Saturday
6.30pm: Rev Patrick Taggart RIP Sunday Fourteen Page 103
10am: J and C Garrad (25 today)
8.30am: Parish
Monday: NO MASS
Tuesday 10am: Stephen Bowling RIP
Wednesday 10am: Anthony Michael Wills RIP
Thursday 10am: Jean Eileen Trotman RIP
Friday 10am: St Joseph's Bereavement Mass
Saturday 6.30pm: Ruth Fallon RIP Sunday XIV B
8.30am: Priest Intention,
10am: Joe O'Gorman RIP
11.30am: Parish
Homecoming When Jesus returned to Nazareth it was a sad occasion for him, because most of the people rejected him. But they were the real losers. Jesus lived without anaesthesia. He was numb neither to the pain or the joy of the world. He never developed defences to keep both happiness and sorrow moderate. Jesus experienced the pain that comes from loneliness, misunderstanding overwork, estrangement with some members of his family, rejection by religious leadership, and the betrayal of his closest friends. We reverence his most painful hours when we reverence his image on the crucifix. We have a strange image of God. Our image of God is not a big golden sun or an amorphous, infinite power we call various names. Our image of God is a naked, bleeding, poor man dying on the cross. On Calvary Jesus receives our hatred and does not retum it. He absorbs our human sin rather than passes it on. He does not use his pain and death as power over others to punish them, but to transform them. When Jesus says "Father forgive them" he is showing us the way to true peace and real happiness. How eager are we to follow his way?
First Reading Prophets are to speak the word of God and may be people don't like it! So be prepared! They are to ensure that people not remain in ignorance of their disobedience. God tells it as it is! He does not abandon his people. We are to expect opposition. Not always easy.
Second Reading Weakness teaches us humility. At least this is Paul's take on the thorn in his flesh. If we don't acknowledge that we depend on God totally then we will never really experience God's power. The words "my grace is sufficient for you" should never be far from our lives. God speaks to us. It's a great consolation to us in all our struggles.
The Gospel The message is clear. No prophet is ever accepted in his own country. Jesus was rejected by his own. They cannot begin to accept the greatness of someone who is one of them. His power is ineffective and his attempts to win them over in vain. The Jewish people rejected him and killed him. I suppose the point of the reading is that we should not be too discouraged if people just don't want to know about God or Jesus or the church or religion or meaning and purpose in life or mercy or love or truth. I can't help but think of the quote from one of the great philosophers of 20 century- Martin Heidegger. "People should spend more time in graveyards". And here's another of my favourites "The most thought-provoking thing in our thought-provoking time is that we are still not thinking. And another "Why are there beings at all instead of nothing?" And finally "Only a god can save us. I asked for strength and God gave me difficulties to make me strong. I asked for wisdom and God gave me problems to solve. 1 asked for prosperity, and God gave me brain and brawn to work. I asked for courage and God gave me dangers to overcome. I asked for love, and God gave me troubled people to help. I asked for favours, and God gave me opportunities. I received nothing I wanted but everything I needed.
Mass Books are available Year B part 2. 1 am inviting you to take a copy and make a donation if you are able to afford it. Suggested donation to be placed in normal offertory basket £4. If you can't afford it just take one and be sure to use it each week!
St Joseph's Bereavement Mass will be celebrated on this coming Friday 9 July. It is hoped that there will be a Parish Mass in November for all the bereaved.
Apostleship of the Sea Collection Next Sunday for The Apostleship of the Sea Seafarers have hard and dangerous lives. On Sea Sunday your gifts and prayers will help seafarers and fishers the suppo they need,
Final Blessing
May the Lord be within you to strengthen you, and outside you to protect you. May the Lord be with you to watch over you, and beneath you to uphold you. May the Lord be before you to guide you, and behind you to keep you from straying.
