SEPTEMBER 8TH- OUR LADY'S BIRTHDAY.

Birth of Mary - Saint of the Day - COPYRIGHT-American Catholic: "The Church has celebrated Mary's birth since at least the sixth century. A September birth was chosen because the Eastern Church begins its Church year with September. The September 8 date helped determine the date for the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 (nine months earlier).

Scripture does not give an account of Mary's birth. However, the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James fills in the gap. This work has no historical value, but it does reflect the development of Christian piety. According to this account, Anna and Joachim are infertile but pray for a child. They receive the promise of a child that will advance God's plan of salvation for the world. Such a story (like many biblical counterparts) stresses the special presence of God in Mary's life from the beginning.

St. Augustine connects Mary's birth with Jesus' saving work. He tells the earth to rejoice and shine forth in the light of her birth. 'She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. Through her birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.' The opening prayer at Mass speaks of the birth of Mary's Son as the dawn of our salvation and asks for an increase of peace.

School Time!

Welcome back to all our boys and girls returning to Scoil Bhride on Monday. We look forward, especially, to working with the boys and girls who will be preparing for First Communion and Confirmation. Thoughts and prayers are with you for the year ahead and to all the boys and girls returning to various other schools from our parish and worshipping community. 

The next three Sundays....

Below you'll find readings, reflections, and pictures for the next three Sundays, starting with the furthest Sunday away, September 14th, then the 7th, and, finally, this Sunday coming, August 31st.

SEPTEMBER 14TH, THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS.

Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time,SEPTEMBER 7TH. To zoom in to the readings click on the images.

Some questions for you to mull over....

How can you be a lookout for others in living the Christian life?
How is love a solid foundation?
What is your experience of trying to tell someone they are on the path away from God?
What does being a responsible lookout mean?

Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, AUGUST 31ST.

Some questions for you to mull over...
What does service mean in the Christian context?
How do Jeremiah's words in the First reading speak to you? Who are the prophets of our world today? Can we be prophets in proclaiming our own Christianity?
What do you think the 'living sacrifice' is that Paul talks about in the Second Reading?
What does Jesus mean when he talks losing and gaining our life?

CEMETERY SUNDAY....DON'T FORGET!

Don't forget, Cemetery Sunday in Mount Saint Joseph Cemetery, Rahoon, is in two weeks time on Sunday, September 14th, with Mass at 3 in the cemetery. It's a good time to say thank you to you all for the care and respect with which you tend your loved ones graves, and to say thanks too to Jimmy Kilbane and his wonderful team in our cemeteries that keep them looking so spruce.

Mass Intentions for Week ahead

SACRED HEART CHURCH
SEAMUS QUIRKE ROAD
MASS LIST
31st August 2008

Saturday 7.30p.m Sybil Ryan
30th August

Sunday 9.30 a.m. Mary McKinney
31st August 11.00 a.m. Anna Keane and deceased members of the family
12.15 p.m. Paddy Kennedy and Niall Thornton
6.30 p.m. Gary Daly and John Walsh

Monday 1st September 10.00 a.m. Sean O'Connell and Ann Walsh

Tuesday 2nd September 10.00 a.m. Sick

Wednesday 3rd September 10.00 a.m. Baby Eoghan McGettrick

Thursday 4th September 10.00 a.m. Jackie Sammon

Friday 5th September 10.00 a.m. Nora McDonagh
7.30 p.m. Bridget Thornton and Vera Browne

Saturday 6th September 7.30 p.m. Stephen Burke and David Quinn

PRAY ALSO FOR BABY EOGHAN MCGETTRICK AND VERA BROWNE

Sunday 7th September 9.30 a.m. Ronan Duignan
11.00 a.m. Ciss Berry
12.15 p.m. Winnie & Bridget Ridge and deceased members of
the Ridge and Hussey families
6.30 p.m. Bridget Corcoran and Raymond Maloney

Computer/Reading/Writing Course for students with learning difficulties. Click on the image to zoom in.

Traveller Counselling Service. Click on the image to see clearer.

Indian Community.

The Monthly Indian Community Mass takes place this Wednesday, August 27th. As usual, Confessions will be heard before Mass, beginning at 5:30. The weekly prayer group and social evening continues, upstairs in the church rooms, every Friday at 6:30.

Sympathies.

We extend our sympathies to the Poor Clare Community, Nuns Island, on the death of Sister Agnes Horgan, and to Brid Comer, The Bailey, Circular Road, on the death of her brother Jim in Hawaii.

