Sunday 20th April 2008

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Our Royal Priesthood

Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Because these words are so familiar to us we can easily hear them and move on. What do they mean? Jesus is the way, first of all, to the true God. We can easily reduce God to our own size, into proportions that we can manage. Jesus constantly lifts us out into the vastness of God and we are out of control. He also is the way to the full mystery of ourselves made in the image of God because there too we tend to reduce each other and ourselves down to size. Jesus is the truth about God who loves us with an infinite and passionate love. God adores us like a parent in the presence of a newborn baby. And he is the life. He teaches us that the only true human way of living is the way of love – the love of God and of each other. This has huge implications for us in our homes and in our parish community.

Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

Heaven and Hell

A man spoke with the Lord about heaven and hell. The Lord said to the man “come, I will show you hell”. They entered a room where a group of famished people sat around a huge pot of cooking stew. Everyone in the room was starving and desperate. Each person held a spoon that reached the pot but each spoon had a handle so much longer than their own arms that it could not be used to get the stew into their own mouths. The suffering was terrible. “Come now, I will show you heaven” the Lord said.

They entered another room identical to the first, the big pot of stew, the group of people and the same long-handled spoons. But here everyone was happy and well nourished. “I don’t understand” said the man. “Why is everyone happy here and miserable in the other room? Everything is the same.”

“Here,” said the Lord “they have learned to feed each other”.

Important Dates

Confessions for Confirmation - Sat 26th April @ 6pm in Sacred Heart Church & 7.30pm in St Macartan’s, Ad/rumsee

Rehearsal for Confirmation - Mon 28th April @ 10.30am
Confirmation Wed 30th April @ 6pm

First Holy Communion - Sat 17th May in Clones @ 11am
Sun 18th May in Ad/rumsee @ 11am

Corpus Christi Procession - Thurs 22nd May @ 7pm

Mass of the Sick - Sat 24th May @ 3pm in St Tiarnach’s P.S.

Mass of Sending for those going to World Youth Day in Armagh Cathedral on 30th June @ 7.30pm.

Deaths:
Please pray for the dead, especially:
Bridget Anne Flanagan, Aghadrumsee Park
Margaret Writz, Carrickaboy,
Seamus Hughes, Tullycorbet
Brendan Moore, Scotshouse. May they all rest in peace.

Senior Choir: Choir will sing at Confirmation on Wed 30th April. Practices @ 8pm in the new school on Thurs 24th & Mon 28th.

Monastic Experience Weekend for Women: Single women interested in finding out more about monastic vocation are invited to join on our life of prayer, liturgy and work for the weekend. Preferered age 25—45 years. Details from Sr Gabrielle, Monastery of St Alphonsus, St Alphonsus Rd, Dublin 9. Tel: 086 8164179. www.rednuns.faithweb.com

SACRED HEART CHURCH

Masses for the week
Sat 7.00pm All for whom Anniversary Masses were celebrated during the week

Sun 9.30am Mass
11.30 People of the Parish

Mon 10.00 Margaret Foy, Beechgrove

Tues 10.00 Paddy, Bridie & Brendan O’Kane & Pat Duffy, Legar Crescent

Wed 10.00 Deceased workers of Denim Trading

Adoration 10.30 — 10pm

Thurs 10.00 Frank Fitzpatrick, Fermanagh St

Fri 10.00 Bridget & Edward Charity, O’Neill Pk
Evening Mass in Aghadrumsee at 8pm

Sat 10.00 Francis, Noreen & Tom Cooke, Cara St
7.00pm (Vigil) All for whom Anniversary Masses were celebrated during the week

Sun 9.30am Imelda McNeill, O’Neill Pk

Sun 11.30 People of the Parish

Altar Society: M Murray, C Toye, A Woods, I Gleeson, R Corr, B Hughes

AGHADRUMSEE

Sat 8pm Sean & Maura Boyle, Belfast

Sun 10am Pat Kearns, Drumma

Fri 8pm Richard & Mary Crudden, Drumma

Sat 8pm Barry Faux, Cornagague

Sun 10am Months Memory Patricia Carey, Donagh

Eucharistic Adoration: G Boyle, R Carolan, J Quinn, M & J Toye

Eucharistic Ministers: G Breslin, K Boyle

Servers: Team J Sarah McCarville, Niamh McCabe

GFC. Lotto No Winner. Winning No’s: 15, 17, 22, 29, jackpot now £1,700, thank you.

A Training Day has been organised for those who are interested in joining the Prayers of the Faithful Team who could not attend the last training day. It will take place on Sat 26th April @ 12 noon.

CONNONS

Sun 11am.
(20th April) Mary Elizabeth & William McDonald, Gortnacarrow
(27th April) Frank, Francis & Catherine McPhillips, Annagheane/Cloncallick

Altar Servers (27th) Daniel Maguire, Damien Connolly, Zoe Clarke

Reader (27th) Bernadette McPhillips

Gift Bearers (27th) McPhillips Family

Currin Lotto: No Winner. Winning No’s: 7, 13, 19, 20, jackpot now €8,300, thank you.

Irish Catholic on sale today.

NOTES

Collectors for April:
( Vigil) Ann Slowey, Ann Rooney, Liam Rooney, Michael Fox (Snr)
(9.30) Josephine O’Neill, Tom Greenan, Kathleen Leonard, Frank Farrell
(11.30) Mary Cooper, Brian Coogan, P J McCague, Tom Treanor.

Useful Website’s
www.cyberfaith.com (This website is an excellent general resource for those who work with children)

www.catholicireland.net/talk2god (This is a well developed interactive prayer ‘corner’ especially for children)

www.sermons4kids.com (designed for anyone working with children, whether in the classroom, home or parish)

www.bbc.co.uk/schools.religion (resource for dealing with queries from children about Christianity and world religions.

Clean-up Clones: The Green-school committee, pupils & staff from St Tiarnach’s primary school would like to invite you to come along on Wed 23rd April from 7—8pm to help us with the Annual Town Clean-up. April is ‘National Spring Clean’ month & we would like to see a ‘Cleaner Clones’. Every area of the town will be covered so please come along & help. Clones U.D.C. will collect the bags of rubbish & recyclables.

Flower Arranging Classes: Have started in Cassandra Hand Centre. Anyone interested in attending these classes can still come along as the tutor is demonstrating a different floral theme every week. For details Tel: 047 20626 or 047 52997.

County Library: Monaghan County Library Services wish to announce that due to the relocation of Clones Branch Library services will be unavailable from 5pm April 25th. The branch will reopen in its new location 98 Avenue on Mon 26th May. Any queries please contact Joe McElvaney @ 047 51143.

Alzheimer’s Tea Day: Clones Community Forum is holding its Alzheimer’s Tea Day on Wed 30th April from 10.30am to 12.30pm in our Diamond Office. As in past year’s it is being run as part of our weekly Drop In coffee morning. We would ask you to support this worthy cause, while enjoying a cup of coffee & some home baking.

Irish Music Session in Cassandra Hand Centre: On Fri 25th April @ 8pm. This promises to be a wonderful night from entertainer’s ranging in age from eight to eighty. So if you missed our St Patrick’s weekend celebrations this is another opportunity to hear talented musicians.

Furry Friends: Why not have a professional photograph taken with your pet? Zanni Photograph, Monaghan Town will have sittings Thurs - Sat until 1st May for €60. All proceeds go to Monaghan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Emyvale Shelter. Tel: 047 71144 for details.