Parish News for Sunday 5th July 2009

Vol.36 No.26

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

PRIESTS OF THE PARISH
Very Rev Michael Canny Adm
Rev David O'Kane CC
Rev Daniel McFaul CC

God is Love

This week we find Jesus powerless to work miracles. He came to his home-town Nazareth, the Gospel says, and “he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them”. Why not?

It is an intriguing question, because most of us think of miracles as based on power, as acts done by a mighty person. Jesus, God in human form, must have been all-powerful, just as God is. What was stopping him?

There are many answers, of course, but the one that is most agreed upon is very simple. God is love. God has loved human beings since he first created them.

Now we are getting to the heart of the question. Think of a love relation. Doesn’t love have to be two-way? I know that we must often go without the return of love from people we care for, but that is not the ideal. For a relationship to be real, I must be loved and I must love in return. Mutuality is love’s hallmark.

So we must say that God’s reality consists of mutual love. There will be time later to speak of the love dynamic that exists within the Trinity. Right now it is enough to see that all through the Old and New Testament God was thirsting for a shared union with human beings. “I will be your God, and you will be my people and love me in return”. Please!

Now we can see what took away Jesus’ miracles. The people in his home-town would not accept him. These people already had him in a category - carpenter. son of that working couple Joseph and Mary, the guy who used to live down the street. Who does he think he is preaching all this new stuff? So instead of listening to what he said, they made the noise with their tongues that we spell “tut,” which means, “look who is trying to put on airs. We know who he really is”. They were pre-sealed against him.

But Jesus was not a circus performer or a magician. He did not work miracles in order to be noticed or to show off. In fact he took great pains to avoid being noticed.

This is why he said so often to the people he healed, “your faith has saved you”. Jesus’ miracles were an outcropping of the living, loving bonding we are invited to have with him. Faith is our acceptance of that bonding and without it God’s loving power cannot reach us.

Think it over. Do you and I ever listen to the offer of love from Christ and then harden our hearts to it?

Extract from Fr John Foley, SJ of the Centre for Liturgy

 
Sympathy

We offer our sympathy to the family and friends of:

Matthew Nixon,
8 Baldrick Crescent.
Thomas Smith,
Deer Park Road, Monaghan.

May they rest in peace.

Baptism

We welcome as a member of the Christian community:

Isla Galbraith,
23 Summer Meadows Manor.
Kaylee Jane Coogan,
87 Duncreggan Road.
Ultan Daniel Logue,
47 Glenside Road.
Ona Ailis McLaughlin,
50 Rosemount Gardens.
Cian Michael Jordan,
4 Cedar Street.

Readers

Weekdays
10.00 Terry Willman Gallagher
07.30 Charlie McDermott

Readers on duty next Weekend
06.15 pm Roísín Bonar
07.30 pm Majella Coyle
09.30 am Michael Roddy
11.00 am Eoin Garvin
12.30 pm Laura Kelly

Eucharistic Ministers
Team *B* begins its rota
at the 6.15 pm Vigil Mass
next weekend.

Rosary for the Holy Souls will be recited today (Sunday) in St Brigid’s Church, Carnhill at 5.00 pm.

The most weddings in
religious buildings in 2008
(and 2007) were celebrated here
in St Eugene’s Cathedral
(NI Statistics & Research Agency).

Sick Visitation

Fr Michael Canny will visit the sick in his care this week:

Mon am: 10.00 Lisfannon Park.

Mon pm: 3.00 - William St, Columbcille Crt, Chamberlain St, Brewster’s Close.

Wed am: 10.00 - Westland Ave, Westland St, Glenfada Pk, Abbey Pk, Fahan St, Joseph Place, Cable St.

Thurs am: 10.00 - Limewood St, Beechwood St, Elmwood St.
Thurs am: 11.30 - Fr Mulvey Pk.

Thurs pm: 2.00 - Lisfannon Pk (Upper), Eglinton Tce, Blucher St, Little Diamond.

The Society of St Vincent de Paul urgently requires good quality clothes and household furniture. Please contact 71265489 or 71268325 for collection.

APA (AIDS Partnership Africa) Derry Committee would like to thank you for your support for their Quiz night held in the Derby Bar on 18th June which raised £461.

Fr Canny acknowledges with thanks donations for: St. Pio: £20. Eucharistic Congress Collection: £100. Flowers for Altar: £10.

Fr Canny will forward a donation of £20 to LASCO.

Thank you for your contributions to the Peter’s Pence Collection taken up last weekend.

Knock Summer Youth Festival: This years festival will take place from 23rd to 26th July and is for those aged 18-35.  The festival will include inspiring talks, workshops, a reconciliation and healing service, mime, drama, dancing, music and lots of free time.  The theme is ‘You are the light of the world’ and the weekend will have a variety of guest speakers.  The weekend costs €70 and this includes meals and accommodation.  There is some transport available from the Diocese.  For more information contact the Catechetical Centre on 71264087 or book online at www.knock-shrine.ie/youthfestival.    

Carmelite Pilgrimage to Knock on Sunday, 19th July. Coach leaves Termonbacca at 7.30 am with a pick-up point at Melmount Centre at 8.15 am. Returning to Derry at approx.11.00 pm. Return coach, snack on the way down and evening meal. Fare £35.00 or €40. For further information telephone Termonbacca at 71262512 during office hours only.

The monthly devotions in honour of Our Lady in Termonbacca on Tuesday starting with confessions at 7.30 pm followed by Rosary and Mass, finishing around 10.00 pm.

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