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St
Mary’s Church Bocan - 9th
September 2007—No 40
23rd
Sunday in Ordinary Time.
The Benefits of Suffering -
Jeanne Marie De La Motte-Guyon
By sufferings only can we know
The nature of the life we live;
The temper of our souls they show,
How true, how pure, the love we give.
To leave my love in doubt would be
No less disgrace than misery!
I welcome, then, with heart sincere,
The cross my Saviour bids me take;
No load, no trial, is severe,
That’s borne or suffered for His sake:
And thus my sorrow shall proclaim
A love that’s worthy of the name.
Jeanne Marie De La Motte-Guyon, 1648-1717
The writer of this poem knew what suffering was. At the age of 28 she lost her husband and two of her five children. She suffered for her beliefs at the hand of the Church itself!
Responsorial
Psalm
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
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Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
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Today’s
Readings
First Reading Wisdom 9: 13-18
We do not understand God’s ways, but we can pray for the gift of wisdom.
Second Reading Philemon 9 - 10.12-17
St Paul recommends his co-worker Onesimus.
Gospel Luke 14: 25-33
Being a follower of Jesus is costly.
Money
Matters:
Weekly Offering €1,695
Development
Collection, €1,100.
Thank you for your generosity.
All the sick of the parish will be attended on Wednesday & Thursday at the usual times.
Senior Citizen’s 40th Birthday Party
The Party takes place on Saturday, 15th September at 2.30 pm in Bocan Hall. All senior citizens are welcome to attend. If you intend to go then contact any of the committee members to let them know. They are looking forward to seeing you all there.
Children’s Badminton
John Ruddy’s Children’s Badminton Club resumes tonight, Sunday, in Bocan Hall at 7 pm. All children welcome.
Carndonagh Community School
There will be a meeting on Tuesday, 18th September at 8 pm for parents and pupils of Carndonagh Community School from the Culdaff/Gleneely area in Bocan Old School. The Principal will be in attendance and a large turnout of parents is expected at this meeting.
Carers Support Programme
If you care for someone with an eating disorder then this support group will run on Tuesdays [for four weeks] beginning 18th September in Derry Well Woman’s Centre from 7.30 pm – 9 pm. Come along or contact Patricia or Karen on 048 71360777 for further details.
Vacancy for a Counsellor for Children
Inishowen Women’s Outreach Centre are looking for a Counsellor for children [6 hours per week on a fee basis and after school]. For further details contact 9373337 or email inishowenwomensoutreach@eircom.net
Irish Dancing Classes resume in Bocan Hall on Monday at 5 pm.
Yoga in the Wee Hall Culdaff on Wednesday evenings at 8 pm. All are welcome to attend.
Serenity House
Book Club - In Serenity House on Tuesday, 11th September at 7.30 pm. All welcome.
Classes – A number of classes including JEB Teacher’s Diploma in ICT Skills & Sage Computerised Accounts 1& 2 as well as crocheting, oil-painting, English quilting will be commencing this autumn. Contact 9382945 for details as names are now being taken.
Bible Study – Monday, 10th September in Serenity House at 10.30 am. All women are very welcome.
‘Living with Teens’ – parents who would like some help should book a place on a Fas le Cheile course or call Mary McKinney on 9385548.
Asperger Support Group – Meeting on Monday, 10th September at 8 pm in Serenity House.
Cultural links Project – For young people aged from 14-17 years will run one evening per week for 6 weeks beginning at the end of September. Sessions are free and will last just over an hour. Contact Mary McKinney on 074 9385548 for details.
Samaritans Information Evening on Tuesday, 18th & Thursday, 20th September in 16 Clarendon Street, Derry to recruit new volunteers.
North West Regional College
There are still some places available on a range of part-time and full-time courses beginning this week at all campuses. Contact 048 71276000 for details.
Altar Servers – All the Altar Servers [old hands and new recruits] please attend a practice session on Wednesday evening at 7.30 pm in St Mary’s Church.
A costly love
They tell of a man speaking after the death of his daughter. From before she was born, she cost them, they prepared her room, got her clothes, fed her, schooled her. When she started driving, the car and insurance cost. She broke a limb, and that cost them. She went to Third Level and that really cost. Her whole life was in front of her when the young woman died. Their last expense as a couple was her funeral. As he remarked; ‘our daughter hasn’t cost us since, but we would gladly give everything we have, just to have her back.’ The point is, anything that is alive costs us something. Thank God your family, your community, your church is in need of your giving. Only something living does cost – if it is dead; it doesn’t need your gifts.
We understand instinctively that things cost. Some can unfortunately know the price of everything but the value of nothing. But on the whole people are hungry to give their lives to something more important than themselves. It is a fact of life, not only that everything costs us something , but that, in our better moments, we are even eager to pay the cost. And so we need to ask of each other; how much do you love and what will you give?
Fr Tom Cox
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