - Jesus is Wisdom – Sirach 24:2
In this verse, Wisdom is proclaiming her divine origin and her role
in creaon. Jesus is wisdom.
December 18 - Jesus is Lord – Exodus 3:2 20:1
One day while he was caring for his sheep, he saw a bush on re,
but the bush did not burn up. God called to Moses from the bush.
God gave special instrucons to Moses to build a gold-covered
box called the Ark of the Covenant. The ark would hold the stone
tablets and be a meeng place for God and Moses.
December 19 - Jesus is the Flower of Jesse – Isaiah 11:1-3
Isaiah, a man who spoke for God, said that from the root of Jesse
would grow a branch which would bear fruit. He said that a
descendant of Jesse would be a person of great importance. This
person is Jesus, a descendant of King David and Jesse.
Parish Priest
Fr Paul Devi VG
Postal Address
Po Box 14, Mudgee NSW 2850
Our Catholic Schools
St Mahews Catholic School Mudgee
Parish Deacon
Rev Charles Applin
Phone: 02 6372 2122
Email: oce.mudgee@cdob.org.au
Website: www.mudgee.catholic.org.au
Phone: 02 6372 1742
Principal: Mrs Angela Myles
Website: www.stmasmudgee.catholic.edu.au
Parish Secretaries
Krise Newman
Krista O’Brien
Parish Oce Hours
Mon 10.00am—4.00pm
Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri 9.00am—4.00pm
Closed for lunch 1.00pm—2.00pm
All Hallows Catholic School Gulgong
Phone: 02 6374 1582
Principal: Mr Badley Toole
Website: www.allhallowsgulgong.catholic.au