Sixth
Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday,
14th February 2010
THE
CRY OF THE POOR
Each year,
the Season of Lent is offered to us as a time of renewal.
Usually, we take up this Lenten journey as the gift
of personal renewal in terms of our relationship with
the Lord. Our renewal becomes concrete when it comes
down to self-denial which allows us to live our faith
more authentically. The alms giving we do helps us
express our gratitude and allows us to exercise generosity.
However, Lent can also be a time to focus beyond ourselves.
It can be a time of renewal that is offered us to
hear the cry of the poor and grow in solidarity with
them. Ultimately, this is spiritual renewal as well
and helps us grow closer to our Lord who tells us
that if we wish to love him, we must express that
love as love for the least of our brothers and sisters.
How can I
make this Lent a time to hear the cry of the poor?
It all starts with desire and a few choices. If we
recognize a desire to be more attentive to the poor
and to grow in affection for and solidarity with them,
then it is likely that this is a grace we have received.
Many things may have happened to open us to this grace,
but it is important to name it and welcome it. Perhaps
God has been offering us this grace for some time
and preparing us to receive it this Lent. If we don't
feel this desire, we can ask for it.. We can ask our
Lord to help us grow in a desire to hear better the
cry of those most in need.
Who are the
poor? Who are most in need? Who are most pushed to
the margins of neglect and powerlessness? It doesn't
take a great social analysis to come up with some
immediate answers in my own world and in the global
situation today. Listening to the news - locally,
nationally, globally - is a beginning. Who appears
to be suffering? Who seems to be tremendously burdened?
Not all the poor are in the news, but a sensitive
scan of the news is a place to start.
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION GROUP thanks
everybody who has undertaken an hour of Adoration
in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Mel’s
College Chapel Mon. to Fri. 8.00am to 8.00pm. However,
we have some vacant hours waiting to be filled especially
on Fridays. To book your hour please contact. Fr .Brendan,
Mary - 3341131, Ann -3340429 or Joan - 3345021 or
drop your name, phone number and preferred hour into
the presbytery.
PERPETUAL ADORATION – each
day at St. Mel’s College Chapel from 8.30am
– 8.00pm. In the evening times only, adoration
takes place in the oratory at the presbytery from
8.00pm – 12 midnight and also from 6.00am –
8.00am each morning.
LONGFORD PRAYER GROUP meet this Monday
at 8.00 pm in St. Joseph’s Hospital. All are
welcome as we pray for all the people in our families
and community.
NIGHT PRAYER VIGIL, CLONMACNOIS,
Cluain Chiarain Prayer Centre. Fri 19th Feb Mass at
10pm, Adoration follows, ends at 3.10am. All welcome.
Enquiries Dave 085 7746763
THE FRIENDLY ‘PHONE CALL SERVICE
provides a free social contact daily ‘phone
call to those who wish to avail of the service. For
more information or to make arrangements to receive
a call contact Mary – 043 3349678 or Margaret
– 043 3345555. This project is supported by
Longford Community Resources Ltd.
LONGFORD INDOOR MARKET & CAR BOOT SALE
takes place every Sat at Mastertech Park,
Athlone Road from 10am - 5pm. For stall bookings:
086-64276226.
PARISH MASSES
We are moving
to St. Mel’s College Sports Centre for our weekend
7.30pm Vigil, 10am, 11.30pm and 1pm Masses starting
next weekend, Saturday 20 Feb. The 8am Sunday Masses
will be held from now on in St. Mel’s College
Chapel. All our weekday Masses already take place
there.
However,
this week on Ash Wednesday we will hold four Masses
in the Temperance Hall including an extra
Mass at 1pm to cater for the large number of people
who like to attend Mass on that day. The normal 7.30pm
evening Mass for Lent will also begin from Wednesday.
