The 3 churches newsletter for Easter Sunday 20 April and Divine Mercy Sunday 27 April is now available below.
3 churches newsletter – 20/27 April 2014 (double edition)
Fr Matthew and Fr Tomy wish all our parishioners and friends of the 3 Churches a very happy, joyful and peace-filled Easter!
In a month’s time, God willing, I, with the rest of the “September” Pilgrims, will be able to stand in the traditional Room of the Last Supper, wander around the Garden of Gethsemane, climb up onto the Hill of Calvary and visit the Tomb. No matter that some of these may not be precisely in the exact location of the events of Holy Week. The important thing is that these holy places remind us that these events really did happen. Real bread and wine became the real Body and Blood, real water on Peter’s feet, thorns on head, nails in wrists and ankles, blood on wood… yes, it all happened.
This week, this Week of Weeks, takes us to the heart and source of our faith where we find life and death, love and hate, faithfulness and betrayal, sin and perfection, fear and triumph. In a word, it is in Holy Week and Easter that we find the truth of our faith, where God bends down, immerses himself in our humanity in all its grittiness and offers to raise us to glory. If we have come this far in Lent, one last effort, one last decision to stay with Him – as He decided at Gethsemane to do all this for us – and we will be there. A final determination to follow him now, and we too can be raised up with Him.
Finally, our prayer for use at Mass or at home for Palm Sunday:
Lord Jesus,
You have accompanied us on our journey through Lent,
be with us now as we enter this most holy of weeks.
Help us to embrace the glory and the joy of the cross
through which you redeemed each one of us.
And instill in us a desire to share your infinite love and mercy for us
with those who do not know you.
Amen.
The 3 churches newsletter for Palm Sunday is now available.
I can’t believe that we are almost at Holy Week, but, yes, next Sunday is Palm Sunday. Here are the times of Holy week services in our 3 Churches.
All Masses at normal times, to include the Blessing of Palms.
Family Stations of the Cross at Christ the King 3.30pm
Film for Holy Week “The Passion of the Christ” St Brigid’s Hall 7.30pm.
Masses at normal times.
Chrism Mass at the Cathedral 11.30am. (note change of day)
Parish Masses and “The Light Is On” at usual times.
Mass of the Lord’s Supper 8.00pm at St Paul’s and at Christ the King at both churches.
Morning Prayer 10.00am at Christ the King.
Commemoration of the Passion 3.00pm at Christ the King and at St Brigid’s
Morning Prayer 10.00am at Christ the King
Watching until Midnight
Easter Vigil and First Mass of Easter 8.30pm at St Brigid’s, and 9.00pm at Christ the King.
All Masses at normal times.
Here is a prayer for use at Mass and elsewhere on this the Fifth Sunday of Lent
Lord Jesus,
you love us, you gave your life to save us,
and now you are living at our side
to enlighten us, strengthen us and free us.
When our lives seem dark –
ease our hearts
and place in them that firm and quiet trust
that roots them deeply in your own life, death and resurrection. Let the joy of the Gospel raise us up
and, certain of your infinite love for us,
may your Holy Spirit help us to bring the power of that message into the lives of others.
Amen
Download the 3 churches newsletter for the 5th Sunday of Lent.
The call of Lent is the call to change, to repent, to let go – a change of heart or “metanoia”. It is a time to prepare for our celebration of the saving events that we call the Paschal Mystery – the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Saviour. At the heart, then of Lent must be a serious reflection on where we are on our Christian journey.
The priest’s prayer of absolution in Reconciliation begins “God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself, and has sent the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins.” The second half continues: “Through the ministry of the Church, may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”.
All of us should try to celebrate this great Sacrament of forgiveness during Lent. This week our 3 Churches Reconciliation or Penitential Service on Wednesday 2 April takes place during the weekly “Light Is On” time, 7-8pm at Christ the King.
Note there just for this one week in Lent, will be no Confessions at St Brigid’s Wednesday evening and Wednesday Mass at Christ the King will be at 9.30am.
Here is a prayer for use at Mass and elsewhere on this the Fourth Sunday of Lent:
Lord Jesus,
you came to open the eyes of the blind.
Open our eyes to all that you seek to show us,
and open our hearts and minds to understand God’s will.
Heal us of our own greyness and melancholy
and everything that gets in the way of the joy of the Gospel.
Kindle anew the light of your love within us
so that we may joyfully live out your message in our everyday lives –
humbly and generously loving our neighbour;
and seeking justice for all God’s people.
Amen