SUNDAY 15th JANUARY 2023
SECOND SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME
GOSPEL: ST JOHN 1:29-34
John the Baptist was the first person to refer to Jesus as ‘Lamb of God’. In today’s Gospel, we hear him refer to Jesus as the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. The lamb as a symbol for Jesus is deeply rooted in the Old Testament. For centuries, people worshipped God by sacrificing animals; for the Jews, the lamb was the main animal of sacrifice. The sacrifice of a lamb played a key role in the biblical story of the Exodus, in which God led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery.
Jesus is revealed in the New Testament as the new Passover Lamb, sacrificed for us, His body broken on the cross for our sins. At Mass, at the symbolic action by the priest of the breaking of bread, we invoke Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins on the world”. Today we pray:
‘Jesus, Lamb of God and source of life, Jesus loving bearer of our sins:
hear our prayer, have mercy; hear our prayer, have mercy: grant us Your peace.
MASS SCHEDULE & LITURGIES THIS WEEK:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 10.00am. Tuesday, 9.30am.
Rosary commences 20 minutes before morning Mass
Sunday Masses: Vigil, 6.30pm, Sunday morning, 11.00am.
Please note: no 9.00am Mass on Sunday 22nd January.
All Masses are livestreamed on our webcam; 11.00am Mass on Sunday is broadcast by Finn Valley Radio, 95.8FM
MASS INTENTIONS:
Saturday 21 January, 6.30pm: Peggy Lafferty, Tober (First Anniversary).
ANNIVERSARIES:
Denis McGranaghan, Tober; Pat Duffy, Liskey; John McFeely, Momeen; May Burns, Lifford;
Kaddy Gamble, Rossgier; Patrick Woods, Ballymonaster; Francis Devine, Castlefinn.
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they rest in peace:
THANK YOU, as always, for your generosity in last week’s collection, which amounted to £2,089. Thank you also to those who contribute by Standing Order.
The weekly collection is used to meet the routine costs of running the parish, including energy costs (heat and light), sanctuary candles, liturgical consumables (altar breads, altar wine), pastoral activities, office expenses (including telephone/internet/stationery), maintenance and repairs (of the church, the hall and parochial house), priest’s stipend and staff wages. We do our best to monitor costs at all times and to make the best possible use of the money which you so faithfully contribute each week. In February/March we will be in a position to publish the Financial Report for 2022.
If there is anyone who does not currently contribute to the collection but feels they are now in a financial position where they can start contributing to the cost of running the parish, please contact Lorna in the parish office and she will be happy to provide you with a box of envelopes or for you to arrange payments by Standing Order. Thank you very much.
CHARITABLE DONATIONS SCHEME (GIFT AID):
Those eligible to sign up for the Scheme are those who:
a) contribute €250 or more in a tax year and
b) pay income tax / capital gains tax on €250 or more in the tax year.
The current rate payable by the Revenue is 31%, so your €250 contribution to the parish results in the parish getting an additional €112 (€362 in total).
If you are a tax-payer, pay €250 or more per annum (€5 per week) to the weekly collection, and have not yet signed up for the Scheme, then I appeal to you, please, to consider joining. Please remember, it is at no extra cost to you! You can join by contacting Lorna in the parish office, who will be happy to provide you with the relevant Mandate. Thank you!
THANK YOU most sincerely for a recent, very generous donation of €10,000 to the parish; this donation is most useful at this time in going towards the cost of our indoor-toilet facility at the church. It is very much appreciated – thank you!
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 18 – 25 JANUARY
Theme: Be-Longing: Praying for Unity amidst Injustice:
This year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is guided by the churches of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Exploring how the work of Christian Unity can contribute to the promotion of racial justice across all levels of society, they focus attention on the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which will be marked in 2023. Stephen Lawrence was 18 years old when he was murdered in a racially-motivated attack in London, while waiting for a bus. As we join with other Christians around the world for the Week of Prayer, we pray that our hearts will be open to see and hear the many ways in which racism continues to destroy lives, and to discern the steps we can take as individuals and communities to heal the hurts and build a better future for everyone.
PARENTS OF THE ‘FIRST HOLY COMMUNION’ CHILDREN ARE ASKED TO NOTE:
Our next Do This In Memory Mass will be next week. On this occasion, it will be celebrated on the Saturday evening – Vigil Mass, Saturday 21 January, at 6.30pm. Word of the change to the Saturday evening has been sent to parents via the schools. Apologies for any inconvenience caused by the change to Saturday evening.
At the Saturday evening Mass, each child will be provided with a little bottle of Holy Water, which I will bless and which they can then bring home for their use and their family’s use.
Kath and Qumen will be back from their holidays next week to help us to learn more about the Mass.
PLEASE NOTE:
Next weekend, Saturday 21 January / Sunday 22 January (Third Sunday in Ordinary Time), we will have no 9.00am Mass in St Patrick’s. Mass will be celebrated, as normal, on Saturday 21st, at 6.30pm, and on Sunday 22nd, at 11.00am. Apologies to those who normally attend the 9.00am Mass, for any inconvenience, but I will be in Kilkenny, attending the ordination of Fr Niall Coll as Bishop of Ossory, in Kilkenny. .
I am delighted to be able to join Fr Niall, a native of St Johnston, for the occasion of his episcopal ordination; Fr Niall was a classmate of mine when we studied for priesthood in Maynooth. I ask that you include him in your prayers in these coming days and weeks, as he commences his episcopal ministry.
I am grateful to Fr Michael Doherty, PP Melmount, who has kindly offered to provide a priest to celebrate the 11.00am Mass in our parish on Sunday 22 January.
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM:
Baptisms in our parish in this coming year will be celebrated on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, at 2.00pm. Bookings should be made through Lorna in the parish office, who will be happy to help you. As in the past year, I shall arrange to visit the parents of the children to be baptised into our Catholic faith and welcomed into our parish family, and I very much look forward to that.
ANNIVERSARY MASSES / MONTH’S MIND MASSES, 2023:
This year, with your co-operation, it is hoped to celebrate Month’s Mind Masses and Anniversary Masses within the existing Mass schedule for the parish (ie, one of the three Sunday Masses – Saturday evening Vigil, 6.30pm, Sunday 9.00am / 11.00am, or one of the five weekday morning Masses). Bookings should be made through Lorna in the parish office, who will be happy to try and facilitate you.
I would ask you to note, also, that Month’s Mind Mass requests will take preference over Anniversary Masses. For example, in the event of someone having booked an Anniversary Mass, it may have to be rescheduled in the event of a Month’s Mind Mass request. It is very much hoped, of course, that any such inconvenience will be minimal.
In the case of a special request (ie, for a Month’s Mind or Anniversary Mass not to be part of the existing schedule), please contact me directly and I will be happy to try and facilitate you at another time, if I can.
I encourage you to continue the great tradition in our parish of Month’s Mind and Anniversary Masses.
As we start the year 2023, please make our Parish Prayer part of your daily prayer:
God our Father, pour forth Your Holy Spirit on our parish.
Guide us in Your ways, grant us Your vision. Be our wisdom.
Open our hearts and minds to Your Holy Word,
strengthen us with the Holy Eucharist, our food for the journey.
Help us to be people of prayer, trusting in Your constant presence in the challenges that we face.
With Your help, may our parish always be a place where Your love is known, Your light shines
and our parish families grow together in faith and mission. We ask this through Christ 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 Twitter: @clonleighparish
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