St Joseph’s Church
Cowdenbeath Road, Burntisland, Fife KY3 0LJ
Tel: 01592 872207
e-mail: parishpriest@stjosephsburntisland.co.uk www.stjosephsburntisland.co.uk
Bulletin
– Friday 9th April 2021
This week’s Services: |
||
Saturday 10th
|
5.00pm Vigil Mass |
James McGovern |
Sunday 11th
(2nd Sunday of Easter) |
10.00am Mass |
People
of the Parish |
Monday 12th |
No Service |
|
Tuesday 13th |
7.00pm Mass |
Thomas Green |
Wednesday 14th
|
10.00am Mass |
Liz Wainhouse |
Thursday 15th
|
10.00am Mass |
Agnes
Hackett |
Friday 16th
|
10,00am Mass |
Special Intention |
Saturday 17th
|
10.00am Mass 5.00pm Vigil Mass |
Special Intention Thanksgiving |
Sunday 18th
|
10.00am Mass |
People of the Parish |
Attendance at
Mass
Attendance is restricted to our building’s capacity of 45. No booking is necessary for weekday Mass, but to assure a place at the Saturday Vigil or Sunday morning Mass you should reserve on Eventbrite St Joseph's Church Burntisland Events | Eventbrite If you are unable to use Eventbrite or are having difficulties, please contact Fr James.
200 Club
Congratulations to the winners of the March 200 Club Draw, made
by Michael Bargeton in the Church Hall on Sunday 4th April:
£200 Colin Barton (165); £100 Mary Wishart (142); £50 Susan Ayres (107); £20 Marion Heggie (171); £20 Brian McMorrin (44); £20 Alex Kinnear (112).
I also received a cheque for the Building Fund for £6510, a fantastic sum, so thanks to everyone for your support. Fr James
New Offertory
Envelopes
These are now available in the porch. Many people have chosen to pay by Standing Order – thank you for that. If anyone would like a set of envelopes, please ask Fr James.
Year of St Joseph
– St Joseph’s Family Prayer Book
To celebrate the Year of St Joseph the Archdiocese has prepared a very useful little Family Prayer Book, which is available free of Church. Please collect a copy if you come to Church – and take some to deliver to parishioners who live nearby and perhaps aren’t able to come to Church for public services.
An Act of
Spiritual Communion
My
Jesus,
I
believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I
love You above all things,
and
I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since
I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come
at least spiritually into my heart.
I
embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never
permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Grace: The Church’s Hidden
Treasure (Zoom)
Easter
is a season of grace, so register now for a six week
course titled Grace: The Church’s Hidden Treasure. It is hosted
by the Archdiocese and takes place on Mondays at 7:30pm, starting 19th April. Sessions will focus on grace according to the teaching
of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica. It will include an
introduction on how to read the Summa, its structure, and how to go through one of
Saint Thomas’ articles. The webinar course is organised by the
Catechetical Commission of the Archdiocese and led by Fr Kevin Douglas (St
Peter’s & St Columba’s, Edinburgh) and Sr Anna Marie McGuan
RSM. Register now at bit.ly/GraceCourse2021 Sessions
will be recorded.
Exterminating
Poverty or the Poor? A Scottish Doctor’s Story (Zoom)
Mark
H Sutherland & Neil Sutherland, authors of ‘Exterminating Poverty’, will
tell the true story of how a Scottish doctor took on Marie Stopes 100 years
ago, and why this matters today. This webinar will inform and inspire those who
take up the pro-life fight today. It takes place at 7:45pm on Monday 26th April. Register now on Eventbrite bit.ly/ExterminatingPovertyOrThePoor
Reflection for 2nd Sunday of Easter (Jane Mellett)
We do not come through suffering and difficult
times unscarred. We are changed by them. Often it brings some sort of growth
into our lives and usually it is not a pleasant experience. We only have to think of the past year of lockdowns and isolation
and fear. In Pope Francis’ new book, Let
us Dream, he says ‘To enter into crisis is to be sifted. Your
categories and ways of thinking get shaken up; your priorities and lifestyles
are challenged. You cross a threshold, either by your own choice or by
necessity, because there are crises, like the one we are going through, that
you can’t avoid.’
