Fourteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

Recently there has been much talk and debate about the future of Irish bogs. Should they be harvested? Should they be left alone? Does nature have to be undermined by culture and what is culture’s responsibility to the preservation of our natural heritage? Whatever the answers to these questions, if you have any experience of working on the bog you might see some parallels with today’s Gospel. The harvest is rich but the labourers are few. Saving turf requires a lot of patient hard work. Lines of wet peat need to be raised from the ground so the wind and sunshine can dry the sods out. And it can only be done one sod at a time. There are no short-cuts in bog work. The hours of backbreaking work, aching muscles, plagues of ants and flies, dirt in your eyes are not compensated for by the thoughts of a warm winter fire. That, however, is what the labour is for.

The Kingdom of God is built one brick at a time, by each of us in our own unique ways. We hear the call of the Lord not only to pray that someone somewhere will go into the harvest, but for us to enter into it ourselves. Oftentimes we feel that our small efforts are insufficient, not worth a mention; but these are sods of the Kingdom which are being transformed into the fire of God’s love.

Christ is aware that not everyone will listen to the proclamation of the Kingdom. It was as true during his earthly ministry as it is today. Many people seem to have given up on the church and Christ. It’s hard to believe, they say; too difficult to carry on. It is to these very people the Lord is sending us today. He must still be proclaimed. He tells us in the gospel, “The Kingdom of God is very near.”

If we do our own little bit in our own little way in the situations we find ourselves day by day, his Kingdom of love, justice and truth will flourish all around us. Then we can confidently trust and “rejoice that our names are written in Heaven.”

Fr Tom Cahill, Intercom

DAILY READINGS

You can access the daily readings on the parish website:

Parish Volunteers – Record Forms

A number of volunteers have not returned the Volunteer record forms which were sent to them recently. Please complete and return your form to the Parish office this week to ensure that your name is included on the updated Parish Register.

St Dominic’s Summer Camp

St Dominic’s Grammar School will be holding a Summer Activity Camp 10.00am-3.00pm on 28th June-2nd July and 2nd August-6th August.

Numerous sports plus Arts & Crafts available. £50 per week or £12 per day.

Contact Laura McCann for further information, 079 2010 2906

GO RAIBH MÍLE MAITH AGAIBH

The Pilgrimage to the Mass Rock to celebrate the Eucharist and to honour St Oliver Plunkett on his feast day last Thursday 1st July was “a profound experience…one of welcome, warmth and hospitality…a Church without Walls”. (Chris Bennett, Church of Ireland Chaplain to the Titanic Quarter). Many thanks to all who made the journey and celebrated with us.

Special thanks to those who helped in the preparations and gave of their time on the evening:

The Purcell Family from the Travellers’ Community, Glenside Road

Members of the Congregation of Redeemer Central Church, East Belfast

The McQuillan Family for permission to come on to the land.

Falls Community Council for the use of their sound system.

PSNI for directing traffic.

And last but not least our own parishioners (you know who you are!) who helped clear the site, set up for the Mass and assisted people down the mountain.

Mass Times