This will be your sacrament.
This is how you will bring me back among you.
During Holy Week 2008 – the BBC screened a new series, The Passion, which ran across four nights: Palm Sunday, Monday of Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It was interesting in many regards and caused no little controversy, as is the wont of a good Jesus film. For any director, or screenwriter, who attempts to portray Jesus on screen, the challenge is to find the balance between a Jesus who appears too other-worldly and one who appears too human. The charge laid against Frank Deasy, screenwriter of The Passion, was that Jesus was too human and emotive. One of the more interesting parts of the production was Deasys attempt to render the language of the Gospels (while Deasy did follow Mark more closely than the other Gospels he did include parts from other Gospels, notably Luke) into everyday or modern English. This was especially apparent at the Last Supper where Jesus said on breaking the bread: This will be your sacrament. This is how you will bring me back among you. These words carry a depth which is well worth reflecting upon.In the programme, they were said by Jesus as he broke the unleavened bread and shared it with disciples who could not really understand what was being said. Two of these same disciples were on the Road to Emmaus on the afternoon of the third day, disillusioned with the events of Good Friday deflated that the one they looked up to and in whom they saw hope had been killed. A traveller came alongside them whom they did not recognise and explained the scriptures to them. It was only when he broke bread again that their eyes were opened and they saw Jesus back among them. It is the scene on the Road to Emmaus that we recreate in our Eucharist. We seek to recognise Jesus in the scriptures and in the breaking of the bread. We pray that our eyes may be opened to understand the scriptures and to welcome Jesus among us in the sacrament.
Starting this week (15 to 22 June) the International Eucharistic Congress takes place in Quebec, Canada under the theme: The Eucharist, gift of God for th life of the world. Delegates will gather from across the globe to explore the theme of the congress, celebrate the universal nature of the Church with catechists, witnesses and pilgrims from around the world and witness to their faith in Christ alive and present in the Eucharist. This celebration, which famously was held in Ireland in 1932, focuses on the source and summit of the whole Christian life (LG 11) and involves pilgrims from many countries sharing their experience of the Eucharist.
Whatever the difficulties of portraying Jesus on screen, we can be confident that the Lord we receive in the Eucharist is the true Jesus, a source of unity who communicates with us today as he did with the disciples 2,000 years ago. The struggle to understand and the challenges in following Jesus remain, yet we can take confidence in the fact that he continues to come back among us. tFrancis Cousin Intercom June 2008.
Congratulations
Our congratulations and good wishes to the four priests from our Diocese who are celebrating their Diamond Jubilee of Ordination to the Priesthood this week. They have 240 years of priestly service between them. They are Fr. Jim Good, who is retired having served in Kenya before retirement; Fr. Jerry Hyde, retired PP Kinsale, Dean Denis O'Connor who is still ministering in Ballineaspaig Parish, and Fr. Gerard Collins, retired PP of Passage West. Fr. Gerard served in Turner's Cross from 1971-75. We wish then Gods blessing, health, and happiness.
Remembering you at Exam time:
During the Month of June, prayers will be offered each day at Mass for all those sitting exams. Students and exam intentions will be remembered daily and we invite you to join with us as we ask the Lord to bless our young people during this important time in their lives. They are included in our Shared Mass offered each Friday Morning at 10am. Cards are available in the Sacristy
Knock Summer Youth Festival
Living life to the full? Looking for something more? Tired of the same?
This is what you're looking for! Time out for you….
Knock Summer youth Festival July 24th – 27th, Our Ladys Shrine, Knock, Co. Mayo. 18-35yrs for more information and to book your place Contact 094-9388100 / 087-6927850 or check our <A href="http://www.knock-shrine.ie/youthministry">www.knock-shrine.ie/youthministry</A>.
Vocation Prayer
God of our lives
you are always calling us
to follow you into the future,
inviting us to new ventures, new challenges,
new ways to care, new ways to touch the hearts of all.
When we are fearful of the unknown, give us courage.
When we worry that we are not up to the task,
remind us that you would not call us if you did not believe in us.
Renew in us your call to serve.
May we have the courage to invite and
encourage others to reflect on Priesthood or Religious Life
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Offertory Collection
Last weekend offertory collection came to 2,365. Thank you for your generosity.
Friendships
I was at the Funeral Mass of Liam Feehely in St. Olivers Church, Ballyvolane last Monday. It was Liam who painted our Church of Christ the King after the restoration six years ago. Speaking at the Funeral Mass his son Fergal spoke – During my Dads illness, new friendships were formed and old friendships were fortified.
These words sum up the bigger picture surrounding the pain and heartache of dealing with illness. In many stories there is great hope and success while other stories echo a struggle and a great darkness. Yet in the middle of darkness, struggle and pain there is always a light burning. Sometimes its barely to be seen but it is there. Even when we think God has let us down or even abandoned us, is the moment when God is really close. To say new friendships were formed and old friendships were fortified, speaks of a God present in the middle of a sacred story, in this case Liam Feehely. It also speaks of our sacred story too.
Listening
Five levels of Listening
1. Ignoring the other person – not listening at all.
2. Selective Listening – hearing only certain parts of the conversation.
3. Attentive Listening – paying attention and focusing energy on the words being said.
4. Pretend listening – saying yes right etc.
5. Emphatic Listening – listening to the feelings behind the words – listening with intent to understand. This listening gets inside another persons frame of reference – you understand how they feel.
Catholic Press
The Irish Catholic, The Universe, The Catholic Times
are on sale every week at the back of the Church