The Baptism of the Lord Sunday, 12th January, 2025. Cycle C.
St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road,
New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish Priest: Fr Mario Ashuikeka
Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites http://www.stjohntheevangelistnewferry.com
The Baptism of the Lord Sunday 12th January 2025, Cycle C
FOCUS: FROM THIS DAY FORWARD
Baptisms are rather like marriages. Not only are they family and community affairs that are accompanied by festivity, but they also work at a deeper level.
When two people marry, the words of the ceremony make it clear that they are embarking on something that will last a lifetime. In sickness and in health means that you cannot simply say that you are married and then do nothing about it. You have to work at a marriage, especially when unforeseen problems arise. That's why people say that a wedding takes only a day, but a marriage takes for ever.
In the same way, our baptism is not something that is over in a day. The ceremony may only take half an hour, but our baptism is something that stays with us for a lifetime. Even though we sometimes speak about "having the baby done", baptism is not a static thing, something over and done with, but it's a dynamic reality. We carry our baptism with us even when we don't feel it!
It's a sad fact that if people do not work at their marriage, then the marriage can go stale. And the same is true with our baptism. If we're not careful we can wake up one morning and find that our baptism has gone dead because we have not been giving it the care and attention it needs. Baptisms need plenty of fresh air and exercise!
Baptism means believing that only God's life can bring us true happiness. It means living by the beliefs and promises that we made years ago (or agreed to later, if we were baptised as babies). We were anointed with oil to become members of God's family that is the Church, committed to telling others about the sort of God we have and the sort of promises held out to those who serve God.
At the start of this new year, it might be worth taking a look at what new Christians promise at their baptism (or what their godparents promise on their behalf). Ask at church for a copy; see what you agreed to; decide where you need to improve! Has your baptism put on so much weight because you have never exercised it? How do you proclaim your faith at home and at work? Does your life teem with that deep own joy that God promises to those who have been reborn with water and the Spirit? The feast of the Lord's Baptism tempts you to ask a few questions…
————————————————————————————————————-
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: After the lord was baptised, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.
RESPONSE TO THE PSALM: Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Alleluia, alleluia! Someone is coming, said John, someone greater than I. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Alleluia!
COMMUNION ANTIPHON: Behold the One of whom John said: I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.
—————————————————————————————————————
Sunday sees the end of the Christmas Season.
Devotions/Adoration: Saturday Morning Devotions will be prayed in Church (the Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises) from 10:30am-11:30am. Fr Mario will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation between 11.00am- 11.30am.
All morning services will take place in St Anne’s house at St John’s Monday and Friday Masses will be held in the Day Chapel, Tuesday and Wednesday Masses will remain in the main Church.
Last Weeks’ Offertory Collection: this week’s total was-£262.93p Many thanks for your continued support.
Collection from Friday 3rd Healing Service totalled £47. The next Healing Service is due to take place on the first Friday in April. All most welcome.
Special Collection- Next weekend 18th/19th January for Priest’s Retirement Fund. Please try to support this important fund.
Further to the recent Boiler appeal, a separate bank account has now been set up specifically to ‘ring fence’ contributions to the new boiler fund. Please make cheques payable to St John’s New Ferry and write 29001/NFJ/DU on the reverse. Cash donations should be placed in an envelope with 29001/BNFJ/DU written on the outside.
Road Closure: At the site of the new houses at the junction of Bebington Road and Boundary Road, New Ferry there is a need to construct a new sewer and this work requires for a small section of Bebington Road and Boundary Road to be closed for 10 days between 13th and 22nd January 2025. M & Y Construction apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Bookings for the reception & Celebration of Sacraments: Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation & Wedding, Please enquire & arrange for these through the parish emails / Secretaries of St. Anne’s & St. John’s. Also contact the Parish Priest/ Administrator through 0151-645-3314 You can also get in touch with Carol Dalziel on 7808975011 or Ann Murray on 07745490279 regarding general parish queries.
SJE’s Parish Safeguarding Officer is Celia Daly, who can be contacted on 0151-645 9256 on all safeguarding matters.
Mass Intentions If you would like to have a Mass said for your own or someone else’s intentions , fill in one of the Mass offering envelopes at the back of Church, place a donation in it & put it through the Presbytery letterbox. Please give at least three weeks’ notice as we are receiving a large number of requests for particular dates and days.
