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Diocesan Notices: 29th February 2012
From the Dublin Diocesan Noticeboard.
February 29, 2012
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Pastor's Desk: First Sunday of Lent
The Gospel today tells us how the season of Lent came about. Jesus, after His baptism in the River Jordan, went immediately into the desert or wilderness. Jesus stays there 40 days and nights and uses this time alone to reflect on His mission and prepare for preaching the Good News of God’s love. While alone Jesus suffers temptation at the hands of Satan and His faith in God is ridiculed. After this period of testing, Jesus began His mission of calling people back to a relationship with God.
Our season of Lent is about pausing and reflecting on our living out of our Faith. There is no doubt that being a person of Faith is very difficult today. There are plenty of people ready to mock our belief in God and sometimes the bombardment can get to us so that we begin to have doubts ourselves. Academics and scientists get plenty of time on TV and radio to undermine what are our core beliefs and suggest that believers are really very gullible people indeed.
Do we have an answer for them? Have we put a bit of thought into why we believe? Why not use this Lent to do that reflection.
Lenten Talks
A help in that reflection will be the series of Lenten Talks prepared by the Parish Pastoral Council. The first talk takes place this Wednesday 29th February at 7.30pm in the Church (doors open at 7pm) and the topic is, “Has Science made God Redundant?” The speaker is Dr. Mark Dooley, from the UCD Philosophy Dept. Mark also writes columns for the Irish Daily Mail so his views will be known to a large cross-section of people. It should be a very interesting discussion. We look forward to seeing you on the night as we deal with big questions for each one of us.
Fr. Eoin
February 25, 2012
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Diocesan Notices: 22nd February 2012
From the Dublin Diocesan Noticeboard.
February 24, 2012
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Pastor's Desk: 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Temperance Sunday
The last Sunday before we begin the season of Lent is a dedicated day of prayer for temperance. There is no doubt that the effects of drinking excessively have become a burden on our health system and our relationship with alcohol needs addressing. While people are starting to drink alcohol at a younger age than before we should not think that the problem lies only with the young. The harmless glass of wine with the evening meal can very quickly become a bottle of wine a night. Lent offers us the opportunity to re-establish our control of our drinking lifestyle. Abstaining from alcohol for Lent has a long tradition. Why not take the challenge this Lent? It will be good for the soul and your bodily health will appreciate it too.
Our own local Pioneer Council remind us that one can take a temporary pledge for the season of Lent and if anyone wishes to do so, they can leave their name with one of the priests and it will be passed on to the Pioneers to contact you.
Ideas for Lent
The focus for all of us is now turning very much towards the season of Lent which begins on Wednesday with the wearing of Ashes. This period of 40 days is one that offers us a chance to renew and refresh our faith, our commitment and the way we look at life itself. That is a very powerful thing indeed. The question for each of us then is: how will we do this? Here are some ideas.
- Attend daily 10am Mass
- Attend 7.30pm evening Mass on the Fridays of Lent
- Attend Monday Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 10.30am - 7.00pm
- Come to the Lenten Talks on Wednesdays at 7.30pm in the church beginning 29th Feb
- Give up alcohol and cigarettes or sweets, etc.
- Take on some voluntary work
- Set some time aside each day to pray by yourself or as a family
- Give to a charity, e.g. TROCAIRE
- Join us for Night Prayer of the Church on Mondays at 7pm during Benediction and after evening Mass on Fridays of Lent
The Lord says to each of us “REPENT” which literally means, “Turn your life around”. Let us all take the opportunity given to us this Lent.
Fr. Eoin
February 18, 2012
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Diocesan Notices: 15th February 2012
From the Dublin Diocesan Noticeboard:
February 15, 2012
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