Seventh
Sunday In Ordinary Time
Lent is a forty-day
period before Easter. It begins on
Ash Wednesday. We skip Sundays when
we count the forty days, because Sundays
commemorate the Resurrection. Lent
begins on 25th
February 2009 and ends on 12th April
2009.
In the Catholic
Church, Lent officially ends at sundown
on 9th April (Holy Thursday), with
the beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s
Supper. In most churches, the decorations
are purple or blue, royal colours
to prepare for the King.
Lent is a season
of soul-searching and repentance.
It is a season for reflection and
taking stock. Lent originated in the
very earliest days of the Church as
a preparatory time for Easter, when
Christians rededicated themselves
and when converts were instructed
in the faith and prepared for baptism.
By observing the forty days of Lent,
the individual Christian imitates
Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness
for forty days. Lent has been observed
in the church since the time of the
Apostles.
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| Daily
Readings
The
readings for each day of Lent can
be found on the Parish website - click
the link below.
You
can access the daily readings on the
parish website:
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This
Wednesday 25th February is Ash Wednesday
it is a day of fast and abstinence.
Masses will be at 7am and 10am.
Ashes will be distributed at both
Masses
Lent
Again!
Masses
during Lent
Masses for Lent Mon - Thurs 7am
& 10am, Friday 7am & 7.30pm.
Sunday Masses as usual.
Giving up
Alcohol for Lent
Do you feel we live in a drinks
culture? Are you concerned about
alcohol abuse? You can make a difference.
Will you give up alcohol for Lent?
That’s one type of fasting.
We invite you to take a Temporary
Pledge with the Pioneer Association,
say a short prayer daily and offer
your sacrifice to God for someone
suffering with an addiction. Register
with the Pioneers Association 9032
2774.
A Lenten
Programme
‘When people come alive in
faith
there is a hunger for the Word of
God’
Pope Benedict XVI, in a recent statement
reminds us of the importance of
praying and listening together.
For Christians, the Pope says, ‘it
is vital to listen together to the
Word of God - to practise Lectio
Divina of the Bible (Sacred Reading)’
Synod of Bishops – Rome 08.
You are invited to a Lenten Scripture
Programme which will begin
this Tuesday 25th February in the
Convent of Mercy. Morning session:
10.40am (after Mass) or Evening
session: 7.00pm.
Come and
join us.
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Read Bible Alice,
Day by Day and/or Irish Catholic
Bible Alive
£1.95 (which gives a meditation on
the readings for Mass each day) for Lent
and Day by Day booklet £1 is available
in the Sacristy and the Irish Catholic £1
is available in the church porches. |
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Support
Trocaire
Trócaire boxes are now available
in the church porches
please take one.
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Meditate
on the sufferings of Jesus
Join us on a journey through
the Stations of the Cross each
Friday evening of Lent from
7 – 7.20pm.
We will contemplate the Passion
and death of Christ.
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Feast
of the Chair of St Peter
St. Peter’s Cathedral,
today Sunday 22nd February at
5.00 pm. Solemn Vespers "Feast
of the Chair of St. Peter"
Celebrated by Bishop Treanor
and the Cathedral Chapter. Music
Led by St. Peter's Cathedral
Schola.
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Workshop on Marriage:
Renew Your Wedding Vows: Marriage Encounter is a weekend away (Friday 8pm to Sunday 5pm) for married couples of all ages with a stable relationship. Couples explore, in complete privacy, how to come to a deeper mutual understanding of each other. The next Marriage Encounter weekend is: 27th-29th March, Dromantine Conference Centre, Newry.
Phone: 028 90 626503
www.marriageencounter.ie |
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Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes
The 26th Annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes takes place this July under the leadership of Bishop Treanor. Fare, inclusive of all charges and including return flight from Belfast to Lourdes and full-board in hotels in Lourdes is:
5 nights July 11-16 £545
7 night July 10-17 £595
Youth Team (Age 17-25) July 10-17 £475
For application forms call to parish house. |
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| Service
of Light and Commitment
The year 7s from the parish primary school will celebrate the Service of Light and Commitment on Tuesday 24th February at 7pm in preparation of the Sacrament of Confirmation. |
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Blood Transfusion
Coming
to St. Michael's Parish Centre
on Friday 27th February
between 2pm-4.30pm & 5.45pm-8pm.
New Donors needed.
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| Baptisms
| Next
baptisms will take place on Sunday 1st March
2009 at 1.30pm. Please note the next date
available for Baptism is Sunday 19th April
2009. The next pre-Baptism instruction will
be on Thursday 5th March 2009 at 8pm in
the convent.
It is necessary
to attend pre-Baptism preparation before
asking to have your child baptised. To register
for pre-Baptism preparation please contact
the parish office 9061 8180, Mon & Wed
2pm-5pm, Tue & Fri 10am-2pm & Thurs
10am-1pm.
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Newly Baptised
We welcome into
our parish family
Paul Martin McMahon
Eoin Eamon Crossan
Sean Gerard Francis Gallagher
Rihanna Faith McAllister
Jack Joseph Magill/Thompson
who were recently baptised.
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| We
Loved Them In Life
We offer our sympathy and prayerful support to the families of those parishioners who died recently:
Joan
Hamill, Carrigart Ave
Thomas McManus, Stewartstown Avenue
We
pray for
the happy repose of those whose anniversaries
occur around this time:
Una Marie
Marley
Hugh McShane
John Gardiner
Kevin Murphy
Christopher O’Loan
Madge Hughes
Danny O’Neill
Josie Cahill
Margaret Keenan
Molly Beare
Alice McQuillan
Frank Tierney
Margaret & Henry Denis
Kathleen & Anthony Drain
Francis & Gerard Palmer
Gerard Monaghan
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| Collections
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The Offertory collection
for
amounted to £1,211.26
The
collection for
Sick and Retired Priests
amounted
to £847.96
Thank you all for
your generous support
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