Dying you destroyed our death.....

Some feast days we celebrated in the last week. Let's CELEBRATE our Catholic heritage!

St. Bernard, Pope St. Pius X, The Queenship of Mary, St. Rose of Lima and St. Louis of France. Google these saints and find out more.

Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time. Zoom in by clicking on the images.

'In the scriptures, by the spirit, may we see the Saviours face, hear his word and head his calling, know his love and grow in grace.'

THE CENTRAL THEME IS ALLOWING JESUS TO POSE THE QUESTION OF THE GOSPEL TO YOU PERSONALLY, 'WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?.'

Mass Intentions for the week ahead, August 24th. Click on the image to see clearer.

Interested in volunteering as a lay missionary?? Zoom in by clicking on the poster.

Cura-The Catholic Crisis Pregnancy Agency-Zoom in by clicking on the image.

Sympathies.

Our sympathies to May Knight, 9 Greenview Heights, on the death of her brother Michael in America and to Nancy Lillis, 6 Fort Lorenzo House, on the recent deaths of her brother and sister, Eddie and Mary.

'When the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death, we gain an everlasting dwelling place in Heaven' (Preface of Christian Death I)

Some of our stained glass windows. Thanks to Marina Naughton for snapping them so beautifully.

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

'Woman you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.' Let's have the courage, like the Cannanite woman, to persist in prayer. He is the God of Mercy as the Second Reading reminds us.

Mass Intentions for the week ahead, August 17th. Click on the image to zoom in.

The Feast of the Assumption.

Our Lady Assumed into Heaven is Patroness of our Diocese and, along with Saint Nicholas (patron of our city), is patron of our Cathedral. If  you go into The Cathedral, into the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, you'll see an ancient stone carving/ triptych of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven over the tabernacle. This has survived 'dungeon, fire and sword'. At the time of the Reformation it was rescued from the river. Staying in Galway, in Athenry, the Feast of the Assumption is Lady Day, when people visit and pray at the Holy Well there.  All these things tell the story of the faith of the Irish people, especially their love of Our Lady. Also today, August 14th, sees the start of the annual Novena in Knock, our National Marian Shrine, check out www.knock-shrine.ie

There is a special vigil in the Cathedral this evening from 6 to 9 to mark the feast including Mass.

IN OUR OWN CHURCH THE MASSES FOR THE HOLY DAY ARE:

VIGIL MASS THIS EVENING AT 7:30, TOMORROW AT 10:00, 11:30 & 6:30.

PLEASE NOTE THE TIMES ARE DIFFERENT THAN A SUNDAY.

Virgin by William Wordsworth.

Mother! Whose virgin bosom was uncrost

With the least shade of thought to sin allied.
Woman! above all women glorified,
Our tainted nature's solitary boast;
Purer than foam on central ocean tost;
Brighter than eastern skies at daybreak strewn
With fancied roses, than the unblemished moon
Before her wane begins on heaven's blue coast;
Thy image falls to earth. Yet some, I ween,
Not unforgiven the suppliant knee might bend,
As to a visible Power, in which did blend
All that was mixed and reconciled in thee
Of mother's love with maiden purity,
Of high with low, celestial with terrene! 

August 14th, Maximilian Kolbe.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

COPYRIGHT: catholic.org Maximilian was born in 1894 inPoland and became a Franciscan. He contracted tuberculosis and, though he recovered, he remained frail all his life. Before his ordination as a priest, Maximilian founded the Immaculata Movement devoted to Our Lady. After receiving a doctorate in theology, he spread the Movement through a magazine entitled "The Knight of the Immaculata" and helped form a community of 800 men, the largest in the world.

Maximilian went to Japan where he built a comparable monastery and then on to India where he furthered the Movement. In 1936 he returned home because of ill health. After the Nazi invasion in 1939, he was imprisoned and released for a time. But in 1941 he was arrested again and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz.

On July 31, 1941, in reprisal for one prisoner's escape, ten men were chosen to die. Father Kolbe offered himself in place of a young husband and father. And he was the last to die, enduring two weeks of starvation, thirst, and neglect. He was canonized by Pope JohnPaul II in 1982. His feast day is August 14th.

