CLONMACNOIS PARISH NEWSLETTER JUNE 21st 2020
Clonmacnois Parish
Fr. Tom Cox (Adm) Tel. 090 9674125/ 0868319500
Email: clonmacnoiseparish@gmail.com
WEB shannonbridge.blogspot.ie
www.facebook.com/Parish-of-Clonmacnois
June 21st. 2020 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time
‘The one who disowns me in the presence of men
I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven’.
‘Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it’, according to Nelson Mandela. It is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, perhaps the most important. It is a heart word. The root of the word courage is ‘cor’, the Latin word for heart. Jesus asks us today not to lose heart in our efforts to witness to Him in a world that is increasingly hostile to His word. In this hostile environment, there is great temptation for the follower of Jesus to ‘blend-in’ and remain silent when he/she should speak out. Some years ago, a well-known Christian proclaimed in interview that he was a Christian but ‘not offensively so’. The follower of Jesus, however, must be prepared to disturb the peace at times, to take a stand for what is right, to show which side he/she is on. ‘A story that must be told never forgives silence’. It is probably true to say that more people deny Jesus Christ by cowardly silence than by deliberate words. We are not called to be conformed to the world but rather, to transform it. It’s a matter of courage.
Act of Spiritual Communion “My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You have already come , and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen”
Trócaire €1,745 final amount to return
Offertory 21.6..20 €345 Shrine €70 Pentecost Dues €1,487 to date Many thanks
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah 20:10-13
He has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men.
Jeremiah said: I hear so many disparaging me, ‘”Terror from every side!” Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’ All those who used to be my friends watched for my downfall, ‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error. Then we will master him and take our revenge!’ But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero; my opponents will stumble, mastered, confounded by their failure; everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs. But you, Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice, who scrutinise the loins and heart,let me see the vengeance you will take on them, for I have committed my cause to you. Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men.
The Word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 68
Response In your great love, answer me, 0 God.
1. It is for you that I suffer taunts,
that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother’s sons.
I burn with zeal for your house
and taunts against you fall on me. Response
2. This is my prayer to you,
my prayer for your favour.
In your great love, answer me, 0 God,
with your help that never fails:
Lord, answer, for your love is kind;
in your compassion, turn towards me. Response
3. The poor when they see it will be glad
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy
and does not spurn his servants in their chains.
Let the heavens and the earth give him praise,
the sea and all its living creatures. Response
Alleluia!
SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 5:12-15
The gift itself considerably outweighed the fall.
Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of ‘law-breaking’, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law.
Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation Jn 1: 14.12
Alleluia, alleluia! The Word was made flesh and lived among us;
to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God.
GOSPEL A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 10:26-33
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body.
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.
‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.
The Gospel of the Lord.
MASS SCHEDULE & INTENTIONS
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time 7p.m. Saturday 20th/ 10:30a.m. Sunday 21st June
Monday 22nd June 10a.m. St. Paulinus of Nola/John Fisher & Thomas More
Tuesday 23rd June 10a.m.
Wednesday 24th June 10a.m. Birth of St. John the Baptist
Thursday 25th June 10a.m.
Friday 26th June 10a.m.
7:00p.m. Saturday 27th Jimmy & Lizzy & James Joseph McManus & Baby Joseph
10:30a.m. Sunday 28th June Kieran Hanniffy (Jnr.) 1st Anniv.
[All Masses streamed & available on Facebook “Tom Cox” and “Parish of Clonmacnois” ] Type in https://www.facebook.com/tomas.macconchoille
Recent Deaths Patrick Kenny America, Oldtown, Margaret Heavin (Moystown) ,John Brennan formerly Kajon House,Creevagh
Bulletin Mailing List: Since March I have been sending out the bulletin to over 100 people via WhatsApp. I will probably need to revise that.. People are free to opt out.& have done so.
June 29th - Historic Day
The feast of St. Peter & Paul on Monday 29th takes on a special and historic significance this year. It is the day, the Feast-day on which Churches can re-open for public worship. It is the day when we emerge from the catacombs of the Covid-19 Shutdown. We welcome this great news. We welcome back and are looking forward to our Parish being able to assemble together again for our celebration of the Eucharist and Sacraments. It will not be easy as there are still restrictions and protocols to be observed. We are still working on the practicalities. Some decisions have already been made. we would ask for your patience and understanding as we progress towards our re-opening.
i) Entrance and exit doors have to be identified. The proposal is a 1 Way system filling up (if necessary) in order. Seating is much reduced in both Churches. The 2metre distance still holds as the guideline. My past estimates of seating may be wildly optimistic. We will review when our parish volunteers put out signage and mark areas on Sat 27th . The situation keeps changing re guidelines on capacity/distancing -sorry for vagueness.
ii) It is recommended that access and exit would be gradual and socially distanced. We do not all enter/leave at the same time. We will need stewards to organise a planned and phased exit.
