PRIESTS OF THE PARISH
Rev John Doherty PP Tel: 028 7188 2274
Rev Paul Farren Tel: 028 7188 3247

Sunday, 13th September 2009

24th Sunday of the Year

The Triumph of the Cross.

Jesus said, "If you want to be a follower of mine, renounce yourself, take up your cross, and follow me." In this one sentence from Jesus there are two things that most of us don't want to do. Our world teaches us to 'be yourself'. Jesus teaches us to renounce yourself. This doesn't mean to put yourself down but to let go of your own self-importance and find your true self in being loved and in loving. And then he tells us to take up our cross. Immediately we think of suffering. Many of us have suffering in our lives and certainly this can be our cross. But more importantly the cross we need to take up is that of the consequences of putting others first in love. It is the cross of moving out of our own small world of self-preoccupation and living for others in our family and our community.

Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

Living the Sunday Liturgy

PRAYER FOCUS

May we serve you with all our hearts.
How can you serve God in others this coming week?

For Married Couples: Share with each other your hopes and dreams for your marriage.

For Others: Pray for someone whom you know to be suffering at this time.
Visit him/her if possible this week

Sunday 13th September 2009.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading Isaiah 50: 5-9
The Servant of God faces suffering and persecution.

Second Reading James 2: 14-18
If good works do not go with faith, it is quite dead.

Gospel Mark 8: 27-35
Jesus, the Son of Man, was to endure rejection, suffering and death.

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Different Kind of Love

Is it possible that we today could still be trying to change the Lord’s mind about the best way to do things? Peter, in today’s Gospel, tried to tell Jesus that he could not possibly be right about how his life would end; and Christ’s reply to him was very sharp indeed: “get out of my sight, you satan! You are not judging by God standards but by man’s!” [Mk 8:33].

What a frightening thing to hear! We, with the benefit of 2000 years of hindsight, know that Jesus was right and Peter was very wrong. Yet Peter spoke out of love. But maybe our ways of loving are not always God’s ways.
Our love always tries to exclude suffering. We don’t like suffering, either for ourselves or for those we love. And that’s not to say that Jesus did like suffering, but that he approached it differently than we do.

Lord, sometimes we show that kind of love too. We read of policemen and firemen dying so that others might be saved; we hear of parents depriving themselves so that their children can have advantages. We hear of children heroically bearing the burdens of cruel and alcoholic parents. We do indeed know that suffering is sometimes the only road to great good. But we don’t like the path.

Lord, teach us that pain comes with birth and living and dying. Teach us to make whatever suffering we have to face during our lives part of your redemptive Calvary.

Collection
Last week’s collection amounted to £1,534.00. Many thanks.

Strabane District Policing Partnership

Public Meeting

The next meeting of the Strabane District Policing Partnership will take place in Derg Valley Care Offices, Castlederg on Thursday 17th September 2009 at 7.30pm. All members of the public are welcome to attend.

Strabane Family History Society

The new season for members of the Strabane Family History Society commences on Thursday 17th September 2009 in Strabane Community Library at 7.30pm. Members are requested to renew their annual subscriptions at this meeting and new members can avail of this opportunity to join.

Beginning of the Year School Masses
Masses to mark the opening of the school year will be celebrated as follows:

Monday 14th September at 10.00am in
St. Mary’s Church, Cloughcor.

Tuesday 15th September at 10.00am in
St. Joseph’s Church, Glenmornan.

Everybody will be welcome to attend the above Masses.
Please note that because of the above Masses there will be no Mass in the Sacred Heart Church tomorrow [Monday] and Tuesday.

Month’s Mind Mass

The Month’s Mind Mass for the late
Mary Lynch, Woodend Road will take place in the Sacred Heart Church on Saturday 12th September 2009 at 7.00pm.

Carmelite Retreat centre, Termonbacca
A Mass for the sick with Eucharistic Blessing will take place on Tuesday
13th September at 8.00pm. All are welcome to attend.

Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2010
16th – 21st July 2010. Cost £629.00stg. Payable in instalments. Regular forms available from the Parish office/Pilgrimage Office. Forms for those in need of care or those aged 80yrs+ available only from the Pilgrimage office, Telephone [028] 71260293.

Earthworks Coffee Morning
A Coffee morning in aid of Earthworks will take place in Oysters, 37 Patrick Street on Saturday 19th September 2009 at 11.00am. All are welcome.

Derry Diocesan Society
Mass in the Sacred Heart Church on Thursday 17th September at 7.30pm will be said to the deceased members of the Derry Diocesan Society.

Taize
Join us for an hour of meditative prayer and Taize chant this Wednesday [16th September] in the Day Chapel, Melmount from 7.30pm until 8.30pm. Everyone welcome.

Basic First Aid Course
at St. Mary’s P.S, Cloughcor
Anyone wishing to gain training in basic first aid are invited to a free course funded by the St. Mary’s P.S. Extended School Programme. It is intended to run from early October to early December on Wednesday nights from 7.30pm. If you would like to enrol please contact the school on [028] 71841237.

Alzheimer’s Support Group
The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 16th September at 7.30pm in Melmount Manor Care Home, 1 Orchard Road, Strabane. Guest speaker will be Mairead Farrell speaking on Advocacy. Everyone is welcome.

Engaged Encounter
The next Engaged Encounter weekend taking place in the Thornhill Centre, Derry will be on 12th – 13th September. This is a non-residential, two-day weekend for engaged couples and we have some places remaining. Accommodation can be arranged through direct contact with the centre [028] 71351233.

For the Harvest
Blessed are you, Lord our God,
Creator of heaven and earth
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ:
we praise you for your glory
and thank you for your goodness to us.
We praise you for your generous gifts
and for bringing fruitful results to our labours.
As we rejoice in your kindness,
we pray also for those who are in need.
Open our hearts to them,
and teach us to be as generous to others
as you are to us.
Gracious and bounteous God,
help us all the follow Jesus our Lord
and so bear eternal fruit for you.