Wednesday, March 04, 2020

CLONMACNOIS PARISH BULLETIN FEBRUARY 23rd 2020
SHANNONBRIDGE
Sat 22nd  7:00pm Vigil Mass Allan Kelly
Church closed Monday to Friday due to interior painting.  Masses in Hall
Monday, 24th Feb No  Mass               
Tuesday, 25th Feb 7pm  Vigil of Ash                        
Wednesday
Wed 26th Feb    -   Ash Wednesday  
11:45a.m. Ashes Ceremony Clonmacnois N.S. (All welcome)
Thursday 27th Feb 10:00a.m. Service  
[7:00p.m. First Confession ]                       
Friday, 28th   Feb 10a.m.. Mass                       
Saturday 29th Feb /Sunday, 1st March    7:00a.m. -   First Sunday of Lent   
 CLONFANLOUGH.     
Sunday 23rd February 10:30a.m. Frances Kelly (Memorial Mass) late of Carrowkeel, died in USA
Wednesday  26th 7:00p.m.
Sunday 1st March    First Sunday of Lent    10:30 A.M. Michael & Mary Kelly & family members
CLUAIN CHIARAIN  No Mass Wed 26th (Ash Wed.) Next Mass Wed 4th March  7.30pm
COLLECTIONS: Offertory Feb 16th €926  Shrine €74
SHANNONBRIDGE FITNESS CLASSES  Monday 11am Pilates Tuesday at 8.15pm Fitness Class
SHANNONBRIDGE YOGA      CLASSES ENROLLING Please contact Liz if interested 087 2410587
DEATH - Please pray for the soul of Claudia Buckley (Oughter, Rahan) and formerly Shannonbridge.  May she rest in peace.
WORDS TO THE WISE
You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures. (Charles C. Noble) Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life… as by the obstacles which he has to overcome while trying to succeed.  (Booker T. Washington) I avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward. (Charlotte Bronte) There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. (C..S. Lewis) There is but one cause of  human failure, and that is man’s lack of faith in true self. (William James)  Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude (Zig Ziglar)
 
SHANNONBRIDGE LIBRARY open Thursday 7-9 Health Centre
MATCH PASSES for Senior Citizens if anyone is interested in receiving a free pass to all Offaly matches… please contact Niamh Ryan Egan for details 086 332 0017

DAY OF PRAYER FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF ABUSE  Friday 28th February is a Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of Abuse. A Candle of Atonement will be lit in St Mel’s Cathedral, Longford, at 10.00am Mass on Friday 28th February”.
Hymns
Be still for the presence of the Lord The Holy One is here /Come bow before Him now / With reverence and fear / In Him no sin is found /  We stand on holy ground / Be still for the presence of the Lord / The Holy One is here
I Will Be The Vine I will be the vine and you will be the branches; All you who live in me will never, never die I will be the sign.
I will offer many choices; So live, oh live in me and you shall have new life
Give Me Joy Give me joy in my heart, Keep me praising, Give me joy in my heart, I pray. Give me joy in my heart, deep me praising. Keep me praising „till the break of day. Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, Sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, Sing hosanna to the King./ Give me peace in my heart keep me resting …….
Give me love in my heart keep me serving ………
SPRING STATIONS  Station Mass Areas  (1)Chapel St & Hill,  (2)Ballyhearth, (3)Clongowney, (4)Carrowkeel,  (5)Clonfanlough & Lakefield (6) Clonmacnois & Tullabeg  (7)Clonlyon  booked  3/4/2020 (8) Glebe (9)Aughincabe/Clerhane/Creevagh  (10)Shannonbridge (11) St. Kieran’s Park, (12)Garrymore, Woodbank, Charlestown, Lecarrow, Blackwater  (13) Clondelara

