THIRD WEEK OF THE YEAR A
SUNDAY: PARISH MASS at 10.00am (Live streamed)
United Service for Christian Unity Week at 4.00pm (Parkway Methodist)
MONDAY: St Timothy and Titus, Bishops, disciples of St Paul
No Liturgy
TUESDAY: St Angela Merici, founder of Ursulines, (1474-1540)
Funeral Mass for Sr Jean Daniels at 11.00am (Burnham-on-Sea)
WEDNESDAY: St Thomas Aquinas, priest and Doctor of the Church (1225-1274)
No Liturgy
THURSDAY: Funeral Mass – Bernadette James R.I.P 11.00 am
FRIDAY: Adoration 11.30 Mass !2.00 noon
SATURDAY: St John Bosco, priest & educator, founder of Salesians (1815-88)
Adoration 11.30 Mass !2.00 noon
TODAY [1] On this Third Sunday in Ordinary time (A) we celebrate Jesus who comes to bring Light into our darkness. With so much darkness in our world today – wars, conflicts, lack of honesty among powerful leaders, poverty, addictions – we who are disciples of this Jesus are called, like the first apostles, to walk with Jesus and bring His Light of love, justice, freedom to our world. Will we shine with His Love?
[2] This is also Word of God Sunday – when we give thanks for this great gift of God’s Word in the Scriptures, the Word that is ‘Bread of Life’ for us, the Life-giving and Living Word made flesh in Jesus. May we always hold the Bibnle close to our heart and share with others the Joy of the Gospel.
[3] As the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity draws to a close today, we offer the 10.00am Mass for the healing of the divisions of centuries among us Christians that has so damaged and weakened our witness to Christ, our proclamation of the Good News, our witness to Peace. Let us rejoice in the rich diversity of traditions in the whole Church and seek to learn from one another and be One in Christ.
[4] We welcome Janice Pearson, our Diocesan Safeguarding Officer to our Mass today. Her presence and words will highlight the importance of Safeguarding in the life and Mission of the Church – Safeguarding is the responsibility of us all.
NEXT SUNDAY [1] With the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) we celebrate Jesus beginning His Ministry of Teaching and Preaching as he begins the famous ‘Sermon on the Mount’. He proclaims the Blessings of God (the ‘Beatitudes’) – how we can experience our life as blessed by the Lord and how we can become a Blessing to others – by being non-possessive and sharing, sensitive to other’s pain, gentle and forgiving and peace-making – and with a passion for justice. His Beatitudes are His agenda for a better world and our qgenda for a life of discipleship and happiness.
PRAY FOR THIS WEEK’S PARISH MINISTRY OR MISSION We pray for the Lay Ministry of the Eucharist. Our Lay Ministers of the Eucharist enable us to receive the Precious Blood of the Lord each Sunday Mass and lead Services of Word and Communion when Richard is away. This nurtures the prayer and worship life of the community especially when a priest is not available. Lay Ministers of the Eucharist also ensure that all our housebound and long-term sick can receive the Healing Christ of the Eucharist in their own homes on a weekly basis. We are needing to train and commission a few more lay ministers to continue this invaluable ministry and touches the praying and sacramental heart of the parish.
DIOCESAN PRAYER We pray for the parishes in communion for mission of St Margaret Mary, Coleford, Our Lady of Lourdes, Newent and St Joseph, Lydney served by Fr Martin Queenan and Administrator Samantha Buchanan and their communities.