Today’s Gospel shows
us that even the most difficult situations can be transformed. The Risen Christ
stands amongst the disciples even though the doors were firmly closed. The
peace that he gives them (Shalom) is a peace of
body, of mind and of spirit and it moves the disciples from despair and being
‘locked away’ to ‘rejoicing’. Jesus then asks the disciples to be an unending
witness to God’s love. They, and we, are invited to be for others what Jesus
has been for them. The Risen Jesus is active in all our lives and in the world
around us, but we must be careful not to close ourselves off or let fear take
over. John tells us that he writes these things so that we may come to believe
and have life. Our call is to bring this peace and joy to others, ‘so I send
you’. Who can you reach out to today?
Thomas Reflecting (from the Iona Community “Stages on the Way”)
I expected him to give me a row,
Not – as you might think –
for doubting.
We had all doubted, at different times, and he was never angry.
Indeed, he doubted himself, sometimes,
or, if he didn’t,
he certainly understood how it felt,
because he would sing the Psalms of doubt
with great fervour.
Doubt wasn’t an enemy to him.
He could stand us doubting.
It was indifference he couldn’t thole:
indifference and apathy.
I expected him to give me a row
perhaps for making conditions.
I did do that and I won’t deny it.
‘If only I see this and do that … then I’ll believe.’
Fancy me,
thinking I could make conditions with God,
but he didn’t take me to task.
He saw that I was happy because I had seen
and he said that they were also happy
who believed without making conditions,
without saying ‘if only’ or ‘unless’.
I expected him to give me a row
because I wasn’t there when he came.
The others were present. I was absent.
It wasn’t their fault or his fault,
It was mine.
I had – for whatever reason –
decided that it was all finished.
He came back to say it was all beginning.
I expected him to give me a row.
But he didn’t.
He gave me his hand and, more than that,
he gave me his peace.
Children’s Liturgy online: Resources are available on the Archdiocesan Facebook page and also https://www.facebook.com/ChildrensLiturgy-during-lockdown-101967264838340/
Intercessions
for daily prayer
For the Church: that through the gift of the
Spirit, we recognize God’s presence with us and profess with Thomas, “My Lord
and My God”
For all the newly baptized: that their faith
may continue to grow and that they may generously offer loving service to those
in need
For the gift of peace: that Christ’s gift may
abide with us and sustain us through all the challenges of life
For a spirit of openness: that we may be open
to God’s love and forgiveness, which God abundantly pours out for us
For our growth as children of God: that God
will give us the grace and strength to love God with all our hearts and keep
the commandments God has given us
For the grace of reconciliation: that God will
help us to turn from selfishness, forgive those who have injured us and be
instruments of reconciliation in our society
For Confessors, Spiritual Directors
and all ministers of reconciliation: that the Holy Spirit will give them wisdom
and insight to help others recognize to the length and breadth of God’s love
and mercy
For a renewed desire for the sacrament of
penance: that God will help us recognize the healing and power that one can
experience in the sacrament
For all who are questioning their faith or God
presence in their lives: that the Spirit will guide them to new insights and
help them recognize God’s presence through the witness of Christian’s love and
service
For a renewal of our faith communities: that,
like the early church, we may see the needs of others as our needs and open our
hearts and resources to assist them
For a blossoming of faith: that God will
enrich our faith so that we may be victors over the lies, illusions, and false
promises that secular culture promotes
For all who are in need, particularly those
who suffer violence, are recovering from natural disasters or lack resources
for daily living: that God will give them strength, help them to trust, and
move the hearts of many to assist them
For healing: that the Spirit will renew the
gift of life in all who are sick, discouraged, struggling with addictions or
weakness that comes with aging
For an end to violence: that Christ's victory
over death will turn hearts from violence and revenge and help us to respect
the value and dignity of each human life
For peace: that the Spirit will open dialogue
and new understanding amongst nations, communities, and families who are in
conflict
Stay safe
and keep well. Father James