Today is the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Today we listen to part of the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12. Matthew paints Jesus as the new Moses, giving us the new law that we call the “Beatitudes”. Jesus goes up the mountain to speak to his disciples. In the Bible the mountain is a place of revelation. It was at Mount Sinai that Moses received the law from God. These Beatitudes are a strange list of Christian maxims. Who nowadays believes in meekness? What reward is there in tears, what grace in persecution, what happiness in mourning? Who comforts a woman or a man bereaved with claims that, really, their grief is gladness? Jesus does not ask us to pretend that things aren’t what they are. He does not deny our pain. He takes it, rather, on himself, and thus redeems it. That is where the blessing lies. The Beatitudes are ways in which our lives unite with his. The Beatitudes are not a list of disagreeable experiences to be put up with now, with gritted teeth, in the hope of future reward. No, the blessing they proclaim is for the present. The poor in spirit possess the kingdom. Peacemakers are children of God. Those persecuted for the sake of righteousness have a great reward. To live by the Beatitudes is to live within a field of vital tension. It is to intuit that sorrow and joy, pain and consolation, solitude and communion all carry a blessing. Far from trivialising the profound realities of the human condition, the Gospel shows them unfailing reverence. The Beatitudes urge us, simply, to maintain a breadth of vision, a wise vision. They invite us to move attentively within our own lives seeing death and resurrection, humiliation and glory, suffering and joy all at the same time, while reaching out to the angels and saints that hold our hand when the going is rough. To live like this we must train our vision. This Gospel will be read again on the first day of November which is the feast day of “All Saints”. It expresses the central core of what it means to be a saint. A saint is one who sees everything with the eyes of Jesus. Seeing with the eyes of Christ makes saints. Spiritual sight doesn’t come easy in a world devoted to the maintenance of our blindness. Jesus is the one, who by his life and words, summarises this Gospel. He was Poor, He was a peacemaker, He hungered and thirsts for justice, a hunger that was to lead him to the Cross. The third century Christian theologian Origen of Alexandria once remarked that holiness is seeing with the eyes of Christ. The Jesuit priest Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) said with great passion that his mission as a Christian thinker was to help people to see. Thomas Aquinas whose feast day we celebrated on Saturday said that the ultimate goal of the Christian life is the “beatific vision”, which is an act of seeing. A Jewish rabbi called Harold Kushner wrote a book called: “Who needs God?” (2002) said: “Religion is not primarily a set of beliefs, a collection of prayers or a series of rituals. Religion is first and foremost a way of seeing. It can’t change the facts about the world we live in, but it can change the way we see those facts, and that in itself can often make the difference!”
Feasts of the Week: Tuesday: St. John Bosco (1815 -1888). Italian priest founded the Salesian Order to educate boys for life. He is one of the patron saints of youth. Wednesday: St. Brigid (454-524) Abbess, Secondary Patron of Ireland. Her cult is widespread not only in Ireland but in several European lands. Thursday: Presentation of the Lord – It is also the World Day for Consecrated Life. Fri: St. Blaise martyred in Armenia on 315. Since the 8th century venerated as patron of those who suffer from disease of throat.
Novena of Hope: There will be a meeting on Monday 6th February after the 7pm Mass in preparation for the Novena. The Novena takes place from 4th& 5th March to 13th March. Please put these dates in your diary. All are welcome.
Wednesday is St Brigid’s Day – Philip Mc Grade has been making us St Brigid’s Crosses. We appreciate and are thankful to Philip for making these Crosses. They are on sale at our shop at the usual price of £1/ €1. The money this year will be donated to Mary’s Meals, Enniskillen Branch.
February 2nd is the feast of The Presentation. Candles will be blessed after the 7pm Mass on Thursday evening. There are candles on sale in our shop. The feast of St Blaise (blessing of the throats) is on Friday 3rd of February after 7pm Mass.
Thank you for the collection last weekend. It came to £2070. We appreciate your support of our mission during a time of great financial hardship for many people. Be assured of a constant remembrance of the prayers of this community.
The February church cleaning group will meet after the 7pm Mass in our Church next Wednesday 1st Feb to help clean this church. We could do with a few extra volunteers to help in this work. If you are free please get in touch with Vera.
Confessions Sunday & Monday no duty. Mass Monday (30th Jan) @ 7pm – Charles. (Tues to Fri 2pm – 5pm. Sat 5pm – 6pm). Tues – Arthur. Wed – Victor. Thurs – Charles. Fri & Sat – Anthony. Shop: Open Mon to Sat – 9.30 – 7pm. Sun 9.30pm – 4pm.
Guild Mass Cards: We have a selection of cards for Deceased, Mass Bouquets, Get Well, Graduation, Wedding, Birthday, Anniversaries, Christening Bouquets. Cost £2 / €2.50. Holy Communion and Confirmation items are also available.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament very Friday here in The Graan 10am – 2pm. Friday is the First Friday of the month
Recently Deceased
John Joe Gilleece, Kinawley & Graan Abbey Nursing Home
Joseph Leonard, Belleek
Eamon Mc Donagh, Tempo
Anniversaries
Joe Shannon, Drumlyon, Enniskillen
Johnny Mc Guinness (Month’s Mind) Drumkeen, Culkey
John, Annie & Frank Mc Hugh, Swanlinbar
Sean Whitely, Enniskillen, Month’s Mind
Shane & Gerald Gallagher, Boho
Francis & Susan Mc Hugh, Boho
Patrick Keenan, Tempo
Jim & Annie O’Brien, Oakfield, Culkey
Margaret & Bernard Flanagan, Boho
Concepta Mc Ateer, nee Gollogly, Randalstown formerly Keady
Bridget Duffy, Doagh, Derrygonnelly
Fr Ailbe Delaney, C.P The Graan Monastery
