Throughout Advent Mary, Joseph and the donkey moved around four churches of the Mansfield Pastoral Area
The figures travelled a journey symbolic of the 80 miles to Bethlehem from Nazareth, with the parish community walking with them, praying and pondering along the way...
Each Sunday, as a community, we reflected on aspects of what that journey would have been like for Mary and Joseph; the terrain, the practicalities of carrying what was needful, the dangers from animals and robbers, where they stay when they arrived...
Using these questions and reflections as stimulus, we were able to then think about our own lives and how we can, at times, make the journey through life more difficult for ourselves and for others.
Lighting our Advent candles week by week reminded us of our spiritual journey through Advent, allowing us to ponder on the goodness of God, and on the Light that shines to show us the way, often through others we meet along our way.
To add to our Advent Journey, on Gaudete Sunday anyone who had brought their "Bambinelli" or "Bambino" (baby) from their nativity set was invited to come forward and have it blessed, using the prayer of Benedict XVI, the Pope Emeritus (see this prayer on page 13 of the Advent/Christmas E-News)
Sr Susan Richert PBVM, St. Joseph’s, Shirebrook
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