| Sunday
1st June 2008
The
9th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Christ
our security
Jesus
said: ‘the person who does the will of my Father in
heaven will enter the kingdom of heaven.’ In the Church
we have done a great disservice to the whole idea of the will
of God. We so often identify it with the things that go wrong
– like someone dying, or getting ill, or losing their
job etc. We hardly ever think of success and health and well-being
as the will of God. In the Scripture we come to know that
the will of God is about all that is good and best for our
lives and our loves. And we have a great responsibility to
bring all that is best to one another in God’s name.
So, we can say that it is God’s will that we comfort
one another in bereavement; that we support one another in
sickness; that we help one another in adversity etc. It is
when we are like this in our homes and our community that
we enter the kingdom of God.
Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.
Sunday 1st June
2008, Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Parish Missal Readings
(Year 1) p 296 & Proper p 1058
First Reading
Deuteronomy: 11: 18.26-28
See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.
Second Reading
Romans 3: 21-25, 28
We are justified through the free gift of God’s grace.
Gospel Matthew
7: 21-27
The house built on rock will not fall.
THE POPE'S INTENTIONS FOR JUNE 2008
General:
That Christians may cultivate a deep and personal friendship
with Christ so they are able to communicate the strength of
his love to those they encounter.
Mission:
That the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec, Canada,
may lead to ever deeper understanding of the Eucharist, the
heart of the Church and source of evangelisation.
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EXAM
PRAYER
Dear Lord,
Help me approach my exams
with a clear head and a calm mind.
Give me your strength
and your peace
and let me do justice to
all that I have learned.
Thank you Lord,
for all my talents and gifts. Amen. |
A Delusion by any Other
Name
In The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins states, ‘... one of the truly bad effects
of religion is that it teaches us that it is a virtue to be
satisfied with not understanding’. Seems there’s
more than one ‘delusion’ doing the rounds! Religion
acknowledges mystery. Unlike a puzzle that can be solved,
mystery is not for solving but exploring. And, by definition,
it can’t be sucked dry by human intelligence. It’s
greater than anything the human mind could ever comprehend.
Otherwise it’s not mystery. Any religion worth its incense
delves into mystery, but with humility in the face of unknowing.
It’s the humility bit that’s the virtue not some
spurious satisfaction with ignorance.
Take today’s First Reading, for example (Duet 11:18,
26-28). ‘Today I set before you a blessing and a curse’
(v.26). That’s not the mystery, however. The mystery
is that some people choose the curse. Now why would they do
that? Don’t they know the stakes? Don’t they believe
in curses? Don’t they care one way or the other? Seems
not.
Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet that there is nothing either good
or bad but thinking makes it so. If he were writing today
he might upgrade that to: ‘There is nothing good or
bad but DNA makes it so’. Wouldn’t it be great
if that were true? Just a tweak on the old DNA spiral here
and a zap of the old laser beam there and hey presto: a new
creation! And if that’s not a delusion, I don’t
know what is.
Announcements
Last week’s collection amounted to £2928.00
Thank you.
First Friday
Friday of this week is the First Friday. Confessions will
be on Thursday after 10.00am Mass and on Friday from 6.15pm
- 6.45pm.
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Dates
for Baptism
The following are the dates for the Sacrament of Baptism
during the months of June and July:
June: Friday 6; Sunday 8; Sunday 15;
Friday 20.
July: Friday 4; Sunday 6; Sunday 20;
Friday 25.
Times for Baptism: Sunday 1.15pm; Friday 7.20pm.
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Parish Draw
2008
Promoters should make their returns for June to the Parish
Office on Monday 16 June from 2.00pm - 4.30pm and from 7.30pm
- 8.30pm. The Draw for June will take place on Thursday 19
June at 10.30am in the Parish Office.
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Blessing
of Graves
The Annual Ceremony of the Blessing of Graves will take
place in Melmount on Sunday 22 June at 3.00pm. |
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Legion of
Mary
The Legion of Mary will continue to visit homes in Carlton
Drive and Melmount Mews in the coming weeks with the Rosary
Statue.
Collection
Counters
The following are asked to count the collection for the month
of June: Kathleen McGowan, Margaret Devine, Michael McColgan,
Madeline McColgan, Robin McHugh, Tina Clifford and Mary O’Reilly.
Cleaning of
Church
The team for cleaning the Church during the month of June
is Patricia McDaid’s Team. Many thanks to the Women’s
Cursillo Group for cleaning the Church during the month of
May.
