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

Sunday, 18th April 2010

Third Sunday of Easter

Jesus said to his disciples: “Come and have breakfast.” What a beautiful invitation that is. And the wonderful truth about it is that this is the invitation Jesus extends to each one of us also. Because of his resurrection from the dead, Jesus is available to us in all the ordinary things of our daily lives. He wants us to know that he is with us at breakfast because he lives in us in our homes and families. He is with us in our joys and sorrows, our tears and laughter. He is with us in our love relationships and in our enmities, if we would only open our hearts to recognise him and let him shape our lives. One of the big mistakes we often make is to regard our religion as something we do for God. Christianity is about what God is doing for us in and through Christ who is our way, our truth and our life. This is what has to give shape to our lives, even at breakfast!

Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

First Reading : Acts of the Apostles 5: 27-32.40-41
We see the apostles courageously witnessing to the resurrection of Jesus gladly suffering for it.

Second Reading: Apocalypse 5: 11-14
We hear a hymn in praise of the crucified and risen Christ.

Gospel: John 21: 1-19
This relates an appearance of the risen Jesus to seven of his apostles on the shore of the lake of Gennesareth. The incident is built around Peter.

Don’t write people off!

It was said of Stalin that if you made one mistake it was like mishandling a detonator – it was the last one you made. We sometimes write people off because of one bad experience. But would we like to be judged on a single moment of our lives?

After what happened on Holy Thursday night, we would have expected Jesus to write Peter off as being weak, cowardly and unreliable. If he had done so, most people would have said that he had no other option. After all, Peter was the leader of the apostles. He had set a very bad example for the others.

But Jesus did not write him off. He didn’t even demote him. And there were no recriminations either. Judas’ betrayal was a planned thing, and was carried out in a cold, calculating manner. Peter’s denial was not planned, but was the result of weakness rather than malice. Jesus, the reader of hearts, was well aware of this.

After breakfast he turned to Peter and said, “Peter, do you love me more than the others love me?” What a strange question to ask: “do you love me?” Hadn’t he shown by his denial that he didn’t love him? Yet this was the question that Jesus asked him. And Peter said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He sincerely meant those words. What’s more – they were true.

Jesus kept no record of Peter’s sins. But he did ask him to do something for him – he asked him to feed the sheep and the lambs of his flock, that is, to love and serve his brothers and sisters in the community.

Peter is a great consolation to all of us. At times courage fails us. When all is said and done, we are mere mortals who are inconstant in our beliefs and behaviour. We must learn to forgive ourselves. And we mustn’t judge ourselves or others by momentary weaknesses or failures. Jesus gave Peter a second chance. Surely we can do the same for one another.

Last week’s Collection was £1,661.00. Many thanks.

New Envelopes – a Warning!
We have discovered that our new weekly envelopes this year are ‘peel and seal’. Some of our parishioners didn’t realise this last week, with the result that their envelopes were not properly sealed. Unfortunately our suppliers did not inform us of this change when the envelopes were delivered, so we are sorry that we were not able to pass on the information to you until now.

No Daily Masses during the Week
There will be no daily Masses during the coming week. Masses will be at the usual times on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

Trócaire
We would be grateful if all remaining donations for Trócaire were to be handed in this weekend at the latest.

Questions People Ask

Q. What do you think of people who are officially signing themselves out of the Church?

A. I feel sorry people who deprive themselves of the privilege of participating with Jesus in the Eucharistic worship of the Father, and turn their backs on the astounding invitation to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life. The Lord’s presence in the Eucharist is not conditional on the holiness or sinfulness of the priest at the altar. It is a divine gift, not something of human making. The first person to say count-me-out was Judas as he left the last Supper. The Gospel says that he went into the dark. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

Fr. Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap

Taizé
Join us for an hour of meditative prayer and Taizé chant on Wednesday 21st April 2010 at 7.30pm in St. Colman’s Chapel behind St. Mary’s Church, Melmount. Everyone is welcome.

Carmelite Retreat Centre, Termonbacca
A Mass for the sick with Eucharistic Blessing will take place on Tuesday 20th April at 8.00pm. All are welcome to attend.

Alzheimer’s Support Group
The next meeting will take place in Melmount Manor Care Home, 1 Orchard Road, Strabane on 21st April at 7.30pm. A guest speaker from Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service will speak on Home Safety. Everyone is welcome.

Cemetery Sunday
The Blessing of the Graves will take place in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Cloughcor on Sunday 16th May at 3.00pm.

Reflection

It can happen that we lose interest in people,
and even become blind to their strengths,
when we discover their limitations.
During his passion Jesus discovered the limitations of Peter.
Yet he didn’t write him off.
He continued to believe in him,
and in time he came good.
Like Peter, we are weak human beings,
who are inconstant in our beliefs.
We need someone who understands our weaknesses,
who realises that it may take time for us to overcome them,
and who doesn’t write us off because
we don’t produce the goods at once.