SUNDAY 29th JANUARY 2023
FOURTH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME:
The teaching by Jesus of the Beatitudes, that we hear in today’s Gospel, and the Gospel passages that we will hear for the next number of Sundays, all form part of what is known as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In short, the Sermon on the Mount is the various teachings of Jesus on discipleship. The Beatitudes bring a deeper understanding and meaning to the Ten Commandments. They address the attitudes necessary to live out the Commandments, the attitudes necessary for true discipleship. Jesus didn’t just teach the Beatitudes: they were mirrored in His own lifestyle.
MASS SCHEDULE & LITURGIES THIS WEEK:
Monday: 10.00am. Tuesday: 9.30am
Wednesday, 1 February, Feast of St Brigid: 10.00am. Crosses will be blessed at Mass.
Thursday, 2 February, Presentation of the Lord in the Temple (Candlemas Day): 10.00am –
Candles will be blessed at Mass. Thursday is also World Day for Consecrated Life.
Friday 3 February, Feast of St Blaise: 10.00am. Blessing of throats after Mass.
Rosary commences 20 minutes before morning Mass.
Sunday Masses: Vigil, 6.30pm; Sunday, 9.00am and 11.00am.
All Masses are livestreamed on our webcam; 11.00am Mass on Sunday is broadcast by Finn Valley Radio, 95.8FM
MASS INTENTIONS:
Wednesday 1 February, 10.00am: Robbie White, Murlog
Friday 3 February, 10.00am: John Harte, Ballyduff
Sunday 5 February, 11.00am: Olive McCullagh, Ballinabreen.
ANNIVERSARIES:
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they rest in peace:
Robbie White, Murlog
Josephine Byrne, Clady; Joe Colhoun, Coneyburrow; Theresa Lynch, Ballinabreen; Pat Doherty, Cloughfin Kieran Crawford, Letterkenny Rd; William Doherty, Ardnasool; Mary McIntyre, The Diamond; Paddy Devenney, Coneyburrow.
Congratulations to Deacon Michael McCaul, who will be ordained as a priest for the Derry Diocese today (Sunday) at a ceremony in St Eugene’s Cathedral, at 3pm. Michael is a native of Derry City. Please remember Michael in your prayers. May God bless him as he commences ministry as a priest of the diocese.
As a parish faith community we congratulate Bishop McKeown and wish him every blessing as he takes up his role as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Down & Connor, in addition to his role as Bishop of Derry Diocese. May God bless and protect him as he takes up this additional ministry.
Congratulations and best wishes to Bishop Niall Coll, who was ordained as Bishop of Ossory in Kilkenny last Sunday. Please keep Bishop Niall in your prayers in the days and weeks ahead.
PARENTS OF THE CHILDREN PRESENTING FOR CONFIRMATION are invited to an Information Evening in Murlog NS tomorrow night, Monday 30 January, at 7.30pm. At this meeting, we will also focus on how you, the parents, can best support and help your child prepare for this important step in their faith journey. All parents are asked to attend, please. You are also asked, please, to ensure that you bring your child to one of our Sunday Masses each weekend (Vigil, 6.30pm, Morning, 9.00 / 11.00am). This is a most important part of the children’s preparation.
We look forward to welcoming Bishop McKeown to our parish on Saturday 11 March, to administer the sacrament.
THANK YOU to all the First Holy Communion children for making our Mass so special last week. It was lovely to see you and your families. Our next Do This In Memory Mass is only two weeks away – Sunday 12 February, at 11.00am. I hope all the children and their families will check out what is in Grapevine ahead of this Mass and, as always, check out the activities in Thumb. Parents are asked to encourage and support their children in using Grapevine and Thumb.
THANK YOU, as always, for your generosity in last week’s collection, which amounted to €1,214. The previous week’s collection amounted to €2,515 (€290 coin was not included in the total of €2,225 reported in last week’s newsletter).
CLOUGHFIN NATIONAL SCHOOL will accept applications for admission for the 2023/24 school year from 1 February to 28 February. See www.cloughfinns.com for an online enrolment form. Phone 074-9145705 for more information or to organise a visit.