 

St. Clare

COPYRIGHT: CATHOLIC.ORG Clare was a beautiful Italian noblewoman who became the Foundress of an order of nuns now called "Poor Clares." When she heard St. Francis of Assisipreach, her heart burned with a great desire to imitate Francis and to live a poor humble life for Jesus. So one evening, she ran away from home, and in a littlechapel outside Assisi, gave herself to God. St. Francis cut off her hair and gave her a rough brown habit to wear, tied with a plain cord around her waist. Herparents tried in every way to make her return home, but Clare would not. Soon her sister, St. Agnes joined her, as well as other young women who wanted to be brides of Jesus, and live without any money. St. Clare and her sisters wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a poor house, and kept silent most of the time. Yet they were very happy, because Our Lord was close to them all the time. Once, He saved them from a great danger in answer to St. Clare's prayer. An army of rough soldiers came to attack Assisi and they planned to raid theconvent first. Although very sick, St. Clare had herself carried to the wall andright there, where the enemies could see it, she had the Blessed Sacrament placed. Then on her knees, she begged God to save the Sisters. "O Lord, protect these Sisters whom I cannot protect now," she prayed. A voice seemed to answer: "I will keep them always in My care." At the same time a sudden fright struck the attackers and they fled as fast as they could. St. Clare was sick and suffered great pains for many years, but she said that no pain could trouble her. So great was her joy in serving the Lord that she once exclaimed: "They say that we are too poor, but can a heart which possesses the infinite God be truly called poor?" We should remember this miracle of the Blessed Sacrament when in Church. Then we will pray with great Faith to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist: "Save me, O Lord, from every evil - of soul and body." Her feast day is August 11.

Our city would be a much poorer place without The Poor Clares who have been part of our story since 1642. They are now online, visit them at www.poorclares.ie

Thanks from the V de P.

The society of Saint Vincent de Paul would like to thank you for your generosity to them at last weeks church gate collection. The amount raised here in the Sacred Heart was €1788.

Cemetery Sunday.

Cemetery Sunday in the New Cemetery, Bohermore, is next Sunday, August 17th, with Mass at 11 and devotions at 5.

In our own parish, Cemetery Sunday in Mount St. Joseph Cemetery in Rahoon is always the Sunday between the two All Ireland Finals, and this year that's Sunday, September 14th. Mass will be at 3 in the cemetery that day.

Cemetery Sunday is in Forthill Cemetery on Sunday, November 9th, follow the Augustinian website for updates: www.augustinians.ie/galway   

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Peter walks on water.

'Courage! it is I! Do not be afraid'. When we are buffeted by the storms of life and when our church is, as it has been, rocked to its core, do we hear those words of Jesus and do we have the courage to walk on water?

Mass Intentions for the week ahead, August 10th.

Click on the image to see clearer.

Thanksgiving.

Today, August 8th, the Feast of Saint Dominic, we give thanks for the presence of the Dominican Priests and Brothers in The Claddagh and the Dominican Sisters in Taylor's Hill. You have made an immense contribution to our city and diocese.

We pray for all the athletes who will represent Ireland in The Olympics in Beijing, that they will be fair minded and show true sportsmanship, and that they will give thanks to God for the honour of representing our country and for the athletic gifts he has given them.

Sympathies.

Our sympathies and thoughts and prayers are with the family of Amanda Dempsey, 41 Grangemore, on the death of her dad, John O'Malley of Salthill, with Anne Ward, 26 Corrach Bui, on the death of her brother John in Tuam and Rose Barrett, 65 Corrach Bui, on the recent death of her sister Ann Sweeney.

May they rest in the peace of The Lord.

Feasts of the Week.

Saint John Vianney, August 4th.
Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, August 5th.
Transfiguration of the Lord, August 6th.
St. Dominic, August 8th.

Saint Edith Stein, August 9th.

Our Catholic Heritage, the saints, our friends in Heaven along with the Feast of The Lords Transfiguration and the Dedication of The Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. Why not google these feast days and find out more?

Monsignor Malachy.

A nice piece from this weeks City Tribune! Click on the image to see clearer.

Galway Cathedral Recitals.

The annual series of recitals continue in The Cathedral for the Thursdays of August at 8 PM. Click on the image above for all the details.

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Jesus Feeds the 5000. There are many who are hungry for bread in our world today, especially the Bread of Life. A life without God is a life in darkness.

50th Wedding Anniversary.

Congratulations to Anna and Frank Donnellan who are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary on Monday, August 4th, and who will be with us for Mass that morning. Blessings to you both.

Mass Intentions for the week ahead, August 3rd.

Click on the image to see clearer.