Parish Newsletter- 7th July 2024
| Mass times for the week ahead | MASS INTENTIONS |
| Saturday 6th July @7.00pm Clara | Patrick & Brigid Scanlon. Tommy Harris. John Guilfoyle. John & Brigid Hynes. Edward & Agnes Guinan |
| Sunday 7th July @10.00am Horseleap | John & deceased of the Curran family. Ann Carey, Ann & deceased of the Carey family. Paddy & Chris McDonnell. Frank & Rita Moran |
| Sunday 7th July @11.30am Clara | Noel Delaney. Donal, Sean, Dan & May Rabbitte |
| Tuesday 9th July @7.30pm Clara | St. Cornelius Paddy Beggelton. |
| Wednesday 10th July @7.30pm Clara | St. Peter of Perugia Padraig Geoghegan |
| Thursday 11th July @10.00am Clara | St. Benedict No Intention. |
| Friday 12th July @10.00am Clara | St. Veronica No Intention. |
| Saturday 13th July @10.00am Clara | St. Henry PJ McGuinness. Oliver Smith. Johnny Kelly |
| Saturday 13th July @7.00pm Clara | Anne Maher. Deceased of the Dignam family. Larry Maher. Patrick & Mary Brigid Kelly. Noeleen Daniles |
| Sunday 14th July @10.00am Horseleap | Joe Colgan |
| Sunday 14th July @11.30am Clara | Joe Fitzsimons (Month’s Mind). Seamus, Moll, May & Patricia Doherty. Kevin Cornally. Kathleen & Davey Kavanagh. John, Annie & deceased of the Rochford & Kavanagh families. |
Adoration of the Blessed Eucharist
Come to me all you who labour and are burdened. I will give you peace
Monday & Friday – 5.00-6.00pm
Tuesday & Wednesday – after 7.30pm Mass to 9.00pm.
All are welcome!
Please pray for the soul of Jody Weir, Clara/Limerick; recently deceased. R.I.P.
A Prophet is Only Despised in His own Country!
Why exactly Jesus chose to go home at this time is unclear. His ‘amazement’ at the reception he received suggests he had no idea that he would be rejected. The crux of the matter is that they cannot accept the ordinariness of Jesus. If he was a learned Rabbi, or even if he had been taught by some learned teacher of the Law, then they could accept him. He is nothing more than the son of a local carpenter, whose birth raised questions and whose family still lives in the town. Who does he think he is coming back here, throwing his popularity and miracles in our faces and expecting us to sit at his feet and listen like children? The old adage that ‘familiarity breeds contempt‘ may sound a bit stale to us today, but it is still true. Put simply, Jesus was too familiar to them. They knew him when he was running around as a child. They saw him learning his trade as a carpenter from Joseph. Familiarity is a lot more dangerous than we might think. It refuses to allow a person to develop or change and leads to the paralysis of boredom. At the end of the Gospel, Jesus, we are told, “is amazed by their lack of faith”. He is amazed, but not angry. He knows that he will never break through their familiarity and accepts that. He reminds them that a prophet is not honoured by the people who have known him from birth, and then he moves on. He didn’t stay to try to persuade them, nor did he argue and debate with them. Politely he points to what is happening – that a prophet is not recognised by those who know him best – and then he moves on. The lesson here is this: Jesus forces himself on no one. He gives countless signs and indications that he is to be trusted, that he is who he says he is, but he is not a ‘magician’ with clever tricks to draw people to himself. In accepting Jesus, there will always be a need for trust and faith. At all times, Jesus invites; he does not compel. God wants us to be his friends, not his servants. Above all, God’s Kingdom is a Kingdom of freedom, not bondage. God invites, he does not compel.
Meath Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2024 on September 10th: Pilgrims accommodated in hotels. 4, 5 & 6 night options, Fares from €769. Info & booking from www.joewalshtours.ie Tel. (01) 241 0800.
3-Day Residential Retreats led by Fr. Prince Clarence S.J. 23rd– 25th July; 30th July – 1st August; 6th– 8th August at the De La Salle Retreat Centre, Castletown, Co. Laois. €195 per person and per retreat. Contact Margaret (087) 231 2066, email:
‘Providing compassionate care at the end of life’. To address the sensitive issue of compassionate care at the end of life, and in response to the need to inform the faithful of Catholic teaching on this important life issue that affects so many families, the Bishops of Ireland have published the pastoral letter: ‘Freedom to Live Fully, Until Death Comes’. You are invited to read this letter and view the accompanying video Through the Valley, which offers personal testimonies by carers and people with terminal illness. The key message of both letter and video asserts that every person possesses inherent, infinite dignity that remains intact regardless of their circumstances. In this context, bishops strongly oppose the Oireachtas Committee’s proposal to Government to legislate for assisted suicide, and call on support for healthcare workers who uphold the sanctity of life. To read ‘Freedom to Live Fully, Until Death Comes’ and to watch ‘Through the Valley’, visit www.catholicbishops.ie
Come join the Ice Cream Party (with Bouncing Castle) for Down Syndrome Ireland in Kilbride, Clara, R35HC66 on Saturday 20th July, 3.00-6.00pm. Have some fun & raise much needed funds for Down Syndrome Ireland to continue their amazing work nationwide.
Collections for 29th/30th June:
Development Fund: €1,285; Plate: €490; Offerings: €40.
Thank You!
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