19th Sunday in Ordinary Time-Year C

12th August 2007

FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - 15/08/2007

Wednesday is the Feast of the Assumption and is a Holyday of Obligation when we all MUST attend Mass. This has long been a traditionally important day in the life of Irish people. For many years it was the only annual holiday people took – a day off at the seaside or wherever, on the Feast of the Assumption. It was a day of rest and treated differently from all other feasts or everyday life. Mary herself holds a high place of importance in the minds and hearts of us Gaels. She is the one through whom we pray frequently to get our requests. Her intercession on our behalf if very powerful and for that reason we honour her on this special day. Coming to Mass is seen as our way of honoring and thanking her by acknowledging her Son, Jesus.

Omagh Bomb 9th Anniversary Memorial Service
A short service of music, prayer and reflection will be held on Sunday 12th August at 3.00pm, in the Memorial Garden. The service is anticipated to last no longer than 45 minutes. Refreshments will be served following the service in the Omagh Library, which is a short walk from the garden. Everyone is welcome and the whole Community is encouraged to come together in remembrance.

Castlederg Childcare Services
A new Childcare Centre is opening in early September at Upper Strabane Road, Castlederg. The centre offers full registered day care for children aged 11 weeks to 4 years and Out of School Club for children from P1 to P7. For more information contact Helen Cassidy on 028816 70652

Scottish/Irish Hogmany
Fr. Eddie McGuiness is organising an event to acknowledge the traditional link between Scotland and Donegal. This weekend is a celebration of Scottish culture in Inishowen. The weekend includes traditional song and dance along with a Gala Hogmany Dinner. The event concludes on Sunday evening with a Ceili and Old Thyme Dance. All proceeds in aid of Fr. EddieÕs Orphanage Fund. Everyone is welcome.

Lynchs Coach Tours
Annual Pilgrimage to Knock on Wednesday 15th August.
Bus Departs from Castlederg at 8am and Aghyaran at 8:15am.
Fare £12 per Adult, £7 per child For Bookings Tel. (028)81671344

Masses during the coming week : Monday to Friday 10.00 am each day

Weekend Masses: Vigil Mass Saturday evening 8.00 pm Sunday morning 9.00 am & 11.00 am

Confession Times: Saturday Evening after Vigil Mass

Parish Website www.parishofaghyaran.com - Let your overseas friends know.

The Pope’s Intentions for August
General: That all those who are going through moments inner difficulty and trial may find in Christ the light and support which leads them to discover authentic happiness.
Missionary: That the Church in China may bear witness to ever greater inner cohesion and may manifest her effective and visible communion with Peter’s Successor.

Saints of the day
Wednesday 15 – THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. This is Mary’s day of glorification, her ‘passover’ into the resurrected life of her Son. It honours ‘the fullness of blessedness that was her destiny’ (Marialis Cultis).
Thursday 16 – St Stephen of Hungary (975-1038), first king of Hungary and its patron saint.

Questions people ask
Q. Should the Bible stories like Adam and Eve, the apple, the flood etc. be taken as true or disregarded as primitive myths?
A. These stories were not written as scientific or historical accounts but to answer the great questions about the origin of life, temptation, divisions within people and between people and the punishment of evil. A story can offer deeper insights than a scientific explanation. Similarly, the ancient Greek myths were so full of human insights that they are used by modern psychologists to identify many human conditions such as narcissism or Oedipus complex. The wisdom contained in the biblical stories still offer insights which are helpful today.

Another Angle - Earthly choices – eternal consequences
Most election promises to the electorate centre on tax breaks and lower costs. No earthly politician has dared (yet!) to announce that the Kingdom has been given. The Kingdom is something that is literally priceless. It is about what is at the heart of the matter, literally at the centre of your life. The Sunday readings makes for difficult consumption during Summer. It speaks of things we would rather gently put aside: simple lifestyle, almsgiving, readiness for the return of the Lord, faithful use of the time given us and warnings of punishment.

You have servants who are going around doing peripheral stuff, not giving a lot of thought to the master who has gone off to get married. But when he comes back, even in the middle of the night, oh what a time this will be! This will be a celebration. He will dress up like a servant, get them to recline at table and wait on them hand and foot. In other words, they will be his equals. This is really something! Being raised up all because our head were focused down on the task given.

Each of us in turn need to come to the point when we ask ourselves whether our central concerns have to do with the things that really matter, or with all those matters which are just things. An earthly choice with eternal consequences.
Fr Tom Cox, Courtesy of Intercom Magazine

Prayer for Those Who Suffer
For those who suffer,
and those who cry this night,
give them repose,
Lord; a pause in their burdens.

Let there be minutes where they experience peace,
not of man but of angels.
Love them, Lord, when others cannot.
Hold them, Lord, when we fail with human arms.
Hear their prayers and give them the ability to hear
You back in whatever language they best understand.

Marriage Preparation Courses.

2007

October 26th & 27th.
November 23rd & 24th.
December 8th & 9th Courses

2008

January 25th & 26th,
February 22nd & 23rd,
April 4th , 5th, and April 25th & 26th,
May 23rd & 24th,
June 13th &14th.
Numbers on courses are limited. The fee of £80 per couple must be included with completed application form and forwarded to the Accord office