Weekly Bulletin 22nd November 2020

Today is the feast of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Today is the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year but it is also the first Sunday of the Jubilee celebrations on the occasion of the Third Centenary of the foundation of the Passionist Congregation. The Passionist Congregation came to the Graan, in Enniskillen in March 1909. However the Passionist Congregation was founded, years before, by an Italian called Paul Francis Danei, later known as St. Paul of the Cross on the 22 November 1720. Why were we founded as a religious congregation?  A deep forgetfulness of a loving God had become ordinary during the times in which Paul of the Cross lived. Paul himself describes it thus for us in his 1747 Account:…”at this pitiable and distressing time, we now see openly at work every kind of iniquity, with harm also to our holy faith which is keenly affected in many parts of Christianity. The world is sliding into a profound forgetfulness of the most bitter sufferings endured by Jesus Christ our true Good out of love, while the memory of His Most Holy Passion is practically extinct in the faithful”. Paul of the Cross gathered companions together to keep alive the memory of the Passion of Jesus Christ, which is the suffering he experienced on the Cross. As we hear in today’s Gospel the suffering and passion of Christ continues in the poor and the neglected that we are all called to serve.(Matthew 25:31-46).  We also live in an age where the reality of God’s presence and the profound love that was exhibited on the Cross by his Son Jesus Christ is often forgotten or overlooked. We can reduce our Christian faith to banality, to a few trite phrases that mean little. However God sent His Son to where we are most alone and broken and that was on a Cross. Paul of the Cross described the Passion as the greatest work of God’s love. He wanted people to experience that love in a visceral way. He wanted them to connect to that love in their personal lives. He and his companions preached and ministered to people of his time by teaching them how to be open and receptive to the tremendous love and mercy of God. He wanted people to know this deep reality by teaching them how to pray. He was also founded a congregation of women (Passionist Contemplative Nuns) whose mission is to receive, ponder and keep the Word of the Cross in their hearts as Mary did.  In recent years the Passionist Congregation  have welcomed many lay people who are imbued with the spirituality of the Passionists. At the International Chapter of the Passionists in Sao Paolo Brazil, that I attended, on August-September 2000, the proposal was passed that “Those who wish to stand with us at the foot of the cross, to contemplate the love of God and then proclaim its saving power, can rightly be called “Passionists”, whether they be men, women or children.” We have a group called “Passionist Companions” who meet regularly here in the Graan under the direction of Fr. Victor. Three hundred years of Passionist life is a wonderful occasion to thank God for all his blessings, and ask forgiveness for all our faults, and as we enter into our four hundredth century we pray that through his grace that we will not lose sight of the vision that invigorated the life of our Founder St. Paul of the Cross and we pray that we will, going forward, incarnate his teaching in our own lives.   Fr. Charles C.P. 

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LOCKDOWN: On Saturday next 28^th November our church will be closed due to Government Regulations. There will be no confessions or priests on duty during those two weeks.   However our church will be open from 9.30am – 5pm for private prayer. Masses will be celebrated at the normal times without a congregation. You can join us for these Masses by means of our webcam. Visit www.thegraan.com. Masses will be at 7pm Monday to Friday. Weekend Masses Saturday (6.30pm), Sunday 10.30am, 12noon & 4pm. If you wish to contact us as regards purchasing cards or religious goods please ring us during office hours (9.30am – 5pm) and we will try our best to accommodate you.

Thank you for your very generous contributions during our collection at Masses on Sunday. Thanks also for those who have anonymously donated their contributions towards the upkeep of the Graan. These are difficult days for all of us and we know that financial constraints are affecting us all and it is remarkable that you are so generous to us. Thanks also to our ushers, collectors and ministers of the Eucharist who help to keep our Church services running smoothly. Thanks for your commitment. Be assured of a remembrance in our prayers. 

Graan Draw: Our first prize in our draw is £5000 and the second prize is £1000 followed by prizes of £100. The tickets are £1 / €1 each or a book of 6 for £5 / €5. Because of Covid regulations we are unable to sell tickets in our usual outlets and we would appreciate it so much if you could help to sell a couple of books of tickets for us. The draw will now take place on the 18th December 2020

DUTY FOR THE WEEK: Sun & Mon No Duty. Monday 23rd Nov Mass 7pm  – Arthur.  Tues (24^th Nov) –  Charles.

Wed 25^th Nov  –  Charles.  Thurs 26^th   Nov  – Charles. Fri 27^th Nov – Sat 28^th  Nov – No Duty. Closed due to Government Regulations.  Next weekend Masses can be viewed on our webcam. www.thegraan.com

Exposition will take place this Thursday 26^th from 10am – 2pm.

“May Hope Be Yours‘ – CD:  As we move through this pandemic, funds raised by the sale of this CD will be of great benefit to so many families and individuals whose challenged circumstances became even more challenged because of Covid-19.  All proceeds go to St. Vincent de Paul Society.  Cost: £15 and available at the Graan shop. Thanks for your generosity.

The Shop: The shop has been restocked at the weekend with a selection of cribs on display as well as candles, diaries, cards and suitable gifts for Christmas.

Christmas Mass Bouquets: We have a new selection of Christmas Mass Bouquets cost £2 / €2.50. 

Guild Mass Cards: We have a wide selection of Mass cards. Go to www.thegraan.com. We value your support.