Weekly Bulletin 29th May 2022

Today is the Feast of the Ascension: Between Easter Day and Pentecost we celebrate that time of change during which the Risen Jesus vanishes from the sight of the disciples, only to open up a new way of being present to them. As if by a bridge spanning a river, the disciples had now to leave the familiar bank of the natural presence of Jesus and cross over to the other side. They will be taken hold of by the Spirit of the Risen Lord. This invisible presence becomes more intense in depth and extent in a way that would have been impossible had his former bodily presence continued. St. Luke wrote two closely connected books: the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Acts of the Apostles. The Ascension is the turning point between Jesus’ own ministry and the mission of the Church. At the beginning of his Gospel Luke describes the Annunciation to our Mother Mary and says that she will be overshadowed by “the power of the Most High” (Luke 1:35). At the end of that same Gospel, that we read today, Jesus’ promises to clothe the apostles with “the power from on high” (Lk 24:49).  There is a real connection between the task of Mary who brought forth the Son of God and the task of the group of disciples, now called the Church, to bring forth the Son of God for the world today. Although Jesus will be physically taken away from his disciples in the Ascension, he will be re-incarnated (made flesh), in his Church. In St. Luke’s second work, Book of Acts, Jesus reveals to Saul of Tarsus that any attack against the Church is a direct attack against Jesus’ very person – “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you Lord?” he asked and the voice answered, “I am Jesus and you are persecuting me” ( Acts 9:1–9). The Ascension produces not an absence but a more profound presence of Jesus in the lives of his disciples and in us also! As  long as Jesus was physically present, he was available only to those he directly met;  however by the grace of the Spirit, he became powerfully present to many through his prophetic successors – the disciples. 

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Today is World Communication Day throughout the Catholic Church. The theme of the day is entitled “Listening with the ear of the heart” Pope Francis speaking on this theme said: . “ The apostle James exhorts: “Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak” (1:19). Freely giving some of our own time to listen to people is the first act of charity. A synodal process has just been launched. Let us pray that it will be a great opportunity to listen to one another. Communion, in fact, is not the result of strategies and programmes, but is built in mutual listening between brothers and sisters. As in a choir, unity does not require uniformity, monotony, but the plurality and variety of voices, polyphony. At the same time, each voice in the choir sings while listening to the other voices and in relation to the harmony of the whole.”

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O Mary, woman and mother, you wove the divine Word in your womb, you recounted by your life the magnificent works of God. Listen to our stories, hold them in your heart and make your own the stories that no one wants to hear. Teach us to recognise the good thread that runs through history. Look at the tangled knots in our life that paralyse our memory. By your gentle hands, every knot can be untied. Woman of the Spirit, mother of trust, inspire us too. Help us build stories of peace, stories that point to the future. And show us the way to live them together. (Prayer for World Communication Sunday – Pope Francis)

Feasts of the Week: Tuesday: The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Wednesday: St. Justin was born in the Holy Land and is remembered for his defence of Christian belief and practice. He was martyred in 165 AD. Friday: St. Kevin. He lived in Glendalough as a hermit and disciples gathered around him and it became a great monastic settlement. He died in 618 AD. Saturday: St. Charles Lwanga and Companions. These were 22 Ugandan youths martyred in 1886.

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Thanks for the collection last weekend. It came to £1610.  We appreciate your support of our mission here in the Graan. A big word of thanks also to our Ushers, Ministers of the Eucharist, Readers, singers and all who help in the smooth running of our weekend liturgies. Thanks for giving of your time to help us to give thanks to the Lord.

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Vocation Evening: Father Gareth Thomas our Vocation Director for the North of Ireland will be with us on the evening of the 21 June at 7:00 pm to celebrate Mass and speak about the Passionist Vocation. If you know of anyone interested in our way of life please invite them and they will have an opportunity to meet with Fr. Gareth after the Mass.

Our Shop: We have a range religious items, statues, pictures, medals, candles, rosary beads, etc.

Guild Mass Cards: Deceased, Mass Bouquets, Get Well, Wedding, Exam, Graduation, New Born, Special Occasion, etc.

Confessions & Duty: Sun & Mon – No Duty. Mass Mon (30^th May) @ 7pm: Charles. Monday to Friday Mass @ 7pm.

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

June’s Church Cleaning Group: Will meet on Wednesday 1^st June @ 7.30pm.