Parish News for Sunday 16th March 2008

Vol.35 No.12

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

PRIESTS OF THE PARISH
Very Rev Michael Canny Adm
Rev David O'Kane CC
Rev Gary Wade CC

Holy Week Reflections

Palm Sunday

Today, the liturgy invites us to contemplate the face of the suffering Lord. Jesus’ mission, purpose, goal and glory are revealed in his Passion. We encounter today the pure and perfect witness of God’s love. If you are tempted to doubt God’s love, look at Christ crucified. Here the mystery of God’s love is revealed. Jesus would have died on the cross if there was only one of us to die for. Only his death, his sacrifice, his laying down of his life for us, could reconcile us with the Father, open heaven to us and secure for us life eternal, which was lost through the fall of Adam.

Monday

All four Evangelists record an account of a woman anointing Jesus. The version found in Luke 7:36-50 stands on its own, offering us the same message but set against a slightly different backdrop (and including Simon the Pharisee’s reaction). What all four accounts have in common is that they reveal an incident which captures so beautifully, so powerfully and so movingly a love for Jesus which is difficult to find words to describe. You see, what the Christian life is all about is actually very simple and straightforward. Mary witnessed to love. Her ‘waste’ of nard and her profound willingness to humble herself and wash the Lord’s feet were an expression of her deep, unashamed and uncompromising love for her Saviour.

Tuesday

Judas was one of the twelve apostles. We can sometimes lose sight of this fact. Jesus chose him to be a member of the most dynamic group of men the world has ever known. We are not given the details of how Judas became a follower of Christ, as we are with some of the other apostles. We can be certain, however, that the Lord chose him because he saw in him the necessary qualities. What happened to change him can really only be the subject of conjecture. We just don’t know what was going on in his heart to betray the Lord as he did.

Wednesday

The clear indication of scripture is that Judas was motivated by greed and avarice and completely misunderstood Jesus and his mission. What was really going on in his mind we cannot really know. What we do know is that Jesus would have forgiven him. Jesus taught forgiveness and love of ones enemy.

Holy Thursday

Jesus’ disciples are offended, even scandalized, by the humility of this gesture of washing their feet. Peter protests strongly, keen to prevent his Lord and Master adopting such a humble and lowly position. Peter was not showing false humility: he was genuinely shocked, horrified even, that Jesus should adopt the position of a slave. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet because he wanted to set them an example. In the same way that he had humbled himself and washed their feet, so they should humble themselves and wash one another’s feet.

Good Friday

Today a special grace flows through the Church. Today the mystery of the cross shines out. Today, the cross, not the Eucharist, is the highpoint, the focus of our celebration. Our thoughts and prayers are focused on the cross. We adore, worship and venerate the cross by which the world was saved. We will go forward today to venerate the cross. We will be invited to kiss the figure of Christ. In this gesture we show our love and our dependence on him. For Jesus, his glory was his cross. For him his death was not defeat but victory; death was not the end but the beginning.

Holy Saturday

We invite you, today, on this most holy and sacred of days, to ponder the rich wisdom offered to us in this ancient homily for Holy Saturday. The early believers had a profound grasp of the drama of our salvation played out before them in the liturgy. ‘O Christ, you slept a life-giving sleep in the grave, and didst awaken humankind from the heavy sleep of sin. All-powerful and ever-living God, your only Son went down among the dead and rose again in glory. In your goodness raise up your faithful people buried with him in baptism, to be one with him in the eternal life of heaven.’ Excerpts from Bible Alive: Lent edition

The six weeks of Lent are a preparation for the last three days of this week, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. During them we celebrate the central event of our religion, the death and the resurrection of Christ, the Saviour of the World.

PASSION SUNDAY (Palm Sunday)

Today the Church celebrates Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish the Paschal mystery. The death and resurrection of Christ cannot be separated and so we have the readings of the Passion to remind us of Christ’s death.

Reflection on the Passion of Jesus Christ at 6.00 pm this evening (Palm Sunday) here in St Eugene’s Cathedral. A perfect preparation for Holy Week and Easter.

HOLY THURSDAY
10.00 am Mass of Chrism

Bishop Hegarty celebrates the Mass of Chrism with priests from all over the Diocese. During the Mass the Holy Oils to be used in Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick and Ordination are blessed. Bishop Hegarty and priests renew their priestly vows to serve Christ and his Church.

7.30 pm Concelebrated Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Celebrating the gift of the Eucharist and the ministry of service.

On Thursday evening we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. We gather with Jesus and the apostles in the upper room. There it is revealed to us that to be the body of Christ we are called to serve. We are called to wash the feet of others - to be their humble servants.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the
Altar of Repose until 11.00 pm
Praying at the Garden of Gethsemane.

On Thursday night we wait as the Body of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. We share in the fear and loneliness of Jesus as he reaches the depths of despair.

Funeral Masses are not celebrated on Holy Thursday, Good Friday or Holy Saturday.

Trócaire Boxes can be left in the Cathedral on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

GOOD FRIDAY

We meditate on the Passion and the death of Jesus. We focus on the cross - the crude instrument that took the life of our Saviour - the key that opened eternal life for us all. We venerate the wood of the cross on which hung the Saviour of the world.

