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April 2007 Newsletter AWAKE TO NEW LIFE AT EASTER When Peter encounters the Risen
Lord, three times he says ‘I love
you’ – wiping out the threefold betrayal just before Jesus died.
It brings home to us how, for the first disciples, their experience
of Jesus risen was also an event of being forgiven. All Christian living is rooted in
this Easter experience of being forgiven, reconciled, made whole.
It sets us on a new path, a new way of living – what Pope John Paul
called a ‘continuous, permanent conversion’. This may be a new way of looking at
things. We are used to seeing
Lent as the time of repentance.
Indeed, after our Lenten efforts, Easter can feel like an
anti-climax. But in fact,
Easter is meant to be a beginning and not a conclusion, an awakening and not
a tapering off. It means
beginning to live in the glow of God’s forgiveness rather than in the
shadow of sin – with our hearts uplifted instead of our heads bowed. When this happens, we feel the new
life of Easter coming to birth in our souls.
We feel the words spoken to the prodigal son being spoken to
ourselves; ‘this son (daughter!) of
mine was dead and is alive again’. We are meant to see all this in
‘sacramental perspective’. We
do so each time we celebrate the Eucharist, remembering Jesus ‘whose death has reconciled us to yourself’.
And we do so on the occasions when we gather for the Sacrament of
Reconciliation itself. This sacrament celebrates what’s
at the heart of all conversion and repentance and reconciliation – namely,
the new life of Easter, Christ’s forgiving, life-giving Spirit.
In participating, we heighten our awareness of this ‘daily
resurrection’. And we
heighten our awareness of each other – ‘in the same boat’, walking the
same path, partaking of the same mystery. This is the last in this series of reflections. Our thanks
to Donal Harrington.
Annual
Dundrum Parishes Together, World Day of Prayer Service This year on March 2nd, this ecumenical service – formerly the Women’s World Day of Prayer was held in the Methodist Church with some eighty participants from the Methodist , Church of Ireland, Christchurch Taney and the Catholic parishes of St. John the Evangelist, Ballinteer and Holy Cross , Dundrum. The service of hymns and scripture readings which was used worldwide had been prepared by a group of women of Paraguay and drew attention to the role and experience of women in a society under stress due to poverty and poor distribution of land. One of their traditional handcrafts is Ñanduti making - made by weaving fine fibres on a wooden frame to form flowers of varying sizes into a large lacelike pattern – a fitting symbol of international Christian unity.
SNAKES ALIVE! At the Family Mass on St. Patrick’s Day, we learned that, with the passage of time and greater international travel opportunities, snakes had sneaked back into Ireland and to Dundrum. However, five young lads had volunteered to seek out and banish them again with the help of St. Patrick above. Urged on by prayers addressing particular species of snake they expelled the “slippery snakes” once more. A ginormous one had hidden behind the altar but he was spotted and was vigorously wrestled by the lads off the sanctuary much to Fr. Peter’s relief. Once again, snakes have been banished! Thanks lads! But keep an eye out - they may sneak back!
Concerned
About the Environment? Al Gore’s film has stirred the environmental consciences of many people recently. We are becoming more aware that concern for the environment should be something directly relevant to us as Christians, as church. Eco-Congregation Ireland has been developed in co-operation with four churches – the Church of Ireland, the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church- whose environmental representatives are in touch with the many groups operating in Ireland, Britain and Europe. It aims to encourage churches and parishes to celebrate the gift of God’s creation, to recognise the interdependence of all creation, and to care for it. It offers resources, support and a programme for those who may be interested all available free on the internet. You can check it out at: www.ecocongregationireland.org.
There has been an
unbelievable response to our Sowing Seeds Stamp Appeal. We have received
tens of thousands of stamps which will be sold to raise funds for poor
children in Haiti. But we have a problem; while sorting we came across some
valuable stamps. Two Penny Reds for example turned up. Now we need a stamp
collector (from the parish?) to help us sell them for the best price. Any
stamp collectors? Can you help? Come and see our Aladdin’s Cave!! Please keep the stamps rolling in
Beidh Aifreann lán
Gaeilge faoi leith in Eaglais na Croise Naofa Easter
Sunday will be celebrated 'inár dteanga dúchais' with an Irish Mass
The Christian Community welcomes with great joy
Suaimhneas sioraí dá n-anamnacha and sincere sympathy to all the bereaved
We congratulate the following
couple who were married recently
A
LETTER FROM A FRIEND Hi
there! How
are you? I just had to send a
note to tell you how much I care about you.
I saw you yesterday, talking with your friends.
I waited all day hoping you would want to talk to me too.
I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you,
and I waited. You never came. It
hurt me, but I still love you because I ‘m your friend.
I saw you sleeping last night and longed to
touch your brow so I spilled moonlight on your face.
Again I waited, wanting to come down so we could talk.
I have so many gifts for you! But
when you awoke you rushed off to work. My
tears were in the rain.
If you would only listen to me! I love you! I try to tell you in blue skies and in the quiet green grass.
I whisper it in leaves on the trees and breathe it in the colours of
flowers, shout it in mountain streams, give the birds love songs to sing.
I clothe you with warm sunshine and perfume the air with nature’s
fragrances. My love for you is
deeper than the ocean, and bigger than the biggest need in your heart! Ask me!
Talk with me! Please don’t forget me.
I have so much to share with you! I won’t hassle you further.
It is up to you. I have chosen you and I will wait because I love you. Your Friend
NEXT
NEWSLETTER ARRANGEMENTS The next newsletter will be issued on 5th / 6th May. The deadline for submission of material for the May newsletter is the 22nd April. You may email the Parish Office at: parishofficedundrum@eircom.net Parish Office is open weekdays 9.30a.m. to 12.30p.m. Phone 2983494
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