NEWSLETTER

ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT:
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament one hour before Mass or Eucharistic Services followed by Prayer of the Church.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION:
Tuesday evening after Mass and By Appointment.

SUNDAY: Stations of the Cross at 5.00 p.m.

FRANCES HOGAN: Frances will be visiting St. Michael’s during Holy week this year and our Lenten preparations will be based on the Holy Week programme she has prepared. Details of talks and services will be made available as soon as possible.

NEW PARISHIONERS: If you are new to the Parish or have been here only a short while please take one of the Welcome packs in the porch. These packs contain a lot of information which new parishioners should find helpful.
Would those parishioners who HAVE taken a Welcome pack recently please complete the enclosed form and return it in the envelope provided. Even if you have been in the Parish a little while we may not have your name, address and telephone number in the Parish Census. Thank-you.

CONFIRMATION LETTER AND MEETING: Please note that the initial meeting for those wishing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this year is at 6.00 p.m. in the Parish Centre and NOT as shown in the letter. Please inform as many friends and acquaintances as possible. Confirmations will be held on Sunday 29th June.

SATURDAY: Please note that there is NO morning Mass or Sacrament of Reconciliation.

REFLECTION FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT.

This week we go more deeply into personal prayer – at least 60 minutes daily – before the Blessed Sacrament if possible. This is to expose ourselves to the sunshine of God’s love in order to let some of it ‘rub off on us.’

1 Samuel 16:

This is the fourth stage in Salvation history. God chose David, the Son of Jesse, to found the Davidic line from which Jesus was to come.
• The first David was given a permanent anointing of the Spirit for His mission.
• The second David was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born ‘of the Spirit.’ At His Baptism the Spirit descended bodily into Him so that we can now say: “the LORD (God) is MY Shepherd.

John 9:

• Jesus the Light of the World came into the spiritual darkness of humanity.
• All of us are ‘born blind’ due to Original Sin.
• We are told to wash in the pool of Baptism; this is the beginning of the Christian life and of our enlightenment with Christ.
• A permanent change takes place interiorly which people can somehow recognise; ‘you are the same, yet different.’
• This interior life must grow and develop so that we reach the fullness of life.
• Baptism is only the beginning. We have to journey into getting to know the Saviour until we fall at His feet in worship.
• Worldly people cannot appreciate what is happening. They judge only by worldly standards which cannot measure the Spirit.
• The world cannot understand the Spirit. It needs the Spirit of God to understand it: see 1 Corinthians 2: 10-16.

At this stage in Lent we need to pray Psalm 13: 3-4: “Give light to my eyes O Lord lest I sleep in death,” lest my enemy say: “I have overcome him.” This ‘death’ is the death of unbelief, sinfulness, spiritual sloth etc.

PENITENTIAL SERVICE:

The Lenten Penitential Service will be on WEDNESDAY 19th March at 7.00 p.m.
when a number of priests will be available for individual Reconciliation.