iii) Mass times continue as usual. We propose to move the 10am Monday to 7pm beginning on June 29th in Shannonbridge and to have a weekday evening Mass in Clonfanlough (starting July 3rd at 7pm). It may help you to access a Mass other than Saturday evening/Sunday. The Sunday Mass obligation is relaxed and we would encourage you to consider coming at a convenient weekday time not just Sunday. We may need to change times and methods in all this. Please be patient. This is not going to be a return to the way things were. It is a new reality and will have to be approached in a new way. We need to be patient and take our time. Initially, those who are vulnerable or nervous might prefer to continue to join the community by radio, television or over the internet.
iv) For the moment, the Parish Council feel it is best not to have Reader, Eucharistic Minister, Choir or Servers. We are guided by the Irish Bishop Norms in much of this.
v) It is suggested that all choosing to receive Communion (in the hand only) would remain in the Church at the end where I will be available to minister.
vi) Families are encouraged to stay together as a unit as the social distancing does not apply to them i.e. people who live in the same house together can sit together. All other people will have to observe social distancing. So an assigned place could be 1 individual or a Couple/Family Group. This part is the most difficult to apply....
vii) . Sanitisation stations are available at all Church doors and other areas of the Church. We recommend using them on entering and leaving the Church.
viii) Again, please note The Sunday obligation of Mass has been suspended. You can fulfil your Sunday obligation by attending Mass on weekdays. People with underlying conditions or concerns should avail of the Online and Televised options.
ix) Our Offertory Collections bags or baskets will not be used for the time being. We have two free standing units at the Porches-you can donate as you exit.
x) The Church seats will have to be sanitised after each Mass or service. We would welcome some volunteers to help. I don’t think Toilets will be possible to open– they are to be sanitised after every use which is simply impossible.
xi) As ever Baptisms (6 people), weddings (6 people) can be celebrated.
xii) It is also recommended that people do not congregate outside Church for a chat. If you do, please observe social distancing directives. We thank you for your patience and understanding. We are all on a learning curve at present. Hopefully it will not be too long before we are back to a normal normal. On Monday 29th people are welcome to Mass at 7.00pm.We will be easing our way back in to our Mass routine and we would really appreciate your patience and understanding as we go through this together.. I would like to pay tribute to all parish volunteers who have been cleaning routinely and ensuring our Churches were a safe and welcoming and attractive place to visit..
‘Bread’ symbolises the energy of life. Jesus is true bread for the world. Jesus, For every hunger…be the Living Bread For every thirst...be the Saving Cup For every sorrow...be the Oil of Compassion For every hurt...be Mercy and Forgiveness For every hope...be deep Fulfilment For every death...be new Life
A PRAYER FOR FATHERS DAY Heavenly Father, you have been pleased to let me be called the name that is yours for all eternity. Help me to be worthy of that name. Let me offer good example to my children in all situations of life. Grant me wisdom and strength and love and let me be conscious that my actions speak louder than my words. May I support them in their growth as human persons, fulfilling my duty to guide them in the ways given to us by you Son Jesus Christ. Amen -Stephen Cummins
PRAYER FOR A PARISH CHURCH
Lord keep this church the right kind of church that it is.
keep it from being the wrong kind, the church of the cold shoulder, or the
church of the sharp tongue or the church of the closed mind.
Let is always be the church of the open hand, a church of mercy
for the faltering step,
a church that mirrors God's love for his people and the timeless
compassion of Mary, God's mother, help of the half-defeated. May
this church be a church that understands that We must love one another or die.
PRAYER TO GOD FOR HELP & COMFORT
God our Father, Creator of the world,
almighty and merciful, out of love for us
You sent Your Son into the world
as the doctor of our souls and our bodies,
to look upon Your children who,
in this difficult time of confusion and dismay
in many regions of Europe and the world,
turn to You in seeking, strength, salvation
and relief,
deliver us from illness and fear,
heal our sick,
comfort their families,
give wisdom to our rulers,
energy and reward to our doctors,
nurses and volunteers,
eternal life to the dead.
Do no abandon us in the moment of trial
but deliver us from evil.
We ask this of You, who with the Son and the Holy Spirit, live and reign for ever and ever. Amen. live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
COMMUNION / CONFIRMATION We’ve asked Bishop Francis frequently re Confirmation & he has asked the 52 Diocesan priests at local level to discuss this (we meet June 23rd). Our School would like to be involved in the Sacraments as well –so details to follow soon.
LOUGH DERG: Online Retreat Days: 27-29th June. Join on www.loughderg.live or call (071) 9861518.
SCHOOL IS OUT In this most unusual of years, we wish all our school population a good holiday. Our School Staff and parent body have shown remarkable resilience in the unforeseen challenge imposed since March 12th last. Rest is so important to all and I wish all our young friends a lovely Summer. We want to keep our school safe & well maintained, so we would ask passers-by & local residents at Clonmacnois N.S. to be vigilant & to report any suspicious activity. Just to remind that apart from school hours, the school & grounds are closed to public access.
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