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

Sunday, 30th August 2009

22nd Sunday of the Year

The Commandments of Life

‘This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me.’ Jesus quoted this passage from the prophet Isaiah to the Pharisees and Scribes. We need to listen to it today also. We get so used to doing particular things that we can forget why we are doing them and then our hearts are not in them. This is true of the practice of our faith, which can easily be reduced by us to rituals and duties. It is true also in our love for one another. Husbands and wives need to constantly renew their love for one another and put their hearts into that love again. Parents need to renew their love for their children because parenting can easily become a burden that is carried with little heart. And we need to put new heart into our prayer so that God may come more and more alive to us.

Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

Sunday, August 30th 2009

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

First Reading Deuteronomy 4:1-2.6-8
Moses presents the Law to the people of Israel.

Second Reading James 1:17-18.21-22.27
You must do what the word tells you, and not deceive yourselves.

Gospel Mark 7:1-8.14-15.21-23
Jesus teaches that the Commandment of God is more important than human traditions.

Entrance Hymn

Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All

Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all,
How can I love thee as I ought?
And how revere this wondrous gift,
So far surpassing hope or thought?
Sweet Sacrament, we thee adore;
Oh, make us love thee more and more.
Oh, make us love thee more and more.

Recessional Hymn

O Mary Of Graces

O Mary of graces and mother of Christ,
O may you direct me and guide me aright.
O may you protect me from Satan’s control,
And may you protect me in body and soul.

O may you protect me by land and by sea,
And may you protect me from sorrows to be;
A strong guard of angels above me provide;
May God be before me and God at my side.

Back to School – a Student’s Prayer

O God, the holidays are over, and I am back at school again. I thank you for everyone who has taught me and for all I have learned up until now. Help me to use this new term wisely and to use it well. Help me to use to the full the opportunities of learning which will come to me in the future.
All through this term help me to be friendly towards my fellow pupils and respectful towards my teachers. Help me to work hard and to play fairly, so that I may be a good citizen of my school. I make this prayer through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

The Collection for Sunday 16th August was £1,411.00.

Last week’s Collection was £1,094.00. Many thanks.

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

SACRED HEART CHURCH:

Collectors:

Saturday 7.00pm:-
Manus McLaughlin, Liam Ward, Lawrence Doherty and Tony McDaid.

Sunday 11.30am:-
Brian Devine and Denis Hegarty.

Cleaners: Team D

ST. MARY’S CHURCH, CLOUGHCOR:

Collectors:
Gerard McDaid.

Altar Society & Cleaners:
Eileen Boyle and Marie Farrell.

ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH, GLENMORNAN

Collectors:
Jackie Hunt and Gerard Kelly.

Altar Society:
Grainne Kelly.

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

Winning and Losing

There is a way of losing by gaining.
You can win an argument but lose a friend.
Through competition and promotion
I may advance in my profession,
but in terms of relationships I am impoverished.
My energies are so focused on efficiency and success
that I haven’t time to grow emotionally
and to develop my capacity for relationships.
In one’s drive to attain power,
a person may sacrifice friendship and loyalty,
so much so that one ends up alone.
Lord, let me never forget your haunting words:
‘What good will it do you to gain the whole world
if you lose your soul?’