Your Parish Newsletter for Sunday 3rd January 2021:
SECOND SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS:
‘The Word was made flesh and lived among us’
Today, in this Season of Christmas, with our hearts and minds dwelling on the privilege of being a part of God’s family, we continue to rejoice in the birth of the Baby Jesus. The Gospel we listen to today is the same as that of Christmas Day (Daytime Mass). It is the Prologue which opens the Gospel of John, bringing us to the very beginning of time and reminding us that the Word was there from the beginning. It is a magnificent manifesto of the Incarnation, God made Man, the Word made flesh, that lived among us, the True Light that would give all of us a glimpse of the glory of God.
Mass Schedule for the Parish this Week:
With our church being closed, you are invited to participate in our Masses via our parish webcam: WebCam – WATCH LIVE
Our 11.00am Mass is also broadcast live each Sunday on Finn Valley Radio, 95.8FM
SUNDAY MASSES: Vigil: Saturday 6.30pm, Sunday Morning: 11.00am
(Note: there will only be one Sunday Morning Mass – 11.00am – while the church remains closed.
WEEKDAY MASSES: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 9.30am.
Wednesday, 6 January, the Twelfth Day of Christmas, is the Epiphany of the Lord (normally a Holy Day of Obligation)
The Angelus and Rosary will be recited each day at 12.00noon. Please join in via webcam.
PLEASE NOTE: THE CHURCH WILL BE OPEN EACH DAY FOR PRIVATE PRAYER
(OTHER THAN WHEN MASS IS BEING CELEBRATED OR THE ANGELUS/ROSARY RECITED).
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT THE CHURCH FOR QUIET PRAYER AND TO LIGHT A CANDLE.
†
Caroline McBride (Nee McGhee), late of 47 Croaghan Heights
As a parish faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to Neil, to Rhys, Rhianna and Rhylie, to Eileen and Sylvester, and to the sister, brothers and wider family circle and friends of Caroline, whose Funeral Mass took place in St Patrick’s on Wednesday morning. May she rest in peace.
John Dooher, late of Coneyburrow Road
We offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to Brenda, to Dionne, Tara and Aaron, and to the sisters, brothers and wider family circle and friends of John, whose Funeral Mass took place in St Patrick’s on Saturday. May he rest in peace.
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THIS WEEK:
Saturday 9 January, 6.30pm: Maureen & Hugh McDermott, late of Coneyburrow Road
ANNIVERSARIES:
We remember in prayer the souls of those whose anniversaries occur at this time ….
Rose Carlin, Coneyburrow, Matthew Catterson, Ballindrait
and Jimmy Crawford Junior, Porthall.
May they rest in peace.
FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY:
Wednesday of this week, 6 January, is the Feast of the Epiphany, normally a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass (via webcam) is at 9.30pm. The word epiphany means ‘manifestation’, ‘revelation’ or ‘showing’. The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of the Child Jesus to the Wise Men (Magi) from the East and their adoration of Him. Perhaps we don’t often use or think of the word epiphany in relation to our own faith journey, but our epiphanic journey begins with Baptism, our first call to follow Christ. We pray today that, guided by Scripture, nourished with the Eucharist and encouraged by others who point us in the right direction in life, we will walk in the ways and light of the Lord, in the hope that, one day, our journey will lead to God’s eternal home.
Blessing of the New Year (from the Family Prayer Book)
Response: Be with us, Lord:
In January, the month of darkness and frost…Be with us, Lord
In February, the month of rain, wind and snow…
In March, the month of farmers, lambs and new life…
In April, the month of swallows, growth and green grass…
In May the month of the cuckoo, flowers and summer…
In June, the month of examinations, mid-summer and sun…
In July, the month of holidays, dry grass and summer’s end…
In August, the month of harvest, wheat and corn…
In September, the month of fruits, schools and St Michael…
In October, the month of falling leaves, colour and nuts…
In November, the month of the holy souls and saints…
In December, the month of the gift, the Light and Emmanuel…
COLLECTION:
THANK YOU for your generosity to the collection last week, which amounted to €1,840, and thank you also to those who contribute by Standing Order. Your ongoing financial support of the parish is particularly appreciated, given the extra effort required when the church is closed for public worship. If anyone who does not currently have an envelope box would like to receive one, please contact Lorna at the parish office. Likewise, you can contact Lorna if you wish to start contributing by Standing Order.
In due course, a Financial Statement – giving a summary of the Income and Expenditure for the parish for the last year (2020) – will be published.
Sincere thanks also for your generous contributions to me in the Christmas Collection.
You can also request envelopes by simply clicking on this link: ‘Get in Touch‘ and then select Parish Envelopes from the drop-down menu.
SUNDAY SCRIPTURES: SUNDAY SCRIPTURE READINGS: Familiarising ourselves with the Word of God before we hear it at Sunday Mass is a good way of gaining a better understanding of what God is saying to us in the Scriptures. Perhaps you might consider making a new year’s resolution to look through the Readings each week this coming year, in advance of Sunday Mass. Next Sunday, 10 January, we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord; the Gospel we will listen to is St Mark 1:7-11. You can access the Scripture Readings on catholicbishops.ie/readings.
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD:
Last year, Pope Francis declared the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time each year (Sunday 24 January, this year), as Sunday of the Word of God. The Pope established this Day to encourage amongst us a better understanding of the Bible but, as well, intended it as more than a one-day event in the year for, in the words of the Holy Father, “We need to grow in our knowledge and love of the Scriptures and of the risen Lord…..The Bible belongs above all to those called to hear its message and to recognise themselves in its words…..The Word of God unites believers and makes them one people.” Pope Francis invites us never to take God’s Word for granted but, instead, to “let ourselves be nourished by it, in order to acknowledge and live fully our relationship with Him and with our brothers and sisters”.
As part of our parish welcome to the establishment by Pope Francis of ‘Sunday of the Word,’ for the Sundays of this month, we will have a Bible Catechesis Corner in our bulletin, providing fundamental information on the Bible and its contents. Each week, we will have a different Question and Answer; it is offered with the aim of helping us to build on our knowledge of and familiarity with the overall structure and contents of the Bible.
If you have a Bible in your home, please take it out to help you in getting to grips with the information provided weekly.
Parents are asked to share the Q & A with their children each week, or, vice versa!
Sunday Mass Readings:
Download Sunday’s Mass Readings, you can do so by following the link below on our website:
Covid-19 Protocols: Clonleigh Parish:
The current Clonleigh Parish protocols can be viewed by following the link to this page on our website and we recommend that you regularly check this page for any new updates:
ONLINE CONTRIBUTIONS:
Donate to the Church in the following ways:
1. Parish Envelopes
2. Online donation via our website. Click the Donate button below.
3. Standing Order. Set up a standing order through your online banking portal or – Download this form: Standing Order Form and we can set it up on your behalf. Send to or email to the Parish Office: clonleighparish@derrydiocese.org
Download our Standing Order Form
Parish Contact Details:
Parish Priest: Fr Colm @ 074-9142022
Fr Colm Mobile: 0833665530
Parish Office – Secretary: Lorna Porter @ 074-9142001
Email: clonleighparish@derrydiocese.org
Parish website: www.clonleighparish.com
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