IRENAEUS

NEWSLETTER

December 2016

& January 2017

Advent Reflections

8th & 15th Dec ‘16

10:30 - 12noon @ Irenaeus,

Waterloo. L22 1RD

8th, 15th & 22nd Dec ‘16

7pm @ St.Patrick’s

Church Hall, Southport

PR9 9TJ

12th &19th Dec’16

7pm @ 25 Newsham Dr.

L6 7UG

Dementia Friendly

Carol Service

2pm 14th December ‘16

Metropolitan Cathedral

THE GIFT

Led by the CaFE team

4th & 25th February ‘17

@ Christ the King Parish Club

WHATS ON?

Address

The Irenaeus Project

32 Great Georges Rd.

Liverpool

L22 1RD

Email

jenny@irenaeus.co.uk

chris@irenaeus.co.uk

moira@irenaeus.co.uk

Website: www.irenaeus.co.uk

Telephone

Chris/ Office: 0151 949 1199

Moira: 07815171734

From the office…

I can hardly believe that we have reached Advent again!

It's that time of the year when we are invited to prepare our

minds and our hearts to see that love is at the core of what it

means to be both human and divine. It's because of love we

can discover who we really are, beloved children of God

with a value and a dignity that no-one can take away from

us. The challenge of Advent is to open ourselves up to the

power of love. How do we do that? By taking the time and

space to pray and reflect and allow God to work within us.

The deep discovery of love that knows no end is what turns

our drab futile grey existence into vital pulsating life. God

became flesh to show us what love is. Dare we this Advent

open our hearts and minds to love that transforms and make

us real? Take time each day to open yourself to God. Meet

love and become love whatever the cost and know the truth

that Jesus came that ‘we might have life and have it to the

full.’ If you want any help on your Advent journey don't

hesitate to contact us at Irenaeus or turn up at one of our

gatherings, the details of which are in the newsletter.

Be blessed

Chris

Oasis

A listening ear

and a cuppa

8th December ‘16

& 2nd February ‘17

and every 1st Thursday of a

Month.

@ St.Thomas of Canterbury

Church L22 1RD

A series of Advent reflections to

be held in Southport, Waterloo

and Tuebrook. Details can be

found in the ‘What’s on’ panel.

Take some time out this advent.

Meanderings From Moira…

In preparing for various days and weekends I have read a lot about Advent and about its

origins. I was struck by the fact that Advent, as with Lent, was a time of preparation for

new members to prepare for Baptism. Advent began 40 days before the feast of the

Epiphany, the point recognised as the spreading of the message of the birth of Christ to

the whole world.

Advent is a time of reflection and preparation for the coming of God into our lives, a

vulnerable baby enters the mess of our world. I often wonder if we are able to really accept

the immensity of what this means in our lives.

“Into this world, this demented inn in which there is absolutely no room for him at all,

Christ comes uninvited.” ― Thomas Merton

Songs We Remember

A choir for people living with

Dementia or for anyone who

loves to sing

We meet every 2 weeks on

Wednesdays 11am - 1pm

and are rehearsing for our

Dementia Friendly Carol

Service

2pm on 14th December 2016

In the Cathedral

Our next meetings

7th December ‘16

11th January ‘17

25th January ‘17

THE CaFE TEAM RETURN TO

LIVERPOOL!

.

‘THE GIFT’

4th February and 25th February

at Christ the King parish club

(end of the M 62)

At the invitation of Archbishop Malcolm,

David and Tim will be returning in February

to run their course ‘The Gift’

We invite every parish to send a

representative.

If you are interested in members of your

parish attending please contact Moira at

moira@irenaeus.co.uk

or contact Irenaeus on 0151 949 1199

Have you ever thought of

offering financial support to

Irenaeus?

For more information and for a

standing order form contact Jenny at

0151 949 1199,

jenny@irenaeus.co.uk or visit our

website www.irenaeus.co.uk

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

JANUARY ‘17

Scripture Weekend

‘Stories to live by.’

Discovering the Parables

Friday 13th - Sunday 15th January ‘17

Led by Chris Thomas @ Irenaeus

FEBRUARY ‘17

Scripture Mornings

‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people’

A look at the Acts of the Apostles

Thursdays 2nd, 9th,16th, 23rd February ‘17

Led by Chris Thomas @ Irenaeus

Men’s Weekend

‘Free to follow Jesus’

10th - 12th February ‘17

Led by Chris Thomas @ Irenaeus

MARCH ‘17

‘Foot steps in the Sand’

A Quiet Weekend: 24th-26th March ‘17

Led by Moira Meeghan @ Irenaeus

THE EMMAUS PRAYER COMMUNITY

Reflections on the Reality of God And who God is for us.

St.Patrick’s

35 Marshside Rd. PR9 9TJ

7pm 4th December 2016 ‘The one who fills us with compassion’: Fr. Chris Thomas,

7pm 11th December 2016‘The one who fills us with freedom’: Pauline McDougall,

Irenaeus House 32 Great Georges Rd

L22 1RD

Are you new to Irenaeus?

Have you ever wondered

where Irenaeus is situated?

You may be pleasantly

surprised to see how easy it is

to find us both by car and

public transport.

We are just off the dock road

(A562) not far from the end of

the M58 and M57 and five

minutes walk from Waterloo

Station.

(see website for map)

For information about events,

weekends and courses visit

our website

www.ienaeus .co.uk, email

jenny@irenaeus.co.uk

Or telephone 0151 949 1199

Everyone is welcome!

God is in the Manger

“God travels wonderful ways with human beings, but he does not comply with the views

and opinions of people. God does not go the way that people want to prescribe for him;

rather, his way is beyond all comprehension, free and self-determined beyond all proof.

Where reason is indignant, where our nature rebels, where our piety anxiously keeps us

away: that is precisely where God loves to be. There he confounds the reason of the

reasonable; there he aggravates our nature, our piety—that is where he wants to be,

and no one can keep him from it. Only the humble believe him and rejoice that God is so

free and so marvellous that he does wonders where people despair, that he takes what

is little and lowly and makes it marvellous. And that is the wonder of all wonders, that

God loves the lowly…. God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God

marches right in. He chooses people as his instruments and performs his wonders

where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; he loves the lost, the

neglected, he unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.”

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas