Sunday 9th December 2007

Second Sunday of Advent

Beauty or the Beast?

Thomas Merton writes in The Ascent to Truth: One of the paradoxes of our age, which has so far not distinguished itself as an Age of Faith, is that millions of men who have found it impossible to believe in God have blindly submitted themselves in human faith to every charlatan who has access to a printing press, a movie screen, or a microphone. Men who cannot believe in the revealed word of God swallow everything they read in the newspapers (p.30).

So how about swallowing what we have in today’s first reading: The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord (Is 11:8-9). What an image!

When will we learn that peace is our natural state? Fighting is foreign. Don’t believe it? Then what does being made in the image of God mean? What we see is what we get. If we see people as brutes, then brutes they may become.

The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord when we are.

Announcements

Last week’s collection amounted to £3035.45. Thank you.

Visitation of Sick and Housebound
Fr. Doherty:
Monday Afternoon: Bridge End
Tuesday: Carlton Drive, Lisnafin & Country Area
Wednesday Morning: Trust Area and Knockavoe Area

Fr. O'Hagan:
Monday: Ashgrove Park, Ballycolman Estate, Ballycolman Road, Linkside Park, Laurel Drive, Olympic Drive and Five Acres
Wednesday: St. Colman's Drive, Columban Terrace, Gartan Avenue, Iona Villas, Pearse Gardens and Sigerson Place

Dates for Baptism
The following are the dates for the Sacrament of Baptism during the months of December:
December:
Sunday 16; Friday 28.
Times for Baptism:
Sunday 1.15pm; Friday 7.20pm.

Parish Draw 2007
Promoters should make their returns for December to the Parish Office tomorrow Monday 10 December from 2.00pm - 4.30pm and from 7.30pm - 8.30pm. Please Note: The Draw for December will take place on Wednesday 12 December at 10.30am in the Parish Office.

Marriage
We congratulate the following couple who were recently united in the Sacrament of Marriage:
Martin Rouse and Jennifer Glenn

May they Rest in Peace - Deaths
Helen McDermott, 4 Melvin View
Patrick Bradley, 2 Five Acres
Ann Hanley, 201 Ballycolman Estate
Tanya McDaid, Cahan Court
Anne Baker, Coventry

Anniversaries
Edward Curran, Molly Floyd, Margaret Floyd, Patrick Conwell,
Stephen Stewart, John McGurk, Foncie McGranaghan, Tommy Boyle,
Mary McGrath, Harry Ervine, John Hill, John Harkin, Kevin Falconer,
Attracta Harron, Ellen Devine, Philip McDermott, John Duffy,
Dan McCormack, Gerard O’Hagan

Christmas Pageant
The Christmas Pageant with the pupils of St. Mary’s Girls P.S. and St. Mary’s Boys P.S. will be held in the Church on Sunday 16 December at 7.00pm.

Gaelscoil Ui Dhochartaigh
Drama na Nollag sa Seipeal ar an Luan 17u ag a 7i.n. Failte roimh cach. Carol Service and Nativity Play for the Gael Scoil will take place at 7pm on Monday 17 December.

Penitential Service
Penitential Service and Confessions for Christmas will be held in the Church on Sunday 23 December from 5.00pm to 7.00pm. There will be eight priests available.

Next Week’s Bulletin: All notices for next week’s bulletin must be received no later than 12 noon on Tuesday 11 December.

Parish Christmas Bingo
The Annual Parish Christmas Bingo will take place tonight Sunday 9 December at 9.00pm. All Lines - £50.00.00 Each 9 Houses - £200.00 Each 3 Houses - £1000.00 Each Books £15.00

Melmount Parish Bazaar
The Annual Parish Bazaar will take place in the Melmount Centre on Sunday 16 December from 3.00pm to 6.00pm and for one hour after Bingo. Loads of prizes for all the family. Come and join in the fun as you watch the Rickety Wheel spin towards your number.

Strabane Community Carol Service will be held in Christ Church, Bowling Green on Thursday 13 December at 7.30pm. Everyone welcome.

Taize Prayer: Join us for an hour of meditative prayer and Taize chant on Wednesday 12 December at 7.30pm in Fr. O’Hagan’s house. Everyone welcome

Alzheimer’s Society Support Group will meet on Wednesday 12 December at 7.30pm in Melmount Manor Care Home, 1 Orchard Road, Strabane. Everyone welcome.

St. Vincent de Paul Lucky Lotto
The Draw for December took place on Sunday 2 December. The numbers drawn were: 1, 4, 9 and 20. There was one jackpot winner, Mr David Connolly, 8 Primrose Park, Sion Mills who wins £1600.00. Promoters are asked to have January 2008 draw envelopes returned on or before 14 December. The next draw will take place at 9.00pm on Sunday 6 January at Melmount Parish Bingo.

Christmas Cards (Orphanage Appeal) are on sale now for Troas. Ten cards for £3.00. For further details contact Bridget McElroy, 215 Ballycolman Estate, telephone 077 83593908.

Children in Crossfire have a range of six beautiful gifts for Christmas. You can buy banana plants for a school in Africa, boreholes, books, bikes. We will send you a very nice card that you can give as a gift and the present will go to Africa. To order phone 028 71269898 or log onto www.childrenincrossfire.org

Viatores Christi lay missionary development workers are assigned to projects which deal with a range of social and justice issues throughout the world including AIDS/HIV projects, displaced peoples, healthcare, intellectual disability, education and indigenous peoples. We need people from all disciplines, from teachers to electricians, doctors to administrators, farmers to childcare workers. If you are interested in learning more, please come along to our information and recruitment session in Derry on Tuesday 11 December at 7.30pm in the Pastoral Centre, 164 Bishop Street, Derry. For further information and to book your place at an information session, please contact Colette Rooney at Colette@viatoreschristi.com or telephone 003531 8749346 / 8728027 or log on to www.viatoreschristi.com. Viatores Christi, 38-39 Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin 1

Strabane Sigersons G.A.A.
Many thanks to everyone who attended the Club’s Annual General Meeting last Tuesday night. The Annual Sigersons Children’s Christmas Party will be held in the Clubrooms on Saturday 15 December from 2.00pm-5.00pm.