Weekly Bulletin 6th November 2022

Masses on webcam are Mon to Fri Mass @ 7pm.  Sat – Vigil @ 6.30pm.  Sun 10.30am, 12noon & 4pm

Today is the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The month of November is the month in which we remember to pray for our dead. It is unfortunate that the Protestant Reformers’ rejection of prayers for the souls in purgatory and prayers to the saints in heaven led to a situation in which death and the after-life stopped being a communal experience with the result that this life and this world became the sole focus of religion.   In the first reading today (2 Maccabees 7:1-14) we listen to the first expression in the Bible of belief in a personal resurrection from the dead. It was during the time that the people of Israel were under the influence of Greek conquerors who were trying to force devout Jews to renounce their religious practices. It is a strange and gruesome story! However it describes the courage and bravery of those being tortured. The brothers find strength in their belief that they will eventually be raised up again by God. We meet a group in the Gospel (Luke 20:27-38) called the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection from the dead.The Sadducees were the group that controlled the Temple. They had sold their souls to the Romans occupiers. One could call them the aristocratic corporate leaders of their time. They only believed in the first five books of the Bible – the Torah. They refused to believe in the resurrection from the dead because it was not revealed by Moses. Their question “At the resurrection whose wife will she be since she has married all seven?” (Luke 20:33). Their question is based on the law of levirate marriage, a law that was no longer in force. The provision of levirate (from Latin levir=brother-in-law) was the following: – if brothers lived together and one of them died childless, a surviving brother was expected to marry the widow and the first-born son of this union was legally regarded as the son and heir of the deceased (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).  The Sadducees were ridiculing the idea of bodily resurrection. Jesus in Luke’s gospel sets up a contrast between those “who belong to this age” (who take wives and marry) and those who belong to the world of the resurrection. In the world of the resurrection there will be no more marriage because there is no more death. Despite its human and religious importance marriage pertains to the order of this world and will cease with the passing of this world. Jesus goes on to state that all who await the resurrection have life from God who is the source of all life. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans is clear on this point “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life…will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).  The Catholic Church’s teaching in the document called the “Church in the Modern World” (Gaudium et Spes) states: “the dignity of humankind rest above all on the fact that we are called to communion with God” (No 19) and it goes on “without hope of eternal life our dignity is deeply wounded” (No 21). 

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Feasts of the Week: Wednesday: The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica: John Lateran’s remains the pope’s official church in his capacity as bishop of Rome.  It has inscribed over the door the words; “The mother church of Rome and of all the churches in the world” Thursday: St. Leo the Great died in 461 AD taught on the two natures of Christ, human and divine at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD and the primacy of the See of Peter. Friday: St. Martin of Tours (316-397) Patron of France, founder of monasteries. Saturday: St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr (1580-1623) worked for the reunion of Ukrainian Catholics.

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Thanks for the collection last week. It came to £2172.  We are indebted for your prayers and donations. Be assured of a daily remembrance in our prayers. Thanks to our Readers, Ministers of the Eucharist, Singers who help in the liturgy over the weekend.  You are a gift to all the people who come to pray with us! 

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Graan Draw: Our first prize in our draw is £5000 and the second prize is £1000 followed by prizes of £100. The draw will take place on the 2 December 2022 and can be viewed on our web-cam. Please help us by buying or selling these tickets. It is the only fund-raising event that we hold here in the Graan.  We are so grateful to all the volunteers who are helping to sell tickets in our various outlets. There is a delay in receiving post because of difficulties in various Post Offices around the country. Therefore it is important to return your counterfoils long before the 2nd December so that they can be included in the draw. Thank you for your support. Tickets can be purchased HERE

Confessions & Duty: Sun & Mon no duty.  Mon (7^th) Mass @ 7pm – Arthur. Tues –  Brian.  Mass @ 7pm – Brian.   Wed – Arthur. Mass @ 7pm – Arthur. Thurs – Charles. Mass @ 7pm – Charles. Fri – Anthony. Sat 5 – 6pm Anthony.            

November Dead Lists are available beside the Shrine to Our Lady of Fatima. Mass will be celebrated every day in the monastery for those of your deceased family and friends, and those names you put on the list. May they all rest in peace. 

The Shop has restocked for Christmas. There are a great selection of cribs on display as well as candles, diaries, cards and suitable gifts for Christmas and new Christmas Mass Bouquets.  Cost £2 / €2.50.