Advent and Christmas 2024
Sunday 1 December - First Sunday of Advent
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Advent Carol Service
6:00pm at All Saints' Hymns, carols, and readings to begin Advent and our preparation for Christmas. Seasonal refreshments served after the service. |
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Saturday 7 December
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The Mayor's Carol Service
5:00pm at All Saints' Christmas carols and readings in a service hosted by the Town Mayor of Houghton Regis. This service is followed by the switching on of the town's Christmas lights and the Blessing of the Christmas Tree in Bedford Square at 6:00pm. |
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Saturday 14 December
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Christmas Fayre
10:00am to 2:00pm at All Saints' Christmas crafts and stalls, seasonal refreshments, and activities for the whole family. |
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Christmas Concert
7:00pm at All Saints' A Candlelit Concert of Christmas Organ Music and Readings played by our Organist, Nigel Steele. Mulled wine and mince pies will be served afterwards and there will also be a raffle. Free admission. Donations are greatly appreciated for refreshments. |
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Monday 16 December
Houghton Regis Primary School Carol Service
1:45pm at All Saints'
Christmas carols, songs, and cheer from the pupils of Houghton Regis Primary School.
1:45pm at All Saints'
Christmas carols, songs, and cheer from the pupils of Houghton Regis Primary School.
Thursday 19 December
Thomas Whitehead Academy School Mass
9:00am at All Saints'
End-of-term celebration of Mass with Christmas carols and readings.
9:00am at All Saints'
End-of-term celebration of Mass with Christmas carols and readings.
Friday 20 December
All Saints' Academy Carol Services
10:00am and 11:00am at All Saints'
Christmas carols, songs, and cheer from the pupils of All Saints' Academy.
10:00am and 11:00am at All Saints'
Christmas carols, songs, and cheer from the pupils of All Saints' Academy.
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Joyful Voices
7:00pm at All Saints' The LGBTQ+ community's festive service at which everyone is welcome. The celebration includes popular carols, the telling of the Christmas story, organ music, and refreshments afterwards. All welcome! |
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Sunday 22 December - Fourth Sunday of Advent
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Carols by Candlelight
6:00pm at All Saints' A traditional service of carols and readings by candlelight to celebrate the approaching birth of the Lord Jesus. Seasonal refreshments served after the service. |
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24 December - Christmas Eve
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Family Mass
4:00pm at All Saints' Vigil celebration of Christmas for the whole family with interactive reading of the Christmas story, carols singing, and Holy Communion. Seasonal refreshments served after the service. |
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"Midnight" Mass
11:00pm at All Saints' Traditional service for Christmas Eve with carol-singing, music, readings within the celebration of Mass. |
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25 December - Christmas Day
Dawn Mass
8:30am at St Thomas'
Early Christmas service of Holy Communion.
8:30am at St Thomas'
Early Christmas service of Holy Communion.
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Christmas Day Mass
10:30am at All Saints' Sung Mass with carol singing and Blessing of Presents. |
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Christmas Octave - 26 to 31 December
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Weekdays at 10:00am at All Saints'
Thursday 26 Dec, Saint Stephen Friday 27 Dec, Saint John Saturday 28 Dec, The Holy Innocents Monday 30 Dec Tuesday 31 Dec |
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Sunday 29 December - Sunday of the Holy Family
Said Sunday Mass
8:30am at St Thomas'
Early service of Holy Communion.
8:30am at St Thomas'
Early service of Holy Communion.
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Sung Parish Mass
10:30am at All Saints' Sunday Mass with hymns and refreshments. |
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1 January 2025 - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
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Sung Parish Mass
10:30am at All Saints' Mass at the end of the Christmas Octave to celebrate Mary, the Holy Mother of God. This service is followed by breakfast. |
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Sunday 5 January 2025 - Epiphany of the Lord
The Epiphany is transferred to today from Monday 6 January.
Said Sunday Mass
8:30am at St Thomas'
Early service of Holy Communion.