Prayer Group
There will be Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the Day
Chapel on Monday 2 June from 8.00pm - 9.00pm. Everyone welcome.
We congratulate
the following couple who were recently united in the Sacrament
of Marriage:
Sean O’Neill and Michelle Cawley
May they Rest
in Peace - Deaths
Dessie Maguire, 128 Laurel Drive
Molly Doherty, 29 Owenreagh Drive
Jim Earley, 28 Mourne Avenue
Kathleen Lynch,
42 Barrack Street
Darren McDonagh, Buncrana
Harry Hutton, Derry
Maggie Doyle, Derry
Anniversaries
Kevleen White, Susan McBride,
Jim Norry, Joseph Quinn, Mary McGarrigle, Lala McAteer, Mary
Dunne, Eddie McGarrigle, Tommy Diver, Rachel McElwee, Annie
Gillespie, Brigid McCafferty, Sadie Falconer, Molly McLaughlin.
Lourdes 2008
The next meeting of the Lourdes group will take place on Wednesday
4 June 2008 between 7.30pm and 8.30pm in ‘The Den’.
Any queries contact G. McBrearty on 028 71884029.
Thornhill Centre
Time to Pray Day: Sunday 1 June, Thornhill Centre
is open from 3.00pm to those who wish to use the Centre’s
facilities for quiet time and prayer. Concludes with Evening
Prayer of the Church at 5.30pm. All welcome.
Confidence
Building for Blind and Partially Sighted People starting
early June. For details contact Annmarie Houston RNIB Project
Office, 9 Magazine Street, Derry. Telephone: 028 71366060,
Mobile: 07864067649 or E-mail: annmarie.houston@rnib.org.uk
Melmount
Centre - Parish Bingo Sunday 1 June 2008
Indoor Market
today Sunday 1 June 2008 in St. Theresa’s Parish Hall,
Sion Mills from 2pm - 5pm. Lots on sale including books, DVDs,
games, jewellery, handbags, cosmetics, household items, clothes,
home baking and much more. Why not relax and take a break
with a hot drink and try out our fresh crepes in our authentic
French-inspired creperie!!!
North West
Regional College
Get into Part-Time Learning.... North West Regional College,
Derry, Limavady and Strabane, is now offering an exciting
range of new part-time courses which commence this September.
For your copy of its new Part-Time Prospectus telephone: 028
71276022 or e-mail: info@nwrc.ac.uk
One-Day Retreats
August: 19, 20, 23,
24, 25, 26, 27, 31
September: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22,
23, 24
Cost: 27 Euro includes boat fare and lunch.
If you would like to find out more information please contact
071 9861518 (ROI) 028 68632391 (N.I.) or e-mail info@loughderg.org
Iona Carmelite Retreat Centre
The monthly Devotions in Honour of Our
Lady will take place in the Carmelite Retreat Centre, Termonbacca,
Derry on Tuesday 3 June starting with confessions at 7.30pm
followed by Rosary and Mass finishing around 10.00pm. All
are welcome to attend.
A One Day
Retreat for Senior Citizens and their friends will
take place in the Carmelite Retreat Centre, Termonbacca, Derry
on Wednesday 4 June for those from the Derry and Donegal Areas.
Registration from 10.30am finishing around 5.00pm. Cost £12.00
or 18 euro, includes a four course lunch. Payment at the Centre
on the day. To book telephone 028 71262512 during office hours
only.
Parish Draw
2008
The Draw for May took
place on Thursday 22 May. The winners were:
£500: 1669 Mary McGuigan - Carol-Ann Stewart
£250: 1899 Liam McCool - Elizabeth O’Hare
£250: 1496 Sheila McGonagle - Sheila McGonagle
£250: 1674 Stuart Graham - Carol Ann Stewart
£150: 1058 Geradine Love - Christine Devine
£150: 1133 Frankie Donaghey - Frances McLaughlin
£150: 1122 Margaret Logue - Frances McLaughlin
£100: 1016 Sheelagh McKelvey - Sheelagh McKelvey
£100: 1181 Marian Cooke - Juliana Murray
£100: 1040 Rita Sharkey - Sheelagh McKelvey
One-Day Retreats
August: 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26,
27, 31
September: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22,
23, 24
Cost: 27 Euro includes boat fare and lunch.
If you would like to find out more information please contact
071 9861518 (ROI) 028 68632391 (N.I.) or e-mail info@loughderg.org
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