 
EARLY MORNING LENTEN  MASS - Will be held at 7am on Wednesdays of Lent in Ferbane and in St. Colmcille’s Church, Ballinahown on all Thursday mornings during Lent at 7am
ATHLONE I.T. LENTEN MASSES - Mass will be celebrated in AIT Monday to Friday at 8.40am and 1.05pm at the Institute Chapel during Lent. All welcome.
ASH WEDNESDAY, 26th February - Is a day of FAST and ABSTINENCE. FAST = One full meal and two collations or two light meals. ABSTINENCE = the use of meat or its products is forbidden. Ages 18 to 60 years
PRAYER FOR LENT Holy Spirit, give me wisdom and the courage of my convictions, as I make life decisions today and every day. Some may be simple, others complex, but all require honesty and quiet reflection. I pray that, with your help and guidance, my heart will be open to God’s will in whatever choices I am asked to make. Amen.
LENTEN   PLEDGE ? Why not take the Short-Term Pledge as your Lenten sacrifice? As part of its work for temperance and sobriety, we have a Short-Term Pledge section for adults over the age of eighteen years. This pledge enables a person who does not wish to make a life commitment of total abstinence to take the pledge for a limited period of time and make a worthwhile sacrifice. If you would like to take the pledge for the six weeks of Lent, you can go online and follow the links to join. If you feel that you can and would like to take the pledge for the six weeks of Lent, please go online at www.pioneerassociation.ie and follow the links to join.
 
LEAMONAGHAN PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORJE Will take place from the 8th July to the 15th July 2020. The cost is €695 and places may be booked through the Parish office 057 9336119 
ANAM CARA - The organisation that supports bereaved parents, is holding a Bereavement Information Evening on Tuesday 25th February at 7.15pm in the Mullingar Park Hotel, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. This is a FREE EVENT and open to all bereaved parents. As Anam Cara will need to confirm numbers for
teas, coffees, etc. please RSVP to info@anamcara.ie before Monday 24th February or call 085 2888 88
FERBANE APOSTOLIC WORK - We would appreciate any used stamps you may have. These can be left into Ferbane Convent. 
GIVE BLOOD - At Tullamore Court Hotel Monday 24th, Tuesday 25th, Wednesday 26th, Thursday 27th February. Time: 4.30pm to 8pm Fact: One pint of blood can save three lives.
WEST OFFALY TRAINING - Are running some great courses starting in March. Call West Offaly Training on 057 9152003 for info
DOON / SHANNONBRIDGE GAA LOTTO - The winning numbers in last week’s lotto draw were 2, 13, 26, 32. No jackpot winner. Two match 3 winners. This week’s jackpot is €13,800 and the draw will be held in Shannonbridge on Monday 24th February.
PARISH CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME  2020
Thanks to all who came to a wonderful evening on Feb 19th last. Coming up we have….!
Thursday, February 27th Confirmation Group away day to St. Mel’s Cathedral, Longford
 Wed. March 4th at 8p.m. in Clonmacnois N.S. for Children only (You Shall be My Witnesses Program)
Thursday 12th March 2020 Service of Light 7pm. Clonfanlough
Sunday 22nd March 3pm. Sacrament of Confirmation  Shannonbridge
FIRST COMMUNION PREPARATION
First Confession Thursday 27th February 7p.m. Shannonbridge
 
MINISTRIES
Shannonbridge:Sat 29th Feb  @7:00 p.m.
Servr Grp 3Michael C, Cliodhna F, Niamh C, Oisin K, Conor F.  Reader: Fiachra Anderson/Ffionn Anderson  Euch .Min. Dympna Fitzpatrick Ch Care Martha Murphy/Marie McManus  COUNTERS  Feb: Shannonbridge 
Clonfanlough:Sun 1st March @10:30am
Server Grp 2 Neása T, Eva S.  Reader: Bridie Coughlan Euch Min.Jacqueline Hennessy
Church CareFeb Bridie Coughlan

 
SEVENTH  SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
‘Love your enemies’
‘The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness, according to the poet William Blake. The command to ‘forgive and love your enemies’ is certainly at the heart of Jesus’ teaching, but we would have to admit that it is the most difficult teaching of all. We are somehow programmed to retaliate, to hold-on to old hurts, to nurse old grudges. Forgiveness does not come easy. It is the attribute of the strong. Gandhi once said ‘the weak can never forgive’. Forgiveness is liberating. It is a gift to yourself, as American Christian author, Lewis B Smedes articulated so memorably in his book ‘Forgive and Forget’: To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you’. It doesn’t alter the past, but it does enlarge the future, and the far side of forgiveness is always better.



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