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

Sunday, 23rd August 2009

21st Sunday of the Year

You are the Holy One of God.

Simon Peter said to Jesus: 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe'. We are conscious today of the many people who give up the practice of their faith. This happens for all kinds of reasons but it is always sad especially when it is people whom we love. This puts more responsibility on the shoulders of those of us who stay with Christ to live our faith ever more fully so that people can see him in us and be attracted to him through us. Christ is the very centre of our faith, as the one who teaches full human living. And his way is the way of love. To love God with our whole heart and to love one another as he loves us is the true practice of our faith. We need the Eucharist in order to live that way. As always the places where we live this faith most urgently are in our homes and our parish.

Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

Sunday, 23rd August 2009.

21st Sunday of the Year

First Reading Joshua 24:1-2 15-18
Joshua confronts the people with an initial decision, to serve the one true God or to serve false gods.

Second Reading Ephesians 5:21-32
St Paul urges the image of a marriage relationship to express the bond that exists between Christ and the Church.

Gospel John 6:60-69
The disciples are faced with an initial decision to stay with Jesus or to leave him.

Entrance Hymn

Christ Be Beside Me

Christ be beside me,
Christ be before me,
Christ be behind me,
King of my heart.
Christ be within me,
Christ be below me,
Christ be above me,
Never to part.

Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me,
Shield in the strife.
Christ in my sleeping,
Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my rising,
Light of my life.

Recessional Hymn

As I Kneel Before You

As I kneel before you,
as I bow my head in prayer,
Take this day, make it yours,
and fill me with your love.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu.

All I have I give you,
every dream and wish are yours,
Mother of Christ, mother of mine,
present them to my Lord.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu.

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.

Will you also leave me?

When many of his disciples were leaving him, Jesus turned to the apostles and said, ‘Will you also leave me?’

These words are addressed to us too.
It’s not the Lord who leaves us, but we who leave him.
But why would we want to leave the Lord, who alone has the words of eternal life?

We need to make our own Peter’s profession of faith.
Every Sunday we get a chance to do so.
Lord, we need you to strengthen our faith.

We also need to confirm our decision to stay with you.

Draw us closer to you in bonds of trust, so that we may follow you in love and freedom.

An August Saint

St. Monica – 27th August

Monica was born to Christian parents, in what is now Algeria. Her parents arranged for her to marry a pagan called Patricius, a man with a hot temper. After years of patient love on Monica’s part, he became a Christian before he died.

She had less success with her son Augustine. It took much prayer before he left behind a life of robbing, lying and immorality. But he eventually became a great saint, whose feast day is 28th August, and Monica was made the patron saint of mothers.

Monica, patient woman, and Augustine,

sinner turned saint, pray for us.

Month’s Mind Mass

The Month’s Mind Mass for the late
Ina Brennan, Dennett View, will take place in St. Mary’s Church, Cloughcor on Thursday 27th August at 7.30pm.

What’s Your Choice?

Change is not always easy, but a life without change has its drawbacks too. Sometimes life forces a change on us for which we feel unprepared, but most of the time we have the opportunity to think through a change.

In the Gospel, the followers of Jesus are faced with a choice – will they follow Jesus or fall away like so many? We the present day followers of Jesus also have the power of choice. We can make ourselves into a living sign of God’s love if we use choice wisely.

Choose to love – rather than hate.
Choose to smile – rather than frown.
Choose to build – rather than destroy.
Choose to persevere – rather than quit.
Choose to praise – rather than gossip.
Choose to heal – rather than wound.
Choose to give – rather than grasp.
Choose to act – rather than delay.
Choose to pray – rather than despair.
Choose to forgive – rather than curse.

It isn’t always convenient or comfortable to decide what is right. But sometimes the hardest choice can be the simplest: our will joined to God’s.

NI Blood Transfusion Service

A team from the NI Blood Transfusion Service will be collecting blood donations in St. Patrick’s Hall, Strabane on Wednesday 26th August from 1.30pm until 4.00pm and again from 5.15pm until 8.00pm. In order to maintain the vital supply of blood to our hospitals, we need the support not only of existing donors, but also of new donors. Please come along – you could save a life!

An Irish Blessing

God be good to you in all your days,
God be kind to you in all your ways.
God give strength to you when crosses lean,
God send light to you, the clouds between.
God give peace to you in times of strife,
God bless everything that fills your life.
God send joy to you when grief is o’er,
God make way for you at Heaven’s door.

[Brian Higgins]

The following are asked to assist as collectors and church cleaners during the month of August:

SACRED HEART CHURCH:
Collectors:
Saturday 7.00pm:-
Brian Edwards and Declan Carlin.
Sunday 11.30am:-
Stephen Barrett, Noel Carlin, Terry McCallion and Patsy McNulty.
Cleaners: Team C

ST. MARY’S CHURCH, CLOUGHCOR:
Collectors:

Altar Society & Cleaners:
Pauline Monteith.

ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH, GLENMORNAN
Collectors:
Patrick McShane and Leo Devine.

Our thanks are due to all who served the parish in any way during the month of July.