St
Mary’s Church Bocan - 12th
August 2007—No 36
19th
Sunday in Ordinary Time.
As
The Rooks Are - Elizabeth Jennings
Alone
as the rooks are
In their high, shaking homes in the
sky at the mercy of winds,
Alone as the lurking trout or the
owl which hoots
Comfortingly. I have a well-crammed
mind
And I have deep-down healthy and tough
roots.
But
in this house where I live
In one big room, there is much solitude,
Solitude which can turn to loneliness
if
I let it infect me with its darkening
mood.
Away from here I have an abundant
life,
Friends, love, acclaim and these are
good.
And
I have imagination
Which can travel me over mountains
and rough seas;
I also have the gift of discrimination
High in a house which looks over many
trees
I collect sunsets and stars which
are now a passion.
And I wave my hand to thousands of
lives like this,
But will open my window in winter
for conversation
Responsorial
Psalm
Happy are the people the Lord has
chosen as his own
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When
a man has had a great deal given
him, a great deal will be demanded
of him…… |
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Today’s
Readings
Parish Missal:
Readings p 883 & Proper p 1078
First Reading Wisdom 18:
6-9
Just as God came to the rescue of
the Jews in Egypt, so he will save
those who put their trust in him.
Second Reading Hebrews 11:
1-2.8-19
We are called to imitate the faith
of the patriarchs, especially that
of Abraham, ‘our father in faith’.
Gospel Luke 12: 32-48
The parable of the waiting servants
urges a constant watchfulness and
faithfulness.
Money
Matters:
Weekly Offering €1,800
Development
Collection, €1,000.
Thank you for your generosity.
Good as new
shop opening - In Pound Street,
Carndonagh [Margaret Theresa the painters
premises]. All Proceeds in aid of
Bocan Chapel / Hall on Monday, 30th
July. All donations of bric-a-brac,
clean clothes, sheets etc most welcome.
If you could help by volunteering
for a couple of hours to ‘man
the shop’ then contact Angela
on 9379303 or Bridget Rose on 9379277
Annual Culdaff
FC Sports
The Annual Sports are due to take
place today, Sunday [12th August]
at 2.30 pm. A great day out is guaranteed.
Serenity
House
Moville Community Alert
– Calling all senior citizen.
Anyone wishing to apply for a monitoring
alarm system or outside light, apply
to William McCorkell before the 26th
September 2007. More details from
086 8381552.
Garden Fete –
In the Moville Presbyterian Church
grounds on Saturday, 18th August at
2 pm. The glamorous granny and handsome
granddad competition starts at 3 pm.
All the usual stalls will be available.
ECDL – For
Second Level Students beginning on
3rd September. It will run on Monday
& Thursday evenings from 5 pm
– 7 pm [30 weeks] at a cost
of €5 per week. For further information
contact Serenity House on 9382945.
Places are limited so an early application
is advised.
The VITA
1 in 100 Challenge – are you
1 in 100?
VITA in association with Maicre na
Feirme is now recruiting 100 young
people for the VITA 1 in 100 challenge
which takes place this year. Of the
100 recruits who raise €1000
each during August and September,
10 finalists will be chosen to take
part in a final at the Ploughing Championships
in Tullamore in September. The quickest
finalist on the day to complete a
triathlon of very simple, fun events
will win a sponsored prize of €10,000.
Download an application pack from
www.vita.ie
Glorious
future – present commitment
‘Blessed is she who believed’
the words of Elizabeth to the visiting
Mary remind us that in order to become
a dwelling place of God and experience
true happiness, you need belief. Faith
is the key, but in today’s world,
it is one that so many are lacking.
Belief is life-changing, it is not
adding one opinion to others. All
other information, however helpful,
will make no difference to you whether
it is true or false.
Information won’t change your
life. But if God does not exist, life
is empty, the future is empty. And
if God exists, everything changes,
life is light, our future is light
and we have guidance for how to live.
Like Mary, you will be full of His
presence.
The powers of violence in the world
depicted by the mighty dragon of the
First Reading seem invincible. They
are heavily armed, the woman is heavily
pregnant and vulnerable. But it is
love, not hatred, that triumphs; it
is peace that is victorious in the
end.
Mary’s Assumption reminds us
that we have a glorious future with
God, body and soul in heavenly glory.
It is however, a promise of happiness
that requires us to take the side
of good and peace today.
Fr Tom Cox
Earthly
choices – eternal consequences
Most election promises to the electorate
centre on tax breaks and lower costs.
No earthly politician has dared [yet!]
to announce that the Kingdom has been
given. The Kingdom is something that
is literally priceless. It is about
what is at the heart of the matter,
literally at the centre of your life.
The Sunday readings make for difficult
consumption during Summer. It speaks
of things we would rather gently put
aside: simple lifestyle, almsgiving,
readiness for the return of the Lord,
faithful use of the time given us
and warnings of punishment.
You have been servants
who have been going around doing peripheral
stuff, not giving a lot of thought
to the master who has gone off to
get married. But when he comes back,
even in the middle of the night, oh
what a time this will be! This will
be a celebration. He will dress up
like a servant, get them to recline
at table and wait on them hand and
foot. In other words, they will be
his equals. This is really something!
Being raised up all because our heads
were focused down on the task given.
Each of us in turn
need to come to the point when we
ask ourselves whether our central
concerns have to do with the things
that really matter, or with all those
matters which are just things. An
earthly choice with eternal consequences.
Tom Cox
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