SCOIL MHUIRE GAN SMÁL / LIFFORD NATIONAL SCHOOL:
Enrolment is now open for September 2023. We will be holding an Open Day on Friday 10 February, at 2.00pm, where you will get an opportunity to see our infant classroom and meet our teachers. For Applications/further information tel 074 9141269 / Email: liffordns@gmail.com.
MURLOG NATIONAL SCHOOL:
Applications for enrolment to Junior Infants for September 2023 will be accepted from Wednesday 1 February until Friday 3 March. Enrolment forms are available through the school office or by visiting our website at www.murlogns.scoilnet.ie. Please include a copy or your child’s birth certificate. Contact the school on 074 91 41450 for further information.
PRAYER TO ST. BRIGID, PATRONESS OF IRELAND (FEAST DAY 1 FEBRUARY)
St. Brigid, you were a woman of peace.
You brought harmony where there was conflict.
You brought light to the darkness. You brought hope to the downcast.
May the mantle of your peace cover those who are troubled and anxious,
and may peace be firmly rooted in our hearts and in our world.
Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.
You were a voice for the wounded and weary.
Strengthen what is weak within us. Calm us into a quietness that heals and listens.
May we grow each day into greater wholeness in mind, body and spirit. Amen.
THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD (CANDLEMAS DAY) is celebrated on 2 February (Thursday of this week), forty days after the celebration of the Birth of Jesus. Two elderly people, Simeon and Anna, are at the centre of the Gospel on this day. They prayed in their advanced years that they would live to see God revealed to the nations, the promised Light of the world. Their prayer was answered when Mary and Joseph came to the Temple to present the Child Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, both Anna and Simeon were blessed with recognising the Infant Jesus as Son of God and the Saviour of the world.
On Candlemas Day, candles are blessed, symbolising Christ, the Light who entered the world, bringing hope to all.
Do This In Memory:
Great to see you all last week, boys and girls, at the Do This In Memory Mass. I hope you are using your Holy Water to bless yourself and to protect you and your family members every day.
It’s only two weeks till our next Do This in Memory Mass.
For that Mass, you are asked to draw a picture that represents peace and happiness: this might be a picture of you and your family having fun, or it might be a drawing of the words Peace and Joy, or it might be two people shaking hands in peace, it might be you playing with your friends. No doubt you will use your imagination very well, as always!
‘LEARNING ABOUT THE MASS’ CORNER:
KATH: So, Qumen, I tried to follow the Eucharistic Prayer last Sunday at Do This in Memory Mass, but you might need to explain more. You said there are different parts to it?
QUMEN: Yes, Kath, there are four parts to the Eucharistic Prayer. The first part is called the Preface. During the Preface, we give thanks for all the good things that God has done for us. The priest leads the Prayer and we pray the responses. The responses are in Thumb, of course.
KATH: How do we know when the Preface, the first part of the Eucharistic Prayer, is over?
QUMEN: The Preface ends with the Sanctus, the Holy, Holy, Holy prayer. After that we kneel for the second part of the Eucharistic Prayer, before the Consecration.
KATH: Even I know the Holy, Holy, Holy prayer – well, the first three words anyway! But why did you call it the Sanctus?
QUMEN: Sanctus is a Latin word, Kath, meaning Holy. In Thumb, the ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ is called Sanctus and I thought I’d sound clever speaking in Latin! My gran told me the Mass used to be said in Latin and so the ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ prayer started with ‘Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus’.
KATH & QUMEN: Learning it in English sounds like the easier option for us!
Access the Readings on our parish website:
The Daily Mass Readings are also on our website: https://clonleighparish.com/todays-mass-readings/ . Alternatively, just google Clonleigh Parish readings.
The Daily Mass Readings are also on our website: https://clonleighparish.com/todays-mass-readings/ . Alternatively, just google Clonleigh Parish readings.
Parish Contact Details:
Parish Priest: Fr Colm O’Doherty Parochial House: 074-9142022
Mobile: 0833665530
Parish Office – Secretary: Lorna Porter @ 074-9142001
Email: clonleighparish@derrydiocese.org
Parish website: www.clonleighparish.com
Follow us on Twitter: @clonleighparish
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