Solemnity of the Epiphany. 8 January 2012
This Week in the parish
Sunday: Solemnity of the Epiphany. Mass at 11am & 5.30pm.
Cafe in the hall after mass, join us for a cup of tea and catch up.
Monday: Funeral Mass for Eugene (Sandy) Brophy at 10am. SSVP meeting 7pm.
Tuesday: Mass at 10am in the hall.
Wednesday: Mass at 10am in the hall. Justice & Peace meeting in the hall 7.30pm, open to all with an interest in J & P.
Thursday: Mass at 10am in the hall.
Friday: Mass at 10am in the hall.
Saturday: Mass at 10am in the hall. Vigil Mass at 6pm.
Next Sunday: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mass at 11am & 5.30pm.
Justice & Peace at the Sunday cafe after the 11am mass.
Please return the St Nicholas Fund boxes as soon as possible. Thanks again for all your continued generosity to the parish and the charities we support.
J Team returns Monday 16th January 5:30pm.
The next SSVP Ozanam club will be on the 5th March, in January we are hosting the annual Seniors Social on Friday 27th January at 7pm in Our Lady of Peace primary school, open to all over 60′s in the parish, tickets are free and are available next weekend. The evening will consist of a fish tea with entertainment. Transport will be available on the evening via the parish mini bus for those with mobility problems. In February will be going to the annual SSVP concert on Friday 24th February – details to follow later.
WOMEN’S RETREAT PRAYER WEEKEND …January 20 – 22, 2012 at Salesian Sisters, Kendal, Cumbria. Cost of the weekend is £95. Contact Sister Linda
topbookings@btconnect.com or 015395 61322/60340.
PARISHES PILGRIMAGE TO DUBLIN Are you interested in joining with people from other parishes on a pilgrimage to Dublin from June 10th – 17th to celebrate
the 50th International Eucharistic Congress? If so, contact Monsignor Robson at Chancery@standed.org.uk or on 0131 623 8902. Visit www.iec2012
Many thanks for the collections over the last few weeks:
1 January: £530 & £236 for Justice and Peace
25 December: £779.50 & £316 for Pro-Life
18 December: £505.50
11 December: £532.50 & £204 (collection) &£156.50 (boxes) St Nicholas Fund
The lists for Primary 4 first communion dates are at the back of the church. Families are invited to write their child’s name on one of the dates that suit them. Please do not write anyone else’s name, they should be at Mass to do that themselves.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
We bring the season of Christmas to a close at Epiphany by remembering the gifts the Wise Men brought to the infant Jesus. The values of the world were turned upside down as wealth and power fell down and worshipped a poor and vulnerable little child. The values of the powerful and selfish could only reassert themselves with the violence that would stalk the life of Jesus, from Herod’s massacre to the crucifixion brought about by those who felt their self interest threatened.
True giving is a sign of a healthy balance of relationship, in ourselves and with others. We give because we want to, not because we have to. Yet that does not mean that there is no sacrifice: quite the opposite. While giving may well involve money or gifts – as we know too well – it also changes us and brings us into a better harmony with God’s creation.
We become more aware of those who live without life’s basic needs and whose dignity is impaired. We find ourselves unsettled by human inequality, at home and abroad. We are more sensitive to the abuse of wealth and power for personal gain at the expense of others.
The opposite of giving is selfishness, holding on to what we have, by force if necessary. And selfishness is at the root of poverty, war and ignorance, the great social evils. The Gospel calls us to give up this selfishness and practise true charity. True charity is the God-infused love that wants everyone to have life to the full. True charity is rooted in justice – giving people their due. Without that justice there is no true peace.
Charity then is the measure of our responsibility as mature Christians. It is at the heart of what Pope Benedict has called the New Evangelisation, of opening ourselves to bring others the gift of the Gospel, truly a gift worth giving.
+ Peter A. Moran Bishop-President, J & P Commission, Scotland
Overview and Summary of Justice & Peace Commission Activity 2010-11:
• The priorities of Justice and Peace try to respond to current realities. Our guiding criteria, unlike the arithmetic of democracy where the most votes win, are human dignity, the common good and a preferential option for the poor.
• The Commission is currently considering the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and how they can be applied in a society facing major public service expenditure reduction and an increase in deprivation. We are also involved in various anti poverty initiatives, not least with those whose asylum applications have been refused but who cannot be currently repatriated and are asked to survive on £35 a week after housing costs.
• Catholic opposition to nuclear weapons continues in Scotland, with a notable contribution from Cardinal O’Brien at the Faslane Picnic, na event at the nuclear submarine base the week before Easter 2011.
• We keep a watching brief on a number of areas of concern such as human rights with particular reference to the effects of government in Scotland and the integrity of creation (as we term ecological concerns, particularly climate change).
To see the full version of this newsletter, including images, visit the Newsletter Archive post for 2011.
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To see the full version of this newsletter, including images, visit the Newsletter Archive post for 2011.
