Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 3rd July 2011

Wings to Fly

‘If you take a bird’s wings away, you might seem to be taking weight off it, but the more weight you take off, the more you tie it down to the earth. There it is on the ground, and you wanted to relieve it of a weight; give it back the weight of its wings and you will see how it flies’ (St Augustine). Who doesn’t feel overburdened from time to time? The words of Jesus in today’s Gospel have a broad appeal – ‘Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest… Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’ But why does he use the image of a yoke, which calls to mind the weight hauled by oxen or ‘beast of burden’? St Augustine offers us some insight here. The ‘burden’ to which Jesus refers is not a heavy weight imposed on us. Indeed in Jewish tradition ‘yoke’ was sometimes used as a metaphor for the challenging but joyous task of obedience to the law. ‘Any other burden oppresses and crushes you, but Christ’s actually takes weight off you. Any other burden weighs down, but Christ’s give you wings,’ offers Augustine.

Jesus does not want to place the burdens of self-righteousness, guilt or obedience on people’s backs. That was what the Pharisees did. When we come to Jesus we find rest, freedom, and a new strength to face what challenges us.

Tríona Doherty

Questions People Ask

Q. My sister died this past year and I miss her terribly. We’ve had sickness, unemployment, mortgages, you name it. I feel down. Is God punishing us for something we did?

A. Not for one second do I see God storing up punishment for us. The best way to know what God is like is to study what Jesus Christ was like. He rejected the idea of a punishing God. He showed compassion to the sick and those suffering bereavement. Your sister would want you to trust that she is with God and to believe that the compassionate Jesus will help you. ‘Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest.’ Take him at his word. (Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap)

Pray For Our Deceased Friends

Recently Deceased: Maureen Walsh, St. Fiacre’s Place. Edward "Blackie" O'Dwyer, Baunree.

Anniversaries: Anna &Maurice Nolan (Sat 6.15), James Nugent (Sun 11.00), Joseph Daly & Mary “May” Savage (Sun 12.00), Francis (Fran) Ryan (Sun 12.30), Josephine Phelan (Tues 10.30), Mai Egan (Wed 10.30), Maurice Nagle (Thurs 10.30), Paddy Bergin & Sr. Margaret Mary Bergin (Fri 10.30), Denis Molloy, Annie Cody, John McMyler, Thomas & John Phelan, Dr. Tom McIntyre, Edward & Anne Whelan, Dick O’Hara, Annie Cody, Catherine Fitzpatrick, Thomas & Margaret Morrissey, Joseph Knox, Mary Blunden, Edward Beckett, Christine Taylor, William Maher.

Anniversaries Next Weekend: Ger Doheny (Sat 7.00), Gretta & William Delaney (Sun 9.30), Pauline Kennedy (Sun 10.00), Anne Coyne (Months Mind) & Tony Coyne (Sun 11.00), Catherine Dowling (Sun 12.00), Dr. Paddy Boyd (Sun 12.30).

First Saturday Devotion

Will take place in St. Fiacre’s Church, Loughboy on this Saturday, July 2nd after 6.15pm Mass. Prayers and adoration will end at 9pm.

Peter’s Pence Collection

This annual collection for the Holy Father’s Charities is taken up this weekend. Every year, the Holy Father receives thousands of requests from poor churches throughout the world for assistance and help. The monies collected through the Peter’s Pence collection goes to aid these people. None of the money goes to the Pope himself.

Envelope Collection

The total contributed to the envelope collection last week was €1,635.00 Thank you.

Foulkstown Cemetery Mass

The annual Foulkstown Cemetery Mass will take place on the last Thursday in July (28th) as always. It will begin at 7.30pm Please tell your family and friends.

Communion to the Sick

Those Eucharistic Ministers who bring communion to the sick are asked to note that they must approach the priest at communion time and not the Eucharistic Ministers.

Eucharistic Ministers are not permitted to give extra hosts to anyone and will direct you to one of the priests.

Ministers from other parishes are asked to please note that Holy Communion should be received in the parish where they are commissioned and then brought to the person who is sick. (Only commissioned Eucharistic Ministers can bring Holy Communion to the sick).

If we don’t know who you are and where you’re ministering we will require proof of your ministry from your parish priest.

