St Patrick's Dumbarton

Month of December

Advent is a season in the Church’s liturgical calendar when the prayers of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours turn our attention to the coming of Christ. At the start of Advent the prayers and readings look to the return of Christ in glory when God’s plan of salvation will be brought to completion a work that began as God’s response to sin first entering the world. The readings speak of the hope that is at the heart of the Christian faith, the hope that has come because of Christ taking on human flesh and sharing our human condition so that we can share in his Divinity. Only as Advent progresses do the prayers and readings speak more explicitly of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. The joy and hope that comes with the coming of Christ is at the heart of Advent and at the heart of Christian faith. It is a season that wants to open our minds to the coming of Christ each day in the life of the Christian so that we come to realise there are three comings of Christ. The first was when he was born in Bethlehem, the second is when we open our hearts to his coming into our lives each day so that the work of salvation is accomplished in us and the third is when he comes in glory to judge all people and to bring to completion in all of creation God’s plan of salvation.
The prayers and readings of the Liturgy are given to us to help us shape our lives around the mystery of God’s coming among us so that our lives are steeped in the mystery of God’s presence with us rather than being steeped in the passing things of this world.

Mass Times

24th December
10.00am Mass 5.30pm - Christmas Vigil 11.30pm - Carol Service followed by Midnight Mass
Christmas Morning 10.00am - Mass 12noon - Mass
Wednesday 26th December
10.00am - Mass
Monday 31st December
10.00am – Mass 9.00pm – Vigil Mass for the feast of the Mother of God
Tuesday 1st January - Mary, Mother of God
Mass 10.00am