EYES OF FAITH
Our Mass readings speak of salvation and of faith. There have always been people of weak faith (most of us, perhaps), deep faith and no faith. We no longer live in an age of faith. Nowadays we see open opposition to our faith and also in many good people a struggle between faith and scepticism. We pray for the grace given to Bartimaeus to recognise 
our salvation when Jesus of Nazareth is close by.
Bartimaeus called out from the margins of poverty, helplessness and blindness. He was “a nobody” and an embarrassment to those nearby. But this blind man looked to Jesus with eyes of faith. We too can cry to God from the spiritual margins, from our lack of faith or weak faith and ask for mercy, and we too will be heard. Faith is not merely a question of intellectual assent; it is a relationship with the risen Jesus, with Jesus who said to Bartimaeus “your faith has saved you.”
If our hearts are open to God, and God is love, then faith can change us for the better and give us joy, and give us hope in the most difficult times in our lives. As we cry out to God, we are in turn called by God to share in the priesthood of his Christ and we are sent to the lost, to those who have lost their faith. With Bartimaeus may we follow Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, seeing him and our brothers and sisters in Christ with eyes of faith, eyes of love.
Feast of all Saints Wednesday 1st November. Masses: Vigil Tuesday 6.00 pm. Wednesday 10.00 am & 6.00 pm
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) Friday 2nd November, Masses at 10.00 am and 6.00 pm
Holy Souls. Novena of Masses for the Holy Souls Friday 2nd November to Saturday 10th November. Evening Mass at 6.00 pm except Sunday. Novena envelopes are available at the exit doors can be placed in the box at the altar rails.
A Plenary Indulgence for the souls of the departed may be gained by visiting a church or oratory and there reciting one Our Father and the Apostles’ Creed between noon on November 1st and midnight on All Souls’ Day (November 2nd), by all who confess their sins during the week before or after All Souls’ Day, receive Holy Communion between the 1st and 8th November and pray for the Pope’s intentions. The faithful who visit a cemetery and pray for the dead may gain also gain a plenary indulgence once per day from Nov 1st to 8th, subject to the same conditions.
Remembrance Weekend 4th & 5th November. All Masses will be offered for our Dead remembering especially those who have died since November 2017. Nightlights available at back of Church to light and place at the altar rails in their memory. Remembrance Weekend is an opportunity to give thanks for the wonderful gift of family, kind neighbours and friendship. All of us are shaped and influenced by what has happened in the past and during November we pray for those who have died and acknowledge their influence on our own lives. PRAYERS & BLESSING OF GRAVES
3rd Nov. St. Oliver’s Ballincollig
Mass at 2pm
4th Nov. St. Joseph’s Tory Top Rd.
2.30 pm
St. James Chetwynd 3pm
Douglas 3pm
St. Michael’s Blackrock 3pm
Rathcooney 3pm
10th Nov: St Mary’s & St John’s
Ballincollig Mass 12 noon
11th Nov. St. Finbarr’s Glasheen Rd
2.30pm
St. Catherine’s Kilcully 3pm Don’t forget to pray at the Graves at the back of the Church
First Friday: We will visit the sick and housebound this week. If you would like a visit please contact us.
Anointing of the Sick: Saturday 3rd Nov. at 10.00 am Mass.
Deaths:We pray for Con Connolly, Railway Place, Douglas Road and John Graham, Togher and late of Fr Matthew Road, who died recently. We extend our sympathy to their families.
Gramophone Recital Tuesday November 6th at 11.00 am at Tory Top Library. Presented by John O’Connell. Admission Free. All welcome.
St Martin Triduum. Three nights of intercession for healing and peace. Starts Saturday 3rd November with Mass 6.00 pm.
St Mary’s, Pope’s Quay.
Anam Cara Cork, the organisation that supports bereaved parents, is holding a Parent Evening on Wednesday 7th of November at 7:20 pm in the Clayton Hotel, Silver Springs, Tivoli, Cork. This event is free and open to all bereaved parents regardless of the age your child died, the circumstances of their death, or whether their death was recent or not. For more information see anamcara.ie <http://anamcara.ie> or call our Information Line on 085 2888 888.
The Annual Rosary Procession around the Lough takes place on Sunday October 28th starting with Rosary in the Lough Church at 2.30pm. All Welcome.
Workshop for parish choirs, cantors and musicians – led by Dom Richard Purcell (Abbot of Mount Melleray) on Saturday 10th November from 10am to 1:15pm in Blackrock Parish Centre. Contribution €10 per person to include copy of music book. Places limited – to reserve a place contact the Pastoral Development Office 021 4537474
Climate Change. Pope Francis’ encyclical on ecology, Laudato Si’, says that climate change is real and mainly a ‘result of human activity‘. A talk entitled ‘Waking up to Climate Change’ by Lorna Gold will take place on Friday, 16 November at 7.30 pm in the Visitor Centre, North Cathedral, Cork. Admission is free but places are limited. To book a place, email shepearthaware@gmail.com <mailto:shepearthaware@gmail.com> .
Marriage Enrichment Weekend offers married couples (of all ages) private time to rekindle the joy of their love. Residential Weekend from 16th to 18th November 2018 at the beautifully situated Lake Hotel, Killarney. For information or booking visit www.marriageencounter.ie <http://www.marriageencounter.ie> or call 086-609 5168 or 064-664 4319