Pentecost: The Spirit of God says that your looks and appearance can be very deceptive. You must look into your heart, into the depth of your life to see who you really are. The Spirit of God says that failure can be more important than success. We can learn even from the sad and difficult times. The Spirit of God says that my vision must always be outward not inward and this will always include others. The Spirit of God says that love is about giving of myself even when I feel that I cannot. The Spirit of God says that forgiveness is the greatest reality that we know. We sin, we fail, yet we can be freed to go on. The Spirit of God says that honesty and commitment are the only things that matter in the end. The Spirit of God says that the sick and disabled are often those who are most alive for they know their dependence, they know that life is not in their control. The Spirit of God says that death is not the end of life as the great spirit present in us is not extinguished but transformed.
It would be a pity to let the weekend go by without a simple prayer to the Holy Spirit for guidance, direction and a sense of hope and courage in everything we do. Spirit of God teach us what is really important in life.
O come, O Holy Spirit, come! Come as holy light and lead us. Come as holy truth and teach us. [St. John Henry Newman]
SPIRITUAL CONFESSION Recently Pope Francis spoke about what we can do when we cannot go to confession because of the current restrictions. He advised: ‘It is very clear: If you cannot find a priest to confess to, speak directly with God, your Father, and tell him the truth. Say, “Lord, I did this, this, this. Forgive me,” and ask for pardon with all your heart.’ Make an act of contrition, the pope said, and promise God, ‘I will go to confession afterward, but forgive me now.’ And immediately you will return to a state of grace with God.’ (Pope Francis, 20 March 2020)
OPENING OF THE CHURCH FOR PERSONAL PRAYER
Our Church is open from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm on weekdays (Monday to Saturday). Special precautions against the spread of the Covid-19 virus will be in place, relating to cleanliness and disinfection, social distancing, designated prayer spaces, access to the church and movement within the church.
The church will be cleaned and disinfected before being opened each day, hand sanitisers have been provided at the entrances and everyone is asked to sanitise coming in and going out. Disposable gloves are provided for use with the electric votive lights at the shrines, and may be placed in bins at each shrine after use. Tissues may be discarded in the bins at the entrance and exit points.
LIVE-STREAMED MASSES
Fr Billy says a live-streamed Mass from the Presbytery at 12.00 noon on Sundays and 10.00 am on weekdays (Monday to Saturday) on the separate internet address frbillyosullivan.ie (http://frbillyosullivan.ie).
Death: We pray for Seán Houlihan, Cross Douglas Road, who has died. We extend our sympathy to his family.
The NET Ministries Team working in Turner’s Cross, Douglas and the South Parish leave Cork this weekend, concluding a second year of NET involvement in our parishes. They leave with our sincere thanks for their contribution to Turner’s Cross parish life, and in particular for their work with Bun Scoil Chríost Rí.
NET operates through teams of young Catholics who give a year of voluntary service ministering to young people in schools or parishes. NET Ireland began in 2004, and has worked in schools and parishes across Ireland. Teams are equipped to set up and run youth groups, lunch-time school programmes, after-school programmes, faith discussions and much more.
This was a difficult year for the NET team in Cork, with illness after Christmas resulting in two members being replaced, followed by disruption of their work by the Coronavirus restrictions from March. The mission continued with the team remaining in the house in the South Parish and maintaining an on-line presence until this week.
We thank God for their presence among us, for the witness of bright and happy young people filled with faith and the joy of the Gospel, and we ask God’s blessing on each of them throughout their future lives.
Act of Spiritual Communion: My Jesus, I believe that you are present in this Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things and I passionately desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my soul so that I may unite myself wholly to you now and forever. Amen.