Sunday, 31st October 2010

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

They all complained when they saw what was happening. “He (Jesus) has gone to stay at a sinner’s house,” they said. One of the lovely features of the Gospels is that Jesus had no problem with what we would call sinners. He didn’t condone what they did but he had great compassion for them. The other side of that feature was that he had a lot of difficulty with good people. And he still has! He found it almost impossible to break through to them with the Good News of God’s unconditional love for every person because, if they were God, they would not be like that. So, as we struggle to live out our faith through the various relationships of our lives we need to be ready for failure and be gentle with ourselves. But we also need to be very gentle with one another and become a source of encouragement for one another rather than putting one another down through criticism.

Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

First Reading: Wisdom 11: 22 – 12: 2
You are merciful too all because you love all that exists.

Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1: 11-22
By his power – fulfill all your desires for goodness.

Gospel: Luke 19: 1-10
Catch a glimpse of Jesus.

 

Responsorial Psalm

I will bless your name forever, O God my King.

Sunday Mass Times

St Pius X

Saturday Vigil 7.00 pm
Sunday 9.30 am and 12 noon

Ballinacrae 10.30 am

Ballybrack 11.00 am

Mass during the week
St Pius X 10.00am each day & Monday 7.30pm.

Ballinacrae Monday 10.30am Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 7.30pm

Ballybrack Monday 11am, Tuesday & Wednesday 7.30pm

Shrove Tuesday 9.30am

 

Sympathy ~ we offer sincere sympathy to the family and friends of

John McDonald, Ballynagard and

George McCandless, Luton

who died recently. May they rest in peace.

 

Readers for Sat/Sun 6/7th November
St Pius X Vigil Mass Maura Farren 9.30 am Greta McBride
12.00 Etain McClellan (Co-ordinator Anna Connolly Tel 9382362)
Ballybrack Clare James (Co-ordinator Aisling Ward Tel 9381158)

Last week’s collection amounted to €3640. Thank you.

 

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR
Sunday 31st God is merciful to all, because all things are his. Jesus teaches by his treatment of Zacchaeus that God’s compassion is wider than ours, his judgements more merciful than ours can be. No devotions this evening.

Monday 1st November All Saints. We celebrate the great company of all those who have gone before us and now enjoy the beatific vision, sharing in God’s life in the glory of heaven. Today is a Holyday of Obligation. Mass in St Pius X at 10am and 7.30pm, Ballinacrae at 10.30am and in Ballybrack at 11am. Divine Mercy Devotions in St Pius X Church after 7.30pm Mass.

Tuesday 2nd Today is All Souls’ Day, when the Church honours with great respect the memory of the dead and offers her prayers for them. Mass in Shrove at 9.30 am, in St Pius X at 10 am and in Ballybrack and Ballinacrae at 7.30 pm.

Wednesday 3rd St Malachy (1094-1148). As bishop of Armagh he continued the reforming work of his predecessor, Ceallach. He introduced the Cistercians and the Canons Regular into Ireland. Returning to Ireland from a visit to Rome, he revisited Clairvaux, where he caught a fever and died in the arms of his friend St Bernard. Both are buried together. The sick and housebound ordinarily visited by Fr McGoldrick on the firstThursday should expect him this afternoon instead.
No Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament this evening.

Thursday 4th St Charles Borromeo (1538-84). A great reforming Archbishop of Milan after the Council of Trent. Confessions 6.30 – 7pm. No confessions at 12.30.

Friday 5th Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after Mass until 11.30. First Friday. Confessions in Ballinacrae at 7.00 pm followed by Mass at 7.30. No evening Mass in Shrove.

Saturday 6th All the Saints of Ireland. Commemorates all our fellow countrymen and women of every age and condition who have gone before us in faith and now enjoy the vision of God.

Confessions after 10 am Mass, 12.30 – 1.00 and 6.15 – 6.45. Vigil Mass at 7.00.

 

Residential Youth Retreat in Loreto Convent, Letterkenny 12/14th November for 16-35 year olds. Programme includes, drama, music and workshops. Donations only. Booking essential. Call 0876881202 for information or visit www.youth2000.ie

 

Rotas for the month of November.

St Pius X Collectors: 7.00 Sally Mc Donald & Danny Mc Dermott, Ballynally.

9.30 Barry, Jack, Ryan and Christopher Doherty and Tom Harkin 12.00. Frances and Joseph Murphy

Counters: Mary Gray, Rose Ann O’Donnell, Marie Higgins and Anne McDermott

Ballybrack Collectors: Con O’Donnell, John McClenaghan, Charlie McLaughlin and Robert Duffy.

Ballinacrae Reader: Clare Duffy

Counters: Frances McDermott and Helen McLaughlin

Collectors: Tony Gillespie, Tommy McLaughlin, Packie Crumlish and Cathal McGonigle.

 

New collectors, male and female, urgently needed especially for the Vigil Mass. Some volunteers wish to retire and have been working for many years. If you wish to volunteer for this or any other work in the parish please hand in your name to the Parochial House.

