SUNDAY 18th February 2024:
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Temptation comes our way every day, in many forms. We don’t always get it right – we don’t always make the right choices. Sometimes, in our human weakness, we make selfish, self-centred choices. Today’s Gospel calls us to adopt the same trust and confidence in God that Jesus showed when faced with temptation.
MASS SCHEDULE THIS WEEK:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, 10.00am
Tuesday, 9.30am
(The Rosary is normally recited by the congregation 20 minutes prior to the midweek morning Mass). As always, you are invited to come along to this special time of parish prayer
and blessing in our church.
Saturday: Vigil Mass, 6.30pm.
Sunday: Mass at 10.00am
All Masses are livestreamed on our webcam; 10.00am Mass on Sunday is broadcast by Finn Valley Radio, 95.8FM
†
Brian Anderson, Ballinabreen (formerly Ardnaganna, Crossroads)
As a parish faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to all who mourn the death of Brian: to Paul, Donna, Jacqui, Tracy, Andrea and Sabrina, to Pete, Feargal and Marina, to his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and wider family circle and friends of Brian, whose Funeral Mass took place in St Patrick’s on Tuesday.
Vincent Doherty, Cloughfin, Ballindrait
As a parish faith community, we offer our sympathy and our prayerful support to all who mourn the death of Vincent: to Elizabeth, to Owen and Siobhan, to Angela and David, to Kahleen, Fran, Eva, Willie, Terry and Sylvia, to the grandchildren and to the wider family circle and friends of Vincent, whose Funeral Mass took place on Friday.
May they rest in peace.
We pray for the happy repose of the souls of those recently enrolled in the Derry Diocesan Society:
Don Porter, St Columba’s Grove; Sadie Russell, Ballyduff Park; Anne Stewart, Croaghan Heights;
Claire Devine, Birmingham; Betty McColgan, The Common; Rose Peoples, Strabane
ANNIVERSARIES:
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they rest in peace:
Kathleen Marron, Cloughfin; John McGettigan, Strabane/Tamnawood; Mary Gallagher, Coneyburrow
David Devine, Manchester; Hugh Francis Clarke, Coolatee; John Devenney, Manorcunningham
Edward McCrory, Springhill; Sally McDonald, Coneyburrow; Gerry O’Doherty, Derry; Marie Laird, Cloughfin
Molly McElhinney, Coneyburrow; Madeline McMenamin, Cloughfin.
MASS INTENTIONS:
Friday 23 February, 10.00am: Liam Arthur, Townparks
Saturday 24 February, 6.30pm: Noel Gallagher, Croaghan Heights; Sadie Gallagher, Liskey
Sunday, 25 February, 10.00am: Seamus Behan – First Anniversary; Martin McBrearty, Croaghan Heights.
FIRST CONFESSIONS in our parish will be on Wednesday 20 March, at 6.30pm. As the children continue to prepare to receive the sacrament for the first time, parents are asked to help them by spending some prayerful time with them each evening during Lent, at the family’s Sacred Prayer Space, reflecting on the ways in which everyone in the family might have distanced themselves from each other and from God that day through their words or actions, and praying together the Act of Sorrow from last month’s Grapevine:
O my God, I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins, for not loving others and not loving You.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen.
LENT:
Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving are the three traditional pillars of Lenten observance.
PRAYER – The Gospels tell us of the many ways and places that Jesus prayed – sometimes he prayed with others, sometimes he went off to pray alone. In imitating the practices of Jesus, this Lent, we ask ourselves:
a) can I make a commitment to join other members of the parish community for weekday Masses? Can I join the Rosary Group to pray the Rosary, starting twenty minutes before Mass?
b) can I commit to dedicating some time to daily prayer in my home, by myself / with my family? Creating a Sacred Prayer Space in the home is a good way of drawing focus to prayer in the home. In particular, parents are asked to encourage children to participate in creating the sacred space. Purple is the penitential colour, so you may wish to use some purple material/cloth as your backdrop, if you have some. You could place a crucifix or, perhaps, a cross made from wood/twigs that children gather. You might also place a small bottle of holy water in your Sacred Space, and your Trocaire box or a little basket for coins (representing almsgiving), a prayer book/bible (representing prayer). You may also place a candle (taking safety precautions) representing Christ our Light.
c) can I join Fr Patrick Lagan (priest of Waterside parish in Derry) and other people from across the diocese by Zoom on Monday evenings (starting tomorrow, 19 Feb), from 7.00 – 8.00pm for his ‘Prepare’ study of the Sunday Gospels of Lent? This study will continue each Monday evening until 18 March. Using the prayer practice of Lectio Divina, Fr Patrick will lead the group in reading, listening to, responding to and resting with the Word of God. To book, please click on the link: https://forms.gle/5xdNdKWyazYjGKddA (see our parish Facebook page) or email: tony.brennan@derrydiocese.org
FAST: We are asked to abstain from some favourite food or drink during Lent. Again, parents, you are asked to encourage your children to participate in some form of abstinence – particularly through example! Fasting does not just apply to food and drink – it could apply to other things, eg, ‘fasting’ from / reducing the time we spend on mobile phones / social media platforms. Engage in conversation with your child(ren) about what form of ‘fast’ they might take up for Lent. A little basket containing a note of what the family members might abstain from during Lent could form part of your Sacred Space.
ALMSGIVING: Trócaire is the focus of our Lenten almsgiving. This year, the focus is on Malawi. The Trócaire Lenten Box features Malita with two of her six children, 12-year-old twins, Patricia and Patrick, at their home in Malawi. Their story is unfortunately one that is typical in Malawi as they struggle every day with the many problems relating to access to water – going from drought to flooding. You are encouraged to read Malita’s remarkable story of what she does to ensure her family survives. Again, parents, please share Malita’s story with your children. Trócaire’s work in Malawi is focused on supporting communities, particularly women like Malita, to adapt their livelihoods to cope with the impact of climate change or ensuring families like hers can continue to survive.
Trócaire boxes are available at the back of the church. You are asked to pick one up today, please, if you haven’t already done so.
LOURDES COLLECTION – If you haven’t already returned your envelope, you are asked to do so this week. Thank you.
THANK YOU for your generosity in last week’s collection, which amounted to £2,105.
VISITATION OF THE SICK AND HOUSEBOUND will take place this week, starting each day at 11.00am:
Monday – Ballindrait, Tober & Cloughfin; Wednesday – Rossgier, Coolatee, Porthall & Cavan Hill;
Thursday – Murlog, Lifford & Coneyburrow; Friday – Letterkenny Road, Croaghan Heights & Drumboy.
Each day of Lent you are encouraged to pray the Diocesan Lenten Prayer.
Loving Father, to prepare for His mission of proclaiming Your kingdom to the world,
Your Son Jesus was guided by Your Holy Spirit to the quiet of the desert.
In these Lenten days, I pray that I will be guided by that same Spirit,
to a place of renewal in my heart and mind,
so that I will seek opportunities for daily personal prayer,
personal sacrifices and acts of kindness.
With Your help, may I too be truly prepared to share in the story of the
passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Your Son, our Lord. Amen.
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 X: @clonleighparish
Find us on Facebook:. Clonleigh Parish
SAFEGUARDING NOTICE:
If you have any concerns about safeguarding children or adults in need of protection within the Church, please contact Marie Gormley, the Diocesan Designated Liaison Person, on 07596 500793 or by email on marie.gormley@derrydiocese.org