8:30am at St Thomas'
Early service of Holy Communion.
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Sung Parish Mass
10:30am at All Saints' Mass to celebrate the Visit of the Wise Men to the Lord Jesus and the Solemnity of the Epiphany. |
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Epiphany Carol Service
4:00pm at All Saints' A special celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord with singing, readings, and the blessing of chalk used in the New Year home blessings. Refreshments served after the service. |
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About the Seasons of Advent and Christmas
Advent
This is a season of expectation, as the Church prepares for fours Sundays to celebrate the coming (Latin “adventus”) of Christ in his incarnation, and also looks ahead to his final advent as judge at the end of time. The readings, hymns, and liturgies not only direct us towards the celebration of Christ’s birth, but they also challenge our reluctance to confront the theme of divine judgement:
Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for favoured sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.
- Charles Wesley
The characteristic note of Advent is therefore expectation. The anticipation of Christmas under commercial pressure has also made it harder to sustain the appropriate sense of alert watchfulness, but the fundamental Advent prayer remains ‘Maranatha’ – ‘Our Lord, come’ (1 Corinthians 16.22). Church decorations are simple and spare, no flowers are used, and purple is the traditional liturgical colour. The Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete or ‘Rose Sunday’) has been observed since medieval times with a splash of colour in the restrained atmosphere of Advent. The lighting of candles on the Advent Wreath, at Christingle services, and during “Carols by Candlelight” helps to focus on the coming of Jesus as the light of the World.
This is a season of expectation, as the Church prepares for fours Sundays to celebrate the coming (Latin “adventus”) of Christ in his incarnation, and also looks ahead to his final advent as judge at the end of time. The readings, hymns, and liturgies not only direct us towards the celebration of Christ’s birth, but they also challenge our reluctance to confront the theme of divine judgement:
Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for favoured sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.
- Charles Wesley
The characteristic note of Advent is therefore expectation. The anticipation of Christmas under commercial pressure has also made it harder to sustain the appropriate sense of alert watchfulness, but the fundamental Advent prayer remains ‘Maranatha’ – ‘Our Lord, come’ (1 Corinthians 16.22). Church decorations are simple and spare, no flowers are used, and purple is the traditional liturgical colour. The Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete or ‘Rose Sunday’) has been observed since medieval times with a splash of colour in the restrained atmosphere of Advent. The lighting of candles on the Advent Wreath, at Christingle services, and during “Carols by Candlelight” helps to focus on the coming of Jesus as the light of the World.
Christmas
The celebration of Christ’s incarnation at Christmas is one of the two poles of the Christian year. The wonderful mystery of God’s dwelling among us in the fullness of humanity, as Emmanuel (God-with-us), foretold by the prophets and born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, provides the material of the feast:
Salvation’s author, call to mind
How, taking form of humankind,
Born of a virgin undefiled,
Thou in man’s flesh becam’st a child.
- tr. J.M Neale
Christmas is much more then than just a joyful celebration of Jesus’ birth. The Christmas liturgy recalls us to the central truth of the Word made flesh for our salvation.
In the Church this holy season of Christmas is celebrated for twelve days (“The Twelve Days of Christmas”), beginning to count from 25 December and ending with the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January.
The celebration of Christ’s incarnation at Christmas is one of the two poles of the Christian year. The wonderful mystery of God’s dwelling among us in the fullness of humanity, as Emmanuel (God-with-us), foretold by the prophets and born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, provides the material of the feast:
Salvation’s author, call to mind
How, taking form of humankind,
Born of a virgin undefiled,
Thou in man’s flesh becam’st a child.
- tr. J.M Neale
Christmas is much more then than just a joyful celebration of Jesus’ birth. The Christmas liturgy recalls us to the central truth of the Word made flesh for our salvation.
In the Church this holy season of Christmas is celebrated for twelve days (“The Twelve Days of Christmas”), beginning to count from 25 December and ending with the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January.
