“From the East came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures, they offered precious gifts; gold to the great king, incense to the true God, and myrrh in symbol of his burial. Alleluia!”

Those words from an ancient hymn remind us that this Sunday we are celebrating the Epiphany of Jesus.  Go and look at the Crib and you will see that it has changed. There are many lovely traditions which have grown up around the visit of the Wise Men to worship the Infant Christ – their names, ages, ethnic background, etc – but the real point is not who they were but that they represent the Gentile world acknowledging Jesus as the universal Saviour. The first worshippers were those formed in the Old Testament – Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds – now these new arrivals show us that God’s self-revelation reaches beyond Israel to embrace the whole world.

The Sisters and Priests want to express their gratitude for all your kindness to them over Christmas and New Year. Your generosity to them has been great, and very much appreciated. Thank you. They wish you a very happy New Year - and assure you of their warm affection and prayers.

Offerings at the Crib will again this year be sent to the Westminster Catholic Children’s Society. Despite the pressures of recent legislation, the Society is continuing its work among vulnerable children and their families. Although Christmastide ends next Sunday with the feast of the Baptism of our Lord, we will keep the Crib in place for a little longer as many people find it a useful focus for their prayer.

Recession! What Recession? It is humbling to witness the generosity of our parishioners. The Christmas collections this year was up over a £1,000 on last year. In addition, £380 (thus far) has been raised at the Crib, £525 was the amount of olive wood artefacts sold to benefit Arab Christians in Bethlehem, and an anonymous donor was given £600 to be passed to Westminster Cathedral for the repair programme at present underway.

The tenders for the work on disabled access to the church and hall have now been received and it is hoped that the whole project will finally get under way in January. We aim for completion by Easter. The total costs will be in the region of £50,000 – anyone who has contacts with charities, grant-making bodies, ideas for raising funds, please speak to Father Colven.

Looking further ahead into 2009, there are two significant events which carry the prospect of challenge and reassurance. The Year of Saint Paul (marking the 2000th year since his birth) is being marked by an icon visiting various deaneries throughout our Archdiocese. We have the privilege of hosting the icon here at Kingsland in late June and this will provide a focus not just for us but also for the Hackney deanery. In the early autumn, the relics of St Therese of Lisieux will be visiting various parts of the country, arriving in London in October. Wherever the Relics have been before (notably Ireland in 2001) they have been accompanied by a renewal of devotion and prayer and a surge in vocations to consecrated life. We expect great things of St Therese!

The next meeting of the Society of St Vincent de Paul will take place on Monday 12th January at 7.30pm in the Presbytery. The members of the SVP wish the rest of the parish a very happy and holy 2009.

Readers: Please pick up rotas for the coming months from the sacristy. Your efforts week by week are greatly appreciated!

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