This is a day of Fast and Abstinence. There is an obligation to fast (one main meal, two light meals in the course of the day and to abstain from meat. The Law of Fasting obliges all Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 years (except the sick). The Law of Abstinence obliges all Catholics over the age of 14 years.

10.00 am Morning Prayer

3.00 pm Celebration of the Passion
We walk with Jesus on the path to Calvary.

5.00 pm Good Friday Walk with Christ
From St Eugene’s Cathedral to
St Mary’s Church, Creggan
via Creggan Road, Westway
and Broadway.

7.30 pm Celebration of the Passion

Those who wish to contribute to a collection for the Religious Communities in the Holy Land may do so by placing a donation in the collection boxes provided at the back of the Cathedral on Good Friday.

HOLY SATURDAY

On this day we wait as the body of our Saviour lies dead in the tomb.

The Easter Vigil: In the words of St Augustine ‘this is the mother of all vigils’. The Easter Triduum reaches its high point on this most holy night. On this night we tell our story, it is our family story. It is not just a distant memory, it is not historical fact - it is living reality. It is the story of salvation. We are a saved people. Through his cross and resurrection Christ has set us free. We symbolise our salvation and freedom through the use of the fire and the single flame of the paschal candle. We have been called out of darkness into the wonderful light of Christ. All the readings at the Vigil reveal to us that we are God’s chosen people. The blessing of the Easter water, the baptism and the renewal of our baptismal promises all express the fact that we belong to Christ and so are a resurrection people.

10.00 am Morning Prayer
We wait at the tomb.

10.00 pm Easter Vigil
Tonight is the high point of the Church’s year
as we celebrate the resurrection of our Saviour.
Ceremony of Light.
The Story of Salvation.
Baptised in Christ.
Renewal of Baptismal Promises.

EASTER SUNDAY

We are a resurrected people and alleluia is our song.

Masses: 7.00 am, 9.30 am, 11.00 am and 12.30pm.

No Devotions.

A mediation through music, film and prayer
on the theme of Christ’s Passion presented by young people
in the Choir Room above the Sacristy here in St Eugene’s Cathedral
this Tuesday, 18th March from 8.00 pm to 8.45 pm. Everyone welcome.

Confessions for Easter
Today (Palm Sunday): 6.00 pm Penitential Service in Long Tower

Monday: 7.00 pm – 7.25 pm in St Eugene’s Cathedral
7.30 pm Penitential Service in Ballymagroarty

Tuesday: 7.00 pm – 7.25 pm in St Eugene’s Cathedral
7.45 pm Penitential Service in Creggan

Wednesday: 7.00 pm – 7.25 pm in St Eugene’s Cathedral

Holy Thursday: 12.00 noon – 1.00 pm, after 7.30 pm Celebration
in St Eugene’s Cathedral

Good Friday: 12.00 noon – 1.00 pm and 8.30 pm – 9.00 pm
in St Eugene’s Cathedral

Holy Saturday: 11.30 am – 6.00 pm in St Eugene’s Cathedral

Sympathy
We offer our sympathy to the family and friends of:
Matthew Jones, 54 Brecanlea, Claudy.

Baptisms
We welcome as members of the Christian community:
Aidan George John Nicell, 9 Cashelmore Park.
Caomhan John Green, 98 Kylemore Park.

Readers
The Holy Week Rota for Readers has been issued.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
10.00 Neil McMahon
07.30 Charlie McDermott

Eucharistic Ministers
Team *C* begins its rota at the Masses on Easter Sunday.

Flowers: Yellow or White flowers or financial donations towards flowers for the Cathedral at Easter are most welcome. Flowers should be left in the Sacristy on Holy Thursday.

The Annual Mass of the Derry Branch of the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women will be held in the Cathedral on Easter Monday, 24th March at 11.00 am.

Fr Michael Canny acknowledges with thanks donations for: Cathedral Funds: £10. St Thérèse Statue: £5.
St Joseph’s Young Priests Collection: £20.

Fr Canny will forward a donation of £60 to LASCO.

Last Week’s Collection amounted to £3,316.

Derry Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes - 16th to 21st July: Application forms are available for any young person aged 14 - 15 years old who would like a place on the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. Special arrangements are made for the youth who will be lead by the Pilgrimage Youth Team. The Lourdes Pilgrimage would be grateful for volunteers who are qualified nurses to work as part of the care team. For further information contact The Pilgrimage Office at 71260293.

The Annual Service of Intercession for the Dead will take place in the City Cemetery on Sunday, 22nd June at 6.00 pm.

Morning Prayer to Jesus Crucified

I kiss the wounds in your Sacred Feet with sorrow deep and true
May every step I take today be a million acts of love for you.

I kiss the wounds of your Sacred Hands with sorrow deep and true
May every touch of my hands today be a million acts of love for you.

I kiss the wounds in your Sacred Head with sorrow deep and true
May every thought in my mind today be a million acts of love for you.

I kiss the wounds in your Sacred Heart with sorrow deep and true
May every beat of my heart today be a million acts of love for you.

I kiss the wounds in your Sacred Shoulder with sorrow deep and true
May every cross I bear today be a million acts of love for you.