In Memoriam: Please pray for the repose of the soul of Margaret Mary Dunne who died on 5/01. Requiem Mass at St Johns on Wednesday 22nd January at 9:15 a.m. Followed by cremation at Landican at 10.30am.Please also pray for the repose of the soul of Kath Adamson, mother of Mike Adamson, who died peacefully on 6/01. Funeral Mass at St John’s on Monday 3rd February at 9.30am then Landican Central Chapel at 11am. Kath was well known to the parishioners of both St Luke’s and St John’s as her late husband, Jack , was the head teacher at St John’s School. Please continue to pray for Joan Elizabeth Clark who died on 23rd December. Funeral Mass at St John’s this Monday 13th January at 9.15am followed by Cremation at Landican Crematorium 10:30 a.m. Please continue to pray for the repose of the soul of Kenny Daly (Deacon Mike’s brother) who died recently. Also pray for the repose of the soul of Marguerite Long. Funeral Mass to be held at St John’s this Wednesday 15th January at 10.30am followed by Landican at 12.Noon. Please keep all their families in your prayers. May they and all the faithful departed, rest in the peace of Christ.
Children's Liturgy – takes place during the 9.30am Mass. All are most welcome.
Sunday Morning Teas continue on the first Sunday of each month. Come along for tea/coffee & biscuits whilst enjoying a chat. The next date is SUNDAY 2nd FEBRUARY 2025.
Wirral Foodbank Appeal: Please help to support our local Foodbank as much as you can with both food & funds. All items urgently needed are listed on the notice board at the back of church.
The Registration for First Holy Communion Preparation Classes has now started and the preparation classes for the children will commence at the beginning of February. Kindly contact the parish office for the registration form.
CCTV CAMERA SYSTEM: has been installed inside and outside the church, to the rear door of the church and also to the front door of the presbytery. The system is to safeguard all our parishioners and the church and presbytery buildings.
BAPTISM OF CHRIST THE LORD : Jesus’ baptism, which is a sign of his divinity rather than any need to be baptised, better enables us to understand our own sharing in this great sacrament of initiation into Christian life and salvation. Baptism is a grace which we accept and in which we grow through a life of perseverance in prayer and worship in body, mind and spirit. “After baptism men and women need to pray continually in order to enter heaven; for though sins are remitted through baptism, there still remains the inclination to sin which assails us from within, and also the flesh and the devil which assail us from without.” (St. Thomas Aquinas) On this feast we pray that we may remain, like Christ, faithful to the mission that God has entrusted to us at our own baptism.
WORDS FOR WORSHIP: Baptised into the family of the Church as brothers and sisters in Christ, we turn together to our God and call him: Our Father….
A Year of Hope: An Introduction to the Jubilee Year with the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development: 2025 is a Jubilee year, but what does that mean? Catholic talk show host and author Nana Churcher, and CAFOD’s Simon Giarchi will be hosting Fr Jan Nowotnik (Director of Mission for the Bishop’s Conference), Christine Allen (CAFOD’s Director) and Kayode Akintola (CAFOD’s Head of Africa) and more for a lively start to the Jubilee. With a special appearance by Catholic band Ooberfuse. Saturday 18 Jan, 10:30am-midday, online. All welcome. Register here for free: cafod.org.uk/jubilee
————————————————————————————————————-
Saturday 11th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Ints Joan Turner
The Baptism of the Lord 12th 9.30am Michael Coughlan Senior RIP
3.00pm Benediction
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday 13th 9.15am Funeral Mass - Elizabeth Clark
Tuesday 14th 9.15am Infant school Mass in school
Wednesday 15th 10.30am Funeral Mass - Marguerite Long
NO EVENING MASS
Thursday 16th NO MASS
Friday 17th 9.15am Decd Rel/Fnds Bell & Nugent Families
Saturday 18th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm In Honour of St Luke – Margaret Bennett
The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 19th 9.30am Enrolment Mass
Fliss Salisbury & Family
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Weekend Masses - Please note that the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed immediately before each Mass. Please use this as a time for prayer & quiet devotion. Please enter the church quietly & remain so. Thank you.
———————————————————————————————————-
ST ANNE’S WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday 11th 6.30pm Sylvia & Jim Sullivan In Memorial
The Baptism of the Lord 12th 11.00am Jones & McGlone Families
Monday 13th 12noon Sean McKendry Remembrance
Tuesday 14th 12noon Helen Helen Birthday
Wednesday 15th NO MASS
Thursday 16th NO MASS
Friday 17th 12noon Patricia CotterAnniversary
Saturday 18th 6.30pm Wilfred White Birthday
The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 19th 11.00am Lynda Clark Birthday
————————————————————————————————————-
Pope Francis’s Prayer Intentions for January 2025
Let us pray for migrants, refugees, and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected.
————————————————————————————————————-
