| St
Mary’s Church Bocan
30th
November 2008
1st
Sunday of Advent.
A Winter's
Night
It was a chilly
winter's night;
And frost was glittering on the ground,
And evening stars were twinkling bright;
And from the gloomy plain around
Came no sound,
But where, within the wood-girt tower,
The church bell slowly struck the
hour;
As if that all
of human birth
Had risen to the final day,
And soaring from the wornout earth
Were called in hurry and dismay,
Far away ;
And I alone of all mankind
Were left in loneliness behind.
Wiliam Barnes
1801-1886
 |
God
of hosts, bring us back; let
you face shine on us and we
shall be saved |
 |
MASS
TIMES
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday & Saturday, 10 am.
Friday , The First
Friday of the Month,
8 pm.
Saturday,
Vigil, 8 pm;
Sunday, 8.30 am &
11 am.
Confessions
Friday, 7.15 pm—7.45 pm; Saturday,
7.15 pm—7.45 pm.
Anniversary
Mass
Tonight’s Vigil Mass is offered
for Seamus & Mary McLaughlin
[Pat], Ballyharry
The whole community
was stunned at the sudden death of
Patrick McLaughlin,
Gleneely after he had recovered so
well from two serious operations.
We offer our sympathy to his wife,
Mary; his son, Charles and daughters
Frances and Patricia; his sister Anne,
his grandchildren and the wider family
circle. May the gentle
Lord Jesus comfort them in this time
of sadness and may Patrick rest in
peace.
Weekly
Offering: €1,460; Development
Collection, €930 Thank you for
your generosity.
Blood Donation
Sessions: In the Community
School, Carndonagh on
Wednesday, 3rd December:
3 pm-4.45 pm & 7 pm – 9
.30 pm;
Thursday, 4th December: 2 pm –
4.45 pm & 7 pm – 9.30 pm.
New donors needed urgently.
Bocan Community
Defibrillator Group Re-Certs
are on Monday 1st December at 8 pm
in Bocan Hall.
Culdaff Care
of the Aged
Meeting on Thursday 4th December at
8 pm in Bocan Old School. All members
please attend.
Whist
1st: Phyllis Lloyd, Gleneely
2nd: Ellen Ann Lafferty, Glengad;
3rd: John Doherty
Tickets
Vera Deeny, Phyllis Lloyd & Mary
Ellen Ruddy.
Other Winners
Eamon Donaghy & John Duffy.
Whist every Friday night at 8.45 pm
in Bocan Hall. Snowball next week:
€80 for 185 or more.
Culdaff Care
of the Aged Christmas Party
– In McGrory’s Hotel next
Saturday, 6th December at 2.30 pm.
All senior citizens welcome.
Grand Variety
Concert- In Bocan Hall on
Tuesday, 2nd December. It will feature
local artists of all ages. The night
promises to be very entertaining with
something to suit every taste: Singers,
Irish-dancers, hip-hop, traditional
music, modern dance and drama. All
proceeds are in aid of St. Boden’s
N.S, Culdaff & Classes for Children
in Action Inishowen. Doors open at
7.30 pm and admission is €5.
Pro-Life Candle-Light
Rosary Procession –
In Derry next Sunday, 7th December
[assembling at the Guildhall at 4.30
pm]. You are invited to carry a ‘Light
for life’ and pray for the protection
of Ireland’s unborn children
from abortion. Candles supplied –
more details from 04890278484.
Drop-In Clinics
For information about
entitlements to benefits for caring
for an elderly relative , friend or
neighbour: - Monday 22nd December,
11am-1pm at Carndonagh Community Hospital.
Entitlements
to British Pensions –
If you [a man] were born between 6/4/1933
and 24/10/1939; [a woman] born between
6/4/1938and 24/10/194 then you may
be entitled to increased pension and
arrears back. Contact 91 28010 for
more information.
Knock Marriage
Introductions Bureau
The Bureau aims to
introduce people considering marriage
to a suitable partner. More details
from 094 9375960.
Annual Christmas
Bazaar in St Patrick's Hall,
Malin on Friday, 5th December at 8
pm. Loads of prizes and Santa will
be in attendance.
The Deep End
– Present Perfect
We need Advent to teach us patience.
It can teach us more than that of
course. However, with our busy lifestyles
we need to relearn how to be patient
with, rather than how to put up with,
something or someone. That busyness
results in us wishing our life away.
We become edgy and tense with the
present and slide easily into the
future – be it only into the
hour ahead of us. We develop the ‘when
I….’ mentality: when-Ii-get-home,
when the weekend arrives, when the
summer is here, when I get my new
car, when I…when I…when
I. The future seems to hold the carrot;
the present the stick. And as we lose
touch with the present, we lose touch
with ourselves.
And how easy that
is. During the summer I saw a pub
advertising a fancy dress Christmas
bash for the middle of July. For many
years now venues for Christmas parties
have to be booked months in advance.
And it’s no surprise anymore
to hear and see promotions for summer
holiday deals the day after Christmas.
We are being programmed to live in
the future as if the present doesn’t
count. More and more life’s
rhythms are set by the world of commerce
than by the world of nature.
Advent slows us down.
It alerts us to prepare for Christmas,
not to start celebrating it. Our Gospel
today [Mk 13: 33-37] alerts us to
something else: the Lord’s return.
That alertness is for now, for we
can meet the Lord at any time.
Fr Tom Cahill SVD
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