Holy Hour, time before Christ.
As we start Advent we’re introducing a new service on Sunday afternoons at 4pm. Holy Hour.
What is a Holy Hour? Why is it important? How can it help us connect with Jesus?
A Holy Hour is a time of silence in prayer and contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament.
It was a Bishop in the USA who first introduced me to the idea of a Holy Hour,
Bishop Fulton Sheen said that the purpose of the Holy Hour—a sustained, uninterrupted hour of prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament—is to encourage a deep personal encounter with Christ.
“Looking at the Eucharistic Lord for an hour,” he wrote, “transforms the heart in a mysterious way.”
In Advent we wait, we hope, and we look.
The Holy Hour enables all three of these things and trains our hearts to wait on the Lord, to hope in the Lord and to Look upon the Lord.
For each one of us those things will manifest in a different way.
What does waiting on the Lord mean to you? Ask this question before the Blessed Sacrament.
What does hoping in the Lord feel like for you? Ask this question before the Blessed Sacrament.
What does looking on the Lord prompt you to pray for? Ask this question before the Blessed Sacrament.
You’ll be able to join in this special time online as well as in person, but do try to find at least one Sunday in Advent to come in person and experience the powerful presence of Jesus.
Fr. Matthew
Downloads
Readings for Sunday 3rd December
Other news
Christmas concert with The Yiewsley and West Drayton Band is on Friday 1st December at 8pm, in St. Anselm. Ticket costs £5 and are available on the website.
During Advent we will hold a ‘holy hour’ before the Blessed Sacrament each Sunday at 4pm.
NEXT week is Sunday School and we are planning to present a special children’s mass on the 17th December so we will need all the children NEXT Sunday at 11:30am.
Thursday Fun & Fellowship this Thursday! Come along and play some games and get to know new people.
The Indian Orthodox church who use the church on Sunday afternoons have invited us to join them for carols by their children and some refreshments on Sunday 17th December, 3pm – 5:30pm. Fr. Matthew & Fr. Josiah will be in attendance.
As we move towards planting a new church at The Ace Cafe in the new year we’ve been asked to provide a choir for BBC News on the 14th December at 9am at The Ace to sing out the morning news with Hark The Herald Angels Sing. If you’d like to be part of this please speak to Fr. Matthew.
Please support the church generously this Advent through your giving. www.stanselm.co.uk/giving