LIGHT
The fourth Sunday of Lent, “Laetare (joyful) Sunday,” marks the half way point in our Lenten journey and we begin to look forward to Easter. The theme of the Mass is Light, the light given to the man born blind while the religious people who thought they knew it all were left in the dark. Those who feel they know all they need to know are closed to the message of Jesus. They may be people infected with a sort of rigid religiosity, a self centred false piety, or those who buy into the prevailing secularism and take their cue from the media pundits. Nowadays there is a so called rationalism adopted by people who don’t actually think at all, and take their opinions ready made from the opinion shapers of our time. The poor man born blind knew very little but could hear the message, his heart was open. Jesus “anoints” his eyes with mud and sends him to bathe in the pool called Siloam. The man receives his sight from the God who doesn’t see as men do. We pray that we may be children of light, as St. Paul says to the Christians at Ephesus, that we may see our world in the light of Christ. May we follow Paul’s advice to us to wake up, so that the light of Christ may shine on us. We pray that like the man born blind we will be able to turn to Jesus and say, “Lord, I Believe.”
Weekday Masses 10am & 6pm. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Wednesday mornings after the 10.00 am Mass until 11.00 am. Morning Prayer of the Church (office of Lauds) after 10.00 am Mass on Friday mornings. Ten minutes, leaflets available for everybody. Evening Prayer of the Church (office of Vespers) after 6.00 pm Mass on Friday evenings. Again, ten minutes, leaflets for everybody. Trócaire Family Fast Boxes available at the back of the Church.
First Friday: Fr Kerry & Fr.Billy will visit the sick and house bound this coming Thursday & Friday at the usual times. If you would like a visit please contact us.
Vocations: The Annual Cork and Ross Vocations Information Day will be held at St. Dominic’s Retreat Centre, Ennismore, Montenotte, on Saturday, 5th April, from 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This day allows prospective students to explore the possibility of a vocation, and make enquiries in an informal setting. It will also give those interested a chance to meet with some of the seminarians currently studying for the Diocese. Contact Fr Tom Deenihan, 021-4301717, or Canon Bertie O’Mahony, 021-4346940.
Deaths: We extend our sympathies and prayers to the families of Anne Harrington, Greenhills Estate, Jimmy Kehoe, Hawthorn Villas, Nina Giltinan, St. Joseph’s, Derrynane Rd. Betty Redmond, High Street, and Mary Ahern of Capwell Road who died recently. May they rest in eternal peace.
Cork South Parish Historical Society Monthly Meeting on Wed. 2nd April at 7:30 p.m. St John’s College Sawmill Street Speaker Kieran McCarthy will speak on In the Steps of St Finbarr – Journeys along the River Lee All Welcome. Non-members 2
Mothers Day: We wish all mothers a happy Day. The 12 noon Mass this Sunday is being offered for all our mothers living and deceased. Special cards are available in the Parish Office after Masses.
A Mother’s Prayer Lord, here I am immersed in my daily routine of mothering a family, feeding, caring for, consoling, listening to those entrusted to me. May your joy erupt within me to brighten the thousand daily actions woven by the thread of life. Lord stay with me, and let the little deaths of each day lead me along the path to eternal life.
Permanent Diaconate: In April 2013 Bishop John Buckley decided to introduce the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Cork and Ross. Permanent Deacons have recently been ordained in the Diocese of Elphin and the Archdiocese of Dublin. In our diocese a number of candidates are presently undertaking the Introductory Year (Propaedeutic Period) under the guidance of the Diocesan Director for the Permanent Dioconate for Cork and Ross, Father Bertie O’Mahony.
Further information is available from Fr. O’Mahony or from Cork and Ross Diocesan Office, Redemption Road, Cork. Tel: 4301717 or log on to www. corkandross.org.
The next Introductory Year will commence in September 2014. Those interested should contact their local priest or Fr. Bertie O’Mahony at Parochial House, Model Farm Road, Cork. Tel: 021-4346940/0872519940.
Beginning Experience is a Support Programme for people who have suffered the loss of a spouse by death , separation or divorce to work through the grief process, and to discover that merely “existing” in life can be transformed into “living” a new life, though a different one. The next weekend is in Ennismore Retreat Centre, Cork from Friday April 4th to Sunday April 6th, For Application Forms and further details please contact 087 9886480 or email beginningexpeirence@gmail.com.
Diocesan Website: www.corkandross.org Is updated every day. New sections have been added Daily and Sunday Mass readings, Reflection and Thought for the Day, Church News from around the world. The Website is linked with websites of Church interest. Well worth a log in. Turner’s Cross Parish Website: www.turnerscross.com Is updated every week.
Summer Time: begins this Sunday Clocks go forward one hour.