The Deep End

The bare minimum

There are times when we try to get by with the bare minimum.  Maybe we have scraped through an exam with the minimum of effort or done a last-minute rush job to complete a work project.  Plenty of us know what it’s like to do just enough around the house to keep it from descending into total chaos!

Perhaps unconsciously, we sometimes take the same approach to our relationships – only phoning a parent once in a blue moon to ‘check in’, or visiting a friend only when we are reminded.   It can be easy to slip into a pattern of acting out of a sense of duty rather than love.

Of course, faith can go the same way.  Are there times when we approach the Eucharist with a niggling feeling that something is not quite right?  If so, Jesus has some strong words for us in today’s Gospel.  If we believe that all we are expected to do is ‘follow the rules’, we have missed something important.  Jesus does not want us to merely follow the letter of the law.  Where is the joy or the challenge in that?  He tells us that our virtue must go deeper than simply doing the bare minimum.  Not only must we not kill, we must not be angry with others.  Not only must we not break a promise, we must be honest in all our dealings and in our speech.  If we approach the altar without being on good terms with others, we are not in true communion with God.

Obeying the rules is the bare minimum.  The Gospel is calling us to a more radical way of living.

Triona Doherty  

Email: trionad@gmail.com

 

THE NEWSLETTER OF ST FERGAL’S PARISH, BALLYWALTRIM, BRAY,

CO WICKLOW.  Parish Website: www.stfergalsbray.ie

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MASS INTENTION

Saturday Vigil Mass 15th Feb 2020

7.00pm    Eddie O’Sullivan (Anniv)                                    

Sunday 16th Feb 2020

8.00am   Michael Murphy (Rec Dec)                                    

10.30am. Eddie Young ( Rec Dec)

                Leslie Mates (Rec Dec)

                Jane Matthews (Rec Dec)

                Patrick Conway (Rec Dec)

                Graham Horne (Rec Dec)

                Michael Murray (Rec Dec)     

                Brendan Sheridan (Rec Dec)

                Stella Ruocco (Rec Dec)

We are also asked to include in our prayers:- Elma O’Sullivan, Jack Kiely,

John Francis O’Mahoney,  Mary King, and A Special Intention

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LAST WEEKEND’S COLLECTIONS

Last weekend The Family Offering Collection amounted to €540.00

The Share Collection amounted to €735.00

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Parish Cake Sale – 2020

The second of our monthly Cake Sale’s and Raffle’s for 2020   will take place,  NEXT Weekend the 22nd & 23rd of February.   We  really are in need of  some extra volunteer bakers, if you can help in any small way, we would be most grateful.

Thank you for your support.

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Sixth Sunday in Ordinary  Time

The negative formulation of God’s will in the Law is necessary for those who are morally immature.   But Jesus leads us by a more perfect and positive understanding to the maturity which makes us realise our full obligations to God and to our fellow human beings.

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ACCORD:

Annual Collection will take place THIS weekend of 15th & 16th of February

The annual collection for ACCORD Dublin, the Diocesan Agency for Marriage and the Family, will be made at all Masses this weekend.

The collection for ACCORD will replace the usual Share Collection.

ACCORD Dublin, offers:-

Marriage Preparation Courses.

Counselling for couples and individuals experiencing difficulties in their relationships.

A Relationship and Sexuality Programme for primary and secondary Schools. 

ACCORD Dublin needs your support. Please give generously.

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Bray Cualann Historical Society

Anthony Jordan will be the guest speaker  for the February 20th  8pm meeting of the Bray Cualann Historical  Society in the Royal Hotel, Bray, when he will speak on ‘James Joyce Unlocked’ – all welcome,  admission €6  for non-members/visitors.

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LENT

Guided Reflective Prayer will be held in LORETO Convent, Bray during the weeks of Lent.   If you are interested please contact:-   Sr Marie Carr, 0866086347   On or before Friday 21st February.

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Thought for the day

It is clear already in the Old Testament that it is not our misdeeds which accuse us before God, but our hearts, fractured and divided as they are. Consistent with Israelite teaching, Jesus insists that we go deeper than our external deeds. The important question is what is going on in our hearts, the source of inner thoughts and motivations? The teaching is presented using various examples, presented sometimes with great simplicity, other times with irony and wit.

