August 24th 2008 – 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time

Peter
One of the most interesting characters in the Gospel is surely Peter. It is amazing that Christ picked him to be leader of his Church. Today, we might think, that with a record like his, Peter would stand very little chance of being head of the Church. Peter is almost too human, too like ourselves. He is almost certainly not our idea of a saint. In the Gospels, we see his ups and downs. At times he is very brave. At other times he is very cowardly. At times he is rocklike in his faith. At other times he is very shaky.
But what is fascinating is to watch the way that Jesus dealt with him. How patient he was. How he helped him to grow into the man who was ready to lay down his life for him, and who eventually did. But this growth was a gradual thing. There were lots of regressions. But this should not surprise us unduly because this is how growth happens.
The constant thread that runs through the relationship with Peter and Christ is this: that Peter knew that Jesus loved him. Love is the climate in which people can grow. Nothing grows in a climate of coldness and mistrust. This was the rock of Peter’s life.
In a way, Peter’s story is our story too. We are so much like him. We too blow hot and cold in our loyalty to Christ. Sometimes we are strong, and sometimes we are like a reed shaking in the wind. But we should not be afraid to look at ourselves to see if we are growing as Christians; to see if we are becoming more attached to Christ. Without a warm relationship with Christ, such as Peter had, we are only on the fringes of Christianity. We are like someone talking about love compared to someone who is in love. We can learn much from Peter.

Four young men from Cork have enrolled as students for Maynooth.
Four young men from Cork have enrolled as students for the priesthood in Maynooth this year to begin their journey towards being priests of the diocese.
This is the highest number to begin studying for Cork and Ross in several years. In recent years, the average has been two students.
All four have most recently been living, working and studying in Cork city. Two have already completed primary degrees in college.
Maynooth College welcomes first year students this week and the other seminarians return to college in September.
We wish them well and pray for them as they begin their studies.

Deaths
We extend our prayers and sympathies to the families of Evelyn Barrett, Hawthorn Villas and Vera Breedy, St. Ann's Park who died recently  Lord grant them eternal peace and joy – and to their families and friends strength and hope.

Baptismal Team Training.
The Parish Assembly are organising in conjunction with the Cork & Ross
Pastoral Planning Development a training course for Baptismal Teams  2
nights training  Mondays  22nd Sept and 6th October in The Turners Cross Parish Centre.  A number of people have given their names, if there are others who would like to be involved in this course  contact members of the Parish Assembly, Fr. Kerry or Fr. Charlie

Cork's Catholic Cathedral is 200 years old this month and the North Cathedral parish is inviting people from near and far to celebrate the bicentenary.
An exhibition relating to the Cathedral, its people and its history has been planned in conjunction with the Cork City & County Archives which are based in Blackpool.
The exhibition opened at the Cork City & County Archives on Fri. 22nd Aug. It contains historic photographs (old & not so old), memorabilia, and story boards telling us about the Cathedral and the people associated with it.   It is the mother church of the Diocese of Cork & Ross.
The Cork City & County Archives are based in Great William O'Brien St., Blackpool, (next to Madden's Buildings).
Time: Tues. — Fri.: 10.30am — 1pm and 2.30 — 5pm.    Admission is Free
The Cathedral parish has also launched a new website to coincide with the bicentenary. See the link below.
Related Link: <A href="http://www.corkcathedral.ie">http://www.corkcathedral.ie</A>/

Fr. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, a Dominican priest born in Cork and a renowned authority on the New Testament (especially St. Paul) and the Holy Land, will  talk  in Christ the King Church, Turner's Cross, Cork, on Wednesday 3rd Sept. at 8pm.
His topic will be: How Paul changed The World
Pope Benedict XVI has declared June 2008 – June 2009 the year of St. Paul in celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the saint's birth.
The letters of St. Paul have exercised a decisive influence on the life of the Church.
The Year of St. Paul is a personal invitation to each of us to discover something more of the man who, by careful reflection and radical change in his own life, shaped the first communities of the Early Church as they struggled to find a way of living the Gospel in a secular and often hostile world. By discovering the man behind the letters, we can find ourselves drawn into St. Paul's energy and enthusiasm, Paul who placed Jesus at the centre of his life and found not only a sense of fulfillment in all that he did but also a real purpose in all that he undertook. Whoever we are, St. Paul has something to say to us and he might even change our lives.
Fr. Jerome has lived in Jerusalem for over 40 years and will be returning there shortly to continue his work of teaching and writing. He is a frequent contributor to radio and television.
All are welcome.   
A good website for “The Year of Paul”   <A href="http://www.rcdow.org.uk/paul/">http://www.rcdow.org.uk/paul/</A>

Men's Group at the Turner's Cross Day Care Centre.
A group for men beginning on Monday Sept 8th (7.30-9pm) A variety of different event including Music, Table Quiz, Question Time, gardening, cooking etc. all are welcome

Offertory Collection
Last weekend offertory collection came to €900 on 15/8/08 and €2,2811 on 17/8/08 – Thank you for your generosity.

Cork South Parish Historical Society
7th Annual Exhibition Tue. Sept 2nd to Fri: Sept 5th – Full details on Church Notice Board.

BACK TO SCHOOL.
We welcome back all our students and teachers to school this coming week