Sunday, 10th January 2010

The Baptism of Christ

First Reading :
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all people shall see it.

Second Reading: Acts of the Apostles 10: 34-38
God’s grace has been revealed and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God.

Gospel: Luke 3: 15-16.21-22
John declared, I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Renew not Recycle

According to one recycling agency Ireland’s consumption of alcohol over Christmas would fill ‘29 Olympic-sized swimming pools’. On average, adults drank 16 litres of alcohol or 2.5 times their own blood levels. If that’s hard to swallow try this: the nation gobbled 4 million boxes of chocolates; guzzled 54 million cans and 15 million bottles of beer, 20 million bottles of wine, 4 million plastic bottles and 28 million cans of soft drinks. Households disposed of 96,500 kg of packaging - equivalent to an adult’s weight in cardboard per household - and 4 million sheets of gift-wrap paper. And that was in 2005! Just imagine what it must have been like every Christmas since then.

As Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birth, how could recycling our waste produce seem more pressing a problem than renewing our faith in God and our service of each other? Our feasts are always occasions for renewal. Today’s feast, the Baptism of the Lord, shows this. It reminds us of our own baptism and of what we are committed to because of it.

We need reminding from time to time that baptism, while it may have come easily, does not come cheaply. It does cost. Today’s Gospel reading (Luke 3:15-16, 21-22) makes that clear: He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (3:16)

So, as we begin this New Year let us not take our baptism for granted, or forget it. That can so easily happen. When the Spirit’s fire truly burns within us, we’ll know that it’s not for recycling used goods but for renewing God’s gifts.

Fr. Tom Cahill

Announcements

New Mass Times and Confession Times

from Monday 11 January

Masses: Sunday: 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 10.00am.

Tuesday and Saturday: 7.00pm.

First Friday: 10.00am and 7.00pm.

Parishioners who would like an evening Mass offered for an Anniversary or a Month’s Mind should arrange them for a Tuesday Evening, Saturday Evening or First Friday Evening.

Confessions: Saturday at 11.30am and at 6.15pm.

The Thursday before the First Friday Confessions will be after 10.00am Mass

and on the First Friday Confessions will be at 6.15pm.

Times of Masses at the Weekend for the Strabane Area

Saturday Vigil

6.30pm: Sion Mills; Immaculate Conception.

7.00pm: Melmount; Derry Road.

7.30pm: Murlog; Doneyloop

Sunday Masses

9.00am: Sion Mills; Murlog; Doneyloop

9.15am: Cloughcor

10.00am: Immaculate Conception

10.15am: Glenmornan

10.30am: Melmount

11.00am: Sion Mills; Murlog; Doneyloop

11.30am: Derry Road

12.00 noon Immaculate Conception

12.30pm: Melmount

Visitation of Sick and Housebound

The sick and housebound will be visited on Tuesday 12 January 2010 as follows:

Tuesday Morning: St. Colman’s Drive, Pearse Gardens and Bridgend.

Dates for Baptism

The following are the dates for the Sacrament of Baptism during the months of January and February:

January: Friday 15; Sunday 24; Friday 29.

February: Friday 12; Sunday 21.

Times for Baptism: Sunday 1.15pm; Friday 7.20pm.

We welcome into God’s Family through the Sacrament of Baptism:

Matthew Sean Johnston

Ava McAnenny

Prayer Group

Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration on Monday 11 January in St. Colman’s Chapel at 7.30pm.

Weather permitting.

We congratulate the following couple who were recently united in the Sacrament of Marriage:

Neil McBeth and Kathleen Harkin

May they Rest in Peace - Deaths

Cardinal Cahal B. Daly,

Michael Leitch, 316 Lisnafin Park,

Eugene Doherty, Omagh,

Paul Sharkey, 35 Melmount Villas,

Jillian Bonner, Nottingham,

Bridget Floyd, 37 Barrack Street,

Jean Browne, 7 Derry Road,

Kathleen Gallen, Castlederg,

John Coyle, Falcarragh,

John McMulkin, Irvinstown.

Anniversaries

Foncie Walsh, Agnes McHugh, Margaret Duddy,

Ella Doherty, Jessie Patton, Maureen McCrea,

Eileen Kearney, Henry Rouse, Bridget Scott,

Johnny Kane, Jack Kelly, George Houston,

Frank Houston , Susan Murray, Hugh Diver,

Joe McGrath, Mary Devine, Hugh Gavigan,

Susan Brown, Iris Duffy, Jimmy McGurk,

Peter O’Kane, Charlie Connolly.

An information evening will be held in ‘The Den’ on Wednesday 13 January 2010 at 7.30pm to discuss this year’s proposed Pilgrimage to Lourdes (21 - 28 July). Group leader Gerard McBrearty

Cleaning of the Church

The team for cleaning the church during the month of January is the Women’s Cursillo Group.

Collection Counters

The following are asked to count the collection for the month of January: Sheila McGonagle, Helen Gallagher, Kathleen Patton, Eamon O’Connor, Terry Doherty’s Group and Jim Maguire’s Group.

Parish Draw 2010

We hope to start Melmount Parish Draw 2010 as soon as possible. Once again the Parish Draw will be one of our principal means of revenue. We would encourage as many people as possible to become part of the Draw and would ask for more people to volunteer as promoters. If you are willing to volunteer your services please contact the Parish Office on 71 383777. The Draw costs £60.00 for the year. The Prizes are:

1st Prize: £500.00

2nd, 3rd, 4th Prizes: £250.00

5th, 6th, 7th Prizes: £150.00

8th, 9th.10th Prizes: £100.00

Giving a Prize Fund of £2000.00 per month.

Promoters will be contacted shortly regarding their lists of members. Parishioners are encouraged to support the Draw.

Prayer in Daily Life: This weekly 8-session course begins in the Thornhill Centre, 121 Culmore Road on Monday 18 January from 7.30pm - 9.30pm for those interested in developing their prayer life in a simple but effective way. All welcome. Cost: £4.00 per session. For more information and to book telephone 71351233.

The Holy Family Padre Pio Prayer Group will hold their first meeting of the new year in the Holy Family Church, Ballymagroarty on Monday 11 January starting with 7.30pm Mass. All are welcome.

Melmount Centre -

Parish Bingo is cancelled on Sunday 10 January

because of the poor weather conditions.