Prayer

O God, you read our hearts and you know us even better than we know ourselves. Let us trust your knowledge of us and your call to true conversion of heart, for you desire only our good that we may be both whole and holy.

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FR LARRY IS LEAVING

ST FERGALS !!

After almost nine years as Parish Priest, friend, and confidant to most of us here in St Fergal’s, Fr Larry will celebrate his last weekend Mass at 10.30 on Sunday next the 23rd of February, after which, our hospitality team will be serving tea, coffee, cake, (and no doubt there are stories to be told) in the St Anthony Room, and we do hope that as many of you as possible will join us on the day.    Fr Larry has been with us during times of great joy for our families, Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, and Weddings.   He has also been with many of us in times of great sadness, his strength, kindness, and understanding, during these times such a blessing.  He will be remembered for his wicked sense of humour and mischievous good nature, his memory for names, and his handshakes with everyone after all the weekend Masses.   He will be sorely missed.  However, he is badly in need of rest, and recovery, and please God this man will now get the chance to heal his body and restore his spirit.   And finally, Fr Larry,  may God keep you safe, we thank you, we wish you good health, peace, and joy, for all of your days, and we hope that you will keep in touch.    Please remember us in your prayers, as we will remember you with much fondness in ours.

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READINGS AND INTENTIONS

Mon 17th – Sat 22nd Feb 2020

Monday 17th Feb

St Fintan, abbot.

9.30am Rose & Brian McKeever (Anniv)

Jas 1:1-1 Ps 118:67-68, 71-72, 75-76,

R/ v 77. Mk 8:11-13.1.

Tuesday 18th Feb

9.30am Gavin Doody (Anniv)

Jas 1:12-18. Ps 93:112-15, 18-19,

R/ v 12. Mk 8:14-21.

Wednesday 19th Feb

9.30am Michael Robinson (Anniv)

Jas 1:19-27. Ps 14:2-5, R/v 1.

Mk 8:22-26. Lect.

Thursday 20th Feb

9.30am Bernadette Carroll (Rec Dec)     

Jas 2:1-9. Ps 33:2-7, R/ v 7. Mk 8:27-33.

Friday 21st Feb

St Peter Damien

9.30am Helen Foley (Rec Dec)

Jas 2:14-24, 26. Ps 111:1-6,

R/ cf v 1. Mk 8:34-9:1.

Saturday 22nd Feb

The Chair of St Peter.

9.30 am – Prayer Service

1 Pet 5:1-4. Ps 22, R/ v 1. Mt 16:13-19.

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PRAYER

All-seeing God, you alone judge rightly our innermost thoughts. Teach us to observe your law from the heart, even as we keep it outwardly.   Purify our desires, calm every anger, and reconcile us to one another. Then will our worship at your altar render you perfect praise.   We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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ROTAS FOR NEXT WEEKEND

Ministers of the Eucharist:

22nd & 23rd February 2020

7:00pm     William Horgan

                 Vicky Byrne

                 Tony Bohan

 8.00am     Gus Fox

                 Sarah Lynch

10:30am  Aine McHugh, Ellen Gormley,

                Marie Lee, Eileen Fox

                Billy Carnahan

Nursing Home Rota:

Mary Bolger

Margaret Broderick

Billy Carnahan

Ministers of the Word

7.00pm   Marie Therese Kennan O’Dowd

8.00am   Marie Dunphy

10.30am Betty Prenter

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 ST FERGAL’S PARISH

Moderator, V. Rev Larry Behan

The Parochial House, St. Fergal’s, Killarney Road, Bray.

Sacristy: Tel. 2768194 

Parish Office: Mon, Wed, & Thurs 10.00am-3.00pm, 

Tuesday 10.00am-5.00pm

Friday:- CLOSED Tel: 2860980

Email: info@stfergalsbray.ie  Web:www.stfergalsbray.ie

Masses: Sundays – Saturday 7.00p.m. Sunday 8.00a.m. & 10.30a.m. Holy Days – Vigil 7.00p.m., Holy Day 8.00a.m. & 10.30a.m. Weekdays – 9.30a.m.

Baptisms: 1st & 3rd Saturday of each month at 12.00Noon.   Three weeks notice before the preparation meeting is required. Preparation meeting is normally held on the Monday before the first Saturday Sacrament.

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