 

Indulgences: From 12 noon on Monday until churches close on Tuesday all may gain one plenary indulgence by visiting a church and there reciting one Our Father and the Apostles’ Creed. The conditions are that you go to Confession at some time within the week preceding or following 1st November, that you go to Holy Communion any day from 1st to 8th November and that you pray for the Pope’s intentions (one Our Father and Hail Mary or any other prayer of your choice). On the same conditions you may receive a plenary indulgence once each day, from 1st to 8th November, by visiting a graveyard and praying for the dead.

 

 

Greencastle Women’s Group meet in the Resource Centre on Wednesday 3rd November at 10.30am.

 

Masquerade Stage School: Drama classes beginning in St. Eugene’s Hall on Thursday 4th November 4-5pm for 3-8 yrs and 5-6pm for 9+ yrs. Contact Nicola 0863506777

Utopia Beauty Salon has moved to 8 Bath Terrace Level 2 (opposite Taobh na Cille). Telephone 9382617

Music and Dance Night in Taobh na Cille on Wednesday 3rd November from 9 to 11pm. Admission €3 including supper. All welcome.

Céilí in St Eugene’s Hall on Friday 5th November from 10pm to 1am. Admission €5, including supper

Six week Yoga course beginning Wednesday 10th November in Caiseal Mara at 7pm. To book call Mary 086826720/9382515.

Gift vouchers for the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes in July 2011 are available from the Diocesan Pastoral Centre 04871362475.

The Greencastle Christmas Tree Committee is required to renew the street and tree lights and switch to energy saving bulbs. We hope to do this over the next few years and estimate the cost to be in the region of €7,000. We would ask for your support and any donation would be appreciated. Collectors will distribute envelopes in the Greencastle and Shrove areas next week and collect the following week.

 

Congratulations to the winners of the October Parish Draw:

€700 587 Patsy McLaughlin A Cavanagh &R M McDonald
€400 457 Brigid McGuinness Suzanne McLaughlin
€250 465 Kay Skelly Kathleen Kearney
€150 280 Annie McCartney (J) Agnes Cavanagh
€70 474 Mary Keaveney Oonagh McDermott

 

Serenity House:

- Names are being taken for a Web Page Design, Digital Photography and Children’s ECDL courses.

- The Camera Club will meet on Thursday 4th November at 7.30pm.

- Serenity House is organising a trip to Ballymena on Thursday 2nd December which will include a meal.

- Sum of money found in the Moville area approximately three weeks ago. Contact Serenity House.

Contact Serenity House at 074 9382945 or serenityhouse@eircom.net

 

Flu vaccination clinics will be held at the Moville Health Centre on Thursday 4th November from 9.30am to 12.30pm and Friday 5th November from 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4pm. This is a walk in clinic and no appointment is necessary. The flu vaccine is recommended for anyone over 65 years of age, or people who have chronic lung, heart or kidney disease, diabetes, or a suppressed immune system.

 

Donegal Action for Cancer Care will host a Men's Health Information Evening on Thursday 4th November at 8pm in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny. It is free of charge and will cover all areas of men's health with key speakers on the night being Dr Alan Smith, Consultant in Public Health Medicine from the National Cancer Screening Service, Dublin; Dr John Madden, Carndonagh; Ms Cathy Walsh, Colorectal Nurse Specialist, Letterkenny General Hospital; and to help us relax on the night – Fergus Cleary. The evening will finish with information packs on health issues and light refreshments. All welcome.

 

The YARD Project Family Support Programme hold a one day programme for anyone over 18 years who is affected by or is concerned about the abuse of alcohol, drugs or gambling of a family member or friend on Saturday 13th November from 10am to 5pm in Columba House, Queen St, Derry.

 

 

The Deep End – Home Alone

If there are little green men out there, why haven’t we seen any sign of them? They could be big instead of small and blue instead of green, like the Na’vi on Pandora in the sci-fi film Avatar. Size and colour don’t matter. What does matter is that to date we seem to be the only intelligent life form in this or any neck of the universe. According to recent scientific investigations complex life is rare even in our own galaxy and probable even rarer in other parts of the universe. Like it or not it seems we are home alone.

That’s a scary scenario for some – and would be for all did God not exist. His word in today’s First Reading expands our mind. It asks us to think big, to embrace the universe and allow the inevitable feeling of wonder to work its magic in our spirit. It tells us that God hates nothing that he has made. What exists is here because he wants it here. As we’re still relatively new to the universe we’re still finding these things out. Therefore, an open mind is essential both towards little green men and God alike.

The crowd in today’s Gospel don’t have an open mind towards Jesus eating with Zacchaeus, a tax collector and, in their eyes, a sinner. Because of that, they miss out on an important truth: Jesus comes to seek out and save the lost.

What truths do we need to open our minds to so as not to lose out?

Fr Tom Cahill SVD