Weekly Bulletin 25th September 2022

Today is the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Today is also the World Day of Prayer for Migrants and Refugees. The theme of today is entitled “Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees” chosen by the Holy Father for the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Pope Francis highlights the commitment that we are all called to share in building a future that embraces God’s plan, leaving no one behind. Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation the “Joy of the Gospel”  (24 November 2013) declared- God has shown the poor his “first mercy” and that this “divine preference has consequences for the faith life of all Christians (No 198). The parables of Jesus make up half of Luke’s Gospel. They are framed around the story of Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem. We have one of those parables in today’s Gospel (Luke 16:19-31). It is the story of the rich man who totally ignores the poor man Lazarus lying at his gate. The name Lazarus means “God is my Help” While the rich man wore the purple clothes of an emperor, and feasted every day, the poor man was covered in sores that were licked by the dogs of the street. Lazarus hopes were small. He hoped to get the bread that was used to wipe the hands of those who fed at the rich man’s table. In the second part of the story  Lazarus is now transferred to the Higher Realms (Bosom of Abraham). The rich man was having a hot time of it and the dividing line was no longer a gate but an eternal gulf. The roles that were taken for granted in the world are dramatically reversed. Mary the Mother of God sang about this reversal in the song of the Magnificat:  He has shown the power of his arm he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things the rich sent empty away (Luke 1:51-53). The Magnificat is not so much about Mary’s personal exultation as it is about the exaltation of the poor. In this prayer, she gives voice to how God ultimately responds to the powerlessness and oppression of the poor. What Mary affirms in the Magnificat is a deep truth we can only grasp in the faith and hope, namely, that even though at present injustice, corruption, and exploitation of the poor, seem to reign, there will be a last day when that oppressive stone will roll back from the tomb and the powerful will topple. The Magnificat is the ultimate prayer of hope – and the ultimate prayer for the poor. While they lived on this earth the rich man didn’t kick Lazarus or insult him or call the police – he did nothing.  He was totally insensitive to his suffering like the women spoken about by Amos in today’s first reading. (Amos 6:1a, 4-7). Is this the point of Jesus parable? Sometimes innocence becomes a crime. When we say “I did not do anything” That is not a justification but it can be a conviction. At the Confiteor at the beginning of Mass we pray: “I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts, in my words, in what I have done and in what I failed to do” That is called the sin of omission. The poor man Lazarus was lying at the gate, and the rich man simply could not care less. The poor man died someone picked him up and put him in an unmarked grave, and the rich man probably poured himself another cup of coffee.  He had done nothing wrong against Lazarus, of course. But he did fail to do a good deed. He failed to reach out and share a little of his blessings with the poor man. It is not what we carry in our purses or bank accounts that matters. It’s what we carry in our hearts. That is where the rich man was found wanting. Poverty of heart is the worst form of poverty.

Feasts of the Week: Tuesday: St. Vincent de Paul (1580-1660). Committed to caring for the poor and disadvantaged.  Founded the Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity (1633). Thursday: St. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael – Archangels. Friday: St. Jerome (340-420) Translated the Bible into Latin. Saturday: St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Better known as the “Little Flower” Died in Carmel at Lisieux on 30 September 1897. Patron Saint of the Missions. 

Thanks for the collection last week. It came to £1860.  We appreciate your generosity and support as always. Thanks to our Singers, Readers and Ministers of the Eucharist who help out in the weekend liturgies.

Graan Draw: Tickets are available at all the doors of our Church for our annual draw. The draw will take place on the 2 December 2022 and can be viewed on our webcam.

Ticket Selling: Over the next number of weeks we will be selling the Graan tickets at various outlets throughout the county. We will be looking for volunteers to help out. Next week we will have a full list of the various outlets and if you would like to help for a few hours we would be grateful.   Please leave your name and number at reception and we will be in contact with you. 

Friday next 30th Sept and Saturday 1^st October we will be selling Lilleys Centra, Shore Rd, Enniskillen. 

Our Shop is open:  Monday to Friday from 9.30am -7pm and Sunday from 9.30 -5pm

Guild Mass Cards:  We have a new selection of Christmas Mass Bouquets in stock.

Confessions & Duty: Sunday & Monday  – No Duty. Mass (26^th Sept)  @ 7pm –  Arthur. 

Duty: Tues 2pm – 5pm  –  Brian.  Wed – Victor. Thurs – Arthur.  Fri – Anthony. Sat 5 – 6pm. Sat – Anthony.   

A Charity Dance will be held in Coa Hall on Friday 7^th October in memory of the late Gerard Baird. Proceeds to Fermanagh Palliative Care. For further information call Aileen 07719541056.