Today is the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. St. Paul in today’s second reading tells us “that we are called to take our place among all the saints everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:2) On this Wednesday the Church begins a week of prayer for Christian Unity. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from the 18th to the 25th January – the octave of St. Peter and St. Paul. The theme for this week of prayer is entitled “Do Good; Seek Justice” (Isaiah 1:17). The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2023 was selected by the Minnesota Council of Churches, USA in the aftermath of the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd and the trial of the police officer responsible for his death. These events brought anguish, but also time for the Christian communities to contemplate ways in which they may be complicit in racial injustice. Christian unity is needed as a source of reconciliation and unity. The Gospel at our Mass today speaks of John the Baptist declaring that Jesus is the “Chosen One of God” (John 1:34). In the first reading we listen to the second song of the Servant of God from the prophet Isaiah and the servant will be “the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:11) We, also, are called and chosen by God to be God’s servant today and be a light to all people. The Responsorial Psalm today echoes in it’s response the cry of Isaiah when asked by God to bring the message to the people “Here I am Lord! I come to do your will” (Psalm 39). The psalm goes on to speak on the necessity of listening to God and not merely doing things without discernment and thought. “You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings but an open ear. You do not ask for holocaust and victim. Instead, here am I” (Psalm 39:7). St. Benedict, who is one of the patron saints of Europe, first word in his rule is “Listen” and what’s more “Listen carefully”. The admonition is to listen to God, of course but also to abide by the “master’s instructions”. Another word for listening to God is called prayer. John Main in his book called: “Christian Meditation” (2001) described prayer thus: “Prayer is the fundamental and grounding experience of everything we are. In other words, prayer is the process wherein we discover who we are and why we are. In essence it is the process, wherein we pay attention with total concentration to our own human nature so that, by attending to our own creatureliness, we come to attend to and upon our Creator. St. Augustine puts this very succinctly and very marvellously in this way: “Man must be first restored to himself, that, making in himself as it were a stepping stone, he may rise thence and be borne up to God” So prayer, meditation, is not just a way of “doing” something but it is a way of “becoming” someone – becoming yourself: created by God, redeemed by Jesus and a temple of the Holy Spirit”
Feasts of the Week: Wednesday: St. Anthony died 356. “Father of monasticism” lived a life of solitude but also attracted many people to form communities of hermits.
Saturday: St. Agnes – Virgin Martyr. Agnes was a member of the Roman nobility, born in AD 291 and raised in an early Christian family. She suffered martyrdom at the age of twelve during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian, on 21 January 304.
Thanks for your very generous collection last weekend. It came to £1965. We are grateful for your generosity and support during these financially difficult times
A word of thanks to the January Church cleaning group who gave of their time and energy to clean our church last Wednesday evening. We appreciate that you were diligent in your work and quietly did it without fuss or fanfare! We are blessed in your gifts! If you would like to volunteer please leave your name and number at reception.
Christmas Crib: Thank you for your kind contributions. The total collected came to £1055 & €620.All your generous offerings has been passed on to the St Vincent de Paul in Enniskillen to help their work with those in need.
Confessions Sunday & Monday no duty. Mass Monday @ 7pm – Brian.
(Tues to Fri 2pm – 5pm. Sat 5pm – 6pm). Tues – Arthur. Wed – Victor. Thurs – Charles. Fri – Anthony. Sat – Anthony.
Shop: Open Monday to Saturday – 9.30 – 7pm. Sunday 9.30pm – 4pm.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament continues every Friday here in The Graan from 10am – 2pm.
Recently Deceased
Eileen Kennedy, Killybegs
Tommy Girvin, Coalisland
Rita Mc Aleer, Ederney
Maura Cathcart, Derrylin
Bea Burns, Moyglass, Enniskillen
Frank Mc Govern, Enniskillen
Anniversaries
Mona & Packie Keenan, Galliagh Terrace, Enniskillen
Niamh Donnelly, Enniskillen (Month’s Mind)
The Magee Family, Drumclay Link, Enniskillen
Thomas Mc Grenaghan, Sedan Terrace, Enniskillen
Martin Duffin, Leixlip, Co Kildare
Elizabeth O Kane, Omagh
Johnny Henderson, Hillview, Enniskillen
Mary Feely, Belleek
Mary-Ann Mc Cormack, Tempo
