Computing Truth

The world’s fastest computer makes 1,759 trillion calculations per second. Though faster than any human brain for calculating, it can’t do the mundane problem-solving that Joe Soap does daily. Neither can it calculate what the important things in life are. Such things as meaning, purpose, destiny, friendship, service and love. Maybe that’s because it doesn’t have a mind of its own. But even humans with a mind of their own don’t always calculate correctly either.

Take the prodigal son in today’s Gospel. (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32). He has a mind of his own, but focused on himself. If ‘garbage in garbage out’ is the techno mantra for computers, then ‘selfish in, selfish out’ is the moral mantra for people. The father knows this, yet allows his son the freedom to act selfishly. Rather like God with us. If we don’t use our head we’ll suffer for it. Unfortunately, often so too will others. The father can object to his son’s demand, but doesn’t. He acknowledges that his son is a free agent. So he gets his way. Not surprisingly, it’s the way to disaster. Back he comes to his father the wiser for a lesson that only life can teach him.

Wisdom doesn’t come from machines, even from supercomputers that use 147,456 processors to simulate just 1 per cent of the human brain. The director of America’s National Science Foundation claims that supercomputers ‘let you get closer to the truth.’ Good to know! Yet even better is to know that when you accept God’s word without calculation you find real truth even more quickly. Fr. Tom Cahill

Announcements

Fr. Doherty would like to thank you for your contributions to last week’s Priest’s Collection.

St. Patrick’s Day

Wednesday 17 March is St. Patrick’s Day and is a Holy Day. Masses are as follows:

Tuesday: Vigil 7.00pm: Wednesday: 10.30am & 12.30pm.

There will be no evening Mass on Wednesday 17 March.

Mass Times this Week

Monday: 7.00am; 10.00am & 7.00pm.

Tuesday: 7.00am; 10.00am & 7.00pm (Vigil).

Wednesday: 10.30am & 12.30pm (No Evening Mass)

Thursday: 7.00am; 10.00am & 7.00pm.

Friday: 7.00am; 10.00am & 7.00pm.

Saturday: No Morning Mass; 7.00pm.

Sunday: 10.30am & 12.30pm.

Clerical Education & Ongoing Formation Collection

A Collection will be taken up at all Masses on St. Patrick’s Day for Clerical Education & Ongoing Formation. This collection is for the Education of Diocesan Seminarians. There is a special envelope in your box for this collection. Anyone contributing by cheque should make their cheque payable to ‘Melmount Parish’ only. Thank you.

Visitation of Sick and Housebound

The sick and housebound will be visited on Tuesday 16 March as follows:

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

Dates for Baptism

The following are the dates for the Sacrament of Baptism during the months of March and April:

March: Sunday 21.

April: Sunday 4; Saturday 17; Sunday 25.

Times for Baptism: Sunday 1.15pm; Saturday 4.00pm

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

Brody Kieran Catney

Marc Dermot John Harkin

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

Thomas Stokes and Ann-Marie Nevin

May they Rest in Peace - Deaths

Colm Lafferty, 125 Urney Road

Kieran McGarrigle, Canada formerly Meenashesk Place

Rita Harriet Gibbons, Ballindrait

Michael O’Connell, Kerry

Anniversaries

Eamon McLaughlin, Neil McBeth, Tommy McGarrigle,

Michael McRory, Susan McLaughlin, John James McLaughlin,

Don Cairns, Robbie White, Alfie Montague,

Mary Marley, Danny McElwee, Bridie McElwee,

Annie Donaghey, Cody Duddy, Phyllis Stewart,

Peggy Hegarty, Margaret Quinn, Alice Canavan,

Jane Curry, Rose Kennedy, Peter Casey,

Sean McMonagle, Helen Martin, Mary Houston,

Tommy Monaghan, Babs Tehan.

Parish Census

The Parish Census will get underway in the coming weeks. I would be grateful for your co-operation in completing the simple form. Thank you to the volunteers who are distributing and collecting the census forms.

Parish Draw 2010

Promoters should make their returns for March to the Parish Office on Monday 22 March from 2.00pm - 4.30pm and from 7.30pm - 8.30pm. The Draw for March will take place on Thursday 25 March at 10.30am in the Parish Office.

Engaged Encounter

Engaged Encounter is designed for couples preparing for marriage and seeking to enrich communication in all aspects of their relationship. It fulfils diocesan requirements for marriage preparation. The next weekend will take place on 20 - 21 March in Dromantine Conference Centre, Newry. For booking and further details telephone 028 79300340 or visit www.marriageencounter.ie.

Holy Cross Tanzania Project is holding a table quiz in St. Patrick’s Hall on Saturday 20 March. Adm. £5.00 per person and includes supper. Everyone is welcome - please come to support our cause. Doors open at 8.00pm.

Strabane Family History Society

The next meeting of Strabane Family History Society will be held on Thursday 18 March in the Strabane Community Library, Abercorn Square at 7.30pm.

Melmount Centre - Parish Bingo Sunday 14 March.

A Team from the NI Blood Transfusion Service

will be in St. Patrick’s Hall, Barrack Street on Wednesday 24 March from 1.30pm - 4.00pm and from 5.15pm - 8.00pm. In order to maintain the vital supply of blood to our hospitals the Blood Transfusion Service need the support not only of existing donors but also new donors.

Foyle Hospice presents ‘Borderland Reunion Night’ with music by Midnight Showband on Saturday 27 March in the City Hotel, Derry. Tickets £8.00 available from Foyle Hospice Fundraising Centre on 71359888 or at the City Hotel 71365800.

Flight of the Earls

To commemorate Irish Wheelchair Association’s 50th year, Donncha O’Dulaing will lead a group of walkers to retrace the route taken by the Flight of the Earls all the way from Slane to Rome. There will be two aspects to the journey, the Irish leg which will commence in the 21 March from Slane and the International stage will depart Dublin on 20 September. We wish to invite anyone who would like to join with us on this journey to contact Juliette Gallagher on 00353 879975459 for more details.

Strabane St. Patrick’s Day Parade:

The Parade will commence at 2.00pm sharp from Melmount Church car park and proceed through the town to finish at the Score Site, Dock Street. Participating groups are asked to assemble from 1.30pm in order to be allocated their slot in the parade. A meeting for all stewards involved in the parade will take place on Monday 15 March at 7.30pm in Strabane Community Library.