Please see the table below for Mass times and venues
each day this coming week:
| DATE |
MASS
TIMES |
VENUE |
| Mon 15 Feb |
8am, 10am |
St. Mel’s
College Chapel |
| Tues 16 Feb |
8am, 10am |
St. Mel’s
College Chapel |
| ASH
WEDNESDAY |
8am,
10am, 1.00pm,
7.30pm |
TEMPERANCE
HALL |
| Thurs 18 Feb |
8am, 10am,
7.30pm |
St. Mel’s
College Chapel |
| Fri 19 Feb |
8am, 10am,
7.30pm |
St. Mel’s
College Chapel |
| Sat 20 Feb |
8am, 10am, |
St. Mel’s
College Chapel |
| |
7.30pm
Vigil. |
St.
Mel’s College Sports Centre |
| Sun 21 Feb |
8am |
St. Mel’s
College Chapel |
| |
10am,
11.30pm, 1pm |
St.
Mel’s College Sports Centre |
CONFESSIONS are available from 10.30am
- 1pm on Saturdays at St. Mel’s College Chapel.
NO
SMOKING REGULATIONS – Please note that
because St. Mel’s College Chapel and Sports
Centre are on School grounds it is illegal to smoke
in the area. We would ask all parishioners to observe
this rule out of courtesy to the College staff and
students.
PARISH WEBSITE - WWW.LONGFORDPARISH.COM
– There are links on the homepage to different
videos of St. Mel’s Cathedral on TV in these
weeks and a News Updates section which tells of weekly
developments at the Cathedral. There are Image Galleries
with photos of the Cathedral and parish before and
after the fire. This newsletter is also available
online. So click onto www.longfordparish.com
FAMILY CENTRE – is now open
after our temporary closure. We are delighted to welcome
back all groups that avail of the Family Centre for
their activities.
THE
RAINBOWS PROGRAMME recommenced last Tuesday
at 6pm in the Family Centre.
BEREAVEMENT PROGRAMME – A six
week Bereavement Programme begins in the Family Centre,
Longford on Wed. 17th Feb at 8.00pm. This Programme
will be conducted by two trained facilitators. Bereaved
people who have participated in the Programme have
found it helpful and healing. Booking & information:
043 3346827 or 087 2843034.
GOSPEL
OF LUKE – Sr Anna Burke & Fr Padraig
Kelliher continue to look at the Gospel of Luke at
the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, St. Mel’s College
for the next four Monday nights at 8.00pm –
Feb 15, Feb 22, Mar 1 and Mar 8. Please feel free
to still come along. The Pastoral Centre is in the
old main building of St. Mel’s College which
faces you directly as you go down the entrance avenue.
TROCAIRE
– This year’s Fast encourages people to
‘Give it up for Trocaire’ on 4th/5th March
in support of people in the world who go to bed hungry
at night. What you give up for a day is up to you
– food, your phone, coffee, TV or a bad habit
– and ask family, friends and colleagues to
sponsor you. Your efforts can make an enormous difference
to the lives of some of the world’s poorest
communities. To order your Fast Pack, log on to www.trocaire.org/fast
where you can set up your own sponsorship page or
call 1850 408 408 or text Fast4 to 51727.
TOUCH-TYPE
READ AND SPELL - A computer-based course
for children who have Dyslexia, reading and/or spelling
difficulties or other learning difficulties. This
course is currently running in the Enterprise Centre
on Fridays from 4 – 6pm. For more information
please contact Yvonne at midlandscoaching@gmail.com
or 087 6155965. See www.ttrs.co.uk
"The mediocre
teacher tells.
The good teacher
explains.
The superior teacher
demonstrates.
The great teacher
inspires."
William A. Ward
CATHEDRAL
CIRCLE
Membership
of the Cathedral Circle ensures a place in the weekly
draw for 2010. Annual membership is €50. We are
grateful to all who support our weekly draw in any
way and a particular thank you to all our promoters.
We welcomed
the following child into our Christian Community recently:
Sasha
& Ignacy Klimski, St. Alban’s,
Battery Road
Killian
McHugh, Glack
Callum
Shannon, Lisduff
Leon
Curwin, Teffia Park
Gemma
McHugh, Ballymakeegan
We
pray for those whose funerals took place during the
week ending
Sunday 14th February , 2010
Eileen Reynolds,
Abbeycartron
Emily Amphlett,
formerly Bridge St., who died in U.K.
