Sunday 26th April 2009

Third Sunday of Easter

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

Our advocate with the Father

Jesus said: “You are witnesses of all I have said.” Over the past few years we have become very aware of the human frailty of the Church, often to the point of keeping our heads down and hoping that it will all go away. And we have good reasons for being ashamed and afraid and even at times resentful. But we also have a great responsibility to witness boldly to Jesus who has risen from the dead and is alive in us and in his Church. We do this, not so much by preaching, as by how we live our lives in joy and hope and love. Our families, our community and our society badly need the witness of people who are happy, content, forgiving, thoughtful, prayerful, caring. If we work at it together we can make a difference. That’s our call this week as husbands and wives, parents and children, and as a community of faith.

Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

Sunday, 26th April, 2009

3rd Sunday of Easter

First Reading Acts of the Apostles 3: 13-15.17-19
This reading is an early explanation of the Passion and an example of the early witness to the resurrection.

Second Reading John 2: 1-5
We show that we know God by keeping his commandments. But when we fail, Christ intercedes for us with the Father.

Gospel Luke 24: 35-48
Jesus appears to the apostles, and commissions them to preach the Gospel to all nations.

Blot or Beauty

We all fail in our lives. The problem, however, is not the failure, but how we deal with it. At such times we should keep in mind the following:

Stop acting like a failure. Keep a sense of humour.

Remember, God says we are a success and He forgives our failures. In the Gospel today, Jesus forgives failure to believe in Him. His followers blot their copybook. Some of us will remember that when learning to write, the lines of our copybook would be ruled in blue, with two faint red lines between to show what height letters should be. Most students remember the struggle involved in trying to get it just right.

Many years ago, there was a village schoolteacher in Scotland. He was a writing teacher and he had the most beautiful joined writing. The pens he used were blotting induced, old clumsy quill pens. Often a clear page would be ruined with a great big blot of ink. But the teacher would pick up his own pen and draw until the awful blot had been turned into a lovely angel.

God can transform the blots, the disappointments of our lives into opportunities for growth and for nurture. Recall how many biblical people achieved great things for God AFTER they had failed: David after he’d committed adultery, Peter after he’d denied Jesus. And we by the grace of God can help others to transform the blots in their lives – just like that village schoolteacher.

Last week’s Collection was £1,703.00. Many thanks.

The Rosary

As we enter the month of May, we are invited to make a special effort to pray the rosary, to use it as an opportunity to reflect on the lives of Jesus and his mother Mary.

When we say the rosary, we use prayers that everybody knows – the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory be to the Father. In fact, the rosary is the story of the New Testament. We follow Jesus from the moment Mary was invited to be his mother, through his childhood, his death on the cross, the joy of Easter when he rose from the dead, to the day he ascended to heaven in glory.

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

SACRED HEART CHURCH:

Collectors:

Saturday 7.00pm:-
Manus McLaughlin, Liam Ward, Lawrence Doherty and Tony McDaid.
Sunday 11.30am:-
Denis Hegarty

Cleaners: Team F

ST. MARY’S CHURCH, CLOUGHCOR:

Collectors:
Noel McDaid and Brian Farrell.

Altar Society & Cleaners:
Mary Devine, Ita Devine and Alicia Devine.

ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH, GLENMORNAN
Collectors: –
Altar Society:
Nellie Doherty, Margaret Harte and Kathleen Kelly.

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

Sick and Housebound
The sick and housebound will be attended on Tuesday [28th April] morning and afternoon.

Cemetery Sunday
The Blessing of the Graves will take place in St. Joseph’s, Glenmornan on Sunday 17th May at 3.00pm.

Owen Roe O’Neill’s G.A.C.
For details of club notes please refer to the poster on the noticeboard at the back of the church.

The Wounds of Love

Those who care about others pick up a lot of wounds.
There may be no great wounds,
only a multiplicity of little ones –
a host of scratches, wrinkles and welts.
But there can also be a lot of invisible wounds:
the furrows left on the mind and the heart
by hardship, worry and anxiety,
disappointments, ingratitude, and betrayal.
These wounds are not things to be ashamed of.
They are badges of honour.
They are proof of our love.
Jesus didn’t hide his wounds.
Neither should we.
By his wounds we are healed.

Annual Financial Statement

In this bulletin we have included a statement of accounts for the year 2008. This shows that we have routine expenses which are funded mainly by our regular collections each weekend. It is from this collection that we pay salaries, office expenses, insurance, rates, heating and lighting costs associated with all parochial buildings, as well as the ‘Diocesan Assessment’. This is now 13% of our disposable income which has to be paid to the diocese each year. As you can see, the regular weekly collection, together with interest on parish savings and Gift Aid refunds, just about covers all these expenses. Sadly for priests and people, we will not have the benefit of the Parish Savings Scheme in 2009, but hopefully it will be up and running next year. Let’s just hope and pray!

As you can see from our 2008 financial statement, in spite of the worldwide economic downturn, we are happy to report that this year we have emerged from our deficit situation for the first time in twenty years. We are deeply grateful to all who have contributed to parish funds in recent times. We are confident that you will continue to support your parish to the best of your ability.

Many thanks to you all!