Sunday 15th February 2009

6th Sunday of the Year

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

Superstition

Life is a puzzle. It is larger than any of us: it always has been and always will be. At times, in our efforts to understand life, we end up in a muddle and can slip into superstition.

What is superstition? It is a false belief about who or what is in control of human affairs. It denies that God is ultimately in charge and it believes that I myself, some creature or some thing has the final say.

I am dabbling in superstition if, for instance, I believe that I can manage the present or predict the future by going through a rigmarole of words to be said a certain number of times, for example, in chain letters. Likewise, it’s superstition to believe that certain dates, numbers or colours bring ‘bad luck’ or ‘good luck’. For example, Friday 13th is as blessed by God as any other day or date.

Superstition flourishes when faith is weak or absent. Faith enables us to live with fears and doubts, knowing that God is a saving Lord. Thus we can rest secure that life is safe in his hands.

Last week’s Collection was £1,232.00. Many thanks.

Sick and Housebound

The sick and housebound will be attended on Tuesday morning and afternoon.

Alzheimer’s Support Group

The Alzheimer’s Support Group will meet on Wednesday 18th February at 7.30pm in Melmount Manor Care Home, 1 Orchard Road, Strabane. Guest speaker: Nuala Shiels [Qualified Nurse and Reflexology Practitioner] will be speaking on Reflexology for Carers. Everyone is welcome.

The Holy Cross College Production of the Musical ‘OLIVER’ will open in the College on Monday 23rd February. Tickets will be on sale from Monday 9th February and can be obtained by calling at the Main Office or Telephone [028] 71381380. Cost £8 or £5 concessionary. Performances will be nightly at 8.00pm on the following dates: Monday 23rd – Friday 27th February and Sunday 1st March.

Aware Defeat Depression – Strabane Support Group will meet in Hillside Day Centre, Dillon Court, Strabane on Tuesday 17th February at 8.00pm. Telephone 71260602 for further information.

Q. Why did Jesus tell some of the people he cured to tell nobody? Surely we are called to give witness to the works of God.

A. There are two reasons for what is called the ‘messianic secret’. The Messiah was popularly expected to be a political leader at the head of an uprising, and fuelling such expectation would have impeded his true mission. Secondly, too much excitement about miracles would only generate a mass hysteria, making it very difficult to get his teaching across: especially his mission to suffer and die on our behalf and his message to us to ‘take up our cross and follow him’.

Q. What is the connection of Saint Valentine with romance?

A. St. Valentine was a priest in Rome who was martyred in 269. Hi feast falls on 14th February, about the time when birds choose their mates, all very romantic! In the Middle Ages a legend grew that Valentine, before he was led out to his execution, gave a letter to a jailer for his daughter, who had been kind to him in prison. He signed the letter: ‘From your Valentine’. Little could he have suspected what business he was generating for many centuries later.

Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap

The Irish Catholic Newspaper has now increased in price to £1.00.

Visit of His Eminence
Keith Patrick Cardinal O’Brien

His Eminence Keith Cardinal O’Brien, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh will be making an official visit to the Diocese on Monday 23rd and Tuesday
24th February 2009. He will be Principal Celebrant at Mass in St. Eugene’s Cathedral on the morning of Tuesday 24th February at 10.00am. to which you are all welcome. Cardinal O’Brien will be available after the Mass to meet and greet those who come along.

Owen Roe ‘Neill G.A.C., Leckpatrick

Sunday 15th February NHL: Longford v Tyrone. NFL: Tyrone v Kerry at 2.30pm in Healy Park. Ladies NFL: Tyrone v Laois at 2.00pm.

Monday 16th February Underage training for children aged 7yrs to 14yrs in Melvin from 6.00pm until 7.00pm. New players welcome.

Tuesday 17th February Senior/Reserve training at 7.00pm in the Meadows. All Senior and Reserve players are asked to be in attendance and new players are also welcome to attend.

Wednesday 18th February Tin whistle lessons will resume at the usual time.
Thursday 19th February Irish dancing lessons in Glenmornan Community Hall between 7.00pm and 8.30pm.

Friday 20th February Senior and Reserve training at 7.00pm in the meadows.
Saturday 21st February Under 14 boys training at 2.30pm in the Meadows.

Reflection – A lonely place

Jesus often went off to a lonely place to pray.
Yet the same Jesus who prayed in lonely places said, ‘When you pray, go into your room,
and pray to your Father in secret.’
This means that the lonely place is not necessarily a place far away, or that by ‘room’ he means four walls that separate us physically from others.
The room is the room of our innermost heart.
This room is with us at all times.
We should make it a place to which we can go to find rest and spiritual recovery when the world is too much with us.
Then we will discover that the inner room is not empty after all, but is occupied by the God of love who dwells in us all.