Trinity Sunday
Whatever we make of the mystery of the Trinity, the readings today stress that God, no matter how we talk of God, is love – the God of tenderness in the first reading, and in the gospel God loved the world as to send his son. A picture of the Trinity is given by St Ignatius Loyola: think of the Trinity, he says, looking down on the world, and saying ‘our lovely world needs to be saved’. They saw people in darkness and wanted to send the light of the world, in grief and wanted to send the joy of their life into the world. Trinity Sunday is the feast of God’s desire to be with us in the dark times of life, as we are now in many areas of our life, to bring the light of the risen Lord.
God cannot do that alone. The picture of Ignatius ends with an account of the Son coming to earth in the womb of Mary who accepts this love to become the mother of God. As Mary was chosen, so is each of us in our own way. Married or single, we are called into the love and the service of God by our baptism, and our very birth.
Our need to be saved through love, and a just society not what we have seen this past week. Our planet needs to be saved from the damage and hurt caused to it. May we, in the words of the second reading’ live in peace’ – with each other and with our planet. We pray that we experience the love and care of God and each other in this time of pandemic, with a special prayer for those who are ill or have been bereaved.
I bless myself today and always: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Our Parish Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus will start on this Thursday 11th June and conclude on Friday 19th June (the Feast of the Sacred Heart.) Novena Prayers will be available at the back of the Church. The Church is open each day except Sunday from 2.30pm to 5.30pm. Why not come and make the Novena privately or make it at home with with your family. Novena prayers also after the live-streamed Masses from 11th to 19th June <http://www.frbillyosullivan.ie> “O Sacred Heart of Jesus I place all my trust in you.”
PRAYERS TO PRAY AT HOME DURING THIS PANDEMIC
Pope Francis has composed two prayers to Our Lady and asks us to to pray them with him, especially during the Month of May this year. He also asks people across the world to pray the Rosary. http://corkandross.org/pope-francis-let-us-pray-together-to-mary-in-may/prayers-we-can-say-during-covid19
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 etc., are in place relating to cleanliness and disinfection, social distancing, designated prayer spaces, access to the church and movement within the church. The church is 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.
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://www.frbillyosullivan.ie>
Death: We pray for Cecilia Seward, Greenhills Estate who has died. We extend our sympathy to her family.
Updated Funeral Guidelines
Bishop Fintan has updated the diocesan guidelines for funerals in a letter to priests of the diocese. From Monday 8th June Funeral Masses may have up to 25 people attending the church and the burial. This change is in light of updated government Covid-19 restrictions. Physical distancing and sanitising requirements remain unchanged.
Eventual Return to Public Worship
Bishop Fintan has also advised us that plans are being made involving parishioners, clergy and the bishop to develop guidelines to be used in churches during the road-map phase of preparation that begins on 29th June. These plans will be based on guidance from the Irish Bishops Conference to be published this coming week and on the requirements of the public health authorities. The proposed guidelines will be considered by the Turner’s Cross Parish Assembly on Thursday next 11th June, to ensure that any necessary arrangements will be in place at the beginning of the implementation phase on 29th June.
Blessing of Lilies will be blessed after the 10.00 am live-streamed Mass from the Presbytery on Saturday next, 13th June, the feast day of St Anthony (connect to <http://www.frbillyosullivan.ie> for this Mass). A necessarily limited number of blessed lilies will be available in the church during the period of personal prayer on Saturday afternoon.
it should read: special precautions etc, are in place.