Foulkstown Cemetery

Sincere thanks to the hard working cemetery committee who are working flat out to make sure the cemetery is in top shape for the upcoming cemetery Mass. We ask you to assist their work by making sure any waste such as wreaths, dead flowers etc. are properly disposed of in the area provided. Please note, this waste facility is only for waste items from graves. It is NOT a dumping facility for household or garden rubbish and is closely monitored to ensure there is no such illegal dumping. Thanks for your cooperation.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

There will be a Triduum in Honour of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the Carmelite Friary, Knocktopher from Thursday, 14th July to Saturday, 16th July. Events as follows:

Thursday 14th July: Eucharistic Procession to Shrine (weather permitting) at 7.30pm.

Friday, 15th July: Mass of the Sick and Anointing at 7.30 p.m.

Saturday, 16th July: Feast Day. Knocktopher Cemetery Mass at 7.30pm.

All are welcome.

Barbeque

St Lazerian’s House, Bagenalstown, Annual BBQ. Sunday 17th July from 2-6pm. Admission: €10 adults and €5 children

Have You Time To Spare?

S.O.S. is a Voluntary Organisation for adults with a mild-moderate intellectual disability. S.O.S. provides day services, respite and residential care. We are looking for families to provide short breaks in their home for adults from our services, nominal expenses are paid. We are also looking for volunteers to support us in providing extra social and recreational activities for people in S.O.S. If you would like to know more about volunteering or providing breaks please contact Kathleen Sherry at 056 776 4000 or email ksherry@soskilkenny.com or visit our website on http://www.soskilkenny.com/

Parish Liturgy Group

We intend re-starting the Parish Liturgy Group come the Autumn. The liturgy group helps plan and organise our Masses and special liturgical events in the parish. Interested? Watch this space.

St. Vincent de Paul Society

The next meeting of the St. Patrick’s Parish Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul will take place on Monday, 11th July and thereafter on a fortnightly basis for the months of July and August.

Those dates are: 11th and 25th July and the 8th and 22nd August. There is no meeting this Monday 4th July.

Those wishing to contact the society urgently can call: 087 681 0589.

South Kilkenny Historical Society

Coach Trip to the ecclesiastical sites at Clonmacnoise and Clonfert (which is celebrating 900 years as a diocese in 2011). Date: Saturday, July 9th. Departing the Rising Sun, Mullinavat at 7am. Cost: €22 (including admission to Clonmacnoise visitors centre). Booking and further information from Eddie Synnott at 086-8124349. Prior arrangements can be made for other pick-up points.

Come on the Cats

Best of luck to Brian Cody and all the Kilkenny hurlers, minor and senior, as they take on Dublin in the Leinster Hurling Finals this Sunday. Sock it to ‘em!

Village GAA News

All members, players and supporters of James Stephens GAA are reminded that the club produces an informative and colourful monthly newsletter production by e-mail to keep you up to date on all the latest fixtures, results, ladies football, camogie, club development and social events in the club. To receive the monthly e-newsletter just send your e-mail address to news@james-stephens.com

Senior Clash: Best wishes to the Village senior panel and management team of Niall Rigney, Fran Whelan and Adrian Finan as they clash with neighbours O’Loughlin Gaels in the Kilkenny Senior Hurling League/Championship on Friday, 8th July in Nowlan Park at 7.30pm.

Tea/Coffee

In aid of Aware (Depression) on Saturday, 2nd July at James & Breda McHugh’s Home, 46 Oaklawns, Paulstown, from 10.30 am - 3pm. Delicious Home Baking. All are welcome.

O.N.E

The Organisation of Ex-Servicemen and Women will hold their annual collection next weekend, 9th & 10th July.

The New Missal

Where do I find the changes in the people’s prayers at Mass? The Mass booklet and the congregational card will have all the prayers and responses that are changing. These are also available on www.catholicbishops.ie and www.liturgy-ireland.ie, accompanied by video explanations.

There are new translations of ‘I confess’, ‘Glory to God in the highest’, the Creeds, the acclamations in the Eucharistic Prayers, ‘Lord, I am not worthy’ and a number of other prayers and responses, which are very slightly changed; for example, in the Holy, Holy, we say ‘Lord God of hosts’ and in the response to ‘Pray, brothers and sisters’, the addition of one word, ‘holy’ before ‘Church’; where we responded ‘And also with you’, we now say ‘And with your spirit’.

Loughboy Library

The library will host an evening for book clubs and solo readers on Wednesday, July 6th at 8pm. Guest speaker Mary Stanley from Dublin.

Summer Reading Challenge for primary school children commences July 5th . It is called ‘Circus Stars’ and all taking part will receive circus novelty prizes to entice them along the way